Hillcrest Newsletter

September

• 10th - PTO Meeting @ 6:30 pm
• 17th - PTO clothing orders due
• 26th PTO Family Fun Night @ 6 pm

October

• 18th - Picture Retakes during the school day
• 22nd - RCU
• 24th - No School for KG-5th grades (Professional development)
• 25th - No School (Professional Development)
• 29th - RCU

School Calendar Update- Elementary Students Only

Kindergarten through 5th grade students will NOT have school on Thursday, October 24th.

This change has been made to provide the time necessary for Elementary Level teachers to complete training necessary for implementing the state mandated Early Literacy Benchmark system beginning this January. The Wisconsin Department of Education made districts aware on July 15 of the mandated system, after our 2024-25 calendar had been set. Professional Development dates that were already set have been committed to other required training that we are not able to change.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out.

Susan Kern, Director of Curriculum and Instruction

Katie Coppenbarger, Director of Curriculum and 4K

OFFICE PROCEDURES:

If your child is going to be absent or tardy for any reason, please call the office by 8:30 a.m. (715) 726-2405) Any student who arrives after 7:45 am is considered tardy.

If you need to change your child's transportation for the end of the day, please send a note to your child's teacher. Phone calls are discouraged but if a change needs to be called in, PLEASE call the office by 1:30 pm to insure that the message gets delivered to the classroom.

If you need to pick your child up early or for an appointment, parents should use our sign out sheet located in the main office. We will then call your child down to the office. Students will not be waiting in the office so make sure to give yourself enough time prior to appointment.

MEDICAL NOTES FROM DOCTORS RECOMMENDED:

If your child(ren) miss school for a medical appointment, please ask for a doctor's note to excuse the absence. This way, it can be marked medical and will not go against attendance policies.

A fax from the doctor's office can be sent to (715)720-3754

BUS TRANSPORTATION CHANGES:

All student rerouting requests will originate at Chippewa Yellow Bus Company. A rerouting request is a form that allows a student to ride a bus to a location other than their home. (daycare, grandparents house, etc) Student rerouting requests require a 24 hour notice and approval by the bus company. This includes one time and/or occasional rerouting requests. Please call 715-726-2454 if you have any questions or concerns. Please click here for more information regarding rerouting requests.

If a student's afternoon transportation plans vary week to week, please provide the teacher and the office with a monthly calendar to insure that your child gets to their intended location.

ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER OR CONTACT CHANGE:

Has your address, phone number or emergency contacts changed? If so, log into the Infinite Campus Parent Portal and make changes. Having this updated is important should an emergency arise.

The PTO meeting is set for Tuesday, September 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the Hillcrest library.

Here are the May minutes.

Hillcrest Fall Clothing Orders Due September 17

Grab your Hillcrest gear and our '24-25 Wild About Learning t-shirts, long sleeves & sweatshirts. Clothing orders are due by September 17. There's an amazing variety of options this fall for everyone! Click here to shop.

Thank you for supporting your Hillcrest PTO and all we do for our students, staff and faculty.

September 26th at 6:00 pm in the Hillcrest Gymnasium

A family juggling and balloon show rolled into one! We will see professional tricks as well as one-of-a-kind tricks. This event is for Hillcrest families. A free snack will be provided to children. This event is made possible by the Hillcrest PTO.

Hillcrest Elementary needs your help to build a safe, engaging, and inclusive playground for all students and families. We are fundraising $200,000 for a matching grant (that's $400,000!). Donations of any size will make this dream a reality!

Donate online or by check. Click here to donate and for complete details.

If you already completed this, you can skip this part!

The Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District has opened the annual online registration process found on the Infinite Campus parent portal. This process helps us gather the latest family contact information along with your permission for important questions concerning your student(s).

The online registration process is required for each student. Completion of the process allows your student access to a number of privileges including field trips, access to the internet, and use of district chromebooks/ipads.

To make the review and entry process simpler, please consider using a laptop or computer.

Log onto the Campus parent portal and click on the More menu item, Online Registration, and then 24-25 Next Year EXISTING Student Registration to begin the process.

If you need help logging in, click on the "Problems logging in?" link on the login screen. For help with the online process, email our help desk at helpdesk@chipfalls.org and include your phone number.

