Weekend Update!

Happy Friday! I hope your children had a terrific week at school! Some of the highlights include participating in National No one Eats Alone Day both in an activity during lunch today and through this week's Advisory, both basketball teams advanced in the playoffs, we had a fire drill, we had a canned food drive, and we are beginning to celebrate Black History Month. We also acknowledged our incredible counseling department in honor of National School Counselors Week!

Stay warm this weekend! For those watching, enjoy the game! To my fellow Giants fans out there: next year is our year!

The floorplans/blueprints/design of the new building were approved by Trumbull's building committee last Tuesday night! This is a major milestone in the process, and a big step forward. Next, by all estimates the budgeting continues to look very favorable for our project, meaning that costs are not running significantly high! Finally, we are still on track to break ground early this summer! Once we have a definitive specific date, we will let you know immediately! Enjoy some artist renderings below!

Click here for the latest episode of Hawk Talk!

Please click this link to see our latest episode of News from the Nest!

To purchase a Hillcrest yearbook for $40, click here. Not sure if you already ordered? Check your email for a receipt from Jostens, or click here to look up your order. Thank you for supporting the Hillcrest yearbook!

Love is in the air—and so is the smell of fresh-baked cookies! Hillcrest PTA has teamed up with Big G’s Cookies to bring our families a sweet way to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Choose from a delicious lineup of gourmet favorites, perfect for kids, teachers, friends, or a well-deserved treat for yourself. 6 Cookie flavors and 3 options to create your own pack!

Order by tomorrow, Saturday, Feb 7th.

Pick-Up: Tuesday, February 10 | 4:00–6:00 PM at Hillcrest

Order here: https://hillcrestmspta.membershiptoolkit.com/form/m/368135

Make Valentine’s Day a little sweeter—and support Hillcrest PTA while you’re at it!

Attention all parents of 8th graders. Students will be receiving the 8th to 9th Grade Transition - Course Selection Elective Sheet and the 9th Grade Elective Course Options Sheet in their Science classes this week. Please complete the Course Selection Elective Sheet with your student. Trumbull High School counselors will be coming to Hillcrest and meeting with 8th graders on 2/9 to review these sheets and answer any questions your student may have.

Please see this letter regarding our student spectator expectations for the basketball season.

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!

Now that we have had after school activities for the past six weeks, I would like to take a moment to remind everyone of our procedures for after school:

• Unless otherwise noted by a teacher, all after school activities end at 3:15. Please make every effort to pick up your child at that time. We certainly understand that sometimes you can run into traffic, or any other number of things may come up. Truthfully, we are seeing students consistently picked well after 3:45 (and in some cases past 4PM). If your child is unable to get a ride when our activities end, we would suggest taking advantage of our of our late buses.
• Make sure to work out a plan with your kids before they leave the house. For example, if they want to stay after school for extra help with math, they should let you know in advance.
• Students should also have a plan as to how they will get home. If they are being picked up, that occurs in the front of the building. If they are taking a bus home, please review the routes before they go to school. The routes for our after school buses can be found here.
• Please note that the buses and routes are different from their typical school buses. Buses typically do not drop off at the same locations as they would for your child's normal bus. It will alleviate a great deal of stress to your kids if they review this with you before they leave for school.
• Please remind your children that they may only stay after school if they are getting extra help from a teacher, or participating in a club.

Volunteering is one of the best ways to get involved, meet other families, and make a real difference in our students’ school experience. Whether you have a little time or a lot, there’s a role for everyone. The PTA is looking for helping hands (or even leaders!) to join or chair committees for:

🎉 Fundraising – Bring creative ideas to life and support key programs
💪 Wellness Fair – Promote health and wellness for our students
💌 Valentine Grams – Spread kindness and joy in February
🎓 8th Grade Dance – Help make this milestone event unforgettable
🏃‍♂️ Field Day – Plan one of the most fun days of the school year!

Your time, ideas, and energy make a huge difference — and we’d love to have you join us!

We’re excited to share this year’s Spirit Wear Calendar so you can plan ahead and join in on all the fun! From cozy favorites to spirit days and special events, there’s something for everyone to look forward to.

Mark your calendars, stock up on your Hillcrest gear, and get ready to show your school spirit all year long! 💛💜

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xs8B3gszxI0EiwrefA9__Z0HNvH9DDTt/view?usp=sharing

Be part of the Hillcrest PTA for 2025–2026 and stay connected all year long! Members get early access to school news and events, our online directory, and exclusive PTA activities—plus you’ll be supporting the programs that make Hillcrest great! Join Today - https://hillcrestmspta.membershiptoolkit.com/form/m/336710

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

1. Mrs. Laird and I are currently reading This is So Awkward by Cara Natterson & Vanessa Kroll Bennett.

2. This week, our staff read this article on different approaches to differentiating instruction and assessment.

Join us in earning cash for HMS by using the Box Tops app. It’s an easy way to make a difference. All you have to do is buy Box Tops participating products (like Cheerios!) and scan your grocery receipt. The grade level that earns the most will win extra outdoor fun at the end of the year.
Get started today at BTFE.com. Use referral code GZ3U8TZ9 when you sign up.

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.

I know this was shared in our Welcome Back letter, but I would like to reiterate the importance of following our procedure. For the beginning and end of the school day, students may ONLY be dropped off or picked up in the back of the building at Door 13. As you are waiting to drop your children off, please do not park in a staff, yellow parking space. Each space will be used in the back of the building and if a family member is parked in a yellow space, staff will not be able to get into the building on time. Thank you for your patience and cooperation!

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.

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.

Did you know that Hillcrest has its own Instagram page and Twitter feed? Follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/hillcrestmshawks/. Follow us on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/HMSTrumbull/ . This is a great resource for families to get a glimpse of day to day life at Hillcrest!

If you think you may be interested in volunteering at some point this year for a Hillcrest event, please fill out this form and return it to the main office. Thank you!

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

Principal

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