The Weekly Update Panther Pride

Dear Hillcrest and Pine Avenue Families,

At Hillcrest and Pine Avenue, we know that learning grows best in a community where students feel connected, supported, and valued. This month, our schoolwide focus has been on strengthening positive peer relationships—helping students learn how to work together, communicate kindly, and solve problems with empathy.

Students are also practicing perseverance and a growth mindset as they navigate social situations. Whether they’re taking turns, working through disagreements, or learning how to include others, we’re helping them understand that relationships—just like academics—take practice, patience, and effort. Mistakes become opportunities to learn, and every day brings new chances to try again.
We are already seeing students grow in this area, especially since we increased their recess time. The additional unstructured play has given students more opportunities to practice cooperation, build friendships, and apply perseverance and growth-mindset skills in real time.
We are proud of the way our Panthers are growing—not just academically, but socially and emotionally. Every day, we see students encouraging one another, celebrating each other’s successes, and learning what it means to be part of a caring school community.

Thank you for reinforcing these values at home. Together, we’re helping our students build the strong, healthy relationships that will support them throughout their lives.

Your partner in education,

Dr. Konowalow and Ms. Jaeck

Perseverance Grade 1

Perseverance Grade 2

Perseverance Grade 3

Perseverance Grade 4

Perseverance Grade 5

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:

Students in Mrs. Benjamin's class were busy this week bringing math to life across the building! From manipulating numbers on our 12‑foot number line to rotating through hands‑on measurement stations, classrooms were full of movement, exploration, and problem‑solving.

Students in Mrs. Wickes third grade classroom practiced measuring liquid volume, mass, and length using real tools and real‑world scenarios. These experiences helped deepen their understanding as they worked toward our learning intention: I am learning how to measure and solve problems involving mass and liquid volume using the correct units and tools.

Our first grade STEM learners joined the excitement too, engaging in creative, inquiry‑based challenges that stretched their thinking and encouraged teamwork. Their curiosity and persistence were on full display.

Our school continues to shine as a place where students learn by doing—and where math feels meaningful, active, and fun.