Wondering what camp to send your child to this summer? We’ve got plenty to choose from.

Camp Invention

Enroll today at CampInvention.org or call 800-968-4332. And if you enter SPRING at the website to save $15 off your total when you register by May 31.

More camps

Also learn more about the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Summer Camp at Small Middle School and the Little Stars Camp at the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders.

Below is Principal Ellis’ letter to parents on how to access this information.

Dear Parent:

Hill Elementary School is sharing this information about the district and your child’s campus with you as part of its obligations under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB).

NCLB Report Cards for the state as a whole, the district, and each of the district’s campuses are now available on the district’s web site at AustinISD.org.

NCLB Report Cards for the state as a whole, all school districts and charter schools, and all campuses are also available on the Texas Education Agency’s NCLB web site.

Information on these report cards includes:

• Assessment results for the LEA and campuses in the aggregate and disaggregated by race/ethnicity, gender, disability status, migrant status, English proficiency, and economically disadvantaged showing two-year trend data (across the most recent previous two school years) for each subject and grade tested by performance level, with a comparison between annual objectives and actual performance for each student group, and the percentage of each group of students not tested.
• Graduation rates for secondary school students.
• Performance of school district and campuses on adequate yearly progress (AYP) measures.
• Number and names of Title I schools identified as in need of improvement, including the stage of improvement and AYP indicator missed by any schools identified for improvement.
• Professional qualifications of teachers in the LEA and campuses, including the percentage of teachers teaching with emergency or provisional credentials and the percentage of classes in the LEA and campuses that are not taught by highly qualified teachers, including a comparison between high-and low-poverty campuses within the LEA.

Sincerely,
Beth Ellis,
Principal

If you have difficulty accessing the information from the web site, hard copies of the reports are available at the district central office or through the campus principal’s office. If you have questions about the information, please contact Beth Ellis, Principal.

What is it, you ask? Simply an opportunity to expose youngsters to all the wonderful things that Hill Elementary has to offer: certified (a.k.a. awesome) teachers, hands-on learning — all as part of a full-day program. And word on the streets is that it’s less expensive than most daycare.

Who is eligible? Little people who will be 4 years old on or before Sept. 1, 2012, and do not already qualify for the state-mandated pre-kindergarten program.

For more information on the tuition-based program and to download an application, visit the Austin Independent School District website.

Don’t wait —- applications are being accepted through February. Spread the word. And check out the Top 10 reasons to choose Hill’s tuition-based Pre-K!

10. CONVENIENCE
- Our program shares the same hours as the rest of Hill Elementary, so for families with older kids, we’re your one-stop-shop!

9. PLAY-BASED/RESEARCH-BASED
- Hill Pre-K follows the practices taught by the Children’s Learning Institute, which is the Texas State Center for Early Childhood.

8. COST-EFFECTIVENESS
- Many Pre-K’s in the area charge over $1000/month. Our tuition is half that!

7. HIGHLY STRUCTURED
- We follow the same schedule every day, which provides an environment that is predictable and safe.

6. ALIGNED CURRICULUM
- Brand-new textbook adoption from Scholastic, which is aligned with the state-adopted Pre-K guidelines.

5. HILL COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
- Students participate in school-wide activities such as morning assembly, science fair, book fair, Sports Day, Hill Carnival and Winter Carnival.

4. EXPERIENCED TEACHERS
- Our teachers have more than 40 years of combined experience, are ESL-certified and have Master’s degrees in Elementary Ed.

3. NURTURING ENVIRONMENT
- Our teachers are always working to create a loving and safe learning environment for the Hill Pre-K students and their families!

2. KINDERGARTEN READINESS
- We focus on getting students ready for Kindergarten. Having a head start here at Hill makes a big difference with students’ confidence and comfort when moving up to kindergarten.

1. FUN!!!!
- We have a lot of fun learning in Pre-K!! From playing in research-based centers to science projects and going on field trips, we are busy with fun, authentic experiences all the time!

