Dear Hill Community,

This week is Cafeteria Appreciation Week. We want to thank Michelle, Evelyn, Margarita, and Gaby for taking such great care of our students and staff. They are an amazing group, and we recognize the value they add to our campus community this week.

A big Dillo Cheer to our Hill Community on supporting a very successful Share the Love Food Drive that ended last week. 2, 500 individual units of macaroni & cheese and apple sauce were delivered to Hope Austin! This group supports our school weekly so we appreciate you all supporting them. Thank you to our volunteers who work so hard on this annual event!

This coming Leap Day is spirit day at Marco’s Pizza. Just mention Hill Elementary, or use the code HE101 online, and a percentage of the proceeds go to our school. This will take place all day Thursday, February 29th.

School Spring Pictures are on Wednesday, March 6th. Just an early alert with more information to come next week.

Support the Austin Ed Fund during Amplify Austin! From now until March 6th, all donations will be doubled. This organization does amazing things for our school and district. Thanks for showing them some love during this time of giving in our city.

The Austin ISD Board of Trustees will be working throughout the spring to develop the District’s Scorecard. Click here for the Board Scorecard Engagement flyer for opportunities to help shape this process.

And congratulations to Coach Tyler Shaw on the birth of their baby girl! You can see a picture of Janie Shaw included below this letter. Have an awesome week!

Principal Drummond

Dear Hill Community,

We hope everyone enjoys the three-day weekend! As a reminder, there is no school tomorrow (Monday, February 19th) for a student/staff holiday on President’s Day. 

Check out the FLEX Language Program Spring Newsletter from our awesome teachers that gives more information on what students will learn from now until May in 1st-5th grades.

Begin training with your student now! The Cap 10K is in April, and Hill has a team you can sign your student up for. Let’s get our students outside for this great event. You can click here to sign up for the Hill Elementary Team. This will be one of the last posts to sign-up. Communication to families who have signed up will come out soon as we learn more, including how we will hopefully be able to deliver race packets at school. Parents/guardians should plan to participate with their children or have a plan for safety. More to come!

To finish, we had a family recently affected by a fire who wanted to say thank you to the Hill Community for the support they received. That note is attached below this letter. As always, we appreciate this amazing school community for all they do for each other. See you Tuesday!

Principal Drummond

——

Hello Hill community,

We want to thank you all immensely for the overwhelming support we have received from the moment of the fire until now. It is because of you all why we have gotten as far to fully furnish our new home and start to regain some kind of normalcy, for this we are forever grateful. Please know we won’t hesitate to pay it forward to the best of our ability when we fully rebuild from this. 

Thank you so incredibly much, Aleman family

Dear Hill Community,

It is Valentine’s Day week. It is always fun to see the excitement our students bring in for the occasion. Thank you all for keeping the student candy and balloons at home! We look forward to a great week. Looking ahead, please also know that there is no school on Monday, February 19th for a student and staff holiday.

Share the Love Food Drive: The Hill Caring & Sharing Committee invites you to SHARE THE LOVE, benefitting HopeAustin food pantry during our February Food Drive. We are asking each class to collect individual microwavable cups of mac & cheese and/or squeezable applesauce. Shop & ship here or bring items to the class or front office where you can find donation boxes. Collection runs February 5th-16th. Thank you for supporting this group who supports our families every week!

NAEP Testing (National Assessment of Educational Progress) from the U.S. Department of Education will take place for some (not all) of our 4th graders this Tuesday, February 13th in the morning. If your 4th grader will be participating, you have already received a letter. No other grades take part in this national assessment.

From our Counselors: You can click here for the February Counselor Corner Newsletter. Also, if your student is identified as Gifted and Talented, click here to check out an opportunity to participate in a virtual student showcase with Austin ISD.

#BetheChange: Austin ISD is promoting the #BetheChange Challenge to improve daily attendance and kindness across campuses. Each date has a different focus. You can see below and participate this week on some simple tasks that can go a long way:

Feb. 12   WRITE A THANK YOU NOTE FOR A CUSTODIAN

Feb. 13 PAY A COMPLIMENT TO SOMEONE NEW

Feb. 14 SAY “PLEASE“ AND “THANK YOU“

Feb. 15 SMILE IN THE HALLWAY

Feb. 16 WRITE A THANK YOU NOTE FOR A TEACHER

And to end with some fun, check out this video to view a recap of the Austin ISD Visit to Google. You will see some of our Dillos represented throughout! Have a wonderful week.

