Weekend Update!

Thank you for a wonderful start to the school year! It was SO nice seeing all of your children this week. Our 7th and 8th graders grew quite a bit over the summer, and our 6th graders handled their first day of middle school exceedingly well! Yesterday would not have been a success without you, so thank you for your support!

This newsletter will continue to be a source of information on all of the current and upcoming happenings at Hillcrest. Please continue to spend a few minutes each week reviewing the items here so that you are in the loop with everything going on during the school year.

If your children are at all like mine, I am sure they will be pretty tired after their first week! I hope everyone has a nice weekend!

The first Hillcrest gear shop is now open! Order your Hillcrest t-shirts, hoodies, PJ pants, hats, backpacks, plus much more. Many items can be personalized. This shop is open through 9:00 am on Monday, September 21.

https://hypeteamstores.ai/shop/rainbow/Hillcrest-Middle-School-Spirit-Wear-Spring-Store-2026

There will be an informational meeting for Cross Country on, September 2nd, from 6:00–7:00 p.m. in the Hillcrest cafeteria. Families/students are encouraged to attend to learn more about the Cross Country program.

On Thursday, our students will have their first Advisory session of the year! For those who are new to Hillcrest, each student is assigned a faculty advisor that stays with them for the entirety of their three years in our school. Advisory is a place where students can build relationships with each other and a trusted adult. Topics for each Advisory session can vary, including executive functioning, goal setting, and social-emotional learning.

As Dr. Semmel wrote in his monthly newsletter, this is an important reminder from the District Safety Team that all Trumbull Public Schools' campuses are closed to the public during school hours. Only individuals with official business at one of our schools are allowed on school campuses during the school day. This means that walks through our campus (particularly with our active construction) are not allowed when school is in session. We appreciate everyone's understanding and recognition that this expectation increases the safety of our students and staff.

Please see the list below of some important upcoming dates:

• Phones are to remain off and placed in either their locker or backpack during the school day (7:35AM-2:30PM). We will make an announcement at the beginning of the school day to remind our students.
• The announcement reads as follows: “Please take this time right now to make sure your cell phones are turned off (not silenced) and placed away in your backpacks or lockers. Smartwatches may not be used for texting or messaging. Students are not permitted to use these devices during the school day.”
• If families need to contact their children, please do not text them. Please call the main office, who will get in contact with them.
• If students need to contact their families, they may use the phone in the main office to do so.
• Phones may be collected during assessments to maintain academic integrity.
• If students are found to be using their phones or storing their phones anywhere other than a backpack or locker, we will hold the device in the main office until the end of the day. If the same students are repeatedly not following the district policy, we will ask a family member to collect the device from the office at the end of the day.
• School staff may call a family or request a meeting if their children are having difficulty following these expectations.
• In regards to wearable smart technology (i.e. smartwatches), students may wear those during the school day. If our students are observed using their watches for texting/communicating, we will ask them to put those devices away as well.

The Last Halaby Fig Tree Fundraiser:

Back in 1982, a branch was cut from a fig tree in Richmond, Virginia and planted in Ken and Linda Halaby’s backyard here in Trumbull, in memory of Linda’s father. That one branch is where every fig tree in this fundraiser comes from. 150+ trees later, growing in 20+ states, and this is the year it wraps up.

Ken said it best: “When we started sharing these trees, I never imagined they’d be growing in backyards across more than 20 states. Linda and I have been blessed to share this tradition with so many wonderful people, and our hope is that this final fundraiser inspires others to continue supporting our schools and our community for years to come.”

And this year’s crop might be the best one yet. Ken’s been out checking on the trees and says it’s the most prolific year for figs in 40 years.

Here’s why it matters. Every donation goes straight to the ACE Foundation and the Ken Halaby Attitude Is Everything Program, the same funding that keeps clubs like We the People, Geography Club, DECA, E-Sports, Math Teams, Model UN and Mock Trial running for Trumbull kids. You buy a tree, a kid gets to keep doing what they love.

Trees range from 5 feet to 10 feet tall this year. Average donation price is $250 (tax deductible), though it varies with tree size. Delivery’s available for $35 if you can’t pick up. Appointments run August 17-29.

For those who may be unaware, the board of education prohibits students from riding "bicycles, skateboards, roller blades, scooters, or unregistered motorized vehicles to school." That policy can be found here. Thank you for your support with this!

1. Mrs. Laird and I are currently reading The Digital Delusion by Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath.

2. This week, our staff read this article which shares different activities they can do to liven up the beginning of the school year for our students.

As a reminder, Agriscience cannot be used a place to drop off or pick up students. Students who are walking home from school are not permitted to cut through the Agriscience campus.

The traffic in the back parking lot has steadily increased throughout the week, which I am guessing is a result of the delays we have seen with buses. If you are dropping your children off, I would ask that you please remember the following:

1. Please be patient and drive at a slow speed to be mindful of pedestrians in the parking lot,

2. Please keep the traffic flowing by dropping your kids off and pulling through the rest of the line,

3. Please maintain one line of traffic, not two, as to not inadvertently block teachers from parking in their assigned spaces.

4. Please stay to the right with your vehicles, as to not block the driveway.

We strive on a daily basis to provide a safe environment for all students, and to promote safe practices with them as well. We will continue to educate students about what safe behavior looks like and what our expectations are for safe behaviors. We see this as a partnership with our families. I ask that you please remind your children to be kind to each other, to keep their hands to themselves, and that there is never an acceptable time or moment to use slurs of any kind. This article from the American Psychological Association gives families tips on how to potentially address way to have these discussions.

If you interested in receiving summaries from your child's Google Classrooms, click here to access the directions on how to do so.

For the safety of our students and to avoid any overcrowding issues, students should only ride the bus they are assigned to unless issued an exception by the transportation department. Drivers are instructed not to admit any student to their bus that is not assigned or has not been given an exception from Transportation. Exceptions should be for child care reasons or emergencies and not used for playdates. Using a school bus for anything other than home to school transportation is prohibited.

Please see this flyer on helpful tips to navigate the Parent Portal of Infinite Campus.

Email: brickert@trumbullps.org
Website: https://hms.trumbullps.org/
Location: Hillcrest Middle School, Daniels Farm Road, Trumbull, CT, USA
Phone: 203-452-4466