Here’s what our parents are saying:

“The Pre-K program at Hill Elementary has exceeded our expectations when it comes to academics, creativity and a safe, caring environment. Our son has attended other schools but did not thrive the way he is this year in the Hill program. He is not only excited about reading, writing, art, etc., but he is eager to share what happens during the day at school with us during dinner. He loves the activity centers and the ability to “check out” library books. He is striving to get “superstar” stickers for showing outstanding behavior. We are using some of the same techniques at home now. While it was a stressful decision to move him from his prior school to the Hill Pre-K program, both my husband and I agree it was a great move. We highly recommend Hill Pre-K. Thank you to Ms. Weinberg and Ms. Bloomquist for a great year.” — Linda B.

“When our son was born, we decided to teach him both English and Spanish. By his fourth birthday, he was learning, but clearly behind other children his age. At the time he entered the Hill Elementary Pre-K program, he could put two or three words together, recognize most of the alphabet, and count to 10. After months in the Pre-K program, he speaks in whole sentences, counts to 100 and can spell “dog,” “cat,” “pig,” etc. The progress is clearly above and beyond anything we could have expected. He is learning more Spanish at home also. We are so pleased and grateful. His teacher, Mrs. Rushing, and everyone at Hill Elementary should be commended for the professional caring work they do.” — David M.

“I have 3 children at Hill. My youngest is in the Pre-K program. She has blossomed and grown since transferring from Montessori. Hill Pre-K encourages organization, socialization and academic learning in a structured, positive and fun environment. I am confident that my daughter will be prepared for kindergarten.” — Kristie P.

Here’s what our Kinder teachers are saying:
“When I look at my kindergarten roster, I love when I see familiar students from Hill Pre-K. Not only are they already familiar with the rules and procedures of the school, they come in knowing their letters and sounds. Many are already writing, too. They know their colors, shapes and numbers, thanks to the fabulous Pre-K teachers at Hill.” — Shauna Langham

“As a kindergarten teacher, I know every year that students from the Hill Pre-K will be ready for kindergarten. Our Pre-K instructors are all certified teachers with a specialty in teaching young children. As a Blue Ribbon school and a Business and Education Award school, Hill is able to attract the very best qualified teachers. The Hill Pre-K curriculum is aligned with the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) and the AISD learning objectives. It provides a seamless transition to learning in the primary grades.

Students from our Hill Pre-K are also socially and emotionally ready for kindergarten. They’ve learned in a structured, loving environment. They know what it’s like to be in a school with older children in the hallways and the lunchroom. They have had so many advantages!” — Lori Huang

Mark your calendars and start diggin’ through the dress-up drawer. The Student Council has announced this year’s Dress-Up Days!

Jan. 27: Book Character Day
Feb.24: Superhero/heroine Day
Mar. 23: Pajama Day
Apr. 20: Crazy Hat/Crazy Hair Day
May 18: TBD

When your little one starts kindergarten, it can be traumatic and exciting and stressful and fun — for both the parent and the child. However, the good folks at Hill have lined up several events to help you and your child get ready.

There are a number of important dates for parents of incoming Kindergarteners, including school tours, playdates and story times.

Hill new-parent tours:
Tuesday, January 24 at 10:00
Thursday, February 16 at 10:00 a.m.
Wednesday, March 21 at 10:00 a.m.
Friday, April 20 at 10:00 a.m.
Monday, May 14 at 10:00 a.m.
Important note: Tours are geared toward adults. We recommend you make other arrangements for your children when you attend the tour.

Play dates at Hill for incoming Kindergartners:
February 9, 2:00 p.m.: Story time with our Librarian, Mrs. Pustka
March 9, 2:00: Play time on the main playground
April 11, 12:30-1:30: Play time at Hill Harbor playground
May 11, 2:00: Play time on the main playground
August 25, 10:00 a.m.: Play time on the main playground

Kindergarten Roundup
Tuesday, May 1, 9:00 a.m. in the Hill Cafeteria.

Please check in at the office when arriving for these events. For more information or to be added to our email distribution just pop us an email at newparentcoordinator@hillelementary.com

You can call Amanda Cagle at 300-9153 or Isabel S. Waisman 873-9121.

Summertime doesn’t mean things slow down at Anderson High. Below is a sample of some of the great things that are happening.