Principal Drummond

Dear Hill Community,

Please join me in congratulating this year’s Hill Teacher of the Year Caroline Braun! Ms. Braun has been a phenomenal educator at our school for many years. Huge Dillo Cheer for all she does for Hill School. We also want to recognize and Dillo Cheer our other wonderful finalists: 1st Grade Teacher Jill Clark, 3rd Grade Teacher Jenny Dao, and 4th Grade Teacher Naomi Haynes!

Our Hill Teacher of Promise Gregory Lewis! The Teacher of Promise is an outstanding first year teacher. We appreciate all that Mr. Lewis has brought to our campus this year as a special education teacher. Both Caroline and Gregory will be recognized at the AISD Salute! Celebration this spring.

It is Counselor Appreciation Week! Join me in recognizing and thanking Hanna Curran and Stephanie Winfrey for all they do to support our students and community. We have the best counselors from coast to coast!

February is Black History Month, and we are excited for the learning that will take place in our classrooms and at our assemblies at Hill School. We look forward to continuing to celebrate the important contributions that Black Americans have made locally and nationally, in the past and in the present. You can click here for events, articles, and more information from Austin ISD.

Please encourage your students to wash their hands often during the school day! Illnesses have been on the rise the past week. It is not unusual for this time of year. Please also monitor your students for illness and keep them home to prevent the spread of germs and disease if appropriate. Students with a fever or intestinal issues should not return until 24 hours after symptoms are gone without the use of medication. Thank you for helping us keep everyone healthy.

There is no school this Friday, February 9th. It is a student holiday and our Spring Conference Day. At Hill, we do not hold spring conferences for every student. If your teacher feels a conference is necessary, they will reach out to you and work with your family. Thank you all and have a nice afternoon!

Principal Drummond

Dear Hill Community,

It is Book Fair Week! Join us for Book Fair Family Night this Thursday, February 1st from 5-8pm. This is always a fun outing for families and will be a great chance to shop at the fair.  We will have food available for purchase from Stony’s Pizza and DonutsNV. E-Wallet is available this year.  Simply purchase a Gift Card here.  The volunteers running the Book Fair will have access to all the Gift Cards codes. This allows your student to shop the fair without keeping track of cash.  At the end of the fair, if you have unused funds, simply contact Literati for a refund. We hope to see you at the fair this week!

Priority Registration for the 24-25 School Year Closes on February 6th: All families must register for next year. Click here to get started before priority registration closes! Following February 6th, there will be a brief time where enrollment will not be open before the general enrollment window opens this spring.

Traffic Safety Reminder: As we are into the spring semester, we want to give everyone a reminder of how crucial it is that we all exercise safety during our arrival and dismissal times. You can click here for an important message from Safe Routes to School on the Stay Safe Austin initiative that aims to remind us all of best practices and traffic laws we need to follow. Thank you Safe Routes for partnering with us! Thank you, Hill families, for doing your part to create safe routes to school at Hill Elementary. We appreciate everyone taking the time to review the flier.

We wanted to again share our Hill Agreement Posters that we created for our different spaces on campus. This is the language we use to guide your student(s) in the different areas on campus. We highly recommend using some of the common language like “attentive listening” and “mutual respect” to help align school with home. Dillo Cheer for your support of our Hill Agreements!

From AISD: The Proclamation 2024 science materials that are being considered for adoption are available for the public to review and provide feedback.  The materials are displayed at Metz Elementary – 84 Robert T Martinez Jr St, Austin, TX 78702. The materials will be available to review January 29 – February 2 from 4:00PM – 6:00PM.  Please reach out to Danielle Perico via email (danielle.perico@austinisd.org) with any questions you may have.

Voting Resources from AISD: See below this letter for some information from the district on upcoming primaries that we hope helps create a culture of voting in our area.

Lastly, Third Coast Martial Arts is offering an introductory class for any Hill student, thanks to our Hill student James McCampbell. You can click here for the flier he designed and created. Have a wonderful rest of your day!

Principal Drummond

Importance of voting as it relates to the 2024 Texas Primary

• Voting in a primary lets you impact who will be elected in November to national, state and county offices.
• Only14% of eligible Texans vote in the March primaries, and that’s when most races get decided.
• If more voters cast ballots in the primaries, leaders will be elected who better reflect the spectrum of ideologies and will work across the aisle to make government more functional and representative of the vast majority of Texans.

Polling information

This link takes you to polling locations and times for both early voting and election day for the 2024 Texas Primary.

Voter education programs 

Want to vote in the primary but not registered to vote? Click here to fill out an application and to learn more.

Review the Voting Guide for the 2024 Texas Primary.

Related Activities

Dear Hill Community,

Book Character Dress-Up Day is this Friday (1/26)! We invite all of our students to come to school dressed as their favorite character for this fun day that kicks off our Hill Book Fair. Please note that students should not wear masks to school as part of their costumes. The Hill Book Fair begins Monday, January 29th! Check out the Dillo Details for all you need to know.