If your student is a member of more than one household, please understand that only one household can complete the online process.

Last Day to submit your information is Friday September 13, 2024

Please click on this link if you are interested in being part of the school directory.

A school directory is created annually for families wanting their information shared with other Hillcrest families. Contact information for those that choose, will be distributed to all families at Hillcrest for the purposes of inviting friends to parties, play dates, etc.

For those families responding "no", your information will not be distributed.

I'm a very passionate person who's excited to be teaching 4th grade this year! When I'm not teaching, I love to be outside whether it's camping, hiking, or being out on the water. I am very thrilled to be part of the Chippewa Falls School District and can't wait to dive into the school year!

Hi! My name is Jamie Koss and I am the new School Counselor for Hillcrest Elementary.

I am excited to be back to Chippewa Falls, where I am originally from. I am actually a Hillcrest Alum (back when they were the Hound Dogs!).

In my spare time I like to be with family and friends doing just about whatever! I enjoy watching Badger Volleyball and the USWNT!

I have 2 sisters and 1 brother, 3 nephews and 3 nieces.

Meal prices for 2024/2025

Elementary Breakfast: $0.35

Elementary Lunch: $2.25

**If you qualify for free or reduced lunches there is no charge for breakfast or lunch.

The Free and Reduced Meal Application is now available online! To apply for meal benefits for the 2024-2025 school year, log into your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account and click on the More option in the left hand menu and then Meal Benefits.

If you received a letter this school year saying that your children are already approved for free meals, then you do not need to complete an application.

All families are encouraged to complete the online application if possible. Paper applications are available and may be picked up at your child's school or at the Central Board Office at 1130 Miles Street, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729. If none of these options work for you please contact Kirsten Nesja to have one mailed to you at (715) 726-2581 or email nesjakj@chipfalls.org.

If you have questions on completing the application please call Kirsten Nesja (715) 726-2581 or email nesjakj@chipfalls.org.

**You can use the Infinite Campus Parent Portal to put money onto your child's lunch account or you can send cash/check to the School Office.

Welcome back to a new year! This is the time of year we tend to see an increase in illnesses in our student population. We would like to remind parents and guardians the guidelines the CFAUSD school nurses follow in regards to keeping your child home if they are not feeling well:

• Temperature over 100.4 degrees in the last 24 hours. If you suspect that they may be sick, please check their temperature with a thermometer before sending them to school. If they have a fever, it is not appropriate to send them to school, even if you give them acetaminophen or ibuprofen and their fever breaks. Your child will still be contagious to other children and will also not be feeling well enough to learn. Coming to school sick (and possibly contagious) not only exposes other children to the illness, but also delays your child’s healing time. Once the medicine wears off and the fever returns, your child must be picked up anyway, and valuable healing time has been lost. Children must be fever-free for 24 hours, without the use of medication, before returning to school.

• Vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours. If vomiting or diarrhea occur, you must keep your child home. Even if these things happen only one time before school starts and your child feels better immediately afterwards, it is still wise to watch for a few hours to see if it happens again before sending him or her on to class. Your child may not return to school until they have not had an episode of vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours. If your child is spending all his or her time at school feeling sick, then not much learning is taking place!

• An unexplained rash - Anytime a rash is associated with fever, the child may not come to school until that fever is gone for 24 hours without medication. Sometimes a rash is a sign of a contagious disease such as chickenpox. Sometimes, rashes are not contagious, but are uncomfortable and itchy from contact with something the child is allergic to.

• Any contagious disease that requires antibiotics (ie. strep throat) Students can return after they have been on antibiotics for 24 hours and are fever-free.

• Headache, cough, sore throat, or congestion severe enough to interfere with attention to school work.

• Flare ups from asthma that would make it difficult to work in school.

MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION AT SCHOOL: Over-the-counter medications (cough drops, Tylenol, etc.) require written permission from a parent/guardian. Any prescribed medication (ADHD medication, Inhalers, EpiPens, etc.) requires an order and signature from the physician as well as permission from the parent to administer. Medication forms are available on the district’s Nursing Services website: https://cfsd.chipfalls.k12.wi.us/district/NursingServices.cfm Forms are also available from the Health office. All medications must be non-expired in its original container and brought in by an adult. All prescription medications must have a pharmacy label in place.

