Hill Elementary PTA

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | #

A

• A/B/C Day – Daily rotation schedule for Specials/Essential Areas. (PE, Music, Art, & Marathon Kids)
• Absence – Missing an entire instructional day. Will be classified as Excused or Unexcused, based on AISD policy. Parents must inform the teacher and AISD explaining absence within 48 hours of returning to school to get it excused. 
• AISD – Austin Independent School District.
• AmazonSmile – The Amazon you know: same products, prices, and service, with the added benefit that Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchases to Hill PTA. Shop at www.smile.amazon.com and select Hill Elementary PTA as your charitable organization.
• AP – Assistant Principal. Hill has two full-time APs. (also: Advanced Placement in high school)
• ARD – Admission, Review and Dismissal committee convened for each student identified as needing a full and individual evaluation for special education services. The eligible student and his/her parents are members of the committee.
• Assembly – Morning meeting for all students to start the school day with announcements. Begins promptly at 7:35 in the Cafeteria/Gym.

B

• Benchmarks – AISD assessment for 2nd-5th Grades to check student’s progress in the district’s curriculum. BOY=Beginning Of Year, MOY=Middle Of Year, EOY=End Of Year.
• Birthday Books – Parents donate $15 for a new book to go in the library. The student is the first to check it out and is commemorated inside the book. Student is also recognized at Assembly, on the wall outside the library, and in a slideshow in the library.
• BLEND – Online learning platform where teachers can present lessons, quizzes, and other interactive learning for students. BLEND is built upon the Canvas Learning Management System and can be accessed via the Parent Cloud.
• BrainPopJr – Educational tool with animated videos and activities that explain difficult concepts in a fun, engaging format.
• Buddy Class – Upper grade class and lower grade class paired up for informal mentoring.

C

• CAC – Campus Advisory Council. Comprised of community, school, and parent representatives to inform decisions regarding facilities, campus procedures and other school community agenda items.
• Café – Small cafeteria by office. Named for beloved former counselor, Jan Phillips.
• Carnival – PTA fundraiser that  Includes rides, games, activities, and food.
• CLI – Creative Learning Initiative. Process of integrating physical movement and the arts into traditional learning to reinforce concepts. Commons – Building where 5th Grade classes are held.
• CST – Child Study Team. Parents, teachers, and administrators who are familiar with a child collaborate to identify where that student might need extra support.

D

• Dash – Our mascot. He makes appearances at special school functions.
• Dillo Camp – Hill staff host various fun summer camps during the first two weeks of summer break.
• Dillo Dads – An informal group of Hill parents who assist with campus projects.
• Dillo Details – Weekly eNewsletter. Subscribe via www.hillelementary.com.
• Dillo Donations – PTA “no hassle” fundraiser.
• Dillo Quest – Overnight adventure-based team building event for our 5th Graders.
• District of Innovation – Concept passed by the 84th Legislative session that gives school districts more flexibility.
• DRA – Developmental Reading Assessment. Identifies a student’s reading level, accuracy, fluency, and comprehension.

E

• ELA – English Language Arts. Curriculum for developing and sustaining language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking.
• ELL – English Language Learner.
• ESL – English as a Second Language.
• Essential Areas – Music, Art, and Physical Education. Rotate daily on A/B/C schedule. Also called Specials.
• Excused Absence or Tardy – When approved documentation has been provided in a timely manner for AISD-approved reason for missing instruction. 

F

• FABPAC – Facilities And Bond Planning Advisory Committee. A group of citizens appointed by the Board of Trustees to evaluate capital improvement needs of the district and to provide recommendations on long-range facilities planning, amendments to the Facility Master Plan, and the scope of work and timing of future bond programs.
• Facility Master Plan – Outline of the current status and future use of district facilities which guides the development of future capital improvements, and supports planning for future bond elections.

G

• GoNoodle – Teacher tool that brings together physical activity, interactive learning, and mindfulness to activate students’ bodies and brains.
• G/T – Gifted and Talented and Talent Exploration (GATE). Students are eligible to be screened through a nomination process. Information and forms are in the GT Parent Corner on AISD’s website.

H

• Heritage Fashion Show – A parade exploring the wonderfully diverse cultures of our Hill community.
• Hill Agreements – Our school’s core agreements. Attentive Listening, Mutual Respect, Appreciations/No Put Downs, Right to Participate, and Dillo Best.
• Hill Harbor – Special playground just for Pre-K and Kindergarten. Located by 3rd Grade portables, behind the Library.
• Homeroom Parent – Parent that passes school information along to other parents in the class and organizes special activities (class parties, Teacher Appreciation Week, etc).
• Hoopla – Adult-only fundraiser held in the Spring. Includes food, music, and silent auction.

I

• IB – International Baccalaureate. Philosophy/program of integrating learning across subjects with a global perspective and involving community service. Murchison and Anderson are IB schools.
• IEP – Individualized Education Plan. Written record of the individual education program prepared by the ARD committee for a student who is eligible for special education services.
• iStation – Online learning tool and assessment of a student’s reading and comprehension abilities.