This week, we recognize Holocaust Remembrance Week in Austin ISD. During this week, our 5th grade students will be participating in a book study of Hold on to Your Music as part of their learning in language arts classes. We will also recognize the significance of the week at one of our morning assemblies with a message of the importance of acceptance, tolerance, and community. Hill continues to be a No Place for Hate school, and we value our diverse school community.

AISD Student Device Feedback Survey: AISD Technology remains committed to providing students the devices they need to fully participate in blended learning environments. Device distribution, however, can be costly. Our warranties do not cover loss or intentional damage, an increasing issue the district is experiencing. It’s essential that we minimize costs associated with device loss and damage. This ensures the sustainability of the bond-funded program. We have reviewed our internal student device loss and damage incident data and now need feedback from staff and families to inform our next steps. The Everyone:1 Student Device Feedback Survey begins January 11, 2024, and is open to faculty, staff, and AISD families. At this time, the survey is not intended to be shared with students.

Nominate a Hill Staff Member for the AISD Salute: Salute is AISD’s annual celebration to recognize some of the district’s outstanding team members for their continued dedication to student excellence and achievement in our schools. District employees, students, families, and the community are invited to submit a nomination for staff members they believe represent the very best of AISD in the following categories:

• Campus Clerical/Office Staff of the Year
• Teaching Assistant of the Year
• Custodian of the Year
• Bus Driver of the Year
• Food Service Staff of the Year
• Campus Safety & Security Staff of the Year
• Librarian of the Year
• Counselor of the Year
• Assistant Principal of the Year
• Principal of the Year

Austin ISD Equity Assessment Focus Group Opportunity: AISD is working with a research company called WestEd to lead a districtwide equity assessment to see what we are doing well and what we need to change as a district. We want to hear from students and parents to learn more about your experiences in AISD and how our policies and practices impact you. If you are interested in sharing your thoughts, please register for a focus group. Complete this interest form and if you are selected, you will get a $50 gift card for participating!  You can click here for more information and a QR Code as well.

Traffic Reminder: Thank you all who park and walk up to school on Tallwood for not moving and adjusting neighbors trash cans on trash days (Thursdays). We know it makes parking a bit more restricted but when items are moved, neighbors are not getting their trash picked up which is not okay. Thank you for your support and understanding to help these folks who are very understanding of us during those two busy times each day! Leave trash cans where you find them.

The Hill Elementary Alumni Scholarship was established in 2011 to honor Hill’s 40th anniversary. It is now called The Suzanne and Vincent Torres Hill Elementary Alumni Scholarship in honor of Mr. Torres and his wife, and their dedication to our school and the district. The goal is to recognize former students who have excelled in their academic endeavors, supported their community through service projects, and proven they possess a drive to further their education. By granting this scholarship, we encourage students to continue their academic endeavors beyond high school and hope to strengthen the relationship between Hill and its alumni. This year, one scholarship in the amount of $1000 will be awarded. The deadline for submissions is Friday, April 12th. You can click here for the application that includes the selection criteria.

Lastly, congratulations to this year’s Hill Yearbook Cover Art Contest winner Gemma Glover. You can check out her art here that will be on the front of this year’s yearbook. Have a great week!

Principal Drummond

Dear Hill Community,

Happy New Year! It was wonderful welcoming back our community to school this past week. Our students were engaged and ready to begin a strong spring semester. As a reminder, there is no school tomorrow (Monday, January 15th) as we observe the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday. At school we will continue to honor his legacy and message throughout this week and beyond.

Enroll your student for the 24-25 school year now: Enroll Austin is open to register your student(s) for the fall of 2024. Please visit
https://www.austinisd.org/enroll to get started now. We encourage our families to register early so we have an accurate picture for fall staffing. You can click here for an infographic and QR Code with more information. This link has the information in Spanish. Lastly, here is an introductory video as Enroll Austin is open for business! Even if your student(s) currently attends Hill, you do need to register them for the fall.

Do you know someone who may be interested in part-time work in our Hill cafeteria? Please have them email Principal Drummond. This would be a flexible position with great hours for a college student or anyone wanting to support kids! Spread the word we are looking to add a great member to our team.

Reminder: Join us for our Hill Caregiver Book Study beginning in January! You can click here for the information you need. The book is titled “Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be” by Dr. Becky Kennedy. We hope you will consider taking part.

Check out our January Counselor Newsletter here.

