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Sunday, April 26
Hawks Nest #2
here
, weekly newsletter
by students for students
ASB Voting Begins! Speeches on Google Classroom to 6th-/7th-grade students. Vote for ASB (through
Friday, May 1)
Reminder to complete your MPCSD Re-enrollment for 2020-21
(complete by May 8)
Wednesday, April 29
Volunteer for panel for Trailblazers Academy, Changemakers Project, email
here
WEB applications final day, available in Google classrooms, 7th-grade students, the code 6hnu2uj, information
here
Friday, May 1
Panel for Trailblazers Academy Changemakers Project, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
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Monday, May 4
Deadline to submit, 15-second Shout-Out to your graduate
Wednesday, May 6
ASB Results to students via email, with optional Google Meet sign-up form for candidates
Thursday, May 7
PTO Executive Board Meeting, online,
9:00 - 10:30, details by email
Friday, May 8
MPCSD Re-Enrollment for 2020-21
(final day)
ASB Results posted on Hawks Nest
Friday, May 15
ASB Talent Show, 6:30 pm, YouTube
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Dear Hillview Families,
I hope this newsletter finds you well. Last week was our first week with the new Distance Learning schedule, and we'll continue to adjust to new routines moving forward. One reminder for students is that the new schedule has resulted in earlier live sessions in the 9 am to 12 noon slot. This means that one adjustment for students, is waking up earlier to be ready to take advantage of the instruction. I imagine that sleep patterns may have gotten a little out of whack over the first month of Distance Learning, so now is a good time to review the recommendations on adolescent sleep
here
and build better habits.
I am also getting requests from some families for more work. As a reminder, our new schedule and new recommendations for the amount of work per day per class were based on survey results that showed very high percentages of students and parents reporting "too much" work. Scaling back to make our DL journey sustainable has now resulted in some students getting their work done more efficiently, and they have some time on their hands. One suggestion I have is that students read and engage with the activities and opportunities in the weekly Hawks Nest (issue # 2 is linked
here
). Parents, another great resource for you is Common Sense Media's new "Wide Open School" platform
here
. You will find quality curated activities to extend your child's learning. One suggestion is to make an agreement with your child about choosing 1 - 2 activities per day to supplement their learning, and checking in on their progress. Now is also a great time for STEM-oriented students to learn to code; we recommend CodeAcademy
here
as a great web-based platform to learn computer science.
Finally, we've noticed a spike in academic integrity issues over the past week. In the Distance Learning mode, it's a lot easier to take shortcuts by grabbing content from the web or sharing completed work with a classmate (or several). We wish to remind students that such shortcuts shortchange you and your learning, and they also cause harm to the academic environment. We are grateful that the vast majority of students continue to do their work honestly.
Thank you, and be well.
All the best,
Willy
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MPCSD Re-Enrollment 2020-21 open until May 8
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Look
for
your student’s re-enrollment notification from PowerSchool Enrollment in your email Friday, April 17.
Your plans for next year may not be finalized, but complete the re-enrollment process anyway. You will have the option to
update your enrollment status or ask questions
here.
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Update on Grading
At the April 16 MPCSD Board meeting, our Board of Trustees approved a temporary grading policy for the third trimester of the 2019-20 school year.
The new policy will minimally affect classes that have a standards-based grading system. Teachers in these classes will continue to give feedback in the usual way, and they will also have the option to give a mark of IE (for "insufficient evidence") in the case where there is not enough work from the student to accurately gauge a level of mastery.
For classes that assign a traditional A - F grade, students will receive grades of A, B, C, or IE (for insufficient evidence).
The mark of IE allows for teachers to recognize that individual students may not have adequate support systems in place to demonstrate evidence of learning course content during Distance Learning, and/or that scores below 70% are not representative of what students know or are able to do, but rather a consequence of our current context and being outside the support system of the school environment.
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Trimester 2 Report Cards on Powerschool
Log-in to PowerSchool for final grades for trimester 2.
Hillview will mail home a final report which will include both trimester 2 and trimester 3 final grades at year's end.
Contact Associate Principal Danielle O’Brien
here
with questions.
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Panelists Needed
Email
here
to join by Wednesday, April 29
8th-grade students in Trailblazers Academy have just completed their Changemakers Project, see project description
here
.
As a culminating event, on Friday, May 1,
11:00 am - 12:30 pm,
twenty students are presenting their two minute speeches and solution ideas to a panel of adults - and we need YOU to be a panelist!
If you are interested in joining us for this panel, email Danielle O'Brien
here
by Wednesday, April 29.
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8th-Grade Parent Information
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Shout-Outs to your Graduate
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Do something special for your 8th-grade graduate. Consider creating a simple 15-second or less video (use your phone!) and submitting it via a Google Form
here
.
These quick shout-outs can be from the heart or be silly while congratulating your graduate. Respect the 15-second time limit! Think of them as similar to the baby-photo page in the yearbook, a video version. Shhh, keep this a secret! The shout-outs will be a surprise for the 8th-grade graduates on the ASB and HawkTalk virtual Talent Show on Friday, May 15 at 6:30 pm.
Deadline to submit - May 4th, 2020 (May the 4th be with you!) from Brian Darmanin / Hillview ASB
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Graduation and End of Year Events
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We want 8th-grade families to know that we plan to celebrate our 8th-grade students in a number of ways. We had been waiting this week for some announcement from San Mateo County Public Health about the extension of the current Shelter in Place (SIP), which will expire on May 3.
We anticipate that the SIP will be extended, and that an in-person ceremony at the end of the school year or even in the summer will not be practicable or responsible. Plans are in the works for a combination of virtual and physical components.
Stay tuned for more information...
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Submit Your 60 Second Talent Videos
here
.
All acts are 60 Seconds each! A fast-paced talent show perfect for YouTube!
Our 8th-Grade ASB wants to continue our proud tradition of ending the school year with a talent show. Since we can't host it in our performing arts center, we have decided to make this special event a YouTube LiveStream spectacular with one simple rule....submit a video showing off your talent in 60 seconds or less from your home.
Our goal is to have 6,000 live viewers tuned in and $6,000 for Second Harvest Food Bank during our livestream on Friday, May 15 at 6:30 pm. Donate early or during the livestream!
Second Harvest Food Bank
Donation Page for Live Stream
here
.
YouTube
Live Stream Channel
here
.
During these uncertain times, your gift will help bring our school community together and help the greater Bay Area community feel secure and stay healthy.
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Hillview Library
Digital Collection of eBooks and Audiobooks
The Hillview Library has a digital collection of eBooks and audiobooks through the Sora app, perfect for Distance Learning!
Here
is a quick screencast
from Mrs. Mathenia on how to access the books.
Sora app connects to the Hillview Library and to the Peninsula Library System for a wide selection of books.
Battle of the Books continues!
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Hillview After-School Programs
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Starfire Education is offering Coding, Math, Art and Design, and Electrical Engineering classes in our virtual classroom via Zoom. You may find more information and register
here
.
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Writing Workshop
Omega Teaching will offer online writing classes and more. For more information and to enroll visit
here
.
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Report your student's attendance only if NOT
participating in Distance Learning for any significant amount of time.
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MPCSD Helps
here
for
information. Email
here
in English or Spanish to request or offer assistance.
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MPCSD COVID-19 FAQ
for up-to-date information for our district
here
.
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