What's Happening At The Hive!

• Monday, 3/9-Friday, 3/13: HH PTO Scholastic Book Fair!
• Monday, 3/9: 6:00 pm Board of Education Meeting at 41 E. Elmwood Drive, Chicago Height, IL 60411
• Saturday, 3/14: Snowflurry for previously registered 5th graders at HF High School
• Monday, 3/16:
• 6:30 pm Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) meeting at Parker Jr. High School
• 4th/5th grade students take the 5 Essentials Survey this week
• Tuesday, 3/17:
• 6:00 pm 1st Grade Concert at HH
• 7:00 pm 3rd Grade Concert at HH
• 3rd-5th grade students in Mr. G.'s and Ms. Sherman's classes begin Illinois Assessment of Readiness Assessments (IAR)
• Friday, 3/20: Career Day at HH (see below)

Date Reminders:

• Monday, 3/30-Friday, 4/3: SPRING BREAK: NO SCHOOL
• Monday, 4/6: School Resumes

This week is the HH PTO Scholastic Book Fair! The PTO is still looking for volunteers for the Scholastic Book Fair this week! Please use this link to sign-up to volunteer for a time for the Book Fair! Volunteers receive a free book from the PTO as a thank you!

The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) is around the corner! Each year 3rd-5th graders take the state assessments in English Language Arts (ELA) and math based on grade-level standards mastery. Students and teachers have been hard at work all year focusing on these standards for learning. Our schedule is below:

• Tuesday, 3/17-Thursday, 3/19: Scholars in Mr. G.'s and Ms. Sherman's classes assess in ELA
• Monday, 3/23 and Thursday, 3/26: Scholars in Mr. G.'s and Ms. Sherman's classes assess in math
• Tuesday, 3/24 and Wednesday, 3/25: ALL 3rd-5th grade scholars assess in ELA
• Monday, 3/30-Friday 4/3: SPRING BREAK: NO SCHOOL
• Tuesday, 4/7-Thursday, 4/8: ALL 3rd-5th grade scholars assess in math
• Tuesday, 4/14-Thursday, 4/16: 5th grade scholars ONLY take the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA)

Please make sure to encourage students to do their best and show what they know! They have been working hard all year. Our goal is for students to take their time and focus on showing their work and explaining their thinking. Ways families can support at home is provide positive encouragement, breakfast, bringing charged Chromebooks each day, bringing glasses, etc. Reading to and with your child every day for 20 minutes has a huge impact on literacy. Talking about math in the real world, at the grocery store, etc. helps students connect what they're learning and apply their knowledge!

Fourth and fifth grade students will also take the 5 Essentials Survey this week. Each year we use this information to create part of our School Improvement Plan. This year our district focused on school safety. At Heather Hill, based on our data, we had a particular emphasis on bathroom procedures and transitions in the hallways. This year we have school-wide bathroom passes for clarity and consistency. There are scheduled class supervised bathroom breaks and the passes are used when students need to use the facilities outside of these times. Staff supervise the bathrooms during arrival, dismissal, scheduled breaks, and whenever passing the rooms to promote our school-wide bathroom Cool Tool of "Quick, Quiet, and Clean." Student surveys and discussions have occurred this year to help promote consistent routines and procedures in this area, as well as obtain student feedback. Older students participated as leaders of PBIS stations to promote our school tools for hallways, bathrooms, etc. These students supported peers in reteaching of expectations for all!

We invite all families to provide us with feedback on the 5 Essentials Survey! Please see the letter that was sent home on 2/4/26 by the Director of Learning and Instruction, Amabel Crawford. This letter explains the importance of the survey and how we use this information when building our School Improvement Plans for the coming year. Families may complete one survey per child. Please follow this link to take the survey! We are raffling off a $50 Amazon gift card for families that complete the survey! Once you take the survey, please complete the flyer so that you may be entered into the raffle. (Flyers went home in students' backpacks.)

Update: 18% of HH families have responded to the survey.

🍎 Our goal is to get at least 20% of families to participate. Your voice is important! 🍎

Some parents have been asking about Summer Academy. Here is the update posted on the SD161 Facebook page:

SD161 Summer Academy Location: Serena Hills Elementary School

Dates: June 15-July 16, 2026

time: 8:30-11:30 am, Monday-Thursday (No classes on Fridays)

Due to construction projects taking place this summer, the Summer Academy program will be smaller than in previous years. Students who are required to attend Summer Academy will receive an email with priority registration information on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

If additional spaces remain available, registration will open on April 1, 2026, on a first come, first served basis for current SD161 families.

For families seeking additional summer options, our community partners have also begun releasing their summer programming, The Homewood Flossmoor Park District has shared information about its. Summer camp programs for families who may need childcare or enrichment opportunities during the summer months, and the Homewood Science Center has also released details about its summer camps.

Winter Assessment Data

The winter NWEA MAP and Aimsweb assessment results were discussed and reviewed by the Board of Education. In addition, we reviewed Behavior, Attendance, and Grade information for all schools. Schools are using this information to review processes and to make instructional decisions to improve student outcomes. Overall, the growth and achievement numbers continue to rise. Student attendance was consistently high during the especially busy holiday months. SD161 schools will continue to focus on attendance incentives and following up with families. Behavior indicators are steady or slightly increased, which will require a renewed focus on expectations and interventions to reduce classroom disruptions. The next assessment report will be shared in June, after the completion of the spring assessments and the Illinois Assessment of Readiness. The report is linked here and the data presentation is here.

Superintendent Search Firm Presentations

The Board of Education heard presentations from four executive search firms to fill the role of Superintendent of Schools. This link will take you to the presentations and proposals for each firm. School Exec Connect is the preferred firm and they will be recommended for approval at the March 9, 2026, Board meeting.

Special Education Department Update

Our annual Special Education Department review was shared with the Board of Education [report, presentation]. The department will continue to focus on providing accelerated learning opportunities for students with disabilities and will focus on meaningful inclusion practices for the general education learning environment.

At its meeting on Monday, Feb. 2, the Flossmoor Village Board of Trustees approved an ordinance prohibiting the riding of e-scooters on all sidewalks in the central business district. Flossmoor also currently abides by the other e-bike and e-scooter regulations set by the State of Illinois, including the 18+ age requirement for low-speed e-scooters and the 16+ age requirement for Class 3 e-bikes. View more regulations in the shown graphic. Questions? Please contact the Police Department at 708-957-4500 or info@flossmoor.org.

We have seen an increase in unsafe driving behaviors around arrival and dismissal. We have also had complaints from HH families and community members about these concerns. Please remember the following:

1. All children need to be dropped off by pulling up to the curb on the SCHOOL side of the street. There is NO double parking. Letting students out between cars or in the street is unsafe.
2. There is NO standing, stopping, or parking on the opposite side of the street.
3. There are NO three point turns in the school zone.
4. Please do not use neighbors' driveways to turn around. Let's be good neighbors!
5. Please do not pull in front of the driveway coming into the school parking lot to drop students off. This creates a back-up on the street and blocks the lot for buses and 3rd part transportation.
6. Traffic is getting backed up on Lawrence Crescent and Mac Heath Crescent. There is no parking on the north side of Mac Heath Crescent. This bottlenecks the street.

If you are approached by a staff member and/or crossing guard to follow these rules, please understand we are doing our best for everyone's safety. Please help us keep all children, staff, and community members safe by following these rules of the road!

We want to remind everyone about our policy regarding outdoor play and safety. For the comfort and well-being of our students, children will remain inside during the following weather conditions:

1. Rain
2. Temperature below 20 degrees F
3. Wind chill of 10 degrees F or below
4. Icy conditions
5. Extremely high winds

Please make sure your child is dressed warmly with a coat, hat, gloves, and other appropriate layers to ensure they stay comfortable and safe. We also recommend dressing in layers for the classroom to manage any fluctuations in heat. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us keep all children safe and prepared for the elements.

We are working on setting reading goals and challenges! We are a community of readers at Heather Hill and we are working on getting all children excited to read and share their reading with others. Please see the attached parent letter that was sent home in an email. Help your child to log their reading minutes and work towards our school-wide goal!

The Capturing Kids Hearts character trait for month of March is Courage/Step-up!

What is Courage?

Courage is the ability and strength to face something that may be difficult or challenging. Courage is not the absence of fear but rather perseverance in the presence of fear and the willingness to stand up for what is right or try something new, even though it may be uncomfortable or uncertain.

PBIS - Cool Tool for the month of March is You Snooze You Lose.

Cool Tool Description: At Heather Hill School, we follow the You Snooze You Lose Cool ToolCool Tool to get to school on time. Our school day begins at 8:30. You should arrive to school no later than 8:40 so you are not marked absent or tardy. Remember to enter through door C and walk to your classroom. Getting to school on time creates a habit of being punctual, and you do not miss out on your morning meeting time with your class. If we follow these expectations, then we are being safe, respectful, and responsible by arriving at school on time.

We are working towards our goals of increasing student attendance to increase learning goals! We are working towards a goal of at least 93% attendance each week. Of course we encourage parents to keep children home if they are sick. Students should stay home for at least 24 hours after a fever subsides. Please consult a medical professional as needed for other symptoms including cough, vomiting, etc.

Click here to access our school’s virtual backpack. This page is intended to provide information on resources and activities that may be of interest to our students and families.

• Signing up for District 161’s text message alerts is quick and easy. Simply text the word “YES” to 67587 from the cell phone on which you wish to receive text messages. Please make sure that your cell phone number is up-to-date in Skyward. If you need to update your phone number, please contact the office at your child’s school. Click here for more information.

• Registrarse para recibir alertas de mensajes de texto del Distrito 161 es rápido y fácil. Simplemente envíe un mensaje de texto con la palabra "YES" al 67587 desde el teléfono celular en el que desea recibir mensajes de texto. Asegúrese de que su número de teléfono celular esté actualizado en Skyward. Si necesita actualizar su número de teléfono, comuníquese con la oficina de la escuela de su hijo. Haga clic aquí para obtener más información.

• The 30 day grace period for free and reduced lunch has expired. If parents have not either been confirmed by the state for SNAP/TANF or Medicaid status or have not completed a new free/reduced lunch application in Skyward, their lunch status may be back to paid. Complete a lunch form in Skyward to correct your status!

This school year, our students will participate in the Neptune Navigate Digital Citizenship curriculum. Each module is designed to be engaging and informative, taking 30 minutes or less to complete. Our goal is to ensure that students learn how to be safe and smart online and understand the importance of building a positive digital reputation.

January's theme is: Digital Footprint, Digital Reputation (see family letter below!)

Our Staff Recognition Program, Above and Beyond, is designed to spotlight our staff members in all that they do for our students and community. Each school and department has the opportunity to nominate a staff member who exemplifies the characteristics and professional traits that exemplify our standards of excellence. Please use this form to nominate a staff member today!

Monday - Friday

• 8:30 am - 8:40 am - Arrival (Doors will close at 8:40 am!)
• 8:40 am - 3:15 pm - Instructional Day
• 3:15 pm - Dismissal

Half day dismissal (half days on District calendar) - 11:40 am

A few friendly reminders about arrival and dismissal:

• Our parking lot is closed to personal vehicles during arrival and dismissal
• The parking lot may only be used by buses and 3rd party transportation during arrival/dismissal
• Please do not engage in 3 point turns in the school zone
• Please do no block driveways--either school driveways or homes near HH
• Do not drop off children on the opposite side of the street of the school
• All street crossings must occur at the cross-walks
• By law, there is no cell phone usage in a school zone

Let's keep everyone safe by following the rules of the road!

Flossmoor SD161 is working with a new Food Service Company! Please see the flyer on who they are and what they have to offer.

If your child will be receiving breakfast or lunch and they have any allergies, a form detailing their dietary needs must be submitted to the school nurse. It will be shared with the food service company and alternative foods will be available to meet a student’s needs. This form is available in the front office.

INTERESTED IN JOINING THE PTO?

If you would like to participate in the PTO or have any questions please email them at heatherhillhornets@gmail.com.

Also, Please click on this link https://www.facebook.com/groups/2466905720251155 to join our Heather Hill Families page.

The Flossmoor Public Library has incredible events and programs coming up for children of all ages! View the calendar and sign up for the library newsletter at https://www.flossmoorlibrary.org.

Email: chumm@sd161.org
Website: https://www.sd161.org/o/heather-hill
Location: 1439 Lawrence Crescent, Flossmoor, IL, USA
Phone: 708-647-7200
Facebook: facebook.com/gohornets161