HHES News Bulletin
May 5, 2023
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Hello + Welcome!
Our news bulletin will be published weekly beginning in August of 2023. Until then, news bulletins will be published only as new information and updates become available about our school!
We hope you have been enjoying our updates on welcoming staff to our school! Please stay tuned for more staffing updates along with a number of other fun items about our new community!
We hope you enjoy our bulletin and stay tuned for regular updates as they become available!
In Partnership,
Mrs. Maxie
Planning Principal
Back to School BBQ | Thursday, August 24th
This event is a meet and greet for students, families, and staff and a way for our new school community to get to know each other. We are currently planning for this to be an outdoor event only based on the construction timeline. This means touring the school will not be possible on this date. Our BBQ will be set up on our covered play area and playground. Stay tuned for more information.
Construction Updates
Front Entrance
Commons | View from 2nd Floor Balcony
Gymnasium
EVENTS
MASCOT + SCHOOL COLORS
We are the Hilltop Heritage Hummingbirds! A huge shoutout to our 3rd and 4th grade students from Hazelwood, Highlands, Honey Dew, Kennydale, Maplewood Heights, and Sierra Heights for all of their amazing suggestions for our school mascot! We are excited about being the hummingbirds because of the hummingbird's symbolism of love, beauty, and joy as well as it's unique nature as a school mascot. Go hummingbirds! 😊
Now that we know our mascot, it is time to choose our school colors. We are asking our Hilltop Heritage students and families to vote on our school colors by selecting their favorite color on our school logo (see below). The beautiful logo was designed by Hazen High School student Charlotte Yuen! Hazen students in Mr. Goodboy’s CTE class submitted designs and Charlotte’s was ultimately chosen. Congratulations, Charlotte!
*Families, please see the link in your email to vote for your favorite logo color!
PTA Start-Up Meeting | Wednesday, 5/17 @ 6PM
*Interpreters for Spanish and Vietnamese will be present!
Introducing...
*Note: If you have been following our Facebook page, these faces will be familiar! :)
MRS. MAXIE | PRINCIPAL
I have been an educator for 24 years (22 in Renton) in a number of roles including teacher, counselor, instructional coach, assistant principal, and principal. My husband, Rodney, and I live with our two children, Mason (6th grade) and Maya (3rd grade) near Lake Tapps and our oldest daughter, Alexis, lives nearby with her husband. We love to spend time at the beach, riding ATVs, traveling, and spending time at home with our Goldendoodle, Baxter. I am so excited to serve the students and families at Hilltop Heritage Elementary and I look forward to meeting you all very soon!
Dr. Martin | Assistant Principal
MARISSA GLENN | OFFICE MANAGER
I have worked in the Renton School District for 10 years in various roles. The last 6 were spent as Office Manager at Maplewood Heights. I have 2 adult children and a granddaughter who is turning one soon! Her name is Bailey and I couldn’t be more proud as a grammie! In my off time, I love being with family, I’m outdoors any chance I can get, and my 2nd love (other than Bailey) is the beach. Football season you will find me on the couch in front of the TV all day and when Women's College Softball is on, I am on “out of office” mode! :)
MISS JOHNSON | SCHOOL COUNSELOR
I am brand new to the Renton School District! I am currently finishing up my third year as a school counselor and spent the previous four years as a behavior and family support specialist for self-contained special education programs. I love being outdoors and spend my summers backpacking as much as possible. This summer I will be attempting to hike the Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier (about 105 miles!). I am so excited to join Hilltop Heritage and can’t wait to meet all of our students and families!
MS. GOINS | KINDERGARTEN TEACHER
Hello! My name is Heidi Goins, and I am so excited to be part of the Hilltop Heritage community! I have been teaching kindergarten and first grade for fifteen years, most recently at Maplewood Heights. I live nearby, so when I’m not at school, you might see Mr. Goins and I out walking in our neighborhood. I love to travel and learn about the world, spend time with my family and friends (especially my grown-up sons!), cheer on the Seattle Mariners, and sing in my church choir. I look forward to meeting you!
