Hello Hill Families,
On Monday, we received very exciting news from the U.S. Department of Education! Hill Elementary was named a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School in the area of High Performing Exemplary! This is a tremendous honor and one that I am very proud of. Hill is a very special place and it takes everyone working together to receive such recognition. Thank you to our Hill School families for all of your support, partnership, and for trusting us as professionals in the education of your children. I want to also recognize this outstanding staff who put their hearts into everything they do. We want to celebrate this great honor! I'm sharing some of the information from the press release below as well.
The Little School with the Big Heart
Hill Elementary is where relationships drive excellence. Nestled in the heart of Davison, Hill Elementary is a close-knit school community where approximately 300 students from kindergarten through fourth grade thrive. For 25 years, our school has operated on a balanced calendar model, fostering an environment that blends educational excellence with a deep sense of collective pride.
At the core of Hill Elementary's success are the relationships that unite our school community. Our dedicated staff embodies collective efficacy, where high expectations and mutual support are the norm. Teachers work closely together, holding one another accountable while offering steadfast support. This collaborative approach ensures every student is recognized, valued, and encouraged to excel.
Our commitment to relationships extends beyond the classroom. Parents and families are vital members of our community, actively engaging in events like our cherished annual family picnic, Harvest Day, and Field Day. These activities strengthen the bond between home and school, creating a supportive network around each child.
Students at Hill are empowered to take ownership of their learning and leadership through opportunities like student council, safety patrol, peer mentoring, and reading buddies. These initiatives, coupled with a rigorous academic framework, inspire students to contribute meaningfully to our school community.
Hill Elementary is more than just a school. It's a vibrant, connected community where relationships, high expectations, and collective efficacy create an environment that everyone (students, staff, and families) genuinely loves. Our multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) and team of experienced educators ensure that each child receives the attention and resources needed to thrive. Here, academic excellence and personal growth go hand in hand, making Hill Elementary a truly special place.
The announcement video of the 2024 NBRS schools went live at 1:00 EST Monday, September 23. You may access the announcement any time after that from the following link:
In Partnership,
Mrs. Burke, Ed.S.
Proud Hill Principal
Student Council Scoop
Our student council board has officially been elected and are ready to bring their ideas to our first meeting! I was SO proud of EVERY 4th grade student who chose to run for office!!!! It is not an easy task to speak in front of the entire school, and every single candidate gave an amazing speech! Our elected board has met and are working to plan the agenda for our first school wide meeting. Lastly, all student council members have been invited to recite The Pledge of Allegiance at the school board meeting on Monday, October 7th.
~Mrs. DuPrey
MTSS Interventionist/Coach
I’m happy to report that reading interventions are under way. The MTSS (multi-tiered systems of support) team has a caseload of fifty-nine students for reading. We are confident that we will be able to give these students the extra boost that they deserve.
Many parents would like to support their child at home with their learning. Included in the monthly newsletter will be simple activities that you can do at home to help your child. We are seeing academic needs, particularly in the area of phonics. Phonics is the ability to understand the relationship between letters and the sounds they represent.
This includes:
Recognizing print patterns that represent sounds
Syllable patterns
Word parts (prefixes, suffixes, and root words)
Activities:
☐ Make letter-sounds and have your child write the letter or letters that match the sounds.
☐ Play word games that connect sounds with syllables and words. (for example, if the letters “p-e-n” spell pen, how do you spell hen?).
☐ Write letters on cards. Hold up the cards one at a time and have your child say the sounds (for example, the /d/ sound for the letter d).
☐ Teach your child to match the letters in his/her name with the sounds in his/her name.
If your child’s teacher has not already done so, please feel free to request a reading bag for home activities.
Counselor's Corner from Mrs. Thompson
In October, our resource officer, Steve Howe and I will talk to students about stranger danger. These presentations are done by grade level and include short videos to remind students to not take candy or money from strangers, to not go with strangers and to report when a strange adult tries to convince them or lure them away from a safe area.
Music Notes from Mrs. DuPrey
In music class this month we are continuing to build musical skills at all grade levels. In kindergarten, first grade and second grade we will be working on movement by moving through the beats and feeling weight and space. We will be using many Halloween songs to teach singing patterns in minor tonality and we will be working on duple meter patterns. Duple meter can be identified when you can count in pairs of two to a song and it fits! If you’d like to practice at home, go back and forth with your child creating four beat patterns, or see if they can teach you what we are doing in class.
In third grade we have been focused on music notation, specifically rhythm patterns in duple meter. See if your child can write a pattern for you and then ask them to read it as well!
In fourth grade we started our very first composition! This composition uses different patterns in music. The kids wrote their songs on staff paper, and are now working to learn the melody part on the xylophone. We will be adding their harmony parts soon and will finish with a performance in class. They are doing a great job so far!
I am still working to secure dates for our upcoming concerts, but I am excited to perform in the new performing arts center this year!
Mrs. DuPrey
PE News From Mr. Whitman
I hope everyone had a wonderful homecoming last week. This month, I wanted to touch base on some of the daily routines that we have in PE class. One of the first things I hear way too often is “Rylee comes home and says all you do in gym class is make them run.” That, obviously, couldn’t be further from the truth. Yes, we do run but we typically only run for 3-5 minutes each class as a part of our warmups. During those warmups we also practice locomotor skills like skipping, hopping, and galloping that are important to develop at the elementary level.
After we finish warmups, we spend 15-20 minutes working on whatever unit we’re on. Currently we just switched from soccer to football. The next few weeks we will work on overhand throwing skills, catching, and punting. If your child ever comes home and says “all we do is run,” I invite you to flip the narrative around. Running is just one small thing we do out of numerous other things we do in class.
Exercise in general is very important to your overall health and fitness. The CDC recommends that children get at least 60 minutes of active play time a day in order to maintain a healthy body. I encourage everyone to take your kids for a walk, play outside, and be active. It’s a great way for families to spend time together.
If you have any questions regarding your child’s progress in class, feel free to reach out to me!
Go Cards!
Mr. Whitman
Connect with Hill Elementary
Email: jburke@davisonschools.org
Website: https://www.davisonschools.org/
Location: 404 Aloha Street, Davison, MI, USA
Phone: 810-591-0839
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavisonCardinals/