An Update from Principal Drummond

Dear Hill Community,
I wanted to give everyone a quick update as we have entered the month of July. As you can see, baby James is combating the heat with a new love for the water. He is getting too big too fast!

As you may have seen earlier this week, the Texas Education Agency provided updated guidance on the reopening of schools in the fall. It stated that families will have the option of either 100% on-campus learning or 100% virtual at-home learning. It also outlined some steps for screening any individual who comes onto campus once we reopen. You can check the new release linked here for the information outlined.

With this new guidance, we will work as leaders in the Austin Independent School District to finalize our planning and procedures for a successful beginning to the school year on August 18th. We will focus on logistics and safety first, to ensure we create the safest possible environment for all students who will be physically attending campus to begin the fall. Some steps for this have been outlined and shared through the AISD Summer Vision updates you can find here. The July 2nd edition shared safety protocols from the district, including possible draft schedules to give parents an idea of what a day may look like. As you know, much can change in the next month depending on decisions by the state. We will continue to keep everyone updated regularly.

While we have been planning for this state guidance being likely in recent weeks, we still have a lot of work to do and questions to answer in regards to the logistical challenge of students attending campus each day with the current safety protocols stated. Still, we want to ensure all families have an opportunity to receive up to date information and ask questions through a Principal Coffee we will plan to hold on Thursday, July 23rd, at 10:00 am. This will not be the last of the summer but will hopefully help our families with decisions they may still be considering in regards to student learning at Hill School. With many meetings being called regularly by district leadership, the date/time may need to be tentative. We will communicate any changes ASAP.

Hill Principal Coffee 7/23
Time: Jul 23, 2020 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)
Meeting ID: 837 7632 2672
Password: dillos
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Thank you to all of our families who completed the first round of Family Pulse surveys sent out in June to help us with planning. This information is crucial and please know that at least one more survey will be coming out in the coming weeks. Please take the time to complete the next survey and help us with planning! Knowing numbers of attending families and their concerns will ensure we are ready as the school year approaches to meet the needs of our community. It is appreciated.

If you haven’t driven by school recently, major progress has been made on our extended front circle drive that will take cars off of the street during drop-off and pick-up, supporting safety around campus. The land behind our school has been elevated and leveled as we prepare for pouring the foundations of our modernized studio neighborhood and fitness space. It is wonderful to see the future of Hill coming to fruition!

Lastly, if you haven’t checked out the amazing merchandise available for purchase to help support our PTA and 5th graders, make sure you visit the online marketplace to see cool shirts, hats, stickers, and more. A special thank you to our volunteers who worked so hard on this! Be sure to place your orders by July 22nd to have your order ready as school begins.

Thank you for your continued patience, engagement, and support as we plan for the best possible return to school  in the fall. Know that we will work closely with our families to make this complicated situation workable, whether on campus or online, to best support our students. Have a great weekend!

Principal Drummond