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The Husky's Howl Week of 8/28/18

Principal's Message

Dear Hill Families,

It is such an honor to say that this week I started my 1st year as principal of Hill Elementary School and thanks to you and the wonderful community of teachers, students, and parents, it was an incredible first week. Thank you to all of you for welcoming me into the Hill community and for all of your support. Thank you to all the special people that put forth extra effort to get the building ready for the arrival of students. Special thanks go out to our secretaries, custodians, teachers, Hill PTO, health care aides, paraprofessionals, and noon aides.

Parent communication is very important to me. At the end of each week, I will send out the HUSKY'S HOWL with important information that will keep you up to date on school programs, student learning, upcoming events, district happenings, procedures, and policies. Please take the time to read the Husky's Howl each week to stay connected to our learning community.

Please feel free to contact me anytime with questions, concerns, feedback or staff compliments that may arise throughout the school year. I will strive to find a balance between working in my office and spending time in classrooms building relationships with students and observing learning and instruction. Therefore, if you contact me please know that I will do my best to get in touch with you as soon as possible but you can expect contact by the end of the next day. I can be reached at spawlus@troy.k12.mi.us or 248-823-3520.

Again, this was quite an incredible week. I know this school year is going to be great!

Mrs. Shari Pawlus

WONDER-ful Assemblies

This week I had the pleasure of meeting with lower and upper elementary students to discuss building expectations but most importantly to discuss what makes each of us WONDERS. I read We're All Wonders by R.J. Palacio, and shared with students the importance of being who you are because everyone has something special that makes them unique.

k-5 Curriculum Nights

Curriculum Night is this Tuesday and Thursday. Below is the schedule for our Curriculum Night. Before each time slot I will give a brief 15-minute presentation in the Cafeteria. Presentation times will be the same both nights: 5:45pm, 6:30pm, and 7:15pm; please select the time that best fits your schedule. Curriculum Night is for parents only. This time is extremely important for teachers to share important information about their classroom without the distraction of students. All teacher presentations will take place in classrooms.

Tuesday, September 4

  • Kindergarten- 6:00pm
  • 1st Grade- 6:45pm
  • 2nd Grade- 7:30

Thursday, September 6

  • 4th Grade- 6:00pm
  • 3rd Grade- 6:45pm
  • 5th Grade- 7:30pm (followed by a parent-led meeting for "all things 5th grade" in the LGI)

Power School

Troy School District is now using PowerSchool for all student data. Home Access Center (HAC) is no longer active.

You have received instructions via email to setup a new account for the PowerSchool Parent Portal. The access codes contained in the email can be used several times if more than one guardian wishes to have an account. If you did not receive the access codes, please contact the office and the staff can look up your codes. The Parent Portal will allow you to track grades and attendance for your students. Report Cards will also be posted to the portal.

PowerSchool also has a free app available on both Apple and Android platforms. Once you have created an account, please go to your app store and search for PowerSchool Mobile. The app will ask for a 4 digit code. Troy’s code is BMMM. Please note – you must setup your account on the website before logging into the App.

If you are having technical difficulties, please email parentportal@troy.k12.mi.us

Parking Lot Safety

Thank you for driving safely and following our parking lot procedures. If you have not already, please watch the parking lot safety video I created.

Morning Drop Off Procedures

  1. Do not park in the Student Drop-Off Loop.
  2. Use the Drop-Off Loop only for dropping off students.
  3. When dropping off students, pull up as far as possible.
  4. Adults should stay in the car. Encourage students to exit your car quickly and safely (from the right side of the car only).
  5. Please do not enter the building with your student. Drop them off at their classroom door or front door and I assure you we can take it from there. If you need to enter the building and walk down to the classroom please check in with the office first. This is a safety issue, we must be able to account for who is in the building.

