September Welcome

QUEST Learning Community, 

Fall is here, the air is more crisp, and we are in full-swing here at school. Although so many things look and feel different, the QUEST spirit is as strong as ever, and examples of kids shining abounds. On behalf of the team at QUEST, we would like to thank you, the families, for all you did to prepare our students for this fall. Whether it was helping your child tackle a new normal, or figuring out the new school procedures, we are doing it together. Thank you!

As we move toward October, and your child begins to move deeper into their level curriculum, it is important that we consider the role that executive functioning has on a child's learning. Please take a look at the visual below for what we mean when we say executive functioning. You will also notice a short video that provides a brief overview for home. 

In schools, we notice that academic success is typically tied to strong executive functioning skills. With the remote element of the hybrid and remote only models, we, as parents, get to see first hand how our students manage their work and their time. In addition, we also witness their ability to attend to new information. 

Why am I bringing this up? In October, we begin three-way conferences, and it is worth considering a look at your child's executive functioning skills. Is there an area that they are doing well in? Is there an area that might impact their learning if not improved upon? Regardless of individual strengths and areas in need of improvement, these skills extend well beyond the walls of QUEST and will be a foundation for your child for years to come. Strong executive functioning skills transcend traditional school learning and set a child--a person--up for lifelong success! 

Thank you for sharing your children with us each day. Our school is a community like no other, and we make our school what it is through thoughtful collaboration between the school and home. Thank you for being our partner, and thanks for all you do to support our school. We appreciate you.

Have a fabulous September. 

Be well,

Derek Warren

QUEST Principal 

QUEST Families!

Mrs. Geglia, here. I have an exciting opportunity to share with you! Your child is invited to attend a synchronous learning experience once a week, offered on one of their home learning days. The REACH (HCSD Gifted and Talented) teachers in the HCSD will be offering 30 minute Zoom lessons each week. Please note, these lessons will engage students in age-appropriate learning experiences. They may/may not be connected to the grade level content and current units of study. The District’s goal is that students have an opportunity to engage in a meaningful interaction with grade level peers and a teacher, on their home learning days. 

Important info:

• These lessons will begin on Monday, September 28th and Tuesday, September 29th for Intermediate students only.

• Kindergarten, Primary and Elementary lessons will begin once Chromebooks are in (hopefully the first week of November!)

• Lesson Times

• Kindergarten: 9:00-9:30 Thursday/Friday

• Primary: 9:30-10:00 Thursday/Friday

• Elementary: 9:00-9:30 Monday/Tuesday

• Intermediate: 9:30-10:00 Monday/Tuesday

• Your child may choose to join; attendance is not mandatory!

• The same lesson will be repeated for both groups of students

• Zoom links/passcodes will stay the same each week and will be posted in your child’s Google Classroom.

I look forward to providing your child with exciting learning opportunities this year! Please contact me with any questions! ageglia@hilton.k12.ny.us 

From Your Friends at Special Areas

 SPECIAL AREAS 2020-2021

Hello QUEST Families,

Welcome back!  As with everything, Special Areas will look very different this year. In previous years, students received ALL specials in person. This year, hybrid/remote students will only receive 2-3 Special Areas lessons in person each week. In order to get through our curriculum, the rest of the Special Area lessons must be completed by students during their 3 remote days. STUDENTS CAN CHOOSE WHICH SPECIAL TO COMPLETE AT HOME EACH DAY.  By the end of the week, students should have completed the following specials:

• 2 Music lesson

• 2 PE lessons

• 1 Spanish lesson

• 1 Art lesson

For example:

Derek goes to school on Monday and has Art and goes to school Thursday and 

has Music.  Derek will need to complete 2 PE lessons, 1 Spanish lesson and 1 

Music lesson during his remote days (Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday).  

Kindergarten, Primary and Elementary will find remote assignments in their Special Area folder that will be going home next week.  This folder will contain assignments to be completed on remote days or whenever your classroom teacher puts a “Special Area” on the schedule.  Students should complete their work, keep it in their folder and bring it to all Special Area classes so teachers can check for completion.  This is how we keep track of participation, so please remember to return work to school!

Intermediate students will find remote lessons in their Special Area google classrooms and should already be signed up.  Assignments will go live on Monday morning and should be completed by the end of the day Friday.

Wondering about the special rotation? Please notice at the top of the blog there is a link that has the rotation for specials (A day, B day, C day...). You can view it there, or by clicking HERE!

If you have any questions, please contact your Special Area teachers. We’re looking forward to a great year! 

