Today marks the beginning of the second half of the school year, and also the midpoint of Trimester 2. It's always astounding how quickly the time goes by! We've filled the first 90 days of school with enriching learning and memorable events, and we look forward to 90 more days of a world-class middle school experience! If you haven't already done so, we encourage you to follow Hillview's Twitter feed, @HillviewHawks. Here you can catch a glimpse of the many amazing moments that constitute life as a Hawk. At the mid-year mark, I'd like to highlight some topical and relevant information:
As of today, Monday, January 25, all grades are current and up-to-date. Please be sure to review PowerSchool with your student and have conversations - if necessary - about both academic progress and 3 C's (Character, Collaboration, and Commitment to Learning) marks. The mid-trimester point is a great opportunity to take stock, identify goals, and create an action plan. (Note: Due to some technical glitches on PowerSchool's end, the parent and student portal may only be viewed before 7 a.m. or after 5 p.m.)
MPCSD has some truly compelling and provocative Parent Education events coming up in January, February, and March, and I highly recommend that you attend all three. This week, on Wednesday, January 27, we welcome Karen Gaind, a coach from the Connected Family, as she presents "From Control to Connection." She will share how to apply the basic tenets of brain science, mindful listening, and connected parenting to help you and your child(ren) develop and maintain a strong relationship during the challenging adolescent years. On Wednesday, February 24, Julie Lythcott-Haims, the highly sought-after author of How to Raise an Adult, will present, "Throw Out the Checklisted Childhood." She will warn against the dangers of over-parenting and offer practical alternative strategies that underline the importance of allowing children to make their own mistakes and develop the resilience, resourcefulness, and inner determination necessary for success. Finally, on Wednesday, March 9, we will screen Most Likely to Succeed, a documentary that examines how the institutional history of education is influencing the present, and that also offers a vision of the future of learning. A panel discussion will follow the screening. All of these events will take place in the Hillview PAC, and they begin at 6:30 p.m. As always, refreshments will be provided, along with free childcare for all potty-trained children. Please see MPCSD's Parent Education website for more details. These are the last three Parent Ed events of the year, and you won't want to miss out on any of them!
To parents of 8th graders only, if you haven't read the information in the weekly newsletter, please be advised of the following related to 8th grade yearbook baby pictures and optional dedications. Any parent may submit a baby picture of your child, to be included in a collage, free of charge. In addition, parents may purchase a dedication to your 8th grader through an online system that will allow you to send a personal message, a photo, or even a series of photos. For more specific instructions, please click here. The deadline to submit a baby photo for the collage and/or a dedication is this coming Sunday, January 31. Questions? Please contact Hillview Yearbook Advisor, Yu-Loung Chang, at ychang@mpcsd.org
