There will be no after school program on March 12^th or 19^th.

Greetings Families and Friends,

2020 is off to a great start! We not only crossed the half-way point of the school year but the last day of January was our 100^th. Many of our classes celebrated in style, and there was lots to celebrate. January was filled with middle of year testing and it showed how much our students are learning. Across the board we are meeting or exceeding reading benchmarks! Thank you, parents for your partnership in reading every night with your children. Let’s keep up the momentum. Reading just makes our lives better! As Victor Hugo put it, “To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.”

Our art room is producing amazing pieces, and the kiln has been a huge asset. Our 1^st graders made some really cool snowmen and our kindergartners created colorful hearts. All painted, fired, and ready to be cherished! Besides these awesome pieces; 4^th grade is working on Biome Pop-up books, 5^th created Colonial Salt Box Homes, 6^th continues to work on architectural prints… and the list goes on. Thank you to Ms. Schiel and her art team for all these wonderful creations!

Science Fair was a huge success! Over 100 entries were submitted and Indian Hills is sending 6 projects to the SLC School District Science and Engineering Fair. A big thank you to Ms. Bonner, Kristie Gurgel, and all the other volunteers for making this happen.

At recesses just like in the classroom we are always working on bringing out the best in everyone. One strategy we are teaching school-wide is “Rock, Paper, Scissors (RPS)” -especially on the Four-Square courts. All the classrooms are practicing this to solve problems that may come up between friends. For example, since there is no referee watching the courts, students have to determine when a ball is in or out. RPS is a quick and fair way to help out. It is not just for Four-Square but also for other times when disagreements may arise. It is a proven strategy for elementary students, and we encourage it to be used at home as well.

Here’s to another great month of learning!

Best regards,

Tom Luthy

Principal, Indian Hills Elementary