Sports, Fine Arts & Academic Camps
Anderson Band Camp – July 30 – Aug. 17; 8am – 5 pm; Aug. 20 – Aug. 24; 5 – 8 pm
Baseball Youth Camp – June 11 – 14; 9 am – noon
Boys Basketball Youth Camp (2nd – 5th grades) – June 11 – 14; 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Boys Basketball Youth Camp (6th – 9th grades) – June 11 – 14; 1:30 – 4:30 pm
Girls Basketball Youth Camp (6th – 9th grades) – June 4 – 6; 9 am – noon
Brandy Perryman Basketball Camp (2nd – 9th grades) – June 18 – 21; 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Toros Youth Basketball Camp (2nd – 9th grades) – June 25 – 28; 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Belles HS Team Camp – July 18 – 21; 8 am- 6 pm
Belles Kiddie Camp – July 23 – 26; 9 am – 4 pm
Kiddie Cheer Camp – July 20 – 22;
Football Youth Camp – June 4 – 7; 9 am – noon
Soccer Youth Camp (K – 5th grades) – June 11 – 14; 8 am – noon
Softball Youth Camp – June 18 – 21; 9 am – noon
Strength & Speed Camp – June 11 – July 26 M-TH (NOTE: No activities July 2 – 6)
10th–12th boys: 7 – 9 am; 9th boys & all girls: 9-11 am; 6th-8th: 11 am – noon
Volleyball HS Team Camp – July 11 – 14; 9 am – noon
Volleyball Youth Camp – June 6 – 9; 9 am – noon
Wrestling Youth Camp – July 25 – 28; 9 am – noon
Theater Camp (2nd–8th) – June 11-15;
Speech & Debate Camp – July 30 – Aug. 7;
Robotics Camp – July 11 – 21; 8am – 5pm
Swim Team Tryouts – July 11 – 13; 9 – 10 am
Tennis Camp (5th – 9th grades) – July 30 – Aug. 3; 8 am – noon
Volleyball Team Camp – July 20 – Aug 2
Wrestling Youth Camp – June 23 – 26; 9 am – noon

I hope everyone had a wonderful Spring Break!  I was able to enjoy some time off with my family, traveling to see my 90 year-old grandmother.  Upon our return to school, the students were so excited to share their travels around Texas, the US and the world with us at Assembly.  These journeys with family are so important, making memories and learning through experiencing different cultures and communities.

As we look towards next year, there are some staffing changes I’d like to tell you about. For 2012-2013, we are projected to have 1 class in Pre-k; 6 classes in kindergarten, and 2^nd-4^th grades; 7 classes in 1^st grade and 4 classes in 5^th grade.  We have several staff members who are retiring after many years of service:  Sandy Koss, Debbie Carlson and Nurse Nancy Mays.  At the end of the school year, 1^st grade teacher Andy Kokjohn is moving to Chicago with her family.  Lauren Weinberg will be on maternity leave until January, so Vonda Bloomquist will teach full-time Pre-k in the fall semester.  Alexa Rushing will be teaching kindergarten next year.  Laura Humple and Addie Edwards will be moving to the 1^st grade team.  JoEllen Claybrook will be teaching 4^th grade, teaming with Xan Benton.  Robin Olson will be teaching 3^rd grade, teaming with Lucy Moncada.

Students participated in the UIL Competition Run-offs last week.  I was so proud of the children for doing their Dillo Best on these events.  We have now selected the 5 representatives for each event in each grade level.  There are a few events that I am still in need of parent coaches, so if you are interested please contact me at 414-4270.

It is time to begin thinking about class placement for the 2012-2013 school year.  Parent input forms are available in the office, through Sandy Koss, beginning Monday, April 2 and are due back by April 22, 2012.

We’ve had STAAR testing in 4^th grade writing and 5^th grade reading and math.  The students are doing great on these tests, as we knew that they would!  As the testing ends, we look forward to getting back to the business of teaching and learning!  Have you seen all of the gardening that Hill Dillos are doing around the school?  This is a beautiful time of the year!

Beth Ellis