PHT Paws-itively News

Dear Page Hilltop Families:

Today marks the beginning of the "Great Kindness Challenge". This is a global initiative with the goal of promoting random acts of kindness at school, at home, and all around the community. Last year there were over 39,000 schools involved and Page Hilltop was one of them. The GKC is celebrated, annually, over one week in January. However, here at Page Hilltop, we will not stop at just this one week in January to promote kindness. We want our students, staff and families to think "Kindness" ever day. This follows our mantra: "Kindness Matters .... Every Day .... Every Way!"

Last Friday we came together as a school community to have some fun and kick off the GKC with a kindness rally. Various staff and students put together this assembly with their own creative ideas:

* After a loud and enthusiastic rally cry of "KINDNESS MATTERS", fifth grader Aanya K. begin the assembly program by reading a "Pledge to Kindness" that she had written herself.

*. We had a music video which shared then message of being "Grateful" to all our students.

*. We listened to an acrostic poem on kindness written by some of our student leaders: Aanya K., Analiz P., Ava L., Bailey V., Bella W., Iris A., Lexi L. & Teaghan B.

*. Fourth graders Lincoln R. & Corryn L. also share a poem they had written.

*. Third grade students shared with us a list of "what is kind" and "what is not kind".

*. Our friends from the CAPS program perfromed some kindness skits, using ASL, for all the audience to watch and learn.

*. Technology teacher Mrs. Doucette put together a short video with PH students sharing thoughts on kindness.

*. Mrs. Richter and our school chorus led the audience in the singing of K-I-N-D.

*. Mrs. Colello's 2nd graders closed the assembly by leading everyone in the song "Lean on Me".

It was a great assembly and we left with a goal of continuing to be grateful, kind & helpful to those in need. View some photos of the assembly below.

Watch for more newsletters coming home that will be sharing other kindness activities coming up in the next few weeks.

Thanks, as always, for shring your children with us!

Fred Deppe, Principal

Mike Pulizzi, Assistant Principal

January 22nd - Great Kindness Challenge begins

January 22nd - Student Leaders Meeting @ 3:15

January 26th - Favorite College Day

JANUARY LUNCH MENU -- CLICK HERE

BREAKFAST MENU -- CLICK HERE

Believe it or not, we are at the middle of our school year. We woiuld like to take this opportunity to review a couple of important details regarding the start of the school day.

Morning drop-off takes place between 8:25 - 8:40 each day. Students should not arrive at school prior to 8:25.

If you find yourself at school a few minutes early, please have your child(ren) in your vehicle and enjoy those precious moments chatting about the day's activities and what might be happening that day. Do NOT leave your child standing outside while you take off.

Your child should be prepared to enter the school doors prior to 8:40 so that they have ample time to walk to their homeroom for the morning announcements. With the winter weather conditions upon us, travel times may be a bit longer than usual. Please adjust your morning routines to make sure that you have time to pack up, warm up your car & safely travel the route to school. It is important that your child begins each day feeling relaxed and ready to learn.

At a recent school committee meeting grade 5 teacher Allison Pucillo, along with students Sheryl C., Drew H., and Landon K. did a presentation on "Flocabulary". They did a great job! If you have a fifth grader at PH, ask him / her what Flocabulary is.

Mrs. Elliott's first graders created a 2024 New Year's goal writing craft. For this project, each student was encouraged to think about their own 3 goals/aspirations for 2024. They wrote their goals down and created their own "ball drop" craft.

We have been very busy preparing for a number of different after-school enrichment clubs for our students to join if they like. Some of these clubs are already taking place: Chorus, Student Leadership Club, Book Club, Girl Scouts, Ukelele Club. Other clubs that are being considered: Unified Sports, KIds-On-The-Run, Board Games, Chess, ASL, Language Clubs, Cooking Club, Pilates. These activities will begin after the February vacation break and continue through the spring. Watch for the sign-up forms coming home prior to vacation.

On Friday, January 26th we will be celebrating Favorite College Day. We encourage all students to wear a shirt / sweatshirt / hat representing their favorite college. This may be the college that a family member attended. Or it may be a college that the student really likes for ANY reason and may attend when they are of age. Parents are welcome to share their colleeg attire for their child to wear. Students may also be creative and make a "label" with a college name / logo to attach to a shirt, etc.

We will be passing out a variety of college swag to students during lunches those days.

We would like to put together a cookbook of favorite foods from all of our families. Next week we will send home a blank recipe form. You are welcome to share any recipe that is a family favorite. We will then gather together all of the recipes and habe them printed into a PH Cookbook. What's your favorite thing to eat?

On Monday, February 6th we will share information regarding our PH virtual pet show. We hope you will enjoy it!

Beginning Friday, January 26th we will have live improv during our liunches. During the last few minutes of each lunch time, while students are finishing their lunchtime meals and cleaning up, we will be inviting some students to come up to a microphone to tell a joke, ask a riddle or sing a song (individually or with friends). This activity will take place every Friday.

We hope your family will join us at the UMass-Lowell basketball game on Thursday, February 1st when our school chorus sings the national anthem to begin the event. To order tickets, simply click on the link below:

Reminder that our school store, the Panther Pride Shoppe, is open every Friday during lunches. We are always getting new items in the store. A shipment of little stuffed panthers has recently arrived.

We are determining the dates for this spring's MCAS testing (grades 3-4-5). As soon as they are finalized, we will share them with all parents so that you may plan accordingly.

We have seen a lot more snow come down over these past coiuple of weeks. Has your child submitted their guess for the total # of inches of snow that we will see this winter? How about guessing the correct date for when ALL of the snow has melted away from our school campus? Write down your predictions & include the student's name & grade. Send all guesses to the office.

SAVE THE DATE! Next Meeting - Thursday, February 8th @ 6:30 pm.

FREE CHILDCARE will be available.

We would like to hear your thoughts on how we should focus spending for the year. If you have not had the chance to take our spending survey yet this year, please take a moment to do so. Click here:

https://forms.gle/YvHcocR5KZZ3YQkR7

PTO Website -- LINK

PTO Facebook Page -- Link

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BOX TOPS
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