June 14-16 Virtual Morning Meetings

Students will have the opportunity to join their classroom teachers on June 14-16 virtually for a morning meeting. There will be no new instruction that takes place. The purpose of these morning meetings is for teachers to connect with students and wrap up the year. Kinder-4th grade students have an envelope that will come home with them on June 11th that has the materials in it they will need for these days. Zoomies, may pick up their packets during the last material pick up Friday, June 11th. Morning meetings may vary in time based on the grade level. You should plan for 30-45 minutes, but no more than an hour. If a student cannot logon to the morning meeting, it will not be held against the students' attendance record. Teachers will be using the remainder of the time to complete report cards, CA-60s, close down classrooms, and finalize state assessment input requirements that will help us guide instruction to start the beginning of the 2021 2022 school year.

Summer Passion Project

This summer we are going to do something a bit different to engage students in learning. With the changes to education this year, back and forth from virtual learning to in seat learning, we have found that some students have lost the passion for learning. That is why we have created our summer learning program, Spend the Summer Doing What you LOVE, centered around things students are passionate about or want to learn more about.

This week, each students began designing a passion project that they will work on all summer. You might be wondering, “what is a Passion Project?” A Passion Project is a student-driven independent study. It is an opportunity for your child to investigate the answer to a burning question he or she feels passionate about answering. Passion Projects require students to research, learn something new, and create a product. This allows students to take ownership by designing their projects as they become creators of their learning.

Why are Passion Projects important? Passion Projects integrate reading comprehension skills, writing and most important help reignite the desire to learn. Passion Projects promote creativity and innovative thinking. Students learn essential life skills such as planning, decision making, persistence through overcoming obstacles, problem-solving, time management, and personal reflection.

Your child will bring home a packet that they started at school and will finish at home over the summer. Students will have an opportunity to sign up and present their project to Mrs. Pawlus and the Passion Project Team in August.

Other items in the packet that encourage family engagement over the summer are:

• Passion Project Calendar
• Summer Family Fun Calendar
• Family Engagement Activities

We encourage you to talk to your child about this at home. Maybe share with them things you have learned on your own, or subjects you are passionate about that you explore on your free time.

Five Strategies That Can Keep Students Learning Through the Summer Months

Students who don’t read over the summer months can lose months of growth in reading skills. Those who keep reading often experience gains. The more your child reads, the easier reading will be for him—and the more he’ll want to read. See that he reads for at least 30 minutes every day. Try these activities to make reading enjoyable:

1. Read the newspaper together. Give your child the comics to read. Ask him which one’s the funniest. Discuss sports, the weather, letters to the editor, travel destinations, etc.
2. Read aloud together. You read a line or page of a book. Then your child does. Or you read the narrative and let your child read what the characters say.
3. Dramatize what you read. Select a simple scene from one of your child’s books. Assign character roles. Discuss what happens first, second, next. Then act it out, adding lots of dialogue.
4. Promote practical reading. Ask your child to read the recipe while you bake cookies. Involve him in reading instructions to build or repair something.
5. Create reading-related jobs. Ask your child to recopy damaged recipes. He could also organize the family bookshelf or kitchen spices in alphabetical order.

Reprinted with permission from the May 2021 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2021 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.

New Hill Team Member

I would like to officially welcome Nicole Given to the Hill Husky Team as a kindergarten teacher. Nicole comes to us from Morse Elementary School where she served as the reading specialist. Before that, she taught at Martell Elementary as a kindergarten teacher. The kindergarten team is excited that she is joining their team in the fall.

Maintain and Consistent Schedule Over Summer Months

Summer is a time to relax—but not a time to relax important routines. Routines help your child cooperate, develop responsibility and become self-disciplined. They also make it easier to adjust when school starts again. Maintain routines for:

• Sleep. When school is out, your child’s bedtime and rising time may be later than usual. Once you choose a reasonable sleep schedule, however, stick with it.
• Reading. Schedule time for it.Keep your home stocked with reading material and encourage reading every day, including in fun spots, such as the pool or the park.
• Meals. Make it a priority to have at least one meal as a family each day. This is a chance to catch up and enjoy one another’s company.
• Screen time. Extra free time should not mean more time for screen media. Maintain healthy limits for the amount of time your child spends in front of screens.

Reprinted with permission from the May 2021 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2021 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.

Virtual Summer School

May 31-August 31

Shannon Miller, an amazing school librarian and ambassador for Buncee and Capstone, has created a virtual summer camp. From May 31 to August 31, 2021, children can participate in the Virtual Summer Camp Adventure through the bi-weekly choice boards. The choice boards are filled with activities around reading, learning, creating, coding, science, moving, technology and more.

Links below

Three Activities That Will Keep Your Child Learning All Summer Long

Your child is as ripefor learning during the summer as she is throughout the rest of the year. So don’t miss out on chances to boost her smarts during the warmer months. If you make them fun, she’ll never suspect she’s learning! Here are three brain-building activities to enjoy this summer:

1. Plant a garden. Involve your child in the entire process. She’ll havea real-world chance to use her reasoning and math skills. “We have a 10-foot by 4-foot plot in the yard. If tomatoes need to be planted at least two feet apart, how many should we buy? What else should we plant?”
2. Host a family game night. Set aside one evening each week to play board games together. Classics like Scrabble and Boggle are good for keeping language skills sharp. And more complex games like Monopoly and chess require your child to use reasoning and think critically.
3. Participate in a library program. Virtual and in person summer reading programs are terrific. Many libraries offer science and math activities, too.

Reprinted with permission from the May 2021 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2021 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.

Thank You, Safeties!

Officer Jullian came to school this week to present the Hill Safeties with medals and acknowledging their Husky P.R.I.D.E. while serving in this position! Thank you safeties for all your hard work this year!

Summer Kick-Off Book Fair

In order to prepare for summer reading we are having a Kick Off to Summer Book Fair. Please click the link below for more information and to reserve your shopping time.

If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Apol (hapol@troy.k12.mi.us).

Hill Story Walk

Outside of the Media center by the baseball field is an interactive story walk. Stop by when you are in the neighborhood and enjoy And Then Comes Summer by Tom Brenner. At the end, students can share with Miss Apol what they are doing this summer using the QR Code so bring your phone or iPad.

Baseball Field Renovations

Here is an update on the Hill Baseball Field Renovation. I'm excited to announce that with your help and the owner of McVee's Pub & Grub (who made a VERY sizable and generous donation), we have exceeded the original goal. The Hill baseball field will get back to the proper size and it will be leveled out with new slag. By exceeding the goal, we will now be able to purchase a new home plate, bases, and a few other ancillary items to turn the field into a game worthy field. TSD is even looking at replacing the benches for the kids.

We are working with TSD on timing and hope to have the field finished late summer or early fall. Upon completion, we hope to have a scrimmage or event at the field for the local community.

I would like to give heartfelt THANK YOU to the Hill parents, our local community, and McVee’s for their generosity and support. Please support McVee’s and let them know you are thankful for the generosity. The kindness of this community and the fact that we raised $2500 in just a few weeks is very heartwarming. The kids are excited and grateful.

5th Grade Kickball Game