October 2023 Hillcrest Newsletter

A coworker sent me a quote this week and he said, "I thought you might enjoy this."

Just as Michelangelo thought there was an angel locked inside every piece of marble.
I think there is a brilliant child locked inside every student.

-Marva Collins

Wow! This is exactly how I feel about every single student at Hillcrest Elementary School. Inside each and every one of our students there is potential that will change our world to make it a better place. I am thankful that I get to lead a staff that believes this too! Each day your child comes to school know that they are safe, loved, and pushed to reach their highest potential.

I am proud to be a Hornet!

As always, my door is open for you (Mr. Lopez too!)

Please stop in and say hello, give me a call at 309-755-7621, or email me at ctapscott@emsd37.org
I am excited to see you this week during parent/teacher conferences.

Go Hornets!

Mrs. Tapscott

-October 31st : Our students will be participating in a school family fall festival. There will be a pumpkin run during their class specials. At 2:15pm, we will play a school wide BINGO game and then listen to a story over the intercom while students color a fall picture. Our Hillcrest PTO is providing each of our students with a snack.

-November 2 & 3: Parent/Teacher Conferences -- If you have not scheduled a conference with your child's teacher, please do so ASAP!

-November 17th : Dress Like a Character Day! - Who is your child's favorite book character? Dress like that character on this special day.

-November 21st: Early Dismissal at 11:30am

-November 22, 23, 24: No School - Happy Thanksgiving!

Does your student talk about Tier 2 time? This is an important part of your child's day. Tier 2 is a specific time in our day at Hillcrest that targets a specific skill that has been identified through assessment. Each of our grade level teams chose a learning standard to focus on during this time. The learning standard is being taught to your student to meet their individual educational needs. We cannot wait to see your child's learning excel. Take a look at each grade level's goals below. You will also find these posters hanging up in our hallways. Be sure to take a look at them when you're in the building for parent/teacher conferences.

There is a challenge going on at Hillcrest that started October 23rd. As a school family, we are going to see which classroom earns the most units on Lexia and the most puzzles on STMath. There is a battle to see which class family earns Jiji (the penguin) and/or the globe. See the video below that our students viewed during a morning meeting this week.

If the video below does not work the link is also here: https://youtu.be/U1o1W0tlDOA

As cold and flu season arrives, please remember that students must be fever, vomit and diarrhea free for 24 hours without the aid of medication before they return to school after an illness. This helps decrease the spread of germs to other students. Remind your child that good/frequent hand washing is our best defense against germs!

The cold weather is quickly approaching. Please remember to dress your children appropriately. Hats, mittens, scarfs, and layers will keep your child warm. **Students will go outside each day if it is not raining and the feels like temperature is 10 or higher.

Upcoming PTO Meeting: November 20 at 3:30pm
There will be a translator available.

Hillcrest Elementary PTO has partnered with Bark to provide our community with resources to help you parent in the digital age. Bark offers a variety of workshops, articles, blogs and more that can help you monitor your child's tech usage better. Visit https://www.bark.us/learn/hillcrest-elementary-parent-resources/ for more information.