Weekend Update!

What a busy week! We had picture day, the start of late buses, Italian Ice, a cross country meet, and a community forum! Thank you for all of your help and support in creating such a positive start to the school year!

For those celebrating Rosh Hashanah next week, Shanah Tovah!

Every year, Trumbull Public Schools proudly take part in the Pink Pledge to raise awareness for Breast Cancer. This important initiative culminates in the annual Pink THS Football Game on Friday, October 18th, at 7 PM at McDougall Stadium. We encourage everyone to wear PINK on this day to show support for the cause!

Hillcrest students can contribute by bringing in $1 or making a donation online. PINK PLEDGE - PINK OUT

In addition, Hillcrest Pink Out Spirit Wear is available for purchase through this Sunday, September 29th. This is a great opportunity to support a meaningful cause while also getting some new Hawks gear! A portion of the sales will be donated to Pink Pledge, and supplies are limited – so don’t wait! Order now to ensure you get yours. Pink Out Spirit Wear

As a special incentive, all Hillcrest students who wear pink on October 18th will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win a gift card!

Let's come together and make this year’s Pink Out a success!

The Hillcrest Community Forum held on Wednesday, September 25, was a great success! Click here for a link to the PowerPoint presentation. As you begin to think about how you will vote on Election Day, please consider the following:

• Hillcrest Middle School currently does not have a sprinkler system, and is the only building in the school district without any fire suppression system;

• Hillcrest Middle School is currently approximately 80 students over capacity, with at least another 25 students projected to enroll in the upcoming school years;

• Special legislation was passed by the state legislature that increases the reimbursement rate from 24% to 44% for only this upcoming election. This decreases the overall cost of the project from $142,375,000 to $82,580,00.

• This project is the first step in a plan to address all buildings in the district

Please spread the word to have as many people as possible attend this critical event.

Are you curious about the future of technology? Do you want to be a part of shaping how AI is used at our school? Then the AI Squad is for you! Students should see their grade level Google Classroom for more information. Applications are due by Friday, October 4th. Questions? Email Mrs. Durand at mdurand@trumbullps.org

This past Monday, we began running late buses to accommodate extra help and after school activities. Please click here to see the routes for our late buses. If your child is staying after school and plans to take a late bus home, please make sure you review that document to determine where they will be dropped off.

Join the Hillcrest PTA and be a vital part of our Hillcrest community! Your involvement helps create a thriving environment for our students and supports programs that make a difference.

Membership Form

We're excited to offer several PTA volunteer opportunities within our school! Please consider contributing your time and skills to support our students and enhance our community.

Together We Can

For the safety of our students and to avoid any overcrowding issues, students should only ride the bus they are assigned to unless issued an exception by the transportation department. Drivers are instructed not to admit any student to their bus that is not assigned or has not been given an exception from Transportation. Exceptions should be for child care reasons or emergencies and not used for playdates. Using a school bus for anything other than home to school transportation is prohibited.

Limited time offer! Pre-order your yearbook now for $35, and get free icons when you personalize your yearbook. The price will increase on October 12th, so click here to order today!

Our congressional office is participating in the Congressional App Challenge where middle and high school students can participate to show creativity and innovation within our district. We hope with all the changes for the school year, students will be able to participate in this year’s Congressional App Challenge.

• To be eligible to participate in the Congressional App Challenge, you must be a middle or high school student at the time of app submission.
• Students may register as individuals or as teams of up to four. No more than four students are allowed to form a team.
• Students may compete in the district they reside in or the district they attend school in.
• If competing as a team, at least half of the teammates must be eligible to compete in the district in which they are participating.

Submission deadlines are due 12 pm EST, October 24th , 2024.

Please reference our website for additional information.

Congressman Jim Himes Website Link: https://himes.house.gov/congressional-app-challenge

CAC Website Link: https://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/students/

Thank you for your interest, and if you have any questions or concerns, please contact Shindler Auguste

Shindler.auguste@mail.house.gov

1.This week, our staff read this article which summarized Wednesday’s Community Forum.