Indoor Line Up Procedures

If it is raining or too cold, students will line up indoors. ALL students must enter the school through the front doors by the office. I ask that you drop your child off and know that we will take care of them from there (Please Hug and Go). Teachers will go over the Indoor lineup locations with students in school. We will have staff and fifth grade safeties in all locations inside the building to monitor the students until the attendance bell rings. In order to avoid traffic backups in the circle drive, I ask that you consider dropping your child off between 8:20-8:25 a.m.

Before & After School C.A.R.E.

Many parents work hours that do not allow them to pick-up or drop-off their child when school begins or is dismissed. If you are in this situation, child care is available before and after school through the C.A.R.E. Company. Full or part-time schedules are available. For more information, please call 248-823-5100 or visit their website at www.troyceonline.com. At this time there is a shortage of staffing to meet the needs of our school community. If you know of anyone that would be interested in working before school or after school hours, they can contact the number listed.

TSD Student Birthday Celebration Policy

It has been the tradition for many elementary students to celebrate their birthday at school by bringing in cupcakes, cookies, or other food related treats. While the district intends to continue to celebrate the child’s special day, there is a need to do so in a way that is healthy for everyone involved. The reasons for this change are listed below:

  • There are students in every elementary building who have severe, sometimes life-threatening, allergies, and in many cases they are unable to partake of the treat.
  • Also, district staff learned in an Epi-pen training session this summer that 25% of all first time anaphylactic reactions occur in schools.
  • Schools have been charged with promoting healthy eating habits inside and outside of school.
  • Our schools are committed to preserving instructional time.

There is no obligation to recognize your child’s birthday at school. However, if you choose to recognize your child’s special day, please do not send birthday treats to school, as they will not be shared with the class. Instead of bringing or sending a food treat to celebrate your child’s birthday, parents may:

  • Send in a favorite book for the student to share with the class on the child’s special day.
  • Donate a book for the classroom in honor of the child’s special day.
  • Send in for the day or donate a recess game for indoor recesses.
  • Send in for the day or donate a piece of playground equipment (various balls or games) for outdoor recesses.
  • If you have another idea of how to celebrate your child’s birthday, you may discuss this with your child’s teacher.

Our elementary buildings will continue to recognize and celebrate our students’ birthdays at school, even as that recognition takes new forms. The district appreciates your cooperation and hopes you will understand the reasoning behind this decision.

This procedure for celebrating students’ birthdays does not extend to the classroom holiday parties, though please note there may be allergy restrictions for those events as well. The food/treats that are provided at these events will be determined by the buildings.

September Calendar of Events

  • MONDAY 9/3/18 Labor Day - No School
  • TUESDAY 9/4/18 School Resumes - Full Day & Curriculum Night Grades K-2 (see below)
  • WEDNESDAY 9/5/18 9:00-11:30am - Marshall Music instrument fitting for 5th graders
  • THURSDAY 9/6/18 Curriculum Night Grades 3-5 (see below)
  • MONDAY 9/17/18 . (Mon - Fri) Oakland County Vision Screening for Grades PS, 1, 3, 5
  • THURSDAY 9/20/18 Kaiser Studio here for school picture day (see below)
  • TUESDAY 9/25/18 7:00pm - PTO meeting (Media Center)
  • WEDNESDAY 9/26/18 Early release day - school dismisses at 12:39pm
  • THURSDAY 9/27/18 6:15-8:15pm - Hill PTO skating party at Skate World of Troy (Maple & Dequindre)

Absences & Tardies

Whenever your child will be tardy or will not be at school due to illness, a doctor appointment, etc., please call the absence line at (248) 823-3501 and leave a voicemail message. When reporting an absence, please leave the day and date of absence, child’s first and last name (please spell the last name), and the child’s grade and teacher. It is not enough to just tell your classroom teacher that your child will be tardy or absent. The voicemail system is available 24 hours a day for your convenience. Homework requests should be emailed directly to the classroom teacher.