MS. HUYNH | KINDERGARTEN TEACHER
Hello there! My name is Jaimie Huynh (Hwin). I attended the Renton School District for my K-12 education and am so excited to be back to serve as an educator. In my free time, I love to spend time with family/friends, go on walks, and cook new recipes. Also, I have a kitten named Yogi who I adore, he is half Russian blue and Scottish fold. I’m looking forward to meeting and serving the kindergarteners and families at Hilltop Heritage Elementary!
MR. MKANDAWIRE | KINDERGARTEN TEACHER
I have been working in the Renton School District for 7 years, primarily as a Kindergarten Teacher. I was lucky enough to grow up in Malawi and I bring that culture with me wherever I go. I love going for long bike rides and supporting my favorite football team, Arsenal. I enjoy traveling and listening to different genres of music. In the past year, I became a father and I’m learning the true meaning of parenthood. I’m absolutely thrilled to be a part of this great community and look forward to meeting you all.
MS. YOON | KINDERGARTEN TEACHER
I am a Chicago native, Los Angeles transplant of 10 years, and recently traded in palm trees for evergreens here in the state of Washington. I have over 11 years of experience in education, primarily as a Kindergarten and First Grade Teacher, and one of my great joys in teaching is helping students develop a love for reading and become critical thinkers. My husband and I currently reside in Bellevue with our fur baby, Oliver, and our lovely children, Leia (5) and Leonard (1.5). The upcoming 2023-2024 school year is a very special year for me, as I will have the opportunity to teach the same grade level as my daughter for the first time. I am thrilled to continue my journey as a primary teacher at Hilltop Heritage, and I look forward to meeting all my Kinders and families!
MRS. RUDIE | LITERACY COACH
MRS. LATIMER | MATH COACH
I grew up in Washington, but my education career started in Houston, Texas where I taught Kinder and 1st grade while getting my masters at the University of Houston. I moved back home in 2008, taught Kinder, 2nd and 3rd grade at Lakeridge, then moved to Bryn Mawr to be the Math Coach. My husband, Lance, and I live in the East Renton Highlands area with our daughter, Sawyer (6th grade) and our son, Miles (4th grade). We love reading, spending time outdoors together, going on adventures, finding math everywhere in our world and playing/coaching basketball. I’m beyond excited to support building a community of learners at Hilltop Heritage. We are all MATHEMATICIANS!
MS. ADAMSKI | 1ST GRADE TEACHER
My career in education began while studying for my undergraduate degree, during which I had the privilege of working as a special education paraprofessional at a K-8 school for 4 years. I graduated with my Master’s in Elementary Education from the U of M -TC and made a cross-country move from my home state, snowy Minnesota, to the beautiful PNW! I have taught both 2nd and 1st grade, and am absolutely thrilled and honored to be joining the Hilltop Heritage community and meeting our wonderful families and students!
MS. TOPETE | 1ST GRADE TEACHER
MS. UNTI | 1ST GRADE TEACHER
I was born and raised in the Renton Highlands. I attended Sierra Heights, McKnight and Hazen. I have known, since 1st grade, that I wanted to be a teacher. I set my bedroom up to look like a classroom. I played “school” in my room for hours. I am now living out my dream of being a teacher each day! I have taught for 14 years. I am so excited to be teaching and opening a new building in my hometown! I am very close to my family and friends. I love baseball; Go Mariners! I also love to read. Ice cream is my favorite food! I am looking forward to meeting my new community of learners!
MS. IPOCK | LIBRARIAN
MS. COLDREN | 2ND GRADE TEACHER
Hi there! My name is Sarah Coldren and I have been a 2nd grade teacher in the Renton School District for 10 years. I was born and raised in Beaverton, Oregon. I went to the University of Oregon and then studied at Pacific University for my Masters Degree. My husband, Ryan, and I are busy with our two young boys, Winslow (3) and Jensen (1), and our Golden Retriever, Brinkley. We love to visit family in Oregon, attend Oregon Duck sporting events and spend time with our friends. I am beyond excited to meet all of the lovely families of Hilltop Heritage Elementary!
