Sunday, May 9
Last day for 20% discount on Hillview Spirit Wear at Squadlocker here using the code Hawk20
Monday, May 10
Blue students on campus this week
Kidpower Community Safety for Hillview students, 5:00 - 6:00 pm, Zoom here
Schoolhouse Rocks Run Around the World
(through May 16)
Tuesday, May 11
School Site Council Meeting, 3:30 - 5:00 pm, Zoom
Thursday, May 13
Relay for Life activity, lunchtime, by cohort, wear purple
MPCSD Board Meeting, open session, 5:00 pm
Deadline to order 8th grade graduation gown
Friday, May 14
PTO Executive Board Meeting, 8:30 - 10:00 am
Relay for Life Celebration, 6:30 pm, virtual here
|
|
Sunday May 16
Hillview Book Fair, online and in-store, opens
(through May 25)
Friday, May 21
Hillview Talent Show
Monday, May 31
No School - Memorial Day
Monday, June 7
Graduation gown pick-up
Wednesday, June 9
PTO Executive Board Meeting, 9:00 - 10:30 am
Friday, June 11
Minimum Day - Last Day of School
8th Grade Graduation event
___________________________
Quicklinks bottom of newsletter
|
|
|
Dear Hillview Family,
Tomorrow we will begin the last two A/B week instructional cycles of the school year. By Friday, June 4, students will have completed their course of study for all their classes. Please note that as previously announced, our final week of school, June 7 - 11, is a special schedule here, a combination of In-Person A (BLUE) and In-Person B (GOLD) days, with 8th graders coming to school every day on an am/pm schedule, Monday - Thursday.
In these next four weeks, students will be engaged in a number of assessments that will help us measure growth and inform our planning for next year. As you may be aware, MPCSD is not administering the state CAASPP ELA, Math, and Science assessments, and we are instead relying on local benchmarks. Please note the following:
- May 10 - 21: ELA Writing Benchmark and MDTP Math Assessment. These assessments will happen in the ELA class and SMART period, respectively, with a special plan for our Distance Learning students.
- May 24 - June 4: SRI Reading Assessment, Math Benchmark, and AAPPL Spanish or French Assessment (if applicable). These assessments will happen in the SMART period, Math class, and World Language class, respectively, with a special plan for our Distance Learning students.
We have done our best to schedule these assessments so that students don’t have too many any one week. Most of them do not result in a grade, and are used to evaluate our programs and planning. Please help your child be well-rested and focused for these assessments so that they accurately reflect their abilities and the teaching and learning in our Hybrid or DL programs.
In other news, we are actively planning for the 2021-22 school year, with elective registration complete and our master schedule under construction, hiring and recruitment under way, the approval of our district and PTO preliminary budgets, and most exciting, considering what “silver linings” that have resulted this year due to constraints, but which have proven beneficial to students, we might preserve and carry forward.
Please continue to stay engaged, as there is a lot more to come in 2020-21!
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!
All the best,
Willy
|
|
Kidpower Community Safety for Hillview Students |
|
Monday, May 10, 5:00 - 6:00 pm, Zoom here
Hillview is partnering with Kidpower to put on a parent education night to help with some community safety issues that have cropped up recently. If you are free on Monday, May 10 from 5:00 - 6:00 pm, join us on Zoom here for an informative and engaging session on public safety, family safety plans, and student empowerment!
The flyer provides more information here.
|
|
Remember District Health Guidelines Still Apply
It feels great to have our local COVID data on the decline, so many staff and now parents vaccinated, and the possibility of more "normal" times ahead. However, it is not the time to relent on the health and safety guidelines that have kept MPCSD schools so safe all year long.
While on any MPCSD campus, even just to drop off or pick up your child and EVEN IF YOU ARE VACCINATED:
- Wear your mask
- Maintain six feet of distance between you and members of other households
- Don't come to school if you are feeling ill or have a fever
We have just five weeks of school left - we can do this!
Thank you for following our guidelines and keeping school safe and open.
|
|
Hillview Site Council Meeting
Tuesday May 11, 3:30 - 5:00 pm, via Zoom
The Hillview Site Council comprises Hillview parents, teachers, staff, and students. The site council meets monthly to develop and evaluate progress on school-wide goals.
