Friday News -- January 17, 2020

Friday, January 17, 2020

Hillcrest Elementary School

Friday News

January 17, 2020

Dear Hillcrest Families,

On Monday, January 20th, there is no school in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  Often, when people talk about Dr. King, they refer to his inspirational speech at the Lincoln Memorial, which featured the famous phrase, “I Have a Dream.”  Dr. King gave many incredible speeches during his short lifetime and his words have inspired many people all over the world to take action and to stand up for social justice.  Here at Hillcrest, we are supporting our students to take action in practical, age-appropriate ways. For young children, asking a new friend to play, noticing when a classmate needs help, and speaking up to tell the truth, are all acts of social justice. For parents and educators, encouraging children to be kind, to act responsibly, to think critically, and to be respectful are all essential to raising compassionate and courageous children. If social justice is an area of interest for you, I urge you to attend one of our Family Read Aloud events or to borrow a book from our Diverse Books Collection lending library (located  in the main entrance of our building). We have several exciting family events coming up this month -- I hope you can join us!

Looking ahead, please keep these dates in mind:

  • Hillcrest Family Math Night is  Thursday, January 23rd from 5:30 – 6:30. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about our new math program, Bridges, and to enjoy some challenging and fun math games with your child. 

  • Friday, January 24th is Turnaround Day and there is no school.

  • Our Family Read Aloud events will be held on Friday, January 31st at 9:30, immediately following All school Meeting.  You can visit Mrs. Prevett’s classroom for a read-aloud of A Family is a Family by Sara O’Leary. Or you can visit Miss Matrishon’s classroom for a read-aloud of Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts. All families are welcome to attend these events.

  • January All School Meeting will feature presentations from Mrs. Prevett’s preschoolers, Mrs. Fox’s kindergarten students, and Miss Matrishon’s first graders. All School Meeting begins at 9:00 on Friday, January 31st.

  • And don’t forget about Cocoa, Cookies and Crafts sponsored by Friends of Hillcrest on Friday, January 31st at 5:30.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend ---

Sarah Burstein, Principal

 

 

 

 

 

  Friends of Hillcrest News Corner 

Cocoa Cookies and Crafts 

 

Many thanks go out to the families who have donated or plan to donate so far.  We are still in need of bakers, cookie decorations and cookie frosting. Cookie decorations and frosting can be accepted now up until the 31st.  Cookies can be dropped off at the school in the all-purpose room on the 31st.    

 

 

Kindergarten and 1st Grade Playground 

 

If you were unable to attend the Selectboard meeting for the Hillcrest kindergarten & 1st grade playground presentation this past Monday, you can view it using the following link: https://vimeo.com/384821681.  The topic of the playground starts at about 40 minutes in.  Please send an email of support to the Town Planner, Walter Ramsey: planner@montague-ma.gov.   Your words of support WILL make a difference when they hold their hearing on Monday, February 3rd.       

 

READ-A-THON Sponsorship 

 

Friends of Hillcrest (FoH) is excited to bring a new fundraiser to Hillcrest Elementary School, our first ever READ-A-THON! This fundraising event is designed to encourage Hillcrest students to read (or be read to) and keep them interested in reading while raising money for our school.  In an effort to keep students motivated, we are seeking business sponsors that will help us purchase prizes for our students. Monies from this fundraiser will be used to help purchase library bound copies of Hillcrest’s Diverse Books Collection. If you are interested or know a business who might be interested, please have them contact us at friendsofhillcrest2015@gmail so we can provide more information.  Thank you! 

 

Save the Date 

  • Cocoa, Cookies & Crafts – Friday, January 31st from 5:30-6:30 PM 

  • FoH Meeting in the Hillcrest Library – Thursday, February 27th from 5:00-6:00 PM  

  • Free childcare will be provided upon request  

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Friends of Hillcrest at friendsofhillcrest2015@gmail.com.  You can also find us on Facebook!