Posted July 23, 2020
Hello Skyhawk Families,
I know at this time there is a lot of information that we need to communicate to you. School leaders returned from summer break last week, and office teams will be reporting next week the week of July 27th. With that said, we are committed to keeping you in the loop with the ever-changing landscape of the return to school for the 20-21 school year. With such significant changes that schools are planning for, it does delay communication a bit due to the level of in-depth planning we are engaging in as a school team. Please stay connected to our website, listen to messenger messages, download the flyer app, and follow the new Facebook page.
There are many unanswered questions about the year, and we are working hard as a school to get answers to you as soon as possible, but we know that we will not be able to communicate nearly to the degree that is enough because of this unique time, but again, we are deeply committed to keeping you in the loop. Below are some new and changed information.
School Start Date:
As you are aware, DPS has announced that we will begin remotely with students on August 24th. This delay will allow us to continue to monitor the increase in Colorado’s COVID cases before returning to in-person learning. DPS will be reviewing the cases with medical experts and deciding on a return to school after Labor Day. The Hill office will be open and take phone calls beginning next week, July 27th, and will be able to answer questions that you may have about returning to school. Continue to visit the website https://hill.dpsk12.org/ for the most up-to-date information. We look forward to connecting soon!
All Grades Academy Update Virtual:
Because of the remote start, we have delayed the in-person 6th Grade Academy planned on August 3rd and 4th, but will instead host a virtual 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Remote Learning Academy for ALL of our students on August 20th and 21st. This will be an opportunity to share some school year expectations, resources, but most importantly, reconnect with our students. Students are not mandated to attend, but we highly recommend that they do. Stay tuned for more information next week. When it is safe to do so, we will be hosting in-person Academies.
Family Forum:
As a way for school leaders to connect with families, we will be hosting Family Forums beginning in August with our first forum on August 7th. Forums will be held every other week. Because we are starting the year remotely, all sessions will be conducted using zoom until it is safe to host at school. We look forward to connecting with our families.
Accelerated Path 6th Grade Math & 8th Social Studies Update:
We will be restructuring our Accelerated Assessments to a remote setting. Families who have signed up for a testing date on the link will be rescheduled. We will be testing on August 11th, 12, and 13th. YOU DO NOT NEED TO COMPLETE THE SIGN UP IF YOU HAVE DONE SO ALREADY- A Member of the Academics Team will email you to reschedule. For those who have not signed up, please use the links below:
Language Arts Acceleration Plan
8th Grade Social Studies Acceleration Plan
6th Grade Math Testing Sign-Up for Acceleration Path
8th Grade Social Studies Testing Sign-Up for Acceleration Path
Recommendation Form for 7th and 8th Grade Students for Math
Hill’s New Facebook Page:
On Friday, July 24th, the current Facebook (Hill Middle School Campus of Arts and Sciences PTA) page will be discontinued and replaced with the official new page that we would love for you to follow on the school’s website. This shift was made to create a central point of communication where families can celebrate our school, get answers to their questions, and develop a constructive way of making our school a better place for students, staff, and families.
REMINDER: ANNUAL FAMILY UPDATE:
Online
Beginning July 27th, 2020, you will be able to access the Annual Family Update online. This is the easiest and safest way to update your students’ information. Parents/guardians must have an active DPS Parent Portal account; check for an active account or create an account at myportal.dpsk12.org. Then, log in any time after 8 a.m. on July 27th.
In-Person
In-person Annual Family Update will take place on August 5th (12 p.m. to 7 p.m.), August 6th (7 a.m. to 3 p.m.), and August 7th (7 a.m. to 3 p.m.). This will take place in front of Hill in the medium. Families will drive up Clermont St. (facing South) and stay in their vehicle, one of the office staff will come to your car and ask who your student is and return with your paperwork to fill out in your vehicle and ask you to pull forward. To turn it in, you will drive around to the other side of the medium on Clermont St. (facing North) and hand it to an office staff member who will check it and make sure everything is in order. Please make sure to bring the following documents with you:
I am looking forward to connecting and speaking with you soon as we create a great school year!
Principal Adams