Hilltop News

The Westonka American Indian Parent Advisory Committee welcomed a special guest on April 30, hosting author and educator Joanne Zacharias for an engaging cultural and literacy experience. Fourteen students from Hilltop and Shirley Hills primary schools participated.

The Spring Fine Arts Night at Hilltop Primary School on April 28 featured music and art from the school’s second and fourth grade students. The event was held in the Performing Arts Center and featured two musical programs and a dazzling display of student artwork for families and friends to enjoy.

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Many students in the Westonka primary schools spent extra time outside exploring nature on a summerlike day.

Hilltop Primary School wore their craziest mismatched socks and participated in activities designed to raise awareness and celebrate the differences in all of us to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. Students celebrated “Rock Your Socks” on March 18 instead of March 21, due to Spring Break.

An estimated 1,500 people attended the Imagination Celebration at Hilltop Primary School on March 12. The event happens once every three years at Hilltop and is meant to honor the creativity and personal expression of students in a variety of disciplines. This year's theme was "let your imagination run wild!"

Despite the drizzly and foggy weather on March 6, students around the Westonka School District eagerly headed outside with hundreds of food items they collected for the Westonka Community Food Shelf at the annual “Stuff the Bus” event. A school bus stopped at each school, where students stuffed the bus with food and cash donations collected during the March FoodShare Drive.

Fostering a love of reading is one of the most powerful gifts educators and parents can give to children. February was "I Love to Read Month," which provided a perfect opportunity for staff at both Hilltop and Shirley Hills primary schools to encourage reading and celebrate the efforts each student made in their reading achievements.

Even though it’s the off season, members of the White Hawks football team donned their jerseys last week for visits to Hilltop and Shirley Hills primary schools. February is "I Love to Read Month," so the players took the opportunity to celebrate the importance of reading by visiting pre-K through fourth grade classrooms to read books to the young students.

It wasn’t Grandparents Day, but it looked like it as students at both Shirley Hills and Hilltop primary schools celebrated a big milestone in February – the 100th day of school. Both schools were full of kindergartners wearing gray wigs and spectacles on chains and using walking canes as they dressed up like 100-year-olds.