• Welcome to Hillsdale

    Mike Tagwerker

    Robotics/STEM/Engineering

     

    Dear Parents,

     

    Welcome to the new school year! Middle school is a time of tremendous change and growth for your child both socially and intellectually. Transitioning from elementary school to a more independent middle school setting can be challenging for many students. There are a few crucial tools that will help your child be successful.

     

    The Hillsdale Planner is used to record all assignments on a daily basis. It is the responsibility of the student to make sure he/she fills this out every day for all subjects. Most importantly, your child needs to check the planner every night to double-check that all required assignments have been completed.

     

    An organized 3-ring binder with dividers will help your student keep track of all assignments and required papers. Many students have difficulty maintaining their binder. There is a tendency for students to shove all papers into the front pocket of their binder. This leads to losing papers and assignments. Encourage your child to keep a neat, organized binder. And please resist the urge to clean out the binder for your child. It is an important skill for them to learn to organize themselves.

     

    Recommended supplies include a three-ring binder. It should be equipped with 5 dividers and notebook paper. Pencils, pens (blue/black/red), colored pencils, a ruler, glue stick, and a black fine tip marker are also good supplies to have on hand. If you need assistance obtaining supplies, please feel free to contact any of your child's teachers..

     

    Q/Zangle is our online grading system. You are able to pick up your child’s pin and password for this system. Due to confidentiality laws, only a parent/guardian with a picture I.D. can obtain this information from the school. Q/Zangle allows you and your child to have continual access to grades. Students who check their grades weekly will be able to monitor their own progress and set goals for improvement.

     

    Google Classroom is an interactive site where we post assignments and outline expectations for projects, homework, and class business. It is an excellent tool for sharing classroom information and it enables parents to monitor what is happening in each subject area.

     

    Putting forth one’s best effort, turning in assignments on time, good organizational skills, and active participation are essential for student success. Working together as teachers, students, and parents, we can achieve great academic results.

     

    We are readily available by email to address any questions or concerns you or your child may have. You can reach us at and tagwerkerm@cajonvalley.net. We will always answer emails as soon as we possibly can. When necessary, we will gladly schedule conferences with you and your child.

     

     

    • EVERY MONDAY IS A MINIMUM DAY – Dismissal is at 2:30

     

    We feel extremely fortunate to teach at Hillsdale and to have the opportunity of working with you and your child this year. We want your child to have a happy, challenging, and rewarding sixth-grade experience. We are looking forward to a wonderful year.

     

    Sincerely,

     

    Mike Tagwerker