What's Happening At The Hive!

• Monday, 4/14-Wednesday, 4/16: Illinois Science Assessment for 5th graders
• Friday, 4/18: NO SCHOOL
• Monday, 4/21: 6:00 pm Board of Education Meeting, 41 E. Elmwood Drive, Chicago Heights, IL 60411
• Tuesday, 4/22; 5:00-7:00 pm HH PTO Earth Day Clean-Up
• Thursday, 4/24: 6:00 pm HH PTO Meeting on Zoom
• Wednesday, 4/30: 6:30 pm First Grade Concert

With the exception of a few make-ups tests, we have completed Illinois Assessment of Readiness! Thank you to parents and students for your work on coming to school on time, getting plenty of rest, and being well-prepared. We look forward to the initial results in the summer and the final results in the fall to view student progress and growth. This week we continue with the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) for 5th graders.

Congratulations to our 4th and 5th grade choir students for an outstanding performance this week! These students have worked so hard this year developing their vocal talents. They also participated in a recording session with Mx. G. on Friday!

We are also so proud to announce the winners of the March Capturing Kids Heart challenge. These students were honored for their demonstration of courage and perseverance. Congratulations!

Construction continues on the Heather Hill addition and great progress is being made. We now have two walls and a concrete floor. One of the doors in the gym has been bricked up to extend the wall. Next week students and staff will have an opportunity to sign an I-Beam that will be used in the construction.

Parker Junior High Course Catalog

The 2025-2026 Parker Junior High School course catalog was approved which outlines the course sequences for English Language Arts [ELA], Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Physical Education / Encore classes. The catalog includes brief descriptions of each course, placement information, and course criteria. The complete catalog can be found here.

STEAM Lab Updates

This school year, the STEAM labs at Heather Hill and Serena Hills schools will be prioritized as part of the classroom refresh projects. The STEAM labs at Flossmoor Hills and Western Avenue will undergo similar updates during the 2025-26 school year as part of their classroom refresh initiatives. The Creative Learning Systems STEAM Lab updates will include: Computer and equipment updates and installation, base software installation and paid software licenses, Creative Learning Systems curriculum support, and professional development through the Learning Hub. The Board report and invoices are located here.

Lyle was selected to join an elite alliance soccer team and travelled to Wheeling, IL for a soccer tournament. He scored two goals and helped his team play to the championship game!

Do you have a student accomplishment you'd like to celebrate with the Heather Hill community? Please email Principal Carol Humm at chumm@sd161.org and include a description and picture of your student. We love to celebrate students' accomplishments!

Digital citizenship is important in keeping children safe online! Once a month, during library time, K-5 students receive badges for learning about digital citizenship. Students will receive a certificate at the end of the year for their participation. Families can access this Digital World Basics/ Social Media video to continue the conversations at home.

We are continuing to work 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.

Parents and guardians please remember that safety is our number one priority at Heather Hill! For that reason....

1. Please make sure to pull fully to the curb before letting your child(ren) out of the car. Double-parking is dangerous.
2. Please do not block driveways so buses and transportation can enter and exit the parking lots.
3. Please do not block cross-walks for the safety of all pedestrians.
4. Please do not do 3-point turns in the school zone.
5. Please do not park in no parking zones or stop in no standing, stopping, or parking zones.

We have seen an increase in these behaviors and there have been some very unsafe situations. Since the weather is colder and more families are choosing to drive, please be aware of these important safety practices. Thank you for your help in keeping all children and adults safe!

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.

Just a friendly reminder to all parents/guardians per the letter sent home on 10/10 regarding lunch drop-off procedures. Please leave all lunches in the lobby! We have bins and post-it notes for parents to label the meals with names and grade levels. There is no need to enter the office as our staff will check the bins both before and during the lunch periods. Thank you for your help in this process!

• 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.

In order to ensure the safety of all students, families may only bring non-edible birthday treats to school to share with classmates. We cannot accept any food items to distribute to students as many students have serious food allergies. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

We are looking for a crossing guard for at least the next few months! Crossing guards would need to be available from 7:30-8:15 am and from 2:45-3:30 pm each day. If interested, please visit the Job Opportunities website with the Village of Flossmoor. Thank you!

Please view the SD161 Student Handbook for important information.

Want to show your appreciation for outstanding work from a staff member? Nominate them for #AboveAndBeyond! Use this form to nominate a staff member today!

Please review the SD161 24-25 Calendar for a list of days when school is/is not in session.

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.

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
Twitter: @TheHornetsHive