Welcome back to another exciting school year at Hilltop Middle School! We hope you all had a restful and rejuvenating summer break. As we embark on a new academic year, we are thrilled to share our vision and plans for making this year exceptional for our students.
Hilltop’s Mission Statement:
At Hilltop Middle School, we foster a safe and inclusive environment where
students explore new ideas, develop skills, and discover their true selves
through engaging academic experiences, social-emotional learning, and
collaborative relationships with staff, parents, and the community.
In other words, our goal is to make sure our school is a safe and welcoming place for everyone. At Hilltop, students can try out new ideas, learn lots of different skills, and figure out who they really are. We want to make learning fun and interesting for students, and we're dedicated to helping students understand their feelings and how to work well with others. We also believe that working together with our families, our teachers, and our community makes our school an even better place to learn and grow.
This year, we are particularly excited to focus on the science of hope. Our goal is to help students set meaningful goals, create clear pathways to achieve those goals, and build the willpower necessary to overcome obstacles. By fostering a hopeful mindset, we believe our students will be better equipped to face challenges and succeed both academically and personally.
To support this initiative, we will continue to enhance our communication efforts. We understand the importance of keeping our families informed and involved in their children's education. This year, we will host parent nights and send out regular newsletters to keep you updated on school events, student achievements, and important information. Your partnership is crucial to our success, and we look forward to strengthening our connection with you.
Additionally, we are pleased to share that with lower class sizes this year, we will be able to provide even more individualized support to our students. Smaller class numbers will allow our dedicated teachers to focus more closely on each student's academic growth and provide tailored instruction to meet their unique needs.
We are eager to welcome our students back to a school year filled with opportunities for growth, learning, and discovery. Together, we will create a vibrant and supportive community where every student can thrive.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership. Let's make this school year the best one yet!
Hilltop Back to School Important Information 2024-25
Day of Week | Start Time | End Time |
Monday-Friday | Doors open 8:35am Class Starts 8:45am | 3:20pm |
Wednesdays *except Aug. 28 | 8:35am | 1:50pm |
Please note that OBSD will have an early release every Wednesday of each month again this school year. Early releases allow our staff to engage in professional learning in our journey toward best teaching practices.
Middle School Years at Hilltop! Zoom Meet | Tuesday, August 20 from 5:00pm -6:00pm Please join us for a digital meet up where you will learn what to expect for your student during their middle school years at Hilltop. We will discuss academic, athletic, and social programming, our mission and goals, communication, and the development of middle school aged students. Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81223125620?pwd=tAoSj8aAedHcGUNaKp125MFmiaMnr9.1 |
Back to School Night | Thursday, August 22 from 5:30pm -7:00pm Please see the following guide to help alleviate everyone arriving at the same time. Suggested Arrivals for Students and Families: 6th grade: 5:30pm 7th grade: 6:00pm 8th grade: 6:30pm Please enter through the gymnasium to receive important documents and schedules. Then, please feel free to visit your student’s classrooms, meet their teachers, and check out their locker space. |
Tdap Immunization | All incoming 7th graders are required to have the Tdap immunization to start school. Please provide a medically verified record of this immunization. These can be turned into the office or faxed to (360) 642-1350. We have received many of these already, thank you! If you haven’t, please see your medical provider as soon as possible. |
Pack-2-School | When: Friday, August 23rd 11am-6pm Where: Peninsula Baptist Church 23802 Pacific Way, Ocean Park All are welcome to Pack-2-School where students will receive free school supplies, personal care items, community information, student services, and haircuts! Be sure to check it out. |
1st Week of School | 1st Day: Tuesday, August 27, 2024 2nd Day: Wednesday, Aug 28, 2024
3rd Day: Thursday, August 30, 2024 NO SCHOOL: Friday, August 31st - September 2nd
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Chromebooks | We want to address the effects of technology, including Chromebooks and cell phones, on our students' learning and well-being; to this end, our school is implementing measures to encourage less use of these devices during instructional times to foster more engaging and interactive classroom experiences. Chromebooks will be issued at Back to School Night and will be placed and kept in students' Anchor Point classrooms in Chromebook carts each afternoon. Students will pick up their Chromebooks each morning and take them to each class during the day. If the Chromebooks are not needed for the class, they will be stored in classroom carts or lockers during that period. We are hoping this helps prevent damage and loss and keeps student’s Chromebooks charged. |
