Dear Hill Community,
We hope all of our families enjoyed a safe spring break with plenty of time outdoors. James Drummond is fighting a double ear infection but has not lost his love of the slides at our local park!

We were recently joined by Board Trustee Kristin Ashy for a Principal Check-In and a recording can be found here. Some important topics discussed were learning during the next school year and more information on our upcoming STAAR tests this spring. As a follow-up to this meeting, I will be holding a Hill Principal Check-In on Wednesday, March 31st, at 4:00 pm to discuss STAAR testing, accountability, and answer questions families may have, especially in regards to virtual students coming into the building for the first time. Zoom information will follow next week. Also, the district has posted a recording of their “Beyond the STAAR” engagement session that may answer questions you have as well.

4th grade parents/guardians: To further support our planning for our 4th grade STAAR Writing assessment on April 6th, we also wanted to remind our 4th grade families only to complete this survey to let us know your intentions for that day if you have not done so.

We are excited to hold our spring pictures on Tuesday, March 30th. Strawbridge, the portrait company, has shared a sign-up link to receive updates for families interested. Also linked here is the online order form. If your learner is still virtual and you would like a time to take your spring picture, don’t forget to sign-up here. Face to face learners will visit with their classes at a scheduled time.

Be sure to check out the email regarding registration we sent yesterday (Saturday) so you can ensure your learner is ready for the 2021-2022 school year. Email lucy.chu@austinisd.org if you are interested in our Hill after school childcare program next year as we are open for business. We look forward to seeing many of you on Monday! As in past weeks, thank you for your patience as we will be welcoming many of our students back on campus for the first time this year.

Principal Drummond

Dear Hill Community,
Our week back on campus ran smoothly! It was wonderful to again see all of our face to face Dillos at Hill School. We added an additional 40 or so students on campus this week, and we thank our staff for the wonderful work in continuing our strong systems. We now have one week of school before spring break where we will not hold classes from March 15th-19th.

I wanted to share a message from our Hill Cultural Showcase team. Please consider participating in this great opportunity to show Hill’s amazing diversity: “Through Global Pandemics, Zoom School, Learning Pods, and The Winter Storm of 2021, the Dillo community has stuck together through thick and thin. In the spirit of reflection, we’d love to showcase all of our families and the beautiful cultures that represent us. Whether you have traditional clothing, a family heirloom, pictures of your family visiting your country of origin, or would like to show your culture in another way, we’d like to showcase the wonderful tapestry of who we are together. Please follow the link below to add your picture to the Google Slideshow by March 22nd. The slideshow will be shown at Virtual Assembly later that week. Link to Slide Show”

It was reiterated this week that AISD will continue with its current practice of following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics and Austin Public Health when it comes to masks worn on campus. AISD’s guidelines include wearing masks at schools, district events and when on all district properties, social distancing when possible and washing hands frequently. We thank our community for their continued diligence and support of safety on campus.

We are excited to welcome Board Trustee Kristin Ashy to our rescheduled Principal Check-In this Tuesday, March 9th, at 4:00 pm. Here is the Zoom information for those who can participate. It will be recorded and shared as always:
Zoom Info
Meeting ID: 922 6675 0455
Passcode: dillos

To help answer your questions about what STAAR testing will look like and why it’s important for our students to take the test, Austin ISD is hosting “Beyond the STAAR,” a virtual engagement session at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 9 via Facebook Live and AISD.TV. District leaders will answer questions from a moderator and audience members via Facebook comments.

We want to celebrate our 2020-2021 Teacher of Promise Erin Bostick! This honor goes to an outstanding first year educator each year. We appreciate the great work she has done in 4th grade and look forward to seeing her recognized at the Austin ISD Salute! ceremony in May. Dillo Cheer, Ms. Bostick!

We’ll leave you with some fun updates. We are excited to announce that current Hill clerk Linda Glass is now our new registrar! Here are some updated pictures of our bond construction progress for our new studio addition and fitness space. Our staff is beginning to tour these new facilities which is so exciting as we are at that stage. More to come. Have a wonderful week before spring break, everyone!

