HUSKY PRESS
Greetings Hillpoint Family,
Happy New Year! I am excited to welcome you back after what I hope was a wonderful winter break. I trust you spent quality time with your family, had a chance to rest, and enjoyed some well-deserved fun.
As we step into the second half of the school year, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt appreciation for our students, staff, and parents. Students, your hard work and enthusiasm inspire us daily. Staff, your dedication to providing a nurturing and engaging learning environment makes a world of difference. And to our parents, your support and partnership are invaluable in helping us achieve our goals.
Together, we will continue to make Hillpoint Elementary a place where every individual feels valued, supported, and empowered to thrive. Let’s make the remainder of the school year one to remember: filled with growth, collaboration, and success.
Every day is a chance to shine, and I can’t wait to see all the amazing things we’ll accomplish together!
Warm regards,
Dr. Shaka Miller
Principal, Hillpoint Elementary
All Parents and Students Must Review this Policy
On July 9, 2024, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 33 to establish cell phone-
free education to promote the health and safety of Virginia's K-12 students. Executive Order 33 is focused on eliminating cell phone use during instructional time and addressing the mental health issues arising from children's social media and cell phone addiction, such as increased anxiety and depression. As a result of this Executive Order, Suffolk Public Schools will be cell-phone free from “bell to bell” beginning January 6, 2025.
The use of cell phones, including but not limited to making calls, sending text messages, browsing the internet, and accessing applications, is strictly prohibited within classrooms and during the school day. Students should turn off and stow their cell phones before entering the building. With input from educators, parents, and legal guidelines, our SPS Cell Phone Policy ensures a balanced approach to technology use within our classrooms and school grounds.
🟢The link to the full policy is below. Families, please review the cell phone policy with your child by Tuesday, January 7th, 2024.
Hello Hillpoint Families!
We’re excited to share more about our Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) initiative. PBIS is a research-based approach that helps improve student behavior and academic success. It focuses on teaching positive behavior, reducing disruptions, and creating a better school culture for everyone.
PBIS isn’t a one-size-fits-all program, but rather a framework of proven strategies that help us support students in making positive choices. It focuses on setting clear behavior expectations and teaching students the right way to behave, which reduces time lost to office referrals and suspensions.
At Hillpoint, we emphasize our PBIS motto: "Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible." Students and staff follow a behavior matrix that outlines expectations for each day.
We ask that you support your child in following these behaviors at home, too. Please take a moment to review the HES Behavior Matrix together. We look forward to celebrating positive behavior with your child throughout the year!
Thank you for your continued support.
SAVE THE DATE
PBIS Quarter II Celebration – January 31, 2025
Dear Hillpoint Families,
As part of our PBIS program, we celebrate students' hard work and positive behavior at the end of each marking period. Our Quarter II PBIS Celebration will take place on Friday, January 31, 2025, during the school day.
To make this celebration extra special, we are seeking donations. More details on how you can contribute will be shared soon.
Thank you for supporting our students and helping us celebrate their achievements!
Husky Motto
Huskies display: P.A.W.S
P ositive Attitude
A lways Responsible
W ork & Play Safely
S how Respect
This is the HES Way!!!
Quarter I & II PBIS Student Shout-Outs
Each week, staff are asked to acknowledge any student who has gone above and beyond to demonstrate our school-wide expectations: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, & Be Safe.
At Suffolk Public Schools, ensuring the safety of our students and staff is a top priority. As part of this commitment, we conduct regular safety, intruder, and lockdown drills, including monthly fire drills and random metal detector searches, to monitor what is being brought into the school and to prepare for any emergency situations.
Additionally, we ask for your support in ensuring that your child comes to school with only the necessary items in their book bag and lunchbox. Please remind your child not to bring toys or other non-essential items unless instructed by their teacher.
Thank you for your cooperation in helping us maintain a safe learning environment!
We want to share some important reminders about school hours, traffic safety, and dismissal procedures to ensure everything runs smoothly for our students, staff, and families.