DOCTOR NOTES FOR LIMITATIONS/RESTRICTIONS IN SCHOOL: If your child has an injury or a health issue that requires limitations or restrictions while in school, the district requires a note from the doctor with the listed restrictions. If the note does not have a date when normal activities can be restarted, a note will also be required that specifies when the student may return to normal participation in activities.

IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS - 24/25 SCHOOL YEAR:

Summary of Changes to Wisconsin 2024-2025 School Immunization Requirements

CLOTHING: The health office is in need of children’s clothing, especially pants, both boys and girls. We are also looking for gently worn tennis shoes to have available for students if they forget to bring in their own shoes. If you have any you can donate, please send them in to the health office. Thank you.

VISION SCREENINGS: Vision screenings will be done at the elementary schools at the end of September-beginning of October. The Jim Falls and Lake Wissota Lions Club will be assisting with screening all grade levels. Screenings will be done using a Spot vision screener. This device looks like a camera. The camera takes a picture of your child’s eyes and is able to detect certain vision problems including far-sightedness, near-sightedness, and astigmatism.

TREATS IN THE CLASSROOM:

• The health office requests that any treats brought in to school for birthdays, parties, or any other special occasions be prepackaged with a clear nutrition label.

• There are students with health conditions that may require certain dietary accommodations, and it's important that they are able to review a food's nutrition label before choosing to omit or consume certain foods.

• It is also recommended to stray away from bringing in snacks that contain peanuts/tree nuts when possible to accommodate our students with peanut/tree nut allergies.

Bright Smiles Dental Sealant and Fluoride Oral Health Program

Once again, our district is working alongside the Bright Smiles Oral Health Program to provide dental care to our students in Kindergarten-5th Grade. Each student will receive an oral screening by a registered dental hygienist, teeth cleaned, and application of dental sealants, if necessary, to protect their teeth from cavities. This year, the program will be back for 2 visits of fluoride and 1 visit of sealants and fluoride. This is offered at NO CHARGE to you

Please see the link below for the Bright Smiles Oral Health Program . If you are NOT interested in having your student participate in this program, simply click on the 'No Thanks" on the form as you complete it. In answering this questions, it helps us with our grants that we receive. Otherwise, fully complete the form to have your child eligible for the program.

https://sealasmile.wisconsin.gov/Consent

The consent will be good for the 2024-25 school year. We will need to have enough responses from students wanting this service in order to run the program so please take advantage of this great service.

If you have any questions, please Carol at 715-933-0065

Did you know that CFAUSD students can receive chiropractic care right at their school during their school day?

On-Site Chiropractic has been providing care to the students in the Chippewa Area schools since 2017. The adjustments are quick and parents love the convenience. Teachers have reported great changes in their students' school day when their students are well adjusted.

Chiropractic care is a great tool to help kids thrive in their environments and adapt to their surroundings. What better place to thrive than at school?

Learn more by stopping by the On-Site Chiropractic table at Meet the Teacher night or contact us today at onsitechiroinfo@gmail.com.

If you would like to volunteer to help out in the classroom or go on any field trips, you must fill out the proper online form. Please click HERE to be taken to our Volunteer Information webpage. Please note that once the online form is submitted, it could take up to 2 weeks to fully process so please please allow ample time before you volunteer for the first time. The link is always open so feel free to fill it out at your earliest convenience.

The district adopted a new volunteer management system last spring so many parents are already on file and approved to volunteer for the 2024-25 school year. That approval is good for 1 year so for those parents that are already in the new system, you will get an email 30 days prior to its expiration date, reminding you to reapply. The email will come from RAPTOR TECHNOLOGIES and will go to the email address that they have on file for you.

Upon request to the building administrator, submitted twenty-four (24) hours in advance, the District shall make reasonable accommodation including the provision of informational material in an alternative format as necessary for a disabled person to be able to participate select activities.

MISSION STATEMENT: Hillcrest Elementary School, in partnership with the community, is committed to excellence in a safe, respectful, and child-centered environment in which all students are empowered and challenged to be life-long learners.

Email: piersonm@chipfalls.org
Website: https://cfsd.chipfalls.k12.wi.us/hillcrest/
Location: 1200 Miles Street, Chippewa Falls, WI, USA
Phone: 715-726-2405