Jack Drummond
Principal

Dear Hill Community,
After our virtual reopening last week, we are excited to welcome back our face to face learners to campus this week. For those Dillos returning for the first time, staff are always on hand in the morning to guide our students to the correct places and ensure they have what they need. Please remember that school opens at 7:30am and dismissal is at 3:11pm. Let your teachers know if you need any other information specific to classroom learning.

We want to ensure everyone is aware of a calendar change for this week. Friday, March 5th is no longer an asynchronous day, and we will have face to face learning on campus. Virtual students will have synchronous learning for the entire week now as well. The district has decided that April 23rd will now be an asynchronous day if you want to update your calendar.

It is with mixed emotions that we announce that our registrar, Christine McBride, has accepted a position in the office at Murchison Middle School. We will miss her and thank her for her contributions to our campus. Her last day at Hill School will be March 5th.

It was so fun this last week to see some of our Dillos in the news after KXAN published their story about Ms. Shah’s class and their celebration of the inauguration of Vice President Kamala Harris. Dillo Cheer to Ms. Shah and the wonderful job our 1st graders did representing Hill School!

Calling all incoming Kindergarteners! Ms. Pustka is hosting a fun Virtual Story Time this Wednesday at 1:00 pm. Here is the Zoom information, and we hope to see you there:
Zoom Info
Meeting ID: 883 5839 6338
Passcode: Dillos

On a final note, please know we are working to reschedule our next Principal Check-In with Board Trustee Ashy for some time prior to Spring Break. We will confirm that very soon.

We look forward to getting back into our normal routine on campus and thank all of you for your patience and perseverance during these very difficult last two weeks. Have a wonderful first week of March!

Principal Drummond

Dear Hill Community,
We are happy that this last week is behind us. Now the recovery begins for many of our families in the Hill community. Please know that our school and wonderful PTA is here to help put you in touch with resources you may need during this ongoing difficult time if you reach out. Austin ISD has published this continuously updated list of resources that you can utilize as well.

For this upcoming week, Dr. Elizalde has stated we will not hold school, remotely or in-person, on Monday, Feb. 22nd and Tuesday, Feb. 23rd. We are tentatively planning to provide remote instruction on Wednesday, Feb. 24th and Thursday, Feb. 25th, and to conclude the week with an asynchronous instruction day on Friday, Feb. 26th. We will be communicating more about Wednesday as we begin our week to let you know what that may look like. Our physical campus seems to have held up well through the freeze, but we have ongoing assessments taking place. Thank you for understanding we have many staff in tough situations right now which could affect the next week as well.

This Hill community is strong. As we have done all year, we will continue to pull together to support our students. Please know that our focus will be on the well-being of all of our Dillos once classes do resume with a lot of social and emotional care. Don’t be afraid to email me directly at jack.drummond@austinisd.org if you need anything. We wish you all a better week ahead.

Principal Drummond

Dear Hill Community,
Happy Valentine’s Day! It was so fun to see the celebrations this last week. We hope everyone is staying warm and safe this weekend. Please remember that tomorrow is a staff professional development day, and we will not have any students on-campus. This includes our on-campus childcare as Austin ISD has made this a remote working day for our staff due to safety concerns. We will be communicating if there are any changes to the learning plan for Tuesday as we receive more word from Austin ISD and see what the weather does.

We want to thank Ensemble Therapy Group who has offered a parent learning session to our Hill parents/guardians on navigating grief and loss with students. A flyer for the presentation called Grief Share: Navigating Death and Your Child’s Grief gives you more information. The Zoom link is here for your ease as well. The presentation is this Thursday at 8:00 am. While it will touch on the loss of Dr. Dodson in the Austin community, it is meant to be a general session for strategies and a space for questions.

