MESSAGE FROM PRINCIPAL KATHLEEN SULLIVAN
Thanks to all of you who were able to come to our Back to School nights this week, giving you a very abbreviated version of what your child's day is like. Middle school can be a tough time for students as adolescence is a time of great change in their bodies and mind. At Hill Country we have some systems and supports that help them succeed. It can also be a tough time for parents as their students work to become more independent and are at times not as communicative as they once were. Important skills your students will need are self-management and self-advocacy. Whenever possible, we encourage our students to work to solve their own problems or to seek out an adult at school to help them. There are ways that you can help support this by guiding your child to some of the resources below, or perhaps going to look at these resources together.
- Teacher Websites are listed under the Directory tab on our home page. This is where you and your student can find the calendar of assignments/homework. There is also a grade-level Testing Calendar on each teacher's web page which can be helpful when trying to balance their school responsibilities and their activities outside of school
- Skyward Family Access is also a helpful tool. This is where you will find grade information. It can be useful to have your student look to see if there are any missing assignments, and it will often give them results from work before it is passed back to them. I would caution you not to look daily because it can create pressure on the students, and the teachers do need some time to get grades entered. With the Food Service tab, you can also see what your child is purchasing in the cafeteria to initiate valuable conversations about money management and nutrition choices.
- Google Classroom is a student resource that only students can see, but they may sit down with you to show you what assignments and resources are posted for each class.
- Teacher email is a great tool for students to use if they have a question or concern. As much as possible, we want students to self advocate, but we also realize there are times they need parents to get involved so that school and home can work together to support the child. Emailing a counselor or teacher can be beneficial in those instances.
Self-management and self-advocacy are things the staff also work on with our students, but it is an evolving skill that requires practice. If we work together to do this both at school and at home, it will help our students acquire these skills. The Pit Tonight is our first home WHS football game! Middle school students get to hang out in The Pit. This year tickets will only be sold at The Pit gate, and they are $8. The Pit tickets are not transferable to the main stadium. We went over Pit expectations with our students at lunch today and are looking forward to a great time! Students are invited to join our HCMS Library Battle of the Books team! What: A book club that competes against other schools to answer questions about the books you read. We compete in three battles throughout the year. Two of the battles will be held at Dripping Springs Middle Schools (Field Trip!!). How: Sign up HERE. You can participate in as many battle rounds as you like. When: We meet every-other-week during Advisory for our Book Club discussions. Who: You! Anyone can join! Follow us on Social Media!! No School Monday. Enjoy your long weekend! Monday - September 2, 2019 All day Tuesday - September 3, 2019 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Wednesday - September 4, 2019 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Thursday - September 5, 2019 12:00 AM Saturday - September 7, 2019 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Sunday - September 8, 2019 12:00 AM |