What's Happening At The Hive!

• Friday, 2/7:
• NO SCHOOL--Teacher Institute Day
• Monday, 2/10:
• NO SCHOOL--Lincoln's Birthday Observed
• Tuesday, 2/11:
• 6:00 pm Board of Education Meeting at 41 E. Elmwood Drive, Chicago Heights, IL
• HH change in arrival/dismissal process (see below and email tomorrow)
• Thursday, 2/13:
• 6:00-7:00 pm District 161 STEAM Night (see flyer below)
• Monday, 2/17:
• SCHOOL IS IN SESSION! on President's Day (SD161 observes Lincoln's Birthday on 2/10)
• Tuesday, 2/18:
• 6:00 pm: HH 4th and 5th Grade Instrument Fair
• Monday, 2/24;
• 6:00 pm Board of Education Meeting at 41 E. Elmwood Drive, Chicago Heights, IL
• Wednesday, 2/26:
• 6:00 pm: HH Black History Performance at Parker Jr. High School, 2800 School Street, Flossmoor, IL
• Friday, 2/28:
• EARLY DISMISSAL at 11:40 am: School Improvement Day

Tomorrow we will send a letter home explaining our changes in arrival and dismissal procedures beginning February 11th! These changes are designed to keep all students, staff, and community members safe as we prepare for the construction that will begin at Heather Hill at the beginning of March. Stay tuned for more details!

This past week we celebrated the 100th Day of School. Kindergarteners and 1st graders celebrated by bringing in 100-piece projects, dressing as though they were 100 years old, and engaging in activities throughout the day to count and skip count to 100!

Congratulations to Porter and Elias on their participation in the District 161 Spelling Bee! You studied and worked so hard and we are so proud of how you represented all Hornets in the Bee. Way to go!!!

Also pictured below is our HH "Feel Good Friday." Once a month we write affirmations, tape them to doors, dance to music in the hallways, and make sure to lift each other up as a community! Thank you to Ms. Jendra for organizing!

Thank you to all community members that attended our HH Family Literacy Night! Our theme was Reading All-Stars. We had so much fun reading, playing games, going on a scavenger hunt, eating, and swapping books! Congratulations to the winners of our raffle prizes (2 out of 4 pictured.) Thank you to the Reading Specialist team for their hard work in planning and organizing! Thank you also to all staff members that lead activities and welcomed families. Below you can find a presentation for information for parents/guardians regarding state assessments for 3rd-5th graders. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Principal Humm at chumm@sd161.org.

Attention 5th grade families: Your student has the opportunity to participate in a program at Homewood-Flossmoor High School called "Operation Snowflurry." This one-day program held on March 15, 2025 consists of your student having the opportunity to interact with students from other schools in the district, as well as Homewood district 153. Here is some more information:

Operation Snowflurry is open to young people who share a common purpose and
commitment to improving the quality of life through:
∙ Self-understanding
∙ Prevention through education and emotional growth
∙ Students helping students
∙ Sharing feelings and thoughts
Operation Snowflurry participants:
∙ Learn to make responsible decisions
∙ Discover the effects of alcohol and drug abuse

∙ Increase self-esteem

There are also activities and presentations embedded into the program, including:

Large Group Sessions:
∙ Teen Pressures
∙ Alcohol and Drug Information
∙ Motivational Speaker
∙ Communication
Small Group Sessions:

∙ A chance to share and have fun

The fee to participate is $25, which includes a t-shirt and lunch. Space is limited, so if your student would like to participate, please reach out as soon as possible! You can email the social worker, Stephanie Wisniewski, swisniewski@sd161.org to get a copy of the application form. The deadline to get your application and fee returned to school is no later than Wednesday, February 12, 2025. Feel free to reach out to Ms. W with any questions.

Valentine's Day is around the corner! Just a friendly reminder that students may bring non-edible treats only to share with friends. No candy will be given to students. Paper valentines, erasers, pencils, small toys, etc. are all OK to pass out to friends. We will not have parties on this day. Our district implemented this process several years ago to help build awareness of allergies and promote healthy daily habits.

"Join Girls on the Run at Heather Hill! This empowering program is open to all 3rd-5th grade girls at Heather Hill Elementary School and provides a fun, supportive space to build confidence, develop life skills, and get moving! Through engaging lessons and running activities, participants will prepare for a celebratory 5K at the end of the season.

Cost: FREE
Registration: Click here to sign up or go to https://www.pinwheel.us/register/index/KSG533J5UWI6OYG?sid=b919c5797e2c432cba498b5eb729818b
Questions? Contact Seena Purham, Site Liaison at spurham@sd161.org.

Sign up today and be part of something inspiring! Spaces fill quickly—don’t miss out!"

Resolution Providing for Abatement of Levy Adjustment

As previously shared, District 161 has not increased its 2024 tax levy over last year’s amount. To finalize that process, the Board of Education approved a “Resolution Providing for Abatement of Levy Adjustment” to finalize the process. This report provides a short explanation of the process and this link will take you to the specific resolution that was adopted by the Board of Education.