Student Arrival & Attendance:
- Arrival: School doors open at 9:00 a.m. Students should not arrive before this time, including waiting by the main entrance. The instructional day begins at 9:25 a.m. Students arriving after 9:25 will be considered tardy.
- Attendance: We understand that doctor’s appointments and other commitments may require students to miss school. We ask that, whenever possible, appointments are scheduled with our school hours in mind to minimize disruptions to learning.
School Hours:
- Office Staff: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Teachers: 8:50 a.m. – 4:20 p.m.
- Students: 9:25 a.m. – 3:50 p.m.
- Drop-off begins at 9:00 a.m.
- Early Release: 1:15 p.m.
- Dismissal: 3:50 p.m. (PikMyKid, walkers, and bus riders)
Parking Lot & Traffic Safety:
- Parking: For the safety of everyone, please follow all traffic rules and parking directives. Park in designated spaces and avoid parking along the sidewalk.
- Bus Parking Lot: Parents are not allowed to enter the bus parking lot during the school day. When using the parking lot for drop-off or dismissal, please enter and exit by making a right turn only.
Walker Dismissal:
- Parents wishing to have their child walk home must complete the SPS Notice of Disclaimer form and receive approval each year. Students in Early Start, Kindergarten, or those who do not live in the immediate Hillpoint Farms neighborhood will not be approved for walker dismissal.
Dismissal Changes:
- Requests to change your child’s dismissal method must be submitted in writing. Phone requests will not be accepted.
- A signed parent note sent with the student or an email to the office staff and classroom teacher is required.
- The email must include a picture of the front and back of the parent/guardian ID and be sent by 12:00 p.m. to ensure we can accommodate the change.
- Administrative Assistant: Jamie Sanders – jaimesanders@spsk12.net
- Bookkeeper: Susan Pendleton – susanpendleton@spsk12.net
School Bus Safety Reminder and Transportation Information
We are committed to ensuring our students’ safety both at school and on the bus. To help with this, we partner closely with the Transportation Department and need your support to ensure students are safe, on time, and follow the expected behavior while riding the bus.
Bus Safety Expectations:
- Be on time at the bus stop.
- Remain seated at all times and keep the aisle clear.
- Keep the bus clean – food and drinks are not allowed.
- Respect others – use kind, respectful language and keep hands and feet to yourself.
- Follow the student code of conduct
Buses:
- Riding the bus is a privilege and can be revoked for inappropriate behavior. If this occurs, parents will need to provide transportation for their child.
- Bus Departures: Buses depart at 3:50 p.m. Students must ride their assigned bus unless a written notice is provided by 12:00 p.m. Bus changes cannot be made over the phone.
If your child misses their bus, you cannot drive them to a different bus stop. For example, if your child rides Route 3 and misses the bus, they cannot be taken to a stop for Route 8. However, the bus driver may allow your child to board at a stop on the same route.
If you have concerns about bus service, please bring them to the bus driver or the school administrative team. For some issues, you may need to contact the Transportation Department directly. Here’s how:
Transportation Department Contact Information:
- Phone: (757) 925-5573
- Options Available:
- Option 1 - Dispatch
- Option 2 - Routing
- Option 3 - Safety and Training
- Option 4 - Accounting
- Option 5 - All Other Calls
Transportation Supervisor: Jessica Allen (Southern Supervisor) supports our school. If unavailable, you can leave a message at their direct extension.
For additional information, we’ve also included a link to the Transportation FAQs for your reference.
Thank you for helping us ensure a safe and respectful experience for all students!
We believe in fostering strong communication between home and school to support your child's success. We encourage you to maintain an open line of communication with your child’s teacher. However, please be mindful that during instructional time, it may be difficult for teachers to speak directly with you. We recommend scheduling a convenient time to contact the teacher, or you can always reach out via email.
If you need immediate assistance and it’s urgent, please contact the main office. Our front office staff will help direct your call to the appropriate person. While administrators are available to address concerns, we encourage you to first discuss any issues with the classroom teacher. In cases that require immediate attention, administrators will make every effort to meet with parents as soon as possible.
We strive to respond to parent emails and phone calls within 48 business hours.
