Friday News - September 25, 2020
Hillcrest Elementary School
Friday News
September 25, 2020
Dear Hillcrest Families,
We did it! All of our Hillcrest students are now up and running with remote learning. This week marked the start of remote instruction for our kindergarten and preschool students and I am so happy to report that things are going very well. Teaching and learning in a remote setting is full of challenges and despite that, our students are making solid progress! This week, I had the chance to sit in on Morning Meetings with our preschoolers and I have been so impressed by how quickly our youngest learners are adapting to remote learning. Tremendous thanks go out to families and teachers for all the “behind the scenes” work that has made this possible. The At-Home Learning Materials that our teachers have prepared are providing students with essential hands-on experiences. And, the efforts of families to create at-home learning spaces has been invaluable. As we move forward, I encourage families to continue to share your ideas, questions and concerns. Your emails and phone calls this week have been incredibly helpful!
Looking ahead to next week, a few important notes:
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Materials pick up for Preschoolers will be held on Wednesday, September 30th from 12:00 to 2:00 in the front traffic circle.
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Materials Pick-Up for Kindergarten Students will also be held on Wednesday, September 30th from 12:00 to 3:00 in the front traffic circle.
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Our first grade students will begin their iReady assessments next week. You will find additional information on iReady at the end of this newsletter. And, please be on the lookout for information from your child’s teacher about these assessments. You can also learn more about iReady here: https://i-readycentral.com/familycenter/
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Don’t forget to check out the Hillcrest Remote Learning Site.
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A special thank you goes out to Upinngill Farm for their generous donation of pumpkins to our preschoolers. The preschoolers will launch an investigation of pumpkins during the month of October and this donation is a perfect match!
Wishing you a wonderful weekend --
Sarah Burstein
Principal, Hillcrest Elementary
Counselor’s Corner
An important message from Ms. Halina Radosz, Hillcrest Adjustment Counselor:
Hello from Ms. Halina, your student's school counselor. I will be offering some virtual friendship groups for Kindergarten and First grade. These groups allow a smaller number of students to come together for social skill building and a time to connect with some peers from other classrooms that they are not able to see now while remote. If you are interested in having your child participate please email at halina.radosz@gmrsd.org with the subject line Friendship Group.
If you'd like to schedule a time to speak with me or need assistance with resources, please fill out this form. More information on social and emotional learning can be found at the Hillcrest Remote Learning Website.
September 25, 2020
Dear First Grade Families,
I am excited to share that our school is implementing a program called i-Ready. Below, you will find information about the program and how we will be using it in the classroom.
What is i-Ready?
i-Ready is an online program that will help us determine your child’s strengths and areas for growth, personalize their learning, and monitor their progress throughout the school year. i-Ready allows us to meet your child where they are and provides us with data to inform instruction.
The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions to suit your child’s needs. Each item a student receives is based on their answer to the previous question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier ones. The purpose of this is not to give your child a score or grade but to determine how to best support their learning.
What can I do to help?
To help prepare your child for the i-Ready Diagnostic, encourage them to:
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Get a good night’s sleep and eat a full breakfast the day of the assessment.
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Try their best on each question and try not to rush.
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Try not to worry about questions to which they do not know the answers—remind them that it is expected that they will only get about half of the questions correct.
What happens next?
The i-Ready Diagnostic will provide results that help us to identify your child’s strengths and determine next steps for instruction. We look forward to sharing these results with you throughout the year and providing a learning experience that will engage your child while teaching important skills and concepts.
If you have any questions about i-Ready, please do not hesitate to contact me or the school. You can also learn more about i-Ready by visiting i-ReadyCentral.com/FamilyCenter.
As always, thank you for your continued support and for being a partner in your child’s learning! It is much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Sarah Burstein
Sarah Burstein, Principal