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This Week
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Monday, September 23
- Picture Make-up/Retake Day
- Mini-Course Survey deadline
Thursday, September 26
- Hillview PTO donation campaign closes
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Looking Ahead
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Monday, October 14
Tuesday, October 15 - Friday, October 18
- Minimum Days, 11:45 a.m. dismissal
Tuesday, October 22
- Yes! Gender Matters. Parent education talk by author and physician Leonard Sax, Hillview PAC, 6:30 p.m.
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Support Hillview and MPAEF
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FOUR DAYS REMAIN until PTO donations are due! The Hillview PTO has already started to fund its programs and needs to have its funding in place by the end of the month. Please join the Hillview PTO this week!
To donate to the Hillview PTO, click here.
Our goal is another year of 80 percent participation from our District families. Donate, pledge or initiate monthly payments today. The deadline is November 21, but the sooner you make your commitment, the better!
To donate, pledge or initiate monthly payments, click here.
Here's why your support of the MPAEF and the Hillview PTO matters!
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Campus Visitor Protocol
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A reminder that all visitors to Hillview during the school day must enter campus from the main entrance and check-in at the main office. There are multiple points of entrance and exit before and after school, but during the school day, in order to secure the campus, the only entry point is at the traffic circle; all other gates are closed and locked.
We have had reports of some parents coming up to gates at other parts of campus to deliver supplies and lunches. Finding the gates locked, they get students' attention and have them open the gates. While these are well-meaning parents who pose no threat to our campus, students are not in a position to determine whether a parent at a gate holding a lunch bag is an authorized visitor on our campus. Please help us by using only the main entrance during school hours.
Remember, we love it when parents visit the school! Please do check-in at the office and get a visitors' badge. We also want to remind you of our Parents On Campus (POC) program, where you can come and spend lunch with your student.
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PowerSchool Parent Portal Update
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We are pleased to announce that our hardworking district tech department sent out emails on Wednesday of last week to all parents with usernames and passwords for your student's or students' PowerSchool accounts. If you didn't receive this email, it could mean that we don't have a current or valid email on file for you, or that the message went to your spam folder. Please contact the Hillview office and we will provide you with this information. Usernames and passwords cannot be changed, so you'll want to record these in a place where you can reference them easily.
One great feature of the parent side of PowerSchool is that you can sign up for regular email updates on your student's progress. And a reminder: Middle school is a great time to have students be accountable for their own growth and progress. Should you see something concerning on PowerSchool (a missed assignment, a less than stellar test score), encourage your child to meet with the teacher to discuss ways to improve. By taking yourself out of the "middleman" position, you will foster your child's ability to advocate for him- or herself.
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Picture Make-up/Retake Day
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Lifetouch returns to Hillview tomorrow Monday, September 23. Those students who either:
- did not attend one of the daytime ACI (Arena Check-in) events, OR
- did not find the initial portrait flattering enough ...
...will have make-ups or retakes during PE. Students will report to PE for roll, and then go to the PAC for their new portrait. For those who are getting retakes, by exchanging your unused package at the time of the portrait, you will not need to pay for a new package. Students received order forms in their first period classes, but we also have extra forms in the office.
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Mini-Course Ideas
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For the first time, Hillview will be offering an amazing week-long learning experience for all students through our Mini-Course program March 17 - 21.
Go online and take part in the survey which shows eight sample mini-courses. Tell us what you think. This is your chance to tell the planning committee what should be offered. But the survey closes tomorrow Monday, September 23.
We also want your student's input. Please have your child or children, fill out this Student Survey to let us know what they are thinking!
Hillview's Mini-Courses aim to inspire students to explore their passions, open their minds to new ideas and delve into the world around them while engaging in critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication.
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Parent-Teacher Conferences
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A reminder that on Tuesday - Friday, October 15 - 18, Hillview students will have minimum days, with school ending at 11:45 a.m. On Monday, October 14, there will be no school for students.
On those minimum days, the afternoons will be devoted to conferences, and after teachers schedule their higher priority conferences, parents will have the opportunity to sign up online for the remaining slots. We will be unable to accommodate every request for a conference, but we will do our best.
Stay tuned for a conferencing "blast" that will provide all the details about when and how to sign up.
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Parent Education Series
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Have you heard people talking about "asset building" and wonder what it means to create experiences for our children that make them stronger and more likely to "thrive"? If so, you should definitely check out a six-week "Taking it Personally" (TIP) session put on by Project Cornerstone.
A TIP series is two weeks underway at Encinal School, but if you did not register for it and would like an opportunity to take this highly recommended session, La Entrada has graciously invited Hillview parents to join their session, which will run from October 1 - November 5 (six weeks), from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Hillview and La Entrada share very similar populations and challenges. Please check in in the La Entrada main office and get a visitors badge. For more information about Project Cornerstone and Asset Building, please refer to their website: http://www.projectcornerstone.org/.