Please mark your calendar for an upcoming Principal Check-In where we will host Board Trustee Kristin Ashy to update us on district happenings and answer questions you may have. This will be our next check-in on Monday, February 22nd, at 4:00 pm. Here is the Zoom information:
Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 917 7634 0441
Passcode: dillos

Principal Newton at Murchison Middle School is inviting all of our outgoing 5th grade families to a presentation on the Advanced Languages program for Chinese, Vietnamese and Spanish. This presentation will be this Thursday, February 18th, at 4:30 pm. Here is the Zoom information:
Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 960 7032 9998
Passcode: 704592

A reminder it is time to register your student for the 2021-2022 school year. Every year, every student needs to register for the upcoming school year. Doing so early helps us plan, staff and be ready for the new school year. For instructions for Returning Students click here. For instructions for New Students click here. Please reach out to Christina McBride at christina.mcbride@austinisd.org if you need further assistance or have any questions.

We also want to highlight the Shahmadillos in 1st grade who were interviewed by KXAN News this week! They showcased their learning on Vice President Kamala Harris and the inauguration. We are proud of Ms. Shah and her class for their wonderful job representing Hill Elementary. Dillo Cheer! The story has not been published quite yet, but we will plan to share once we see the final segment.

Have a great holiday tomorrow! If the weather ends up causing unsafe conditions, thank you for being prepared for a virtual day on Tuesday just in case. For now, we will plan to see our on-campus learners as usual on that day.

Principal Drummond

Dear Hill Community,
February is off to a great start. While Punxsutawney Phil did see his shadow, Dash Dillo did not as he emerged from his burrow on Tuesday for a 2nd grade activity. Therefore, we predict an early spring at Hill School!

Please remember that this Friday, February 12th, and Monday, February 15th, are staff professional development days. We will not have students on campus these days. Teachers will not be providing virtual instruction or new asynchronous work as they will be engaged in learning/conferencing.

It is time to register your student for the 2021-2022 school year. Every year, every student needs to register for the upcoming school year. Doing so early helps us plan, staff and be ready for the new school year. For instructions for Returning Students click here. For instructions for New Students click here. Please reach out to Christina McBride at christina.mcbride@austinisd.org if you need further assistance or have any questions.

We are excited to celebrate Black History Month throughout February in our classrooms and assembly videos. We want to highlight our amazing assistant principal Myra Josey who created this bitmoji classroom to use during our Thoughtful Thursday assembly videos. Feel free to explore this cool resource.

If you missed our Hill Principal Check-In on Wednesday, you can tune in here. We do plan to invite Board Member Kristin Ashy to an upcoming check-in and will message more on that once it is scheduled.

The Austin ISD 2020–2021 Student Climate Survey is now available for review. Please use this link to access a survey preview. Students in grades 3-5 will begin taking the survey during the month of February. 2020–2021 Student Climate Survey students are encouraged to participate so they can share input on the school experience. Survey results are used to improve services for our students. Participation is voluntary and all responses are confidential. Families can opt students out of the survey. If you have any questions, please contact the Department of Research & Evaluation atsurvey@austinisd.org.

Please also take the time to complete the Austin ISD Family Survey this month. It is so helpful for us on campus to know what we are doing well and where to keep improving, especially during the challenging year we have had. This survey is open into the middle of March.

We want to again recognize Hannah Cotten, this time for receiving the 2021 Outstanding Texas Educator Award for exceptional contributions to science education in the state of Texas from the Texas Academy of Sciences. This is a prestigious award that further highlights her excellence and progressive instruction in science education. We are fortunate to have her as one of our staff at Hill School.

Thank you for having a plan for your students for their four day student holiday next weekend. Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Principal Drummond

Dear Hill Community,
We are excited to welcome a busy February at Hill School! We want to get it started with some fun announcements. Our 2020-2021 Teacher of the Year is Coach Melissa Monreal! This award is voted on by her peers and highlights the amazing things she brings to her fitness space and beyond on our campus. She will be further honored later on in the spring at our annual AISD Salute. Our Friday assembly will celebrate this with our students.

