Hillrise Happenings

This week I had the pleasure of meeting with all students to review our safety protocols. As a district, we implement Standard Response Protocols, which are developed by the company I Love You Guys. In the upcoming weeks, we will be conducting safety drills to ensure staff and students are informed of what to do in the event of an emergency situation. Our drills are a way to provide students an opportunity to practice and discuss best practices if a situation arises.

Fall testing is underway. Students in grades 3-5 will be taking MAP-Reading and MAP-Math. Students in grades K-2 will be taking FastBridge tests in the areas of Math and Reading. This initial testing provides baseline data on students, which helps us make informed decisions about next steps and our instruction moving forward. Testing will continue for the next couple of weeks. Please remind your child(ren) to get a good night's sleep and to eat a healthy breakfast, so they are ready to show us all they know!

Breakfast Reminder: As you drop off your children in the morning, please remind them to head to the cafeteria first if they choose to eat breakfast. This ensures they have time to eat prior to the school day starting. Some students are heading to Walking Club first, then trying to get breakfast and they run short on time.

Arrival and Dismissal: Please be sure to use marked crosswalks with your children as you walk to and from the school. This ensures everyone's safety and helps staff model correct procedures as our fifth grade safety patrollers begin soon!

Ever wonder why your kiddo has nothing to say after a whole day of activity in school? It's not that nothing happened worth talking about, it's more likely that the great questions you're asking just need to be asked a little later. Giving kiddos a chance to decompress after school before expecting them to tell us all about it is okay!

Here are some things to try before asking questions...

-I'm so glad to see you.

-You look like you worked hard today!

-I'm so proud of you.

-I'm so glad I am your ______ (Mom, Dad, etc.).

-'Hi' (pair with a warm smile and a pause)

-give a hug, fist bump or pat on the back

Later when they are ready, try some of these!

The Hillrise PTO is sponsoring a Back-2-School Supply Drive for the Hillrise staff, and it is currently ongoing! You can either have your donations delivered to the office (20110 Hopper St, Elkhorn, NE 68022) or your student can bring them to their teachers. Thank you for your support!

Hillrise Fall Picture Day is scheduled for Wednesday, September 4th!

Battle of the Books is a reading club for 4th and 5th graders. Students work together in four-person teams to read and answer questions about quality fiction books. Students form their own teams, and each child is required to read one book a month. Battle of the Books teams meet once a month, usually on a Thursday from 3:10-4:00, to test their knowledge over the different literature. Information packets and permission sheets were handed out on Tuesday, August 20th. If your child is interested in participating, permission slips are due by Friday, August 30th. However, we are limited to nine teams, so the first nine teams who hand in their completed forms will participate. Any questions can be directed to Mrs. Kriv at mkrivohlavek@epsne.org or Ms. Kiser at kkiser@epsne.org.

Our first Hillrise PTO meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 26th at 6:30 PM in the Media Center. This is a great way to learn more about how to support our Hillrise staff and students.

Please see the information below regarding the Hillrise Title Program...

Hillrise intends to follow the parental policy guidelines in accordance with federal law, Section

1116(a-f) ESSA, (Every Student Succeeds Act) of 2015. The policy and the plan to implement it

have been developed jointly and in agreement with parents from our building. It will be

reviewed and updated annually with parent input. It will be distributed to all parents at the

beginning of the year in a language they can understand.

● Parents are engaged in the planning, review and improvement of the Parent

Engagement Policy and the Parent/Student/School Compact at an Annual Parent

Meeting at a convenient time.

• An annual meeting will be held with parents to inform them about their child’s

participation in the Title I Program, explaining what the Title I program is and the

requirements associated with it.

● Provide opportunities for parents to participate in decisions related to the education of

their child/children. Some of these opportunities are:

• Back to School Night
• Annual Parent Meeting
• Parent-Teacher Conferences
• Climate Survey
• PTO– meetings & activities

● Parents will be provided information in a timely manner regarding curriculum, academic

assessments, and proficiency levels through:

• The student handbook
• Parent-Teacher Conferences
• Standardized test results
• Progress reports & report cards
• Title I Brochure

● The school will provide assistance, opportunities, and/or materials to help parents

understand topics relating to their student’s academic achievement through:

• Take home activities
• Newsletters
• Open House

● Parents of all students are welcome and encouraged to be involved with their child’s

school and education. This includes parents with limited English proficiency, parents with

disabilities, and parents of migratory children.

• Translators will be provided when needed
• Staff is available for phone conferences.

Email: mmehlmann@epsne.org
Website: www.elkhornweb.org
Location: 20110 Hopper Street, Elkhorn, NE, USA
Phone: (402) 289-2602
Facebook: facebook.com/ElkhornPSHR
Twitter: @ElkhornPS_HR