Hillview Middle School PTO

THIS WEEK

Monday, September 9

Math Clinic, Mondays 3:20 – 4:45 pm small conference room library
School Board, open seat – Information Night, 7:00 pm, District Office Board Room, 181 Encinal Avenue, Atherton 94027

Tuesday, September 10

Borrow a Class Textbook, during brunch or lunch, Book room next to the gym
Math Clinic, Tuesdays 3:20 – 4:45 pm small conference room library
Hillview Site Council Meeting, 3:30 – 5:00 p.m., Hillview Office

Wednesday, September 11

Borrow a Class Textbook, during brunch or lunch, Book room next to the gym
Math Clinic, Wednesdays 2:45 – 4:30 pm small conference room library

Thursday, September 12

Regular Board Meeting, 6:00 – 10:00 pm, TERC Building, 181 Encinal Avenue, Atherton 94027
Math Clinic, Thursdays 2:45 – 4:30 pm small conference room library

Friday, September 13

Hillview Student Advisory, first session this year
Hillview Club Fair, lunchtime, Hillview quad

LOOKING AHEAD

Monday, September 16

New Family Welcome, 4:00 – 6:00 pm, The Dutch Goose, Mulroney Room, 3567 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park

Tuesday, October 1

Music Potluck, 5:00 – 8:00 pm, PAC

Hillview School News

New Family Welcome!
Monday, September 16, 4:00 -6:00 pm at The Dutch Goose, Mulroney Room, 3567 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park
Join Principal Willy Haug, Superintendent Erik Burmeister, along with members of the Hillview PTO and MPAEF in welcoming all new Hillview families to the Menlo Park City School District. Come for some great conversation, good cheer while meeting new friends. Food and beverages will be served. Pop in for as long or as little as you can! We are thrilled to have you as part of our community.

Hillview Site Council Meeting
Tuesday, September 10, 3:30 – 5:00 p.m., Hillview Office
The Hillview Site Council, comprised of Hillview parents, teachers, staff and students, meets monthly to develop and evaluate progress on school-wide goals. All parents in our community are welcome!

Borrow a Class Textbook for the 2019-20 School Year

Tuesday, September 10 and Wednesday, September 11, brunch and lunch, Book room near the gym

If you miss these dates, email Monica Bosch here to request a book. It will be sent home with the student.

As a reminder, these books are the property of Hillview Middle School and will need to be returned at the end of the school year in similar condition in which the student / family received it. Failure to return or care for it appropriately can/will be subject to a fine payable by the last day of school.

Hillview Advisory Sessions
Friday, September 13, first advisory session of the year
An advisory group is roughly 20 students of the same grade level who meet with the same adult facilitator on a monthly basis. The lesson for Friday is Ownership, one of our five core skills. Students will dive a little deeper into this skill, discussing what it means when we say, “We set goals and take charge of our learning and personal growth”. Do we all have the same thought-bubble appear above our heads when we say, “Own it”? We will engage all students in a goal-setting exercise. We will be engaging parents in a follow-up of the activity and additional resources. Stay tuned for these.

Club Fair
Friday, September 13, lunchtime, Hillview quad
All of the Hillview clubs will have tables in the the quad with club information and sign-up sheets. Clubs will meet at lunchtime, different days for different clubs. Students can sign up for a different club each day of the week. A final club list will be published here next week. Encourage your student to get involved!

iPad Insurance
Each year, about 8% of our iPads suffer damage to the screen that is covered by insurance – but ONLY if you are insured! iPad insurance is $35 for the whole year and covers lost or stolen iPads and iPad damage. It does not cover accessories like the case, charging block or charging cable. Without iPad insurance, families are responsible for lost or stolen iPads at a cost of $400, and damaged iPads can be up to $250. You may purchase iPad insurance here.

Accessing WiFi Off-Campus
Students need to log in to our proxy so that internet content is routed through our district content filter. When the “proxy authentication required” box pops up, students need to enter their username and password to sign in. Email Danielle O’Brien here for questions. IT technician, Brian Benelli, is available on campus during 7th period to help with proxy issues.
For other issues with your iPad, complete a Tech Request here.

PowerSchool Access
Students can go see Ms. O’Brien or Mr. Benelli for their PowerSchool access information.

Homework Center
This drop-in program held in the Hillview Library is open:

Monday and Tuesday, 3:20 – 4:45 pm
Wednesday and Thursday, 2:45 – 4:30 pm

This program is for students who would like a quiet place to do homework after school. Led by Mr. Eaton, and staffed with several other adults to assist those in need of Homework Help. All students are welcome to come each day; no sign-up is required.

Hillview Website
We are excited to announce that our Hillview website is getting a much needed overhaul this school year! Be patient as we make our website more engaging and user friendly.

8th-Grade Parent Information

TIDE Academy 8th-Grade Parent Information Night
Thursday, October 17, 6:00 – 8:00 pm, 150 Jefferson Drive, Menlo Park
Come learn about TIDE Academy, Sequoia Union High School District’s brand new high school! The 2020-21 students will form the second cohort at TIDE, a small public high school that prepares students for STEAM careers through its Early College Program and interdisciplinary curriculum centered around design thinking and project-based learning. Shadow dates and times to be announced. For more information here.

Get to Know Menlo-Atherton High School Program dates for 2019-2020
Menlo Atherton High School website here for full program details:

M-A 8th-Grade Information Night – Tuesday, October 22, 2019, 6:15 – 8:45 pm
M-A Campus Tours – First Wednesday of the month October to March here
M-A Open House – Thursday, March 20, 2020 here.
M-A Shadowing – Mondays, Tuesday and Fridays from October 1, 2019 – February 1, 2020. Sign-up opens Tuesday, September 3, 2019 here.

One Community Campaign

Thank you for all those that came to Back to School Night! What a way to kick off the new school year!
We hope you were all able to watch our One Community Campaign (OCC) video featuring Superintendent Erik Burmeister, our wonderful teachers, parents and students. They are all passionate about the OCC and explain all the amazing things we do with your generous support. For example, did you know that our property taxes only cover 62% of the cost to educate our children? Watch our video to see why your participation is so critical.

One Community Campaign Introduction

There are many ways to give – check out our website! You can pledge to pay by March 1, donate using a credit card, Venmo, Paypal, donate stock, do monthly payments or mail a check made out to “One Community Campaign” to PO Box 584, Menlo Park, CA 94026-0584. How’s that for easy?

Why I Donate:
We support the MPSCD through donations to the Hillview PTO and the MPAEF because we believe in the value of education, because we believe in sharing the good fortune many of us in this community are lucky enough to enjoy, and because we believe that the benefit of the enrichment programs available in our district cannot be overstated. In our family’s case, the passion and dedication of Mr. Vaughn, the head of Hillview’s music program, has gifted our son with a love for music and fundamentally impacted the direction of his future. All children deserve the opportunity for such a spark to be lit. – Amy and Andrew Thornborrow

Donate today here or send your check made out to MPAEF-PTO Community Campaign to 181 Encinal Avenue Atherton, CA 94027.

supportmpcsd.org

It’s Time to Donate to the One Community Campaign!
One gift. One goal. Together we can.

MPCSD News

School Board to Fill Open Seat by Appointment
Information Night will be held Monday, September 9, 7:00 pm, District Office Board Room, 181 Encinal Avenue, Atherton

The MPCSD School Board voted on August 29, 2019 to fill its open seat by appointment. MPCSD now calls for applicants to fill the open Board seat per California law. Applicants must reside within the MPCSD borders to apply. Application packets will be available beginning at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, September 3, 2019 at the District Office, and are due back to the District Office no later than 4:00 pm on Monday, September 16, 2019. Attendance at the Information Night is not a requirement to apply for appointment. Candidate interviews will occur at a special public meeting of the Board on Monday, September 23 at 6:00 pm in the District Office Board room. The public is encouraged to attend. More information here or stop by the MPCSD District Office.

Programs & Activities

Music News and Notes

Beginning Band and Beginning Orchestra

School has begun and there a number of NEW CLASSES being offered through the music department. See the accompanying flyer for information on new classes: Beginning Band and Beginning Orchestra here. These are open to ALL grade levels and meet before school once a week

Guitar and Rock Band
There are new PTO After-School classes for Guitar and Rock Band here. These are held in the Music Room. Check them out!

Hillview Library

Looking To Donate Books?
If you are cleaning out your bookshelves, the Hillview Library would love your gently used middle grade novels, YA novels, and graphic novels for either the library collection or classroom libraries. We would also love any gently used cookbooks for middle school students.
Books can be dropped off at the school office (marked to donate to the library) or you are welcome to visit library to donate the books. Thank you!

Teen Section
Hillview Library has a collection of books, eBooks, and audiobooks recommended for grades 8 or higher or ages 14+. These Young Adult (YA) books may have more mature themes, profanity, more violence or sexual situations than in the general stacks of the library. The books in this section are marked with a “Teen” sticker.

8th-grade students automatically have access to the Teen section unless parents opt-out with the form here.
7th-grade students may access the entire Teen Section with parental permission use the form here
6th-grade students may get permission to access individual books (title by title) with parental permission, use the form here

You may also opt out by sending an email to Aimee Mathenia or ask about the Teen Section or about finding great books for your kids here.

Library Hours
Before school at 8:00-ish, at brunch, lunch, and for 15 minutes after school
Mrs. Mathenia is looking forward to seeing the students and hope they enjoyed some awesome books over the summer.

Interested in Volunteering?
The library has various drop-in/flexible tasks and regular weekly, monthly, and seasonal projects. Little or no training required, details are located here. Email Tanya Dodge here (tgoodrow@gmail.com) if you are interested in helping out in any capacity.

Students? Books To Recommend?
Students going into 7th and 8th grade have the opportunity to complete a (1) book recommendation form here. English teachers will collect this from all 7th- and 8th-grade students in the first couple weeks of school.

More information on summer reading is on the Hillview Library website here.

Athletics

Meet Amar Patel – New Athletic Director

“Hello Hillview Family! My name is Amar Patel and I am extremely excited to be the next Athletic Director at Hillview Middle School! I have been passionate about sports and teaching my entire life. I have been coaching soccer within the community for the past six years and I look forward to bringing positive insights to our youth.

The Hillview staff and I are excited to continue to build on the past and create an inclusive, constructive, and positive sporting environment. We believe that not only should our programs teach the specific sport, but also teach life skills to aid our students into developing into great young adults.

Many thanks to all who have already registered for sports, volunteered their time or committed to coaching. GO HAWKS!”

Parent Coaches Needed
Donate your time and passion for sports to help our students have a fulfilling experience. Coach flag football or girls volleyball. For now we can only guarantee the first 20 registered players in each grade a spot in football. We will put the remaining players on a waitlist until we can support a second team with coaches. Interested? Contact our new Athletic Director Amar Patel here.

Community News

Menlo-Atherton Volleyball Community Clinic Saturday, September 21, M-A Ayers Gym, access and parking off Ringwood, 7th and 8th grades: 10:00 – 11:30 am, 4th, 5th, and 6th grades: 12:30 – 2:00 pm. Join the M-A High School Girls Varsity Volleyball team at their annual Community Clinic! We welcome all players regardless of skill or experience. $35 in advance, $40 at the door. All proceeds support the M-A Girls Volleyball Program. For more information or to sign-up, visit our website here.

Grade K-5 Classroom Volunteers Needed An Hour a Week Could Change a Student’s Life

If you’ve enjoyed spending time in your child’s classroom, join other parents volunteering in eastern Menlo Park or East Palo Alto schools. You’ll help tutor kids in grades K-5. Over 80% of students are performing below grade level in reading and math and are eager to work with you. Our volunteers go once a week to the same classroom for about an hour, building relationships with students throughout the school year. All Students Matter provides training, ongoing support and coordinates logistics. Volunteering begins in mid-September. You can make a real difference! To learn more or to signup, visit here or contact Keri Tully here.

Join Boy Scouts Troop 109 We invite all boys 6-8th grade to join us at our kick off meeting on Wednesday September 11, 6:30 – 8:30 pm at the Palo Alto Scout Center for pizza, campfire and s’mores! RSVP by emailing here. Scouting programs and outdoor adventures give young people the opportunity and freedom to explore a world beyond the boundaries of everyday life. It presents them with chances to try new things, provide service to others, build self-confidence and develop leadership skills. Visit us here.

The San Francisco Boys Chorus Unparalleled opportunities for boys for building collaborative skills, self-discipline and friendships as they tour internationally and nationally, attending music festivals and summer music camps and perform in the SF Opera and SF Symphony. Auditions held in September and January and can be scheduled throughout the year. Contact us 415-861-7464 or here.

Kids Under Pressure and What We Can Do About It: Challenge Success Parent Education Evening with Dr. Lisa Damour, September 27, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, Stanford University. There is a rising tide of stress and anxiety surrounding our youth today with unprecedented pressure to achieve. Learn about the value of healthy stress, risks of unhealthy stress, and practical solutions for how families and schools can support kids toward balanced, fulfilling lives K-12, college, and beyond. Get more information and purchase $10 tickets here.

HEADS UP! Concussion Awareness! Have you ever wondered what a concussion is, what to do if your child experiences one, or how a child should safely return to school and activity after a concussion? Visit the MPCSD website here to find the link to the CDC’s educational initiative HEADS UP here. For questions regarding the HEADS UP Initiative and how it is implemented in our schools, contact the District Nurse at (650) 321-7140. Keep our kids safe!