Closing out the 2019-20 school year: Hillcrest School – Kenosha News

Our students and families are going through a lot of adversity and challenging situations; it is easy for a school and staff to become as negative as what the students bring with them and what the families are going through.

Through lots of work and togetherness, our mindset and our practices help our students and staff to create and support an environment where students and staff feel safe and cared for and thrive.

Instead of saying don’t do this or that, we say what’s going on and how can I help? Once the student’s problem is solved, and the student is de-escalated, we work on making them better at presenting their challenge and making things right.

Our staff are trained in Trauma Informed Care, Changing Mindset, PBIS, RtI, Collaborative Coaching, Non-Violent Crisis Intervention, Autism Foundation/Strategies, Strengths Finder, ALICE, Prime for Life, 7 Challenges, Girls Circle, Gang Diversion, Self-Care, Mindfulness, Mentoring Program, Why Try and more.

One of the most important interventions we do is service learning. We make sure that every staff and every student finds a way to give to others. We have a great partnership set up between KUSD, Community Impact Programs, and the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) comprising Hillcrest School.

Hillcrest has both school staff and agency staff working within the building together to help the children and their families both at school and in the community.

We have worked together to secure funding such as the Brighter Future Initiative Grant (over $250,000 annually) to fund a low student to staff ratio, a full-time school-based therapist, and the most knowledgeable and skilled professionals in alternative education.

We do it together. We find our purpose together. We know and feel that our shared purpose is helping our students, and we learn and teach each other. Every staff member attends a national or state conference. Every staff member presents and/or leads us through the better practices they have learned.

We work together to implement it and make it our own. For the first time in Hillcrest history, we had every staff member at Hillcrest come back. We can’t help but envision our staff as angels, We am blessed to have awesome staff and awesome students. Hillcrest, where miracles happen.

Graduates:

What does it take to be a Hillcrest graduate? A whole lot of grit. Kids and families come to Hillcrest because they are going through the toughest of times. A flower that blooms in the most adverse conditions, is the most beautiful of all. Going through the toughest times and still graduating is an absolute miracle.

We would like to honor our graduating seniors who could not be with us physically today.

Angelina Adkins

Tre’Shawn Moore-Thomas

Kevin Alvarez

Jermaine Mitchell

Antonio Bane

Andrew Michael

Krystal Smith

Jaru Watson

Niya Gordon

Clifford Miller

Salvador Salcedo

Aniyah Patton

Lanita Jones

Rolexsea Curtis

Please join us in giving these students and their staff, family, and loved ones a round of virtual applause for supporting their educational journey. We am so proud of the Hillcrest students, staff, and families!