All parents in our community are welcome! Email Karen Dearing, site council chair here to receive the Zoom link to join the meeting.
|
|
8th Grade Parent and Student News |
|
Class of 2021 Graduation Event
Plans to honor our graduating 8th graders are quickly developing and we will continue to update parents as these plans unfold. Hillview is excited to announce that we will be holding an in-person graduation event on Friday, June 11. The event will be a graduation “walk” culminating in graduates receiving their diplomas on stage. Friends and family may attend the event and walk with their graduate. More guidance and details on the event will be provided soon. But for planning purposes here is the proposed schedule of the day:
2:30-2:50 arrival: Trailblazers Blue
2:50-3:10 arrival: Trailblazers Gold
3:30 Trailblazers ends
3:50-4:10 arrival: Explorers Blue
4:10-4:30 arrival: Explorers Gold
4:50 Explorers ends
5:10-5:30 arrival Pioneers Blue
5:30-5:50 arrival Pioneers Gold (including Distance Learning Students and A/B Students)
6:10 Pioneers ends
Graduation Gowns
During the ceremony, all of our 8th graders will wear blue graduation gowns either for purchase from Herff Jones or borrowed from the school. While not as formal as a high school or college graduation that involves a “cap,” Hillview’s ceremony includes this added element of pomp and circumstance and provides a feeling of uniformity and purpose for this special occasion.
If you choose to purchase a gown follow these steps:
1 - Go to Herff Jones here, scroll to bottom of page
2 - Click on the link that says “Gown”
3 - Click “Add to Cart”
4 - Click “Continue Shopping”
5 - If you are ready to check out go to CART at the top of the page and follow the prompts to check out (sizing information will be collected at check out)
* If you are ordering more than one gown, you will need to place separate orders in order to ensure the sizing is accurate.
Order by May 13 to avoid expedited shipping charges. All gowns are SHIPPED TO THE SCHOOL and will be ready for pick up the week of June 7.
For students who are borrowing gowns, you will indicate this during graduation registration (coming soon) and gowns will be available for pick up the week of June 7. More details on pick up times to follow.
|
|
Menlo-Atherton Drive-Thru Support for 8th grade families to get students registered with all necessary online forms for high school 2021-22. See information in Community News at bottom of newsletter.
Menlo Atherton Summer Reading information provided in Hillview Library below.
|
|
Hillview PTO Executive Board |
|
Congratulations to the incoming board! Thank you for joining the team. We look forward to your collaboration in action for our 2021-2022 school year. We would also like to take this opportunity to express our deep gratitude to our current board for working with us through this unprecedented year. Throughout the year the 2020-2021 board stepped up in so many ways and stood by us even though most of their responsibilities had pivoted and honestly lacked the fulfillment and reward it was meant to have under normal circumstances. It has been a real honor to be part of this team to help create an amazing environment for our community, students, and staff. Go Hawks!
Deepest gratitude and appreciation,
Alison Matthews and Tricia Mulcahy
Hillview PTO co-Presidents on the out
"There is no such thing as a self-made man. You will reach your goals only with the help of others."
-George Shinn
|
|
Volunteer at Hillview 2021-22
Whether you want to get involved for the first time or continue volunteering, we would be excited to have you. While we are still uncertain what next year will look like, we are hopeful that normal activities and volunteer opportunities will resume! To get a sense of the different types of opportunities available and to express interest, visit Volunteer at Hillview here.
Checking a box on the form only indicates interest, not commitment. Closer to the time of the event, coordinators will contact those interested to confirm availability. Given the uncertainty of the year, volunteer opportunities may have to be changed or canceled, so we appreciate your support and flexibility.
Email our volunteer coordinator, Kelly Morehead here with questions.
|
|
LAST DAY Hillview Spirit Wear Store - 20% Off Spring Styles
|
|
Today, May 9 is the last day to get your 20% discount at the Hillview Spirit Wear store here using the code Hawk20. Get your gear this spring and show your Hawk pride!
|
|
 |
Each week a staff member will be randomly selected to share a little bit more about themselves so the Hillview Community can get to know them better.
