Welcome to Hillview
5th Grade Parent Information
Hillview began using the academy system a few years ago as a way to make the learning communities in each grade feel smaller and more personal. Each academy is made up of approximately 100 students and four teachers. The teachers work as a team to integrate the curriculum across four subjects (language arts, math, social studies, science) which helps deepen students understanding.
In order to encourage and support student reading, Hillview formally integrated the Accelerated Reader program into the curriculum last year. The AR program, by Renaissance Learning, is designed to meet the needs of individual students while exposing them to the broadest possible range of books. The program tests students and determines a recommended book level in terms of readability. The level is not a restriction, though, rather it is a guideline that kids can consider when choosing a book of interest to them. After the students select a book and read it, they take a short quiz to show that they understood the content of the book. The more they read, and the more successful they become, the faster they move up the levels.
Flex is a single period in the day during which each academy teaching team has the ability to work with their group of students in almost any way they deem helpful. It gives teachers the opportunity to respond to both the needs of individual students and of the class as a whole. Teachers can elect to use the flex period for class-wide activities, such as a pre-test review; to pull out and work with smaller groups of kids; or to provide an opportunity for special education programs and other individual student assistance. Kids not actively working with teachers most often use the flex period to do AR. Students can also use this time to advocate on their own behalf, and use flex to proactively seek help with homework concepts and missed instruction or assignments.
Camp Hillview is designed to do two main things for sixth graders: to help them make new friends and to get to know the Hillview campus better. This event takes place the first or second week of school. The three days are devoted to playing games, character education and team building exercises.
Mark your calendars for Friday, August 31st. This is the day of Arena Check-In (ACI) where Hillview parents and students take care of everything school related including getting PE uniforms, PTO membership, volunteering for committees, school pictures, getting class schedules, etc. More specific information will be sent out in August.
21st Century Learning
Last year, in collaboration with the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, a national organization that advocates for 21st-century readiness for every student (www.p21.org), the district began to look beyond technology upgrades. “We realized that a 21st-century learning environment isn’t just about the technology,” Ms. Barone said. “We decided to focus on setting the learning outcomes, and then giving the teachers the technology they need to get there.”21st Century Learning
Greek Festival
The Hillview 6th graders delighted their teachers (and pleased the Greek gods!) with a spectacular performance at this year’s Greek festival.
The building construction is on schedule to be completed by June 1st. The existing school will be demolished this summer. The new field, landscaping, and site work is scheduled to be completed by December 2012.
Here are the facts about our new middle school!
The New Hillview: An 85,000 Square Foot Facility for the Students of MPCSD
- 48 teaching stations, which include the following classrooms: music, choir broadcast studio, science (9), industrial technology, art, special day, computer
- Performing Arts/Multipurpose Building which has a 400-person seating performing arts room and a large stage with dressing room
- Administration/Library and Media Building
- Student activity room
- Interior courtyard with outside stage area
- Modernization of existing gym with new fitness room and kitchen facilities
- Expanded school storage
- New basketball courts
- New synthetic athletic field and track
- New lunch shelter
- New drop-off/pick-up and expanded parking
- CHPS verified green components included in all facets of the design and construction, including water conservation, energy efficiency, photovoltaic solar energy and charging stations for electrical vehicles.
