March 2025 Edition of the Heron NEST

MAR 10-14: Education Support Professionals Week

MAR. 11: HCE PTA Meeting | 3:45 PM

MAR. 12: Seattle Opera Assembly | 2:00 PM

MAR. 14: End of 2nd Trimester

MAR. 17: Teacher Workday | NO SCHOOL

MAR. 18: Leprechaun Day

MAR. 19: Class Picture Day

MAR. 21: PTA Family Movie Night | 6:00 PM

MAR. 26: Connected & Protected: Digital Safety Forum for Families | 5:30 PM | OHHS

MAR. 28: PTA Student Store

Greetings, Hillcrest Families!

This month, we would like to take a moment to recognize the incredible dedication of Hillcrest’s Education Support Professionals and the vital role they play in caring for and supporting our students every day. Their unwavering commitment, compassion, and empathy profoundly impact our school community. My deepest gratitude goes to our paraeducators, office staff, custodial team, food service workers, nursing support staff, and transportation staff. These individuals are passionate about working with children; their efforts truly enhance our students’ school experience. I encourage you to take a moment to thank a classified staff member for their invaluable service.

Respectfully,

Paula Seaman

Hillcrest Principal

#We'reBetterTogether

#OneOakHarbor

O'Connor Photography will be at Hillcrest on Wednesday, March 19, to take Class Group Photos. In addition to this group photo, each student has the opportunity to be photographed for a Spring Individual Green Screen Portrait. 

Only students who pre-order an Individual Portrait Package will be photographed. All students will be photographed in the Class Group photo. If you want your child to get an Individual Portrait taken or order their Class Group photo, click below to pre-order today!

You can also purchase by visiting  www.oconnorphotographystudio.com

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the O'Connor Photography Studio directly at 1-800-993-4929.

Our kindergarteners are hard at work designing their traps in hopes of catching the mischievous leprechauns that will be on the loose in the classrooms and corridors of Hillcrest this coming weekend! Staff and students are invited to show their support for their Annual Leprechaun Hunt when we all return to school on Tuesday, March 18. Wear your finest St. Patrick's Day gear or any of the colors of the Irish flag: green, white, and/or orange.

Hillcrest families will not want to miss this important and informative evening!

Oak Harbor Public Schools and the District Parent Advisory Committee, in collaboration with the Anxious Generation, will be hosting an in-person digital safety forum on March 26 from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Oak Harbor High School.

The forum will cover a variety of topics and include a keynote from Katherine Martinko, author of Childhood Unplugged: Practical Advice to Get Kids Off Screens and Find Balance. There will be breakout sessions for families to ask questions and get more information to help keep kids safe online. Childcare (ages 4-12) and dinner will be provided!

New enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year opens on April 1! Current families, please review your information in Skyward and update, if necessary.

If you have a kindergartener joining us, we invite you to our upcoming Kindergarten Orientation from 5:00-6:00 pm. on Thursday, April 17. Kindergarten Orientation is a great chance for your child to meet teachers and staff and see their school! And you’ll be able to ask questions and learn about school routines. Get a head start today with our Kindergarten Family Guide at www.ohsd.net/HereWeGrow, and reach out if you have any questions.

Thank you to all our staff volunteers and Hillcrest families for making STEM night so much fun!

Check out the future dream jobs of these Herons!

There is still time to order your 2024-2025 Hillcrest Yearbook! Sales end on April 25, 2025.

Soft-cover yearbooks are $20, and a hard-cover version is available for $26. Additionally, all yearbooks come with two complimentary pages, which are customizable so that parents can upload family photos of their choosing from the school year. Your two customizable pages are FREE and appear ONLY in your yearbook. Click here to purchase today!

Dear Hillcrest Elementary Families,

All Oak Harbor Public School Elementary students receive free breakfast and lunch this year. All elementary schools, except Hillcrest, have qualified their students for free breakfast and lunch for the next school year. We want to ensure that our students have the same opportunities as the other students in our district. Please follow the directions below to fill out the free/reduced application, even if you already filled one out this year. 

To expedite your application, we encourage you to fill out an electronic application. You only need to fill out one application for all of your family members.

Please let us know if have any questions, 360-279-5200.

As we continue to see students with respiratory virus symptoms in our health room, I encourage families to find out how we can keep each other safe and stop the spread. Click the image below to view or download the PDF.

Congratulations to our most recent Purposefull People Students of the Month! Our February character trait was HONESTY, and their classmates nominated this group for "being truthful in what you say or do." Last week, this hard-working group of Herons was treated to a Purposefull People Principal's Party and awarded certificates honoring their commitment to honesty. Way to go, Herons!