Mike Bratt
Mike teaches woodshop and robotics and has been at Hillview for 26 years! In his free time Mike remodels houses, refurbished cars, makes furniture, skies, hikes, bikes and really enjoys reading.
Favorite Quote: “If you want to fly with eagles, you can not associate with turkeys.”
Favorite Movie: Kelly’s Heroes
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Mint Chocolate Chip
Favorite Subjects as a Middle School Student: English and Science
|
|
|
|
Words of Wisdom for Hillview Students: Never give up!
|
What you probably didn’t know about me: I lived in Vienna Austria when I was in 6/7th grade and I speak passable German.
One More Thing: I love teaching, because I love the students. I am planning to retire in a few years and my only hesitation is that I will no longer see the students.
|
|
|
|
Hillview Book Fair
Every spring, Hillview holds its annual book fair with Books Inc. to get students and families ready for summer reading. This year, Hillview and Books Inc. are offering a Hybrid Book Fair. Menlo Park City School District families and friends can shop online or in the store from May 16-25. Stock up on books for the whole family or order books for your teachers to update the classroom libraries. Keep an eye out next week in the newsletter for more information about the book fair and how to order. Proceeds from this book fair are donated to the Hillview Library to buy more books for the students.
|
|
Summer Reading
Hillview wants students to read, read, read over the summer! The minimum reading is 2 chapter books that students have not read before, but we hope they read more!
Check out the doc for more information on Hillview Summer Reading 2021 here. For rising 9th grade students here is information on Menlo Atherton Summer Reading.
|
|
Log-in to the Hillview Library Catalog here to place holds for curbside pick-up
|
|
Find eBooks and audiobooks on the Sora App here.
|
|
Relay for Life Activity and Virtual Celebration
Thanks to your students who have joined Relay for Life and stepped up to fight cancer! Our last Relay for Life raised $90,000 for the American Cancer Society! This year our Hillview community joins together as one team, and has already raised $6,000 toward our $25,000 goal! Which grade raised the most last week? Winners will be announced on Hawk Talk tomorrow!
The pandemic may have shut down much of our lives, but it didn't shut down cancer for many families needing treatment, care and hope. As we bring the FUN into Fundraising for this important cause, we are excited that loosening COVID constraints will allow for a lunchtime Relay for Life Activity! Students will "relay" around the track with their cohorts at lunch this week, culminating in a virtual celebration of our efforts on May 14 (Zoom link provided on Schoology). Encourage your students to dress up with friends or wear purple on Thursday!
|
|
*There is still time to donate! Encourage friends and family to note students' name in comments section so they receive credit for their donations.
|
|
Call for Submissions
This is a call for submissions for our last publication of the year, the May Hawks Nest publication. Submissions are due Friday, May 14. You can check out the April issue right here, including such stories as an interview with Mr. Chui, a piece on Earth Day, an article about the accomplishment of some of our Hillview students in a robotics competition, and much, much more. The topics for May are: News, Entertainment, Sports, Local, Cartoons, with themes on #EndofYear, #SummerThoughts, #MayFlowers and, as always, #ActsofKindness.
Students will earn two Block H points for each submission. Submissions can be sent to Editor: Arhaan Gupta-Rastogi directly here. Editing Team: Lia Lev here or Kai Kapoor here, or Advisor: Ms. Slaughter here. Anyone can submit a story! Everyone is welcome. Please join us, contribute, share, and provide feedback. We’d love to hear from you!
|
|
Spring Summative Testing
During the spring, students in grades 3rd-8th and 11th in California usually participate in the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, or CAASPP testing system. These tests provide important information to teachers, parents/guardians, and students about students’ academic progress.
Due to challenges of the pandemic, the California Department of Education advised districts to determine the “most viable option” for assessing students this spring, by administering the statewide summative assessment (CAASPP) or local assessments.
Throughout this pandemic-year, MPCSD has remained student-centered in our approach to serving our students and families. We recognize that the most viable option in MPCSD is to administer local assessments in order to prioritize students’ in-person time on instruction as well as due to the technological challenges of remote state testing for our Virtual Academy students. This plan was approved by MPCSD school board on April 15.
