Dear Hillview Community,

Ninety-degree weather, STAR testing, and "Fest" Season (Greek and Survival) can only mean one thing ... summer is almost here. It certainly is busy at 1100 Elder Avenue and the atmosphere is electric.

Many were able to join us for the official unveiling of next year's schedule and program. If you were unable to share in the exciting information in April, please feel free to visit my Principal's Page where you can view the Power Point presentation with important information. An official bell schedule will be published this summer with exact start and end times of each period. Highlights of the newly designed schedule and program include:

• A modified block schedule with two days of extended, project-based, hands-on learning for kids each week.
• A mid-year "intercession" called Mini-Courses where students can engage in deep experiential learning around a topic of their choosing taught by teachers and community members considered experts in their fields. Imagine courses such as: Learning to Code, Experiencing a Top-Tier University, Women Empowerment, Water Sports, Rock Band, Carpentry and Volunteerism with Habit for Humanity, and more!
• The opportunity to take two electives including World Languages (Spanish or French) beginning in sixth grade. 

Also available on my Principal's Page is a FAQ's page regarding math placement for next year. I invite you to take a look at how we are streamlining and clarifying the math placement process.

STAR/CST (Standardized Testing and Reporting/California Standards Test) Testing takes place at Hillview Monday, May 6 - Friday, May 10. Parents play an important role in ensuring student success on the STAR test. While we don't define ourselves as a community or school based on our performance on standardized tests, it is an important measure. I trust that all of our parents will ensure their children get a good night's sleep this week and eat a healthy breakfast. In order to support student achievement and wellness, PTO will be providing breakfast for any student who wants a little extra. Cereal, fruit bars, juice and milk will be available every day for FREE thanks to the generous gift of our PTO.  Please support our efforts by encouraging your student to take STAR testing seriously and to do their best!

Part of the "Hillview 3.0" re-design process was improving and increasing our elective offerings. Current 6th and 7th graders will attend their first-ever "Electives Fair" during school on Monday, May 20. They will learn about all the terrific trimester and year-long electives from which they can choose. On the evening of May 20, Power School will be open to all students in order to request their electives online. Also available on May 20 will be a Course Catalogue on the school's website for parents and students to read together and consider which electives they would like to request for next year. Remember, next year students will be able to choose two electives instead of taking a quiet study time at the end of the day. Students and parents are encouraged to think strategically about their choice. While there may be a desire to do "everything," having a time in the day to get help on topics that are difficult or to complete most of one's homework at school has its advantages for busy teens. Please consider your options carefully.

Current 5th graders will be visiting Hillview for their annual "Preview" day on Tuesday, May 28. We look forward to launching our new WEB (Where Everybody Belongs) orientation and mentor program on that day. For more information about WEB, log on to www.boomerangproject.com. On the evening of May 28, our soon-to-be Hawks and their parents will join us for their Elective's Fair. We can't wait to share all the exciting options with our new friends.

I hope you plan on joining us Thursday, May 23 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. for Hillview's much-anticipated "Open House." We'll begin the evening in the PAC, enjoying a few songs from our outstanding orchestra and see a sneak peak at the sixth grade drama performance; you don't want to miss it. I will also be sharing my "State of the School" address, a follow-up to my goal-setting speech presented at Back to School Night; come hear how well we've met our goals for the year and a sneak peak at exciting plans to come. Following our time in the PAC, classrooms and the Book Fair will be open for parents and kids to visit and observe artifacts of the exciting learning that has taken place this year. Eighth graders will also be performing their Decades Dances in the PAC. Don't worry about cooking dinner on that Thursday either; our Grad Night committee has arranged several food trucks to be parked outside Hillview for your culinary pleasure. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the 8th Grade Grad Night.

Congratulations goes to sixth grader Alina K whose art was selected by the San Mateo Transit Authority to be placed on a public bus along with five other students throughout San Mateo County. The program, "Art Takes a Bus Ride," highlights the work of young artists and the importance of the arts in education. We join Alina's art teacher Mrs. Kogan and her parents in congratulating Alina on her terrific honor. Look for Alina's work on a bus near you!

So much is on our doorstep ... Action Afternoon, Great America Trip for 8th graders, Awards Assembly, Career Day, 8th Grade Barbecue, Track and Field Day, Graduation and more! Thanks for everyone's support and participation. It truly is a great time of year to be a Hawk.