Dear Hickory Tree Families,

As we head into the final days before winter break, we want to take a moment to share how incredibly proud we are of our students, staff, and families. The teamwork, dedication, and support across our school community continue to make Hickory Tree the place to be, and it shows in our students’ success! 💙❤️

Our students have done an outstanding job on the FAST PM2 assessments in both reading and math! Thanks to focused instruction, goal-setting, and strong student ownership of learning, we are seeing impressive growth across grade levels, with many students meeting or exceeding their goals.

Teachers continue to engage students in data conversations, helping them understand their progress and set goals for PM3. Students are excited, motivated, and proud of their hard work, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with their effort and perseverance.

Parents: We encourage you to log into the Family Portal to review your child’s PM2 results. Celebrate strengths, talk about areas for growth, and remind your child that continued effort is what matters most. Growth is our goal for every student!

As we wrap up the quarter and look ahead to the second half of the school year, we are focused on:

Thank you for your continued support, encouragement, and partnership. Whether it’s helping with homework, encouraging practice, attending events, or cheering your child on, you make a difference every single day.

We wish you a joyful holiday season, a peaceful and happy New Year, and special moments with family and friends. We can’t wait to welcome students back on January 5th, refreshed, focused, and ready to make the second half of the year even stronger.

Until then, enjoy your break, relax, and know how proud we are of our Hickory Tree Hawks!

With gratitude,

Ms. Miller and Ms. Vargas

*Monday: Holiday Hats and Headbands + Progress Learning Dress Down Students

*Tuesday: Holiday Socks + Progress Learning Dress Down Students

*Wednesday: Holiday Ugly Sweaters

*Thursday: Holiday Character Dress Up

*Friday: Holiday Pajama Dress Down

Next week, we are excited to kick off our Progress Learning Winter Challenge, building on the incredible success of our Thanksgiving Challenge! During the fall challenge, we saw amazing student participation, strong effort, and meaningful academic growth, and we are ready to take that momentum straight into the winter season.

Progress Learning is one of the most powerful tools we use to support student growth in reading and math. The activities are directly aligned to Florida standards and are intentionally designed to:

When students consistently engage in Progress Learning, we see stronger performance, improved problem-solving skills, and increased confidence in their learