The Weekly Update Panther Pride

Dear Hillcrest and Pine Avenue Families,

As we approach the end of the school year, I want to take a moment to thank you for the incredible partnership you’ve shown in supporting your child’s learning. Summer is a wonderful time for rest, family, and exploration — and it’s also an important opportunity to help students maintain the growth they’ve made throughout the year. Without regular practice, children can experience what we call the “summer slide,” in which reading and math skills slip backward through the break. The good news is that small, simple routines at home can make a big difference.

One of the most powerful ways to support your child is by keeping reading part of your daily rhythm. Just 15–20 minutes a day — whether it’s a picture book, a chapter book, a graphic novel, or even reading signs and recipes together — helps students stay confident and ready for fall. Visiting the public library, choosing books as a family, or listening to audiobooks on car rides can make reading feel joyful and natural.

Math practice can also be woven into everyday life. Counting change, measuring ingredients while cooking, comparing prices at the store, or practicing math facts for a few minutes each day all help keep skills sharp. Games like cards, dice, and puzzles build number sense and problem‑solving in fun, low‑pressure ways.

Summer is also a perfect time for hands‑on learning and investigation. Nature walks, building projects, journaling, drawing, and asking questions about the world all support critical thinking. Encourage your child to observe patterns, make predictions, and explain their thinking — these habits strengthen both reading and math.

To support families even further, Alma is excited to offer our K–5 Summer School program again this year. This program provides targeted instruction in reading and math, along with engaging activities that help students stay motivated and confident. Families of eligible students will receive placement information soon. We are grateful to offer this additional layer of support to our learners.

Thank you for all you do to make learning a priority, not just during the school year but throughout the summer months. With a few simple routines and chances for exploration, students can return in the fall ready to build on everything they’ve learned. Your partnership really makes a difference, and we are grateful to walk alongside you in your child’s educational journey.

1st Grade Creativity

2nd Grade Creativity

3rd Grade Creativity

4th Grade Creativity

5th Grade Creativity

Our Summer School program is right around the corner, and we’re excited to offer students a fun, engaging way to keep their skills growing. This year’s sessions will blend hands‑on learning, small‑group support, and plenty of opportunities to explore new interests. Families of eligible students will receive placement information soon. We’re looking forward to a summer of learning, laughter, and confidence‑building.

Student of the Week and Month:

Earning Student of the Week or Month honors as part of a PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) school acknowledgement program can be an exciting and motivating way for students to be recognized for positive behavior. Here are the ways in which students can earn Student of the Week or Month honors:

Hillcrest and Pine Avenue continue to shine as leaders in math instruction. As part of the 23h Math Grant work Alma has been engaged in over the past two years, our district was selected to host math leaders from across Michigan. These visitors spent the morning engaging in hands‑on math activities with students in grades 1–3 and 5, followed by round‑table discussions in the library. Their visit highlighted the strong instructional practices happening in our classrooms and the hard work our teachers have invested in strengthening math learning for all students.

Our first graders wrapped up their study of the butterfly life cycle with a joyful release of the butterflies they raised in their classrooms. Students watched the full transformation—from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly—and celebrated this hands‑on learning experience as the butterflies took flight. It was a beautiful moment of wonder and science coming together.