K

• Kelso’s Choices – Conflict management curriculum that includes nine options students can choose to resolve conflict.
• Kinder Roundup – New Pre-K and Kinder students visit the school while parents finalize registration. Officially known as Registration and Orientation. Held in the Spring for students entering the following Fall.

M

• Marathon Kids – Program for students to track their laps/miles run during WOW time. Rewards are earned for each marathon (26.2 miles) completed.
• Math Buddies – Parent volunteers mentor and help students with math.
• Math Pentathlon – After-school program where children learn to play five math-based games. Interested students may compete in district-wide competition in the Spring.
• Math Specialist – Teacher who works with students who need extra support in math. Referrals are made by staff.

P

• PALS – Peer Assistance Leadership and Service. A mentoring program.
• Parent Cloud – AISD’s online portal for parents. Accessed via https://my.austinisd.org.
• Partners In Education (PIE) – Program recognizing local businesses who donate money, time, and gifts to Hill.
• Peace Area – Space set aside in each classroom where students can take a break when needed.
• PPCD – Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities. Under the Special Education umbrella.
• Principal Coffee – Monthly meeting of parents with the Principal. Meets in the library after Drop-Off.
• PTA – Parent Teacher Association. Run by volunteers, PTA advocates for children’s issues, provides assistance/support to teachers, and raises money to run a variety of school programs. Committees handle different responsibilities (see website). Monthly meetings are held in the library after Drop-Off. All parents/guardians are strongly encouraged to be members; join at hillelementary.com/join-pta.

R

• Randall’s Good Neighbor Program – Randall’s donates 1% of your total grocery purchase to Hill PTA. Go to their customer service desk and enter 709 in the charity line of the application.
• Reading Specialist – Teacher who works with students who need extra support in reading. Referrals are made by staff.
• Reflections – National PTA program in which students submit original works of art in Visual Arts, Literature, Musical Composition, Dance, Film, and Photography.

S

• Safety Patrol – 4th and 5th Grade students who help ensure safe and efficient Drop-Off and Pick-Up.
• SchoolCafe – Website and App for managing cafeteria funds. Includes menus and nutrition.
• SchoolCashOnline – AISD’s online payment tool. Use for grade-level fees, Dillo Camp, etc.
• SEL – Social Emotional Learning. Program that teaches self-management, self-awareness, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
• SchoolMessenger – AISD’s communication tool. Parents can set their preferred modes of district communication in the Parent Cloud.
• Sign-In/Sign-Out – Required for any non-student on campus. Announce yourself at the front door, then head directly to the office to put your name and destination into the computer system, Raptor. You will receive a printed name badge that is to be visible at all times. Before leaving campus, return to the office to sign out of the system and turn in your printed name badge.
• Sister School – Hill collaborates with Graham Elementary on various collection drives and other activities throughout the year.
• Sock Hop – Fifties-style evening of food and fun for the whole family. Typically in early fall..
• Special Education – Specially designed instruction to meet the needs of a student with a disability. Includes a range of educational and social services provided in the public school.
• Specials – Music, Art, and Physical Education. Rotate daily on A/B/C schedule. Essential Areas.
• SPED – SPecial EDucation.
• Spirit Nights – Families gather at local restaurants and a portion of that night’s sales are donated back to the Hill PTA.
• Sports Day – Students participate in outdoor games and activities to foster healthy minds and bodies, usually late Spring
• STAAR – State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness. A standardized test that 3rd-5th Grade students take during the Spring. 3rd Grade: Reading and Math; 4th Grade: Reading, Math and Writing; 5th Grade: Reading, Math and Science.
• Switch Class – Students change classes during the day to receive instruction from another teacher, typically Math/Science or Reading/Language Arts.

T

• TA – Teacher’s Assistant.
• Take Flight – Two year curriculum for students with Dyslexia. Participating students work in small groups with a Take Flight instructor during Language Arts time.
• Tardy – Missing part of an instructional day (coming late or leaving early). Will be classified as Excused or Unexcused, based on AISD policy.
• TEA – Texas Education Agency. Oversees all public school activity and curriculum.
• TEKS – Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. Pre-K through 12th grade curriculum..

U

• UIL – University Interscholastic League. Provides extracurricular academic, athletic, and fine arts competitions for public schools in Texas.
• Unexcused Absence or Tardy – When a student has missed instruction and parent has not provided approved documentation for the absence or tardy to be Excused (based on AISD policy). Can negatively affect state funding that Hill receives.

V

• Vertical Team – All the schools that feed up to a specific high school. Hill is in the Anderson vertical team.
• Volunteer Training – Registration and training is required for any adult to volunteer at the school or on a field trip. Trainings are conducted by school administration several times during the year. Volunteers must sign a confidentiality agreement and pass a background check conducted through AISD.

W

• Winter Carnival – Kinder classes gather in the cafeteria to enjoy crafts and games before Winter Break.
• WOW – Working Out for Wellness. WOW time is used for Marathon Kids laps and brain breaks.

Y

• Yellow Brick Wall – Half-wall by the front doors. Common space for school notices.

Z

#

• 504 – A formal plan created for a student with a qualifying disability. Based on section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act.

Have a suggested addition?  Email president@hillelementary.com.