To ensure the safety of your child, we account for each child every day. If we do not receive a call from you on the absence line we must make our “safety check” and call to find out where the absent child is. You can help by making sure you phone the absence line when you know your child is not coming to school or will just be tardy. When you bring your student to school late (after the tardy bell which rings at 8:39am), please make sure to sign him/her in at the office before sending him to class. NEVER send your child in alone.

Point of Sale Lunch

You are encouraged to prepay for your child’s lunch. By prepaying, you will assure that money is always in your account on any day he/she chooses to buy lunch. Checks should be made payable to “Troy Food Services” and should be sent or brought to school in an ENVELOPE clearly marked with your child’s name and labeled “lunch money”. If you are sending one check for multiple children, please indicate how the money should be divided. This will ensure each child gets the appropriate credit. There is no set amount to pay; however, many parents find $30-40 is a good starting point. You will receive notification when the fund runs below $12.00 (5 remaining lunches). Free and reduced lunch applications were included in the first day folders

LUNCH & MILK PRICES FOR 2018-2019:

  • Lunch (includes milk) $2.40
  • Second Entrée $2.00
  • Milk (as drink only) $.35
  • Dasani Water or Juice (as drink only) $.50

Free & Reduced Lunch

School lunches for students are available for free, or at a reduced price of 40 cents, for families that qualify based on family size and income. Forms are available in the school office. This can be a big savings to you whether your child buys lunch once a week, or more often. Once the form is completed, we forward it to the Troy Food Service department where it takes 2 weeks to process. If you would like us to send a form home with your child, please call the office at 248-823-3500. Thank you.

My School Bucks

Parents can utilize this online program to pay for their child’s lunch using these three easy steps.

Picture Day

School picture day is Thursday, September 20th. Order forms will come home with your child on Friday, September 14th. Students should bring picture envelopes and money to school on picture day and hand the order form to the photographer. You may also preorder online. EVERY student will be photographed for yearbook purposes.

Early Release & Half Days

New Drinking Fountain & Water Bottle Station

As you may have already noticed, we received two new filtered Drinking Fountain/ Water Bottle Filling Stations. One is near the side office door and one is near the gym. We received these from the Oakland County Healthy Drinking Water Initiative Grant. Not only do these drinking fountains encourage students to drink more water, it also supports our GREEN SCHOOL. Please consider sending your student to school with a reusable water bottle instead of a disposable one.

A Message from the Hill PTO

Dear Hill Parents,

We would like to invite you to join our PTO Facebook page, if you haven't already. It is a closed group for Hill families and you can find it at www.facebook.com/groups/hillpto. The official name of the page is Hill Elementary PTO. Request to join and answer the question, "Do you have a child that attends Hill Elementary?" An admin will then approve your request to join the group. If you have not joined this group, you are missing out on valuable information. Please join the page and you'll have easy access to contact the PTO board, committee chairs and many, many Hill community families.

-Anne Sackrison, PTO President

Follow Hill on Twitter

Hill Elementary is on twitter. Follow @hill_huskies for a glimpse into our school. Your classroom teacher may also be on twitter, follow them as well for a glimpse into their classroom.

Make an Effort to Connect with the Teacher

Your child’s teacher will be a significant person in his life this year. So it’s helpful for the two of you to build a strong bond. That way, you can work together, share information and head off any problems that may come up. To make a connection:

  • Attend curriculum night. While this isn’t the time or place for a long one-on-one talk, it will help each of you put a face to a name.
  • Share information. Changes at home, such as the birth of a baby, loss of a job or pending divorce, can affect a child at school. Write a note, send an email or ask if the teacher can call you to talk. The more she knows about your child, the more she’ll be able to support his learning.
  • Let your child know you respect his teacher. Your attitude will affect your child’s behavior in class.
  • Stay engaged. Read the notes the teacher sends home from school. Fill out and return permission slips and paperwork in a timely manner.

Reprinted with permission from the September 2018 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2018 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.

Enjoy the long weekend! It's going to be a great school year!

Shari Pawlus - Principal - Hill Elementary

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