MS. FRANCO | 2ND GRADE TEACHER
MISS JACKSON | 2ND GRADE TEACHER
MS. MITCHELL | 2ND GRADE TEACHER
MR. MOULD | MUSIC TEACHER
MS. MACHIN | 3RD GRADE TEACHER
I have been an eductor for 8 years (4 in Renton). I have taught all of the elementary school grades but I think third grade is pretty great! I have lived in Washington for essentially my entire life and cannot get enough of the trees, ocean and mountains. I currently live in Issaquah with my two dogs and my tortoise. I have a passion for science and received my masters degree from Montana State University in science education. When I am not helping students meet their goals, you can find me outdoors on an adventure or cuddled up with my dogs and a good book. I am so looking forwards to working in partnership with all of the students and families at Hilltop Heritage.
MRS. PETERSON | 3RD GRADE TEACHER
MS. QUAN | SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER
Becoming a teacher was a career change for me. I worked in non-profit and then sales for 6 years prior to becoming an educator. I have now been teaching for 8 years! I began my teaching career in Chicago, and have been teaching in Seattle Public Schools for the past 6 years. I live in the Renton community with my husband, Mike, our son, Simon (7), and our daughter, Dillon (2). We love to travel, especially to the Oregon coast! We bounce around to many parks and playgrounds in the area. We love movie nights, board games, video games, and getting donuts on the weekends!
I cannot wait to meet the students and families of Hilltop Heritage Elementary!
MRS. ALLEN | 4TH GRADE TEACHER
I have taught in Federal Way for five years, and I am so excited to be teaching 4th graders in my home community as a part of the new Hilltop Heritage family! My husband Chris and I moved to Renton 10 years ago with our two sons: Ethan (29), who now lives in Maple Valley with his partner Kane, and Jacob (19), who still lives here in Renton with roommates he met during his years in Renton schools. We are blessed to have a multi-generational household, as my mom moved in with us a year ago, and we share our home with our dog Arabella, and three cats: Shadow, Luna, and Roo. I cannot wait to meet our new 4th graders and their families!
MS. KOSZEGI | 4TH GRADE TEACHER
MRS. TELLEZ | 4TH GRADE TEACHER
I moved from Oregon to Washington in 2011 to pursue my teaching career. I have been an educator for the past 12 years here in Renton serving students and families on the West Hill. I have taught 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade and I am excited to teach 4th! I live in Renton with my husband Adrian and our two kids- Alex (3rd grade) and Natalie (1st grade). I love to go camping at Lake Chelan and spend time with our extended family. I speak Spanish fluently and am excited to teach at Hilltop Heritage School this upcoming year!
MR. WARD | SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER
MR. GARCIA ALVAREZ (MR. JORDAN) | SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST
MRS. SMITH-GORDON (MRS. S-G) | 5TH GRADE TEACHER
I started out teaching English in Japan in 2006, spent a few years getting my Masters of Education in Australia, then came back stateside with my husband, Graham, and had our daughter, Charlotte. She’s coming to Hilltop too! I’m a huge nerd about math and the way we teach it in RIZ, and I get excited every time I get a chance to talk about books. I have 7 years in the Renton Innovation Zone at Bryn Mawr under my belt already, but I’m moving up a grade to 5th here at Hilltop and I can’t wait to share my classroom library and all my favorites with a new group of students.
About Us
Email: jaime.maxie@rentonschools.us
Website: https://hilltopheritage.rentonschools.us/
Location: 1075 Duvall Avenue Northeast, Renton, WA, USA
Phone: (425) 204-6851
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hilltopheritageelementary
Twitter: @Renton_Schools