Friday News May 22, 2020
Hillcrest Elementary School
Friday News
May 22, 2020
Dear Hillcrest Families,
As many of us pause in honor of Memorial Day, I am reminded of the many missed learning opportunities the Covid-19 crisis has brought to schools. Typically, each of our Hillcrest students would have learned about several national holidays throughout the school year. And, in May, they would have been introduced to the importance of Memorial Day. This year, we won’t be gathering for our May All School Meeting in which our students might sing a song or share a poem or present their own writing about Memorial Day. And that is just one small slice of the many meaningful learning moments that we have missed this spring. That said, I am hearing many uplifting stories about wonderful learning that continues to happen despite our changed circumstances . . . learning via Google Classrooms and Google Meets and learning that occurs in your backyards and your kitchens and through Facetime calls with grandparents and other loved ones. As we head into the final weeks of our school year, let’s all continue to work together to keep that learning spirit alive!
A few items of note:
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We still have several unclaimed bags of students’ learning materials and personal belongings. If you were not able to attend a Drive-Up Pick-Up session, please call or email us here at school and we will make arrangements.
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The kindergarten and preschool registration process continues. Please check out the district website for more details or call the Hillcrest main office at 413-863-9526 for more information.
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Our teaching teams have been meeting this week to build class lists and to plan for next year. I have been joining these grade level meetings and I have also been participating in many administrative meetings to address the complexities of the upcoming school year. Please know that we are all working diligently to craft a safe and welcoming plan for the upcoming school year. We are all eagerly looking forward to the time when we can be safely together again!
Wishing you a wonderful weekend --
Sarah Burstein, Principal