2.We are currently reading Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara, which is about the leadership and organizational strategies a restaurateur used to create one of the most successful restaurants in the world.

Join us in earning cash for HMS by using the Box Tops app. It’s an easy way to make a difference. All you have to do is buy Box Tops participating products (like Cheerios!) and scan your grocery receipt. The homeroom that earns the most for each trimester will win a Box Tops Prize Pack!
Get started today at BTFE.com. Use referral code GZ3U8TZ9 when you sign up.

Chromebook insurance is offered annually and can be purchased for $25 through Infinite Campus. This program covers all accidental damage to the Chromebook, or theft of the device, subject to the following: $0 deductible for the first two occurrences per year and $50 deductible per occurrence thereafter. This coverage is effective for the duration of the school year. Sign into Infinite Campus and go to "School Store" >> "Technology" >>"1 to 1 Device Insurance Grades 5-8, 2024-2025." If a family does not elect to purchase the insurance, the family will be responsible for the full cost of replacement parts plus labor, or full replacement cost of the Chromebook. Chromebook insurance does not cover intentional damage or lost devices, chargers or cases. For a full list of costs please click here.

For additional information on the program please refer to the Board of Education 5143.2 Student One-to-One Device Insurance Program. Families experiencing economic hardship may request a fee waiver by contacting the appropriate school administrator and following the process outlined in Board of Education 5138/Pay to Participate Policy

I know this was shared in our Welcome Back letter, but I would like to reiterate the importance of following our procedure. For the beginning and end of the school day, students may ONLY be dropped off or picked up in the back of the building at Door 13. As you are waiting to drop your children off, please do not park in a staff, yellow parking space. Each space will be used in the back of the building and if a family member is parked in a yellow space, staff will not be able to get into the building on time. Thank you for your patience and cooperation!

The traffic in the back parking lot has steadily increased throughout the week, which I am guessing is a result of the delays we have seen with buses. If you are dropping your children off, I would ask that you please remember the following:

1. Please be patient and drive at a slow speed to be mindful of pedestrians in the parking lot,

2. Please keep the traffic flowing by dropping your kids off and pulling through the rest of the line,

3. Please maintain one line of traffic, not two, as to not inadvertently block teachers from parking in their assigned spaces.

4. Please stay to the right with your vehicles, as to not block the driveway.

As a reminder, Agriscience cannot be used a place to drop off or pick up students. Students who are walking home from school are not permitted to cut through the Agriscience campus.

We strive on a daily basis to provide a safe environment for all students, and to promote safe practices with them as well. We will continue to educate students about what safe behavior looks like and what our expectations are for safe behaviors. We see this as a partnership with our families. I ask that you please remind your children to be kind to each other, to keep their hands to themselves, and that there is never an acceptable time or moment to use slurs of any kind. This article from the American Psychological Association gives families tips on how to potentially address way to have these discussions.

Beginning this school year, parents in PK-12 will now have the ability to report full day absences, late arrivals and early dismissals via their Infinite Campus Parent Portal using the mobile app or website in place of calling the school attendance line. Any parent absence requests should be submitted by 9:00 a.m. on the day of the absence. Known absences may be submitted in advance. The absence request feature is ONLY available to parents via the Parent Portal. For specific directions on how to report an absence via the Infinite Campus Portal click here.

Did you know that Hillcrest has its own Instagram page and Twitter feed? Follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/hillcrestmshawks/. Follow us on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/HMSTrumbull/ . This is a great resource for families to get a glimpse of day to day life at Hillcrest!

If you think you may be interested in volunteering at some point this year for a Hillcrest event, please fill out this form and return it to the main office. Thank you!

If you are interested in using the Durham Bus tracker app, directions can be found here.

Please see this flyer on helpful tips to navigate the Parent Portal of Infinite Campus.

Principal

Email: brickert@trumbullps.org
Website: https://hms.trumbullps.org/
Location: Hillcrest Middle School, Daniels Farm Road, Trumbull, CT, USA
Phone: 203-452-4466
Twitter: @HMSTrumbull