October Edition of The Heron Nest

NOW - OCT. 8: PTA Fall Fudraiser

OCT. 4 HCE Spirit Wear Friday

OCT. 4: Impact Aid Survey Deadline

OCT 8: PTA Meeting | 3:45 PM | HCE Library

OCT 8: Ribbon-Cutting Celebration for New Communication Boards | 4:30 PM | HCE Playground

OCT. 11: HCE Spirit Wear Friday

OCT. 11: Popcorn Friday

OCT 17: Kindergarten Field Trip to Schuh Farms

OCT 25: Boo Bingo Family Night | 5:30 PM | HCE Gym

OCT 26: Spook Harbor Trunk or Treat | 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM | OHHS Parking Lot

OCT. 31: Halloween Costume Dress Up Day

NOV. 1: Picture Retake Day

Heritage, history, and awareness.

Greetings Hillcrest Families!

Well, that went fast! We have finished a successful first month of school and are on to October's fun and event-filled month!

As always, thank you for your support as part of our education team!

Respectfully,

Paula Seaman

Hillcrest Principal

#We'reBetterTogether

#OneOakHarbor

We are so excited for our upcoming Hillcrest Elementary Scholastic Book Fair and associated School Spirit Dress-Up Days! This year's book fair is open Monday, October 14 through Friday, October 18, and will be located in the main hallway.

ALL purchases benefit our school by adding valuable books and resources to our classrooms and school library. Book Fair proceeds also provide Scholastic News Magazine subscriptions for every student as well as Heron Hurrah book prizes.

Be sure to share information with out-of-town friends and families who can participate in our book fair by shopping online. Our online Book Fair option offers FREE shipping to your HOME with orders over $25!

Learn more about online options and get information on how to set up a cashless E-Wallet payment option for your child: Hillcrest Scholastic Book Fair Online

It's sure to be an "eerie-sistible" evening of "spook-tacular" fun on "Frightday" (that's Friday, Oct. 25)! Students and family members are invited to wear their Halloween costumes and join the fun! ! Bring a canned food donation and receive an EXTRA Bingo card pack.

The doors open at 5:30 PM and bingo games begin at 5:45 PM.

This PTA Family Fun Night will feature a variety of bingo games and prizes, a bake sale, a concession stand, and the Dominos Pizza Family Meal Deal!

Look for more information to come home with students in the coming weeks and please consider volunteering to help with this event by clicking the link below.

On Tuesday, October 8 at 4:30 p.m. Oak Harbor Public Schools will celebrate inclusion and belonging on school playgrounds with the installation of communication boards. These large will allow students to communicate with each other and with staff similarly as they do with assistive devices provided in the classroom.

Two students from Mrs. Wright Vendiola's class will get to handle the big scissors for the ribbon-cutting ceremony and will assist in demonstrating how the boards can be used to communicate with their peers.

Everyone is welcome and we hope to see you there!

Thank you Oak Harbor Educational Foundation and community supporters!

Learn more from the OHPS Press Release.

👻🎃Save the date for our upcoming Spook Harbor Trunk or Treat event!👻🎃

Families are invited to attend a FREE community trunk or treat event organized by Oak Harbor Public Schools, School PTAs, and Living Word Church on Saturday, October 26, beginning at 4 PM at Oak Harbor High School.

We are currently seeking volunteers and trunks for the event! If you are interested, please consider signing up to volunteer! https://tinyurl.com/spookharborvolunteers

Here's a look back at a few of our favorite September photos!

Our PTA Membership Drive ends on Monday, October 7 and the race is tight! The classroom with the most adult memberships wins a party.

Our Fall Fundraiser is underway and the fun is in full swing! U-Crew Tables will be available during lunch recess daily through Monday, Oct. 7 for students to turn in coupons for items they’ve sold in exchange for U-Crew Characters. All order forms and payments for non-online purchases are due by the AM bell on Tuesday, Oct. 8.

Cleaning out your costume bin? Bring unwanted costumes to Hillcrest throughout October for Herons in need of one.

Popcorn Friday returns to Hillcrest for the first time this school year on Oct. 11 and we’re looking for volunteers to help us pop and distribute. Can’t help but want to adopt a classroom for only $12?

We are excited to announce that orders are now open for our yearbook!

Soft-cover yearbooks are $20 and a hard-cover version for $26. Additionally, all yearbooks come with 2 complimentary pages which are customizable so that parents can upload family photos of their choosing from the school year. Act now through Oct. 31 and receive 10% off all purchases. Click here to purchase today!

Introducing NutriSlice, an online and convenient way to view your child's school lunch menu with intuitive features and engaging designs.  NutriSlice helps communicate about the healthy foods we serve and our menus are directly uploaded to the system monthly. Once downloaded, open the app, search for Oak Harbor Public Schools, and select Hillcrest.

With NutriSclice, you can:

The “Providing Free School Meals for All” legislation provides meals at no cost to students enrolled at elementary schools where 30% or more of children are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. All students at Hillcrest are eligible for one breakfast and one lunch daily at no cost, regardless of household income. Free and Reduced Lunch Applications determine continuing eligibility for this program at our school next year. A school's eligibility provides no-cost meals and helps maintain other state educational funding like LAP and Title funds, which pay for classroom resources and reduce school fees. We are asking all Hillcrest families to complete this application by October 15.

Congratulations to our most recent Purposefull People Students of the Month! Our character trait focus for September was RESPECT and these students were nominated by their classmates for their efforts "in seeing value in all people and things and treating them with value." The group was treated to a Purposefull People Principal's Party and awarded certificates honoring their commitment to being respectful. Way to go, Herons!

For young children, structure and routines help them gain self-confidence. Plus, families run more smoothly with a morning breakfast ritual, a getting-to-school routine, age-appropriate chores, shared family dinners and regular bedtimes. Research confirms that when children have strong routines at home, they have better school attendance, as well as an easier time in school with both learning and friendships. Kids who feel grounded in their home life can better regulate their emotions and cope with transitions. Growing up with structure also leads to greater resilience, which helps kids bounce back from sad or tough events and become even stronger. It's also important to note that while routines benefit everyone, they're especially helpful for kids with autism, ADHD, and anxiety. These children often need consistent daily schedules and comforting rituals to feel their best.

Parents also benefit from solid routines. Healthy patterns reduce stress levels and ease power struggles among family members. Of course, family routines evolve as children get older. Schedules get busier, kids develop their own social lives and life is often full of twists. But rather than giving up the structure and routines you've created, adjust them to meet your family's needs. They're too valuable to lose! For more information visit https://www.seattlechildrens.org/health-safety/good-growing