HIllcrest Elementary
30 Griswold Street
Turners Falls, MA 01376
413.863.9526
Fax: 413.863.3284

School Lunches

School lunch is available to all grade 1 & 2 students on a daily basis.  Lunch menus are sent home at the end of each month along with the School Newsletter.  Parents may pay for lunches by the day or week.  Often families are eligible for reduced or free lunch.  Eligibility forms are given to students during the first week of school.  Please complete the form and return it to our office.  The prices for lunch are: $2.00 full price, $.40 cents reduced.  
We also offer a daily breakfast program!

Snack milk is available to all grade 1 & 2 students for $.45 cents per day.  Parents are encouraged to send a healthy, nutritious snack with their first or second grade child.  Snack suggestions include: fruit, crackers, cheese, peanutbutter/jelly with crackers, sliced veggies, yogurt and granola bars.  Please do not send overly sweet, non-nutritious snacks!

Kindergarten Snack

Our kindergartens incorporate snack into the kindergarten curriculum.  That is, children often prepare, count out, help with menus etc. as part of their learning experience. Now in our second year, our kindergarten snack program asks parents to:

• send in $1.00 per week or
• send in a food item (one per month) such as a box of crackers, bag of apples or carrots or whatever a family is able to contribute.

In this way, teachers are able to purchase healthy snacks, juices and milk for all the children to enjoy together!

Early Dismissals

On occasion, parents require that their child be dismissed early from school.  When possible, please telephone the school ahead of time.  This helps us have the child ready for you upon your arrival.  Parents are required to sign their child out in the front office.

Early Dismissals Due To Stormy Weather

Sometimes, Mother Nature plays a trick on us and sends us icy or snowy weather before our 3:15 dismissal time.  In the event that it is in the children's best interest to return home before a storm worsens, all families will be notified by telephone.  We cannot send a child home in these circumstances unless we have reached a designated adult.  Your child will receive a special early dismissal emergency form for you to complete.  If you do not have a telephone please be certain to leave us the number of friend, family member or responsible adult!  Early dismissals will also be aired on radio stations WRSI 95.3 FM and WHAI 98.3 AM.

School Cancellations Due To Stormy Weather.

The Superintendent of Schools works closely with the bus company, the highway department and the neighboring school districts to determine if a snow or ice storm is sufficiently dangerous to warrant cancellation of school.

Please listen to your radio!
WRSI 95.3 FM or WHAI 98.3 AM
Pleasing tune in to your television!
TV channel 22 or TV channel 40
Do NOT Call the school!

Send a smock!

Our art program and classrooms will ask children to use a smock... please send in an old T-shirt or men's button shirt.  These go a long way in keeping kids covered!

Sneakers for gym class

All kindergarten, first and second grade students participate in gym every week.  Our physical education teacher, Mr. Sullivan, brings the children outdoors when the weather permits or teaches the children in the auditorium of our school.  Please be certain that your child has rubber soled sneakers for gym.  This is for your child's safety!  A gym schedule will be sent home with your child during the first week of school.

Winter clothing

We make every effort to bring the children out for exercise and fresh air on a daily basis.  In the winter when there is snow on the ground, we allow children to play in the snow only if they are wearing snow pants and boots.  This keeps children warm and dry!
Unless the temperature is below 20 degrees we bring the children outdoors for fresh air and exercise!

About T-Shirt and Hat Logos...

At the Hillcrest School and the rest of the Gill-Montague School District we work closely with the Montague Police Department to discourage children from alcohol, drug and tobacco use.  We have a DARE program which begins in kindergarten!  In support of the message of our Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco education program we ask that children do not wear hats or T-shirts which carry advertisements promoting alcohol or tobacco products.

Our school day begins at 8:30 and ends at 3:15 pm.  Students who walk home or are picked up by a parent or other designated adult are dismissed at 3:10 pm.

In the morning, all children should report to the front doors for the 8:30 am bell announcing school has started.  Children are supervised by a member of our staff beginning at 8:20 am.  On very windy, rainy or cold mornings all children should report to the auditorium to be supervised.  Please do not leave children to wait outside their classrooms or other doorways.  Only the front area is supervised!

We ask that you please do not drop off children earlier than 8:20 am!

Some parents wish to transport their child to and from school.  Others send their child to school on the bus but have a change in plans requiring the child to be picked up at school.  Parents must send a note to their child's teacher if someone other than the parent is picking up their child.  This is very important for your child's safety.  We cannot release your child to another adult without your permission!

Procedures for Pick-up & Drop-off.

Parents who transport their child to and from school are asked to park their vehicle on Griswold Street.  The entrance by the yellow doors (sometimes considered the front entrance) is reserved for busses only.  Please help us keep bus loading and unloading safe by not parking in our driveway.