Cell Phones | Cell phones can disrupt learning by diverting students' attention away from classroom activities and educational discussions, leading to decreased focus and academic performance. Cell phones should be turned off and out of sight during the school day at Hilltop. When cell phones are discovered the following procedures are taken: First offense: The student will hand over their cell phone or device to a staff member and it will be held in the main office until the end of the school day. Before being allowed to pick up their device at the end of the day, students must discuss and review the personal device policy with a staff member. Second offense: The student will hand over their cell phone or device and it will be held in the main office until the end of the school day. The student’s parents will be contacted and informed of the refusal to follow the school’s personal device policy. Students will receive a lunch detention. Third offense: The student’s cell phone will be confiscated and held in the main office until the student’s parents are able to come to pick it up. The student will receive a detention and will be prohibited from bringing their cell phone or device back on school grounds for two weeks. |
Sports | 7th and 8th graders can register for Football, and Volleyball. 6th, 7th, and 8th graders can register for Cross Country. All sports registration is now done digitally through Final Forms. https://oceanbeach-wa.finalforms.com/ Please register your students as soon as possible. Registering your athlete helps to assure eligibility and time to confirm current physicals. If your student needs a physical, there will be a free clinic August 10th at Ocean Beach Hospital’s Ilwaco Clinic from 8am - 3pm. Practices and games will be announced soon. Please contact AJ Smith with any questions regarding athletics. AJ Smith, Athletic Director: aj.smith@oceanbeachschools.org |
Physical Education and Social Studies | Instead of every other day like we have had in the past, physical education will be offered one full semester and social studies will be the other semester. We are very excited to welcome Molly Bond to our teaching team as Hilltop’s new PE teacher. |
Elective Classes for 6-8th grades | This year, all 6 - 8 students will have two elective classes each semester. Students have already forecasted their choices, including the incoming 6th graders. Students were able to choose from the following classes: Band, Mariachi, Elective PE, Mythology, Robotics, Dance, Theater, Art, Advanced Art, Publications, Study Hall, STEAM, History Through Film, and Leadership *We attempt to schedule your student’s top choices for electives, but do not guarantee that they get their top two choices. Many factors go into scheduling and we will do our best. |
ICU | At Hilltop every student finishes every assignment. We use a program called ICU to communicate about any missing assignments. More information on ICU will be sent home on Back to School Night. |
Attendance | Ocean Beach School District has a high chronic absenteeism rate. We know that every day missed whether for sickness, appointments, or other reasons affects student academic success. We will be starting a campaign to increase attendance and bring awareness to this issue in our school. We will be asking students to “Strive for Five and Turn it off by Ten”. This means aiming for less than 5 absences, and turning off electronics by 10pm to get a good night’s rest. |
Transportation | If your child is signed up to ride the bus, you will be receiving a phone call from your child’s bus driver prior to the start of school. Your bus driver will tell you when your child is scheduled to be picked up. This may be the weekend prior due to enrollment changes right up to the start of school. Don’t worry, you’ll get a call! |
School Supply Lists | Our school supply list is attached and posted on our website and Facebook page. |
Picture Day | Picture Day will be on September 17th. More information to come... |
Fisher FAQs | Watch your emails and check out our Facebook Page for Fisher FAQs. We are answering frequently asked questions for families and students. |
Staffing Updates:
We are saying goodbye to a couple amazing staff members and welcoming some new staff as well!
Goodbye and good luck to:
Jeanne Schmidt, special education teacher, is transitioning to the high school.
Cheri Baker, intervention specialist, has taken a position back in the classroom at Ocean Park Elementary.
Jackson Lloyd, paraeducator, is off to The Evergreen State College.
Matthew Shirley, paraeducator, is returning to substitute teaching in the Ocean Beach School District.
Terry LeRud, secretary, has retired.
Debbie Young, school nurse assistant, has also retired.
Switching Gears:
Meg Parsons, who taught mostly science last year, will be moving to all math which is her passion and credentialed area of teaching.
Kristina Salas, paraeducator at Hilltop, will be moving to the OBOA alternative school program, which she is very excited about.
New faces on campus:
Molly Bond, physical education teacher, will be starting at Hilltop. She was a former 3rd grade teacher at Ocean Park Elementary.
We are currently interviewing for a special education teacher, office secretary, and paraeducators and will have updates in the coming weeks.
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Partnerships between school, home and community are important to us. Middle school is a time where students often make rapid growth socially, emotionally and academically. Middle school can often be much different from elementary school and our Hilltop staff is here to guide the students as they navigate this time of development. As we venture together into this new school year, please feel free to communicate your needs, concerns, and ideas to our teachers and staff. We look forward to working with you this year.
Respectfully,
Cheri Lloyd
Principal
cheri.lloyd@oceanbeachschools.org
360-642-1234
Ed Bear
Assistant Principal
360-642-1234