As a result, this spring MPCSD students will take benchmark assessments in reading (SRI), writing (local benchmark), and math (3rd-5th local benchmark, 6th-8th Mathematics Diagnostics Testing Project) that will provide teachers with diagnostic information about student learning during hybrid and distance learning. MPCSD will administer the CAA ELA, Math and Science to students with moderate to severe learning disabilities, as designated in their Individual Education Plan (IEP) in grades 3rd-8th to students who are receiving in-person instruction.
If you wish to discuss your child’s progress or have questions about spring testing, contact your child’s teacher.
|
|
MPCSD Joins Instagram
Hey MPCSD fans! Your favorite school district now uses Instagram to feature fun photos from daily life here in MPCSD. Search for mpcsdinsta to find us! Got a great pic from your school? Send photos here to help us keep the account fresh. No photos of students' faces. You must provide approval for photos of your own children. See you on the 'gram!
|
|
Support your school and beloved local institution:
Galata Bistro!
Mention “Menlo - Atherton Schools” when ordering dinner from Galata Bistro on Wednesdays in May and 15% of your entire order goes back to our schools!
Three easy ways enjoy dinner at Galata Bistro and earn 15% back to our schools:
- Dine in at Galata Bistro at 827 Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park
- Call (650) 325-7900 to place your take-out order
-
Order dinner online for take-out via their website here.
** Don’t forget to mention “Menlo - Atherton Schools” when placing your order!
For more information, visit here.
|
|
Schoolhouse Rocks Run Around the World!
May 1-16, 2021
It’s not too late! You can still register here.
Have questions about logging activity, sharing your fundraising page or registering?
View our Event FAQ’s here.
Announcing the first winner of the Leaderboard Challenge!
Those who earn 1,000+ footprints are entered into two special drawings (May 5 and May 12) to win a $25 gift card to Big Five Sports and a goody bag of other fun items!
Congratulations to Michael Aaron!
Where are we now?
Check here to go to the Schoolhouse Rocks Run event page and log your activity and to see where we are. We know you’ve been moving a lot, but don’t forget to log your activity into the website to get the credit!
Every mile we run as a community counts towards our goal of walking 21,000 miles around the world! Hope to see you out there!
|
|
We want to take the opportunity to show our appreciation for our business and realtor partners in the community.
Silver
Dulcy Freeman, Golden Gate Sotheby's here
Bronze
Peninsula Pet Hospital here
|
|
Scholarship available for Legarza Camp For any families interested in signing up for Legarza Summer Basketball Camp, Hillview has two $100 scholarships to give away. Email Mr. Chui here for more details.
Washington DC 8th Grade Spring Break Trip 2022 A spring break March 26 - 31, 2022 Washington DC and New York trip is being planned as done in years' past. This trip will be organized through World Strides and led by Ms. Malquist. Please join us for an informational meeting on Tuesday, May 12 at 6:30 pm on Zoom here. All trip details, including itinerary and pricing will be discussed. As a note, this is NOT a school-sponsored trip.
Boy Scouts of America Troop 109 is welcoming new scouts for the 2021-2022 scouting year. Boys entering 6th-8th grades in fall 2021 are welcome to join. Scouts can expect outdoor adventure, camping, hiking, backpacking, kayaking, Shooting Sports, Water Sports, Summer camp, and more while building new skills, participating in community service, and building character through teamwork and leadership. Join us for a virtual open house on Tuesday, May 11 at 7:30 pm. Interested in joining or have questions, see here. Send an email here to register.
|
|
8th Grade Information
Menlo-Atherton Drive-Thru Support M-A staff is working directly with incoming 9th grade families to get students registered and complete all necessary online forms for high school 2021-22. The drive-thru support event is Wednesday, May 12, from 2:00 - 5:00 pm for families who need assistance or more information about registering their student. Attached here is the flyer with more information.
M-A Bear Wear Attention future Menlo-Atherton Bears! If you are looking to purchase some spirit wear to rep your new school, M-A Athletic Boosters sells sweatshirts, jackets, T-shirts, hats, mobile phone wallets, etc. online. And, our Booster volunteers deliver the items free to your home (within the District boundaries) with a $30 minimum order. All proceeds from sales help fund M-A Athletic teams. GO BEARS! Shop here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