Mrs. Shalyn Pestilli (spestilli@hilton.k12.ny.us), Music

Ms. Samantha Powley (spowley@hilton.k12.ny.us), Art

Mr. Scott Moon (smoon@hilton.k12.ny.us), PE

Mr. James DePrez (jdeprez@hilton.k12.ny.us), PE

Mrs. Anna Kingdollar (akingdollar@hilton.k12.ny.us), Spanish

Ms. Rachel Wallmann (rwallmann@hilton.k12.ny.us), Music

Picture Day October 15th & 16th

Please click below to preorder online:

https://vando.imagequix.com/g1000801350#login

Remote only: CLICK HERE to schedule your pictures! 

Parent Pick-Up

The best description I have heard about parent pick up is that it is like being in the line at Chick-fil-A. Overall, parent pick-up has been going awesome. Thank you, parents, for your patience and effort to ensure a safe, efficient process. 

A few reminders:

• When pulling out of the parent loop, please use extreme caution of people loading their children in their cars and other cars pulling out. 
• Please be sure to call or email in any changes (questattendance@hilton.k12.ny.us) by 10 am each morning. 
• When possible, have your child enter your vehicle on the curb side.
• When possible, please pull all the way up in the loop. This helps us to squeeze in cars and avoids too many cars waiting in the parking lot. 
• Kids come down for parent pick-up at 3:20 and are usually ready to go by 3:25-3:28. Please keep this in mind when deciding when to come to the pick-up. Lately, we have completed pick-up by 3:35-3:40.
• If you indicated "sometimes we will pick-up" on the survey this summer, we need you to call us anytime you are picking your child up. Or, better yet, email questattendance@hilton.k12.ny.us . 

Morning Drop-Off:

In the morning during drop off, a staff member will be there to allow students to start coming in the building right at 8:39. If you show up at drop off at 8:50, or after a time when a staff member is no longer out there, please be sure to send your child through the security entrance versus the front entrances.

Lunch Reminders

Please look over these two need-to-knows about lunch: 

•  In the past, we used to have a microwave that was accessible to our lunch staff. This was helpful when students would bring in food that needed to be warmed up. Now that students are eating in classrooms, this option is not available. Thank you for keeping this in mind when sending your child in with a lunch from home.
• If your child is bringing food from home, please be sure they have their own silverware. Silverware is being provided only when a child purchases a school lunch. 

PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT 20-21

Parent Information Nights are upon us! This year, all information sessions will be done virtually, from the comfort of your own home. Below you will find two things: times/dates and the different options of presentation you might see as a parent.

There are different presentation formats that you will see utilized, and your child's teacher will be in touch with you to provide the specific format that they will utilize for their classroom. All presentation options being utilized contain a live portion so that you can have some face time with the teacher. 

Specialists (reading center, math center) and special areas (PE, music, art, lote) will share their presentation format and links via the blog as we get closer, but please expect to hear more about the classroom from your child's teacher.

Pick Up Tags Ready

 Families,

Those of you who filled out the survey sent from the building, indicating that you will be picking your child up each day this year, the pickup tags are available at the security entrance Wednesday and Thursday from 7:30-3:30. 

If you are unable to grab the tag, we will give it to you the first time you come to pick up your child. 

How will these tags be used? 

Please hold the tag up or hang it from your rear-view mirror when pulling into the parent loop. As you pull up, we will read the tag and know which kid is assigned to each number. We then radio in the school for the required number, and then send your child safely and directly to your car. 

Please note: If you did not fill out the survey that was shared this past weekend, we will not have a tag ready for you at this time. 

Thank you,

Derek 

Cohort 1 Assignments for Friday, 9/11

 Families of students in Cohort 1,

We recognize that the first day of school is Friday, yet some of our awesome students--kids assigned to cohort 1--are unable to join us because they do not start until Monday. 

Below is a list, by level, of assignments for those students in cohort 1 to work on this Friday. 

CLICK HERE FOR K

Check out the imagine below for primary tasks to practice (Cohort 1, for this Friday): 

CLICK HERE FOR 3-4

CLICK HERE FOR 5-6

Attendance on Remote Days

 

FYI Regarding Reach

 Due to the current situation and the hybrid schedule, we will not be testing any grade 3 students for REACH in the fall. Our original plan was to test your student last spring when they were in grade 2, but we delayed the testing until we were back in school full time. Unfortunately we are unable to conduct the testing with fidelity given the schedule. These enrichment opportunities will be Zoom lessons, allowing all students to engage in learning activities designed to further students' critical and creative thinking skills.   If your child is participating in the hybrid model, this will be offered on a remote day. If your child is a remote only student, this will be offered on a day opposite the days with the classroom teacher. We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you informed.

Thank you for your patience.