Also, this past week, Hillview's Asset Development Team had its first meeting. If you are interested in learning more about this group's work and perhaps joining the team, please contact Willy Haug.
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Patrick Maurer Assembly
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This past Monday, Hillview students were treated to a wonderful assembly by motivational speaker Patrick Maurer. Hopefully they came home talking about his humorous and heartfelt presentation.
Mr. Maurer inspired our students to channel their inner kindergarteners, whose enthusiasm, curiosity, and willingness to take risks knows no bounds. He also called our students to a higher purpose by describing a school where kindness is the norm.
Finally, he used the Wizard of Oz as a powerful metaphor for middle school, where following the "yellow brick road" of challenges helps all students develop skills and abilities (brain), compassion (heart), and courage. These characteristics, Mr. Maurer asserted, are not simply granted to our children, but they are developed when students put themselves in a position to risk and push themselves out of their comfort zone.
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Physical Education
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- Intramural sports program will continue this week in the gym during lunch. This week will be open gym. During this time we hope to sign up teams to play in a volleyball tournament and contest. Awards available. Those in Mr. Bell's classes who are able to assist during lunchtime intramural sports earn Block H points and extra credit toward their PE grade. Group pizza parties also available.
- "Stomp" presentations: A number of PE classes are having students work in small groups building a video presentation of "Stomp" rhythm performances. Performances based on interviews (and design thinking) with staff members. Presentations will be filmed during this week, hopefully Monday and Tuesday.
Questions regarding Phys Ed should be drected to Mr. Bell, Mr. Eaton, Mrs. Gee or Ms. Salem. Phone: 326-4341 ext 2601 Bell, 2602 Eaton, 2603 Gee, 2604 Salem
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After School Sports
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Burgess League Volleyball: All uniforms have now been handed out to students. Games begin this week. Coaches have the schedule and should have them distributed to team players.
Girls Softball: online registration is open. We need more players. If interested please sign up immediately on sportability.com. Practices now occurring. It's ok if you are currently playing in another fall sport such as volleyball.
Flag football: all three teams have been given uniforms. Games begin this week. Families of players should have received the schedule from coaches. The schedule is also posted on the Hillview website.
Fencing: registration is open at sportability.com. Classes will be offered on Fridays, 3:15 - 4:15 p.m. in the Hillview Fitness Room, next to the gym, on October 4, 11, 25 and November 8, 15, 22.
Tournament Team Volleyball: Congratulations to the team's first match last Wednesday vs Borel from San Mateo. Hillview won both games. More importantly, players showed great team spirit and camaraderie. Their next match will be this Wednesday in the Hillview Gym at 6 p.m. We hope to see many Hillview supporters in the bleachers.
Tournament Team Basketball: Tryouts for interested 8th grade boys and girls will take place during Conference Week when students are dismissed at 11:45 a.m. Girls will tryout Tuesday, October 15 and Thursday, October 17 from 12 - 1:30 p.m. Boys will tryout Wednesday, October 16 and Friday, October 18 from 12 - 1:30 p.m. Players will be expected to attend both tryouts and must be registered to play in the MPMSL (which is the 8th grade compliment to Burgess League). There will be a meeting on Friday, October 4 with interested players at Hillview during lunch to prepare them.
After School Sports questions should be directed to Mr. Bell at 326-4341 ext 2601.
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| Community News |
Sequoia District Board Meeting. Wednesday, September 25, 5:30 p.m., 480 James Avenue, Redwood City. The Sequoia Union High School District Board will be continuing the discussion concerning possible boundary changes for Menlo-Atherton High School. For more information, see the Board background notes.
NJB Winter Basketball. Deadline for early registration and reduced fees is Friday, September 27 at redwoodnjb.org. Our focus is skills-based instruction, personal growth and positive competition for kids from 1st through 8th grades in MP, Atherton, PV, Woodside or EPA. The season runs from November through February.
The Master Gardeners of San Mateo/San Francisco. Become a UC Master Gardener. We are looking for adult applicants for our next class. Trained by UC Davis, you will learn about sustainable gardening practices, water conservation and safe pest management. Master Gardeners share information with their community to help keep gardens and families healthy. For more info, visit smsf-mastergardeners.ucanr.org.
Free Family Yoga Classes. Athleta in Town & Country Mall, 9 - 9:45 a.m. on Wednesdays in September and October. Join YogiBirds led by Encinal mom, Robin Soran, for yoga poses and yoga-themed games. Classes are for children ages 2 - 5 and their family members or caregivers.
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Newsletter Archives
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Missed an exciting edition of the Hillview newsletter or letters from the school or PTO? Look up past emailings on our online archive.
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Newsletter Submissions
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To submit an announcement for a Hillview event, please email your announcement to newsletter@hillviewpto.org. Editors reserve the right to edit all announcements. The submission deadline is Thursday at noon for the following Sunday newsletter. To submit an announcement for an off-campus community event, please email your announcement to communitynews@mpcsd.org. The submission deadline is Wednesday at noon for the following Sunday newsletter.
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