Hillcrest Family Newsletter

Winter weather is a part of life in Wisconsin and we send students out for outdoor recess two times each day. As long as temperature with the windchill is above zero, we will go outside for recess. Boots, snowpants, coats, hats and mittens should be sent to school every day. Please make sure your child has shoes for the school day too, especially on the days that they have phy ed.

The enrollment window for any School District of Waukesha 4K program is now open. If you have a child who will be 4 years old before September 1st, 2025, and you would like them to attend Hillcrest's 4K class, you must complete an application through the School District's website. All applications received between December 1, 2024 - January 31, 2025 will be included in the 4K lottery process in February.

Please see the School District of Waukesha Enrollment 4K website for more Information!!

We would like to invite any interested 4th, and 5th grade School District of Waukesha students to participate in Waukesha Sings! Beginning at 12:30 on Saturday, March 1st, participants will combine with singers from across the entire school district for a large group choral experience. This action-packed day of rehearsals, singing, and team building will culminate in a concert at 5:30 pm directed by Zachary Moore. Students are required to be at Waukesha Sings from 12:30 through the 5:30 concert. Registration begins on Monday, January 6th at 8:00 am. Please be aware that this is a very popular event and last year’s registration filled up within a few days. If you plan to register your child on January 6th, please ensure that you do not have any conflicts on Saturday, March 1st and that you understand your child will be at South High School from 12:30-6:00 pm on that day. More information about Waukesha Sings is available on the website linked below. Please consider participating in this fun-filled musical event and reach out to your school's music teacher if you have any other questions.

Website Link: Waukesha Sings

Registration:: https://forms.gle/2zXMiTYQZapRER5JA (registration will go live at 8:00 am on January 6th)

Our Country Springs/Ingleside Water Park Fundraiser date has changed. It was originally schedule for February 13th, but it was changed to February 6th. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but more details to come about this event in the New Year!

Our Second biggest fundraiser of the year is approaching fast! Our Hillcrest Family Fun Night Committee meet this Tuesday and the planning has begun. In the New Year we will be meeting again. Say tuned for more details.

Events like this cannot happen smoothly without help from our Hillcrest Community. If you are interest, please email the Hillcrest PTO at:

Hillcresthuskiepto@gmail.com

To report your child's absence, use one of the two methods:

--> Report via Infinite Campus (directions attached below)

--> Reporting absences via attendance line 262-970-1816 (New number)

Preplanned absences (especially more than one day) need to be reported via a form linked here. Copies of the form are available in Hillcrest's office as well.

There are 10 allowable days for a parent to excuse their child from school each school year. If your child has an appointment or sees a doctor for an illness, get a doctor's note from your provider. This allows us to code the student's absence as medically excused.

Every month, each family receives an automatic email from the school district regarding your child's absences. We often get questions from families about these emails so we thought we would answer some of the frequently asked questions:

• In the emailed report, it does not differentiate between medically excused and parent excused absences. Log in to your Infinite Campus Parent Portal to check the specifics of each absence. In order for an absences to be marked medically excused, we need to have a doctor's note showing that the student was at a doctor's appointment or that they are excused from school for an illness.
• Attendance is taken twice a day in the elementary school, in the AM and PM. If a student is absent one day, this will be recorded as "2 counts" in the attendance report. The system records it as one day but the count on the emailed report is "2". Again, check your IC Parent Portal will help you make sure your child's attendance has been recorded correctly.
• Tardies are also shared in the emailed report. If a student arrives after 9:50, they are marked Tardy and if they arrive after 10:00AM it is marked as an AM absence. We always denote the actual time of arrival or leaving if for early pick ups and late drop offs.
• Please remember that preplanned absences over one day in length require a pre-planned absence form. The district form is linked HERE and we always have copies available in the office.

Thank you for taking the time to review your child's attendance records. We want to have your child here each day! With so many colds and flu symptoms this time of year, it is important to keep in mind our district's Too Sick for School guidelines, as well. Planning family vacations to align with school day vacations allows for your child to have those parent excused days when they may be sick.

We are here to help! Sometimes families aren't quite sure who to reach out to for specific needs or requests. Take a look at the list below to see who to reach out to:

• Dilini Williams - Building Secretary - 262-970-1805, dwilliams@waukesha.k12.wi.us: Urgent student needs, Attendance support, After school PM dismissal changes, Infinite Campus access, School Fees
• (Madi) Joirmadith Oliveras-Borrero - Health Clerical Assistant - 262-970-1815, joliverasb@waukesha.k12.wi.us: Attendance support, After school PM dismissal changes, Medical attendance excuses, Pre-planned attendance needs, Health Room forms, Medications, Blessings in a Backpack

-Before 2:00 PM for Kindergarten to 5th grade students.

• Transportation questions or concerns, please contact First Student directly.
• To communicate with the teacher directly, please reach out via email. Phones do not ring into the classrooms during the school day and teachers find time to check their emails once or twice a day. Staff Directory
• Jodi V. has retired, pls don't email her regarding absences, we are not able to check her email