Begin training with your student now! The Cap 10K is in April, and Hill has a team you can sign your student up for. Let’s get our students outside for this great event. You can click here to sign up for the Hill Elementary Team. Parents/guardians should plan to participate with their children or have a plan for safety. More to come!

We have a new after school PE club on campus with Coach Shaw and Coach Liz. Students will play fun PE games. The club meets on Mondays until 4 pm and is available to 1st-5th grade students. Please see the flyer link and registration link below.  Spots are limited. Please reach out to Coach Shaw for questions. PEX After School Information Flyer  Registration Link

Enjoy your three-day weekend! As freezing temperatures move in, we and the district will keep our community updated if there is any disruption to school for Tuesday. For now, stay warm and see you on January 16th!

Principal Drummond

Dear Hill Community,

There are three days of school this week and then Austin ISD will be on Winter Break! There is no school this Thursday, 12/21-1/8. School resumes for students on Tuesday, January 9th. We hope everyone enjoys a restful holiday season with family.

Resources for the Break: With many Austin ISD students living in food insecure households, access to healthy food may be challenging when the district is closed.  Families can use the community resources below to find free meals in their area while Austin ISD offices and schools are closed for the winter break:

• Central Texas Food Bank (www.centraltexasfoodbank.org)
• United Way for Greater Austin – ConnectATX (www.connectatx.org)
• Texas Health and Human Services – Call 2-1-1 or (877) 541-7905 to speak to a live operator.

Enroll your student for the 24-25 school year: Enroll Austin is now open to register your student(s) for the fall of 2024. Please visit https://www.austinisd.org/enroll to get started now. Registration is open earlier this year, and we encourage our families to register early so we have an accurate picture for fall staffing. You can click here for an infographic and QR Code with more information. This link has the information in Spanish. Lastly, here is an introductory video as Enroll Austin is open for business!

Happy Holidays, Hill Community! See you again for school on Tuesday, January 9th.

Principal Drummond

Dear Hill Community,

We want to highlight all of you who do everything you can each day to create a safe route to school for our students. We had several meetings with community members, the city, and AISD Police recently to talk about traffic and safety in our area. Here are some reminders we need EVERYONE to be mindful of:

• It is illegal to turn left into our Hill car line. The only way to enter is by turning right onto Tallwood from Cima Serena, then turning right into the school drive. If traffic is your concern, please leave earlier. There is a sign stating you are breaking the law when doing this.
• Please be mindful of your speed and respect our hard working crossing guards. They deserve our gratitude. You can show this by following their direction and being very diligent with your speed around the school.
• We currently and will continue to have some increased patrols from AISD Police to monitor our area. Let’s show them we are responsible by following the law at all times.

Check out the December Counselor Newsletter to see how Ms. Curran and Ms. Winfrey are supporting our students this month.

Also, join us for our Hill Caregiver Book Study beginning in January! You can click here for the information you need. The book is titled “Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be” by Dr. Becky Kennedy. We hope you will consider taking part.

The Cap 10K is in April, and Hill has a team you can sign your student up for. Let’s get our students outside for this great event. You can click here to sign up for the Hill Elementary Team. Parents/guardians should plan to participate with their children or have a plan for safety. More to come!

And don’t forget that you can recognize a Hill employee by sharing an Honor Story. Thank you for considering a shout out that goes a long way!

Have a nice night, everyone.

Principal Drummond

Dear Hill Community,

We hope your winter weekend is beautiful so far. This week we celebrate Special Education Appreciation Week and recognize these amazing staff members who support our students. Thank you to all of our Special Education Teachers, Teacher Assistants, Speech Language Pathologists, and Interventionists at Hill School!

We want to invite all interested families to a special Parent Coffee this Wednesday, December 6th at 7:45 am in our Hill library. Murchison Middle School Principal Chara Harris and her team will be here to present on their school and answer any questions our community may have on the middle school transition process.

Do you have unused gift cards or raffle items at home that could be donated? As we did last year, we are hoping to do giveaways with our Hill Staff as part of our holiday fun! If you are willing, consider donating a gift card or any other type of item that could be used as part of holiday raffles and games for our hard working Dillo adults. All donations can go directly to Mr. Drummond. We appreciate your consideration and no pressure! Thank you to all who donated last year and thus far.

You Can Still Buy your Hill Winter Merchandise: Check out the link to see new shirts, hats, hoodies, and other items for sale that will support our PTA. They are awesome and updated from the fall! https://www.hillelementary.com/2023-2024-hill-dillo-merchandise/.

Just a friendly reminder that tomorrow is the deadline to fill out the HSR Google Forms to let us know your intentions for the lessons being delivered the week of December 11th. Information went out in two previous emails. Have an excellent winter week!

Principal Drummond