Social Technology and Adolescent Research Study [STARS]

District 161 is excited to partner with the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois, and the University of California, San Diego, on a research project to explore how adolescents, specifically students in grades six through eight, interact with social media and digital technology. This link will take you to the Board of Education report that discusses the study and next steps for participation.

Digital citizenship is important in keeping children safe online! Once a month, during library time, K-5 students receive badges for learning about digital citizenship. Students will receive a certificate at the end of the year for their participation. Families can access this Digital World Basics/ Social Media video to continue the conversations at home.

We are continuing to work towards our goals of increasing student attendance to increase learning goals! We are working towards a goal of at least 93% attendance each week. Of course we encourage parents to keep children home if they are sick. Students should stay home for at least 24 hours after a fever subsides. Please consult a medical professional as needed for other symptoms including cough, vomiting, etc.

Do you have a student accomplishment you'd like to celebrate with the Heather Hill community? Please email Principal Carol Humm at chumm@sd161.org and include a description and picture of only your student. We love to celebrate students' accomplishments!

Parents and guardians please remember that safety is our number one priority at Heather Hill! For that reason....

1. Please make sure to pull fully to the curb before letting your child(ren) out of the car. Double-parking is dangerous.
2. Please do not block driveways so buses and transportation can enter and exit the parking lots.
3. Please do not block cross-walks for the safety of all pedestrians.
4. Please do not do 3-point turns in the school zone.
5. Please do not park in no parking zones or stop in no standing, stopping, or parking zones.

We have seen an increase in these behaviors and there have been some very unsafe situations. Since the weather is colder and more families are choosing to drive, please be aware of these important safety practices. Thank you for your help in keeping all children and adults safe!

The Flossmoor Public Library has incredible events and programs coming up for children of all ages! View the calendar and sign up for the library newsletter at https://www.flossmoorlibrary.org.

Just a friendly reminder to all parents/guardians per the letter sent home on 10/10 regarding lunch drop-off procedures. Please leave all lunches in the lobby! We have bins and post-it notes for parents to label the meals with names and grade levels. There is no need to enter the office as our staff will check the bins both before and during the lunch periods. Thank you for your help in this process!

As winter approaches, we want to make sure we are prepared for all types of learning. In the case of severe inclement weather, an emergency remote learning day will be called. This information will be shared through email and a phone blast. It will also be posted on the District and school websites, as well as the Emergency Closing Center website to be shared with the media. The Flossmoor School District 161 Emergency Closing website provides further information on timeline and procedures.

Remote learning days will be a mix of synchronous and asynchronous work. For synchronous work, students will login with their Chromebooks to meet with their teacher and classmates in a live online session. For asynchronous work, students will work independently based on assignments from their teacher. Please make sure to check your teacher's Canvas page for more information and video links on the day of remote learning.

• Kindergarten: Students will have an at-home packet to work on. This will go home ahead of time and parents should keep it in a safe place. Kindergarten students will be on Zoom for shorter learning time as communicated by their teachers.

• Grades 1st - 5th: Students will have class on Zoom and all work will be uploaded to Canvas.

• Specials Classes and WIN Time: Schedules will be posted on your student's Canvas course with Zoom links. Elementary specials’ schedules will be followed for the day of the week and will alternate by am/ pm for each E-Learning day, as needed.

If your child will be absent, please call the HH absence line at 708-709-7699 ext. 2055.

• Signing up for District 161’s text message alerts is quick and easy. Simply text the word “YES” to 67587 from the cell phone on which you wish to receive text messages. Please make sure that your cell phone number is up-to-date in Skyward. If you need to update your phone number, please contact the office at your child’s school. Click here for more information.

• Registrarse para recibir alertas de mensajes de texto del Distrito 161 es rápido y fácil. Simplemente envíe un mensaje de texto con la palabra "YES" al 67587 desde el teléfono celular en el que desea recibir mensajes de texto. Asegúrese de que su número de teléfono celular esté actualizado en Skyward. Si necesita actualizar su número de teléfono, comuníquese con la oficina de la escuela de su hijo. Haga clic aquí para obtener más información.

In order to ensure the safety of all students, families may only bring non-edible birthday treats to school to share with classmates. We cannot accept any food items to distribute to students as many students have serious food allergies. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

We are looking for a crossing guard for at least the next few months! Crossing guards would need to be available from 7:30-8:15 am and from 2:45-3:30 pm each day. If interested, please visit the Job Opportunities website with the Village of Flossmoor. Thank you!

Please view the SD161 Student Handbook for important information.

Want to show your appreciation for outstanding work from a staff member? Nominate them for #AboveAndBeyond! Use this form to nominate a staff member today!

Please review the SD161 24-25 Calendar for a list of days when school is/is not in session.

INTERESTED IN JOINING THE PTO?

If you would like to participate in the PTO or have any questions please email them at heatherhillhornets@gmail.com.

Also, Please click on this link https://www.facebook.com/groups/2466905720251155 to join our Heather Hill Families page.

Email: chumm@sd161.org
Website: https://www.sd161.org/o/heather-hill
Location: 1439 Lawrence Crescent, Flossmoor, IL, USA
Phone: 708-647-7200
Facebook: facebook.com/gohornets161
Twitter: @TheHornetsHive