We also wanted to recognize 5th grade teacher Hannah Cotten for being recognized as a finalist this week by the State Board of Education for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching with Dr. Elizalde in virtual attendance. This is a prestigious honor and acknowledges the love for learning she creates in her students. She will now move on to the national level of recognition. Dillo Cheer for both of these excellent educators!

We will host our first Principal Check-In of the new month this upcoming Wednesday, February 3rd, at 4:00 pm. Here are the Zoom details:

Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 993 5611 8291
Passcode: dillos

Last call for yearbook student/faculty headshots! Please submit your headshot photo by Sunday, January 31, 2021 as these are now overdue. An email was sent on Thursday from Balfour with your personalized link to upload your picture. Please contact the Hill yearbook committee with any questions at yearbook@hillelementary.com.

Lastly, our thoughts are with the family of Dr. Katherine Lindley Dodson, the Casis community, and all of the families who were affected by the tragedy this week at the Children’s Medical Group. As Dr. Elizalde stated, thank you for supporting our children and each other in the community during this difficult time. Her impact on this city was evident the last few days. We hope you all have a safe and healthy week, everyone.

Principal Drummond

Dear Hill Community,
The support our families showed these last two weeks has been amazing. Last week we were still down by about 50% of our students on-campus from two weeks ago, allowing many of our staff to continue to work from home. As Dr. Elizalde stated this week, “Because of the improvements we are seeing on our campuses and in our community, and in consultation with Dr. Mark Escott of Austin Public Health, beginning Monday, Jan. 25, every family who selected on-campus learning will be invited to return to campus once again. The return to campus is not mandatory. Remote off-campus learning will continue to be offered for the rest of the school year.” Thank you for letting your teacher know your intentions for this upcoming week if they have changed from the previous week.

We want to remind all of our families that this Friday, January 29th, is the first of four Asynchronous Learning Days this semester. Asynchronous days limit the amount of time spent on campus. All students will learn in a remote off-campus setting. To further protect our students and staff, we will use this time to do additional deep cleanings of our campus. This day is also meant to allow staff the flexibility to work off campus and provide teachers with much needed planning and preparation time. Thank you for ensuring that your family has a plan for your student(s) to work from home or at a different remote off-campus setting on Friday. We will work on solutions for any family that does not have the needed technology or internet access for any reason. Teachers will have learning available virtually, including our essential areas team. All work will be asynchronous and can be done at any time on Friday or over the weekend.

On Thursday, we welcomed Karen Ranus, the executive director of the National Alliance of Mental Health Central Texas, to our Hill Principal Check-In as part of our parent education series. Thank you to our wonderful PTA executive board, counselors, and Sheila Wessels for supporting and creating this great opportunity.

For our 5th grade families, if you missed our Tuesday Principal Coffee with the Murchison Middle School team, it is linked here. The powerpoint to the presentation is linked here as well with excellent information for incoming 6th grade Mats. We will plan to hold our next Principal Check-In with Principal Drummond the first week in February.

Our annual celebration of International Reading Week is getting closer! It is an amazing time to see the incredible diversity we have at Hill School. Do you speak a language other than English? As part of the No Place for Hate Initiative, we would love to have you sign up to create a recording of yourself and/or your child reading a short book in another language. Videos will be provided to teachers to present to their classes during the week of February 22-26. Contact rcaytonbarden@gmail.com with questions! Submit your video here by February 8th.

Calling all incoming Pre-K families (with students who will turn 4 on or before September 1st)! Registration for our tuition-based Pre-K is now open for the 21-22 school year. To be eligible for the lottery applications must be submitted by January 31st. Spaces fill up fast, so don’t delay! Please visit the AISD Pre-K website here to see all information on the process. If you have additional questions, please email Christina McBride at christina.mcbride@austinisd.org. Tell your friends!

Thank you all for continuing to be as safe as possible while away from school with your families. Avoiding contacts outside of the home and wearing masks is still so important as we continue to work to flatten this spike. Have a wonderful week!

Principal Drummond

Dear Hill Community,
We appreciate all of the support this week during a very difficult time in Austin. Due to the response and action taken by our school community, our on-campus student population was reduced by about 66%. This allowed us to have about 25-30 additional staff members work from home each day. Thank you all for continuing to pull together as we do our part to stop the surge of COVID-19 in our Austin community.

On Thursday, Dr. Elizalde messaged to the community that all families are still encouraged and being asked to keep their students learning virtually next week (January 19th-22nd) as we will likely remain in Stage 5. This is based on recommendations from Austin Public Health and Dr. Escott. We appreciate any families that can continue to do so, which allows more adults on campus to work virtually as well. We do understand that it may not be possible for your family and your circumstance, in which case, we appreciate your communication on that to your teacher. We will always welcome our Dillos on campus. We know there are varying thoughts and feelings on this situation. We appreciate everyone’s continued efforts next week.

We discussed the virtual recommendation and other topics this week in our Hill Principal Check-In on Wednesday linked here. Please also remember that for our current 5th grade families who will be moving students on to Murchison Middle School in the fall, we will be welcoming Principal Beth Newton for a Principal Coffee with her the morning of Tuesday, January 19, at 8:30 am. All parents/guardians are welcome to learn more about middle school and what to know for your future Matadors. Here is the Zoom information for this Principal Check-In:
Zoom Meeting Link
Meeting ID: 940 4544 6022
Passcode: MMS

The Parent Education Committee invites you to a virtual session on “Managing Stress: Strategies & Practices for Navigating COVID-19” with Karen Ranus from The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI Central Texas) on January 21st from 4:00pm. Check out this flyer for more information. We welcome our Hill community to this great opportunity. Here is the zoom information:
Zoom Meeting Link
Meeting ID: 936 2441 6044
Passcode: NAMI

Lastly, we want to wish everyone a restful three day weekend (no school Monday) as we honor and remember the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His words and actions continue to be so relevant to us as a country during difficult times. I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Dr. King for you to reflect on: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” We appreciate you, Hill community!

Principal Drummond

Dear Hill Community,
We enjoyed welcoming back our face to face Dillos for on-campus learning this week. We are so proud of how seriously they take their safety on campus. Thank you all for your continued diligence right now at home during this COVID-19 surge in Austin. Please avoid contact with people outside of your household and keep your student(s) home if they show any symptoms of illness. For now, we understand and support any families who would like to temporarily move to virtual learning that have been face to face. We believe Hill is a safe place for learning. It takes an entire community to ensure it continues.

You may have seen that Austin ISD has made four school days this spring “asynchronous”. They are Jan. 29, Feb. 26, March 5 and April 9. We don’t have full information yet but expect it this upcoming week. Please make plans for students to work virtually from home on these days. We will remind our community as those days get closer. More information will be shared soon.

We would like to invite everyone interested to two upcoming Principal Check-Ins. The first will be a normal check-in led by me. It will be this upcoming Wednesday, January 13th, at 4:00 pm. Here is the Zoom information:
Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 933 5074 3193
Passcode: Dillos

For our current 5th grade families who will be moving students on to Murchison Middle School in the fall, we will be welcoming Principal Beth Newton for a Principal Coffee with her the morning of Tuesday, January 19, at 8:30 am. All parents/guardians are welcome to learn more about middle school and what to know for your future Matadors. Here is the Zoom information for this Principal Check-In:
Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 940 4544 6022
Passcode: MMS

Hill is proud to announce that for the 4th consecutive year, our amazing counselors have been given the CREST (Counselors Reinforcing Excellence in the State of Texas) Award for Excellence. This year, they were awarded the Leadership Level for the first time, which is an even more prestigious honor. Dillo Cheer for all that Ms. Winfrey and Ms. Stover due for our students on a daily basis.

I thought I would leave everyone with our modernization construction pictures for this week on our new buildings. The future of our campus is taking shape quickly. Also, please know this Friday is our first No Place for Hate Dress-Up Day with the theme “Zoom In to Kindness”. Students and staff can wear virtual learning clothes: Business on top, pajamas on the bottom! We look forward to another great week of learning at Hill School.
Principal Drummond