What's Happening At The Hive!

September 22, 2024

Upcoming Dates

Monday, 9/23: Board of Education Meeting at Normandy Villa, 41 E. Elmwood Drive, Chicago Heights, IL
Monday 9/23-Friday, 9/27: Spirit Week (see flyer below)
Thursday, 9/26: 6:00 pm HH PTO Meeting (virtual)
Monday, 9/30-Friday, 10/4: 3:00-5:00 pm HH PTO Sponsored Scholastic Book Fair (see below)
Monday, 9/30: 6:00 pm Elevate Tutoring Parent Meeting
Friday, 10/11: NO SCHOOL, Yom Kippur Observed
Monday, 10/14: NO SCHOOL, Indigenous Peoples' Day

News and Notes

We are continuing to support students in their learning by connecting their daily goals to learning targets. We are also using proficiency scales to help students understand their level of learning and understanding. Both of these support our new initiative of standards-based learning and grading. Please visit the district website for more information about Standards-Based Grading (click on the drop-down menus for more information)!

3rd graders with learning targets and building community!

Kinder and 1st graders building skills!

2nd graders celebrating Dot Day in STEAM. How many dots will fit?

Scholastic Book Fair

The HH PTO is sponsoring a Scholastic Book Fair from Monday, 9/30-Friday, 10/4. This is a great way to build a home library, plus support the PTO in raising funds for activities for Heather Hill! There will be times to shop during the day, as well as from 3:00-5:00 pm each day. Please see the information below on creating an ewallet for cash-free shopping!

HH PTO Room Parent Sign-up!

Are you looking for a fun way to support HH? Our HH PTO room parents support classroom parties and activities! We are still looking for parents to sign-up for several classes. Please take a look at HH Room Parents 2024-2025 Sign-up! The first event is the Fall Fest Celebration on 10/31!

Crossing Guard

We are looking for a crossing guard for at least the next few months! Crossing guards would need to be available from 7:30-8:15 am and from 2:45-3:15 pm each day. If interested, please visit the Job Opportunities website with the Village of Flossmoor. Thank you!

Board Briefs. 8/29/24

ECRA 2023-24 Illinois Assessment of Readiness [IAR] Data

The Board of Education report and the 2023-24 ECRA Illinois Assessment of Readiness [IAR] charts were presented. Most schools and grade levels throughout the District demonstrated higher than expected growth on the 2023-24 IAR assessment. Reaching higher than expected growth means that that district is on the right track to close achievement gaps and accelerate achievement for all students. The consistent growth on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness is a clear indicator that the curriculum, instruction, and assessment changes are having a positive impact on our school community.

2024-25 Budget

The 2024-25 budget was presented and discussed. The annual budget is a roadmap that includes both revenues and expenditures. The District receives revenue from local sources [property taxes], state sources [Evidence-Based Funding, mandated categoricals, and state grants], and federal sources [grants]. The budget will be discussed again at the Board of Education meeting on September 9, 2024, and will be brought for approval on September 23, 2024. The full presentation can be found here.

Heather Hill Detention Basin

The Board of Education received an update on the Village of Flossmoor’s detention basin at Heather Hill School and the timeline for completion. Board members discussed safety concerns and possible improvements for the area. Until the project is complete, District 161 staff will continue to monitor the safety of the area and will investigate additional strategies to maintain a secure environment. The Village of Flossmoor anticipates completion of the project in the coming weeks.

E-Learning Plan Renewal

School districts are required to adopt and approve an E-Learning plan which is valid for three years. District 161’s E-Learning Plan is now due to be renewed with the Regional Office of Education. Minor adjustments were made to the plan, including updates for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, as well as updates to the live meeting platforms. Once the renewal is approved by the Board of Education, the E-Learning plan will be registered with the Regional Office of Education and posted on the district website. Additional details about the E-Learning plan can be found here.

Health Information

Just a reminder that Kindergarten and students that transferred into the district this school year need updated physical exams. These records need to be current with updated immunization information. This is mandated by the state of Illinois. If the required medical documentation is not provided by October 15, students will be excluded from school. They will be not be able to return until the documents are submitted. If you need resources for health care facilities in our area, please contact the front office at 708-647-7200.

Attendance Matters!

We are continuing to work towards our goals of increasing student attendance to increase learning goals! We are working towards a goal of at least 93% attendance each week. Of course we encourage parents to keep children home if they are sick. Students should stay home for at least 24 hours after a fever subsides. Please consult a medical professional as needed.

SD161 Student Handbook

Please view the SD161 Student Handbook for important information.

Student Spotlight

Do you have a student accomplishment you'd like to celebrate with the Heather Hill community? Please email Principal Carol Humm at chumm@sd161.org and include a description and picture of only your student. We love to celebrate students' accomplishments!

Heather Hill Recess

Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd graders are currently having recess in the south field. This is an extra layer of precaution while construction from the Village of Flossmoor is completed on the Detention Basin and the permanent fencing is placed. In addition, volunteers from Flossmoor Village Hall have been and will be present during recess to ensure students stay away from the fencing.

We continue to review two PBIS Cool Tools to help keep students safe. Below are the two tools so that you can discuss and reinforce these with your children at home. Additionally, we are using cones to show students safe boundaries for play with recess equipment. We will continue to get updates from the Village to share as the work on the Basin progresses. If you have questions about the Detention Basin, please feel free to reach out to John Brunke, the Flossmoor Director of Public Works at jbrunke@flossmoor.org. If you have any questions about recess, please feel free to reach out to Principal Humm (chumm@sd161.org) or Assistant Principal Small (csmall@sd161.org). Thank you!

#Above and Beyond

Want to show your appreciation for outstanding work from a staff member? Nominate them for #AboveAndBeyond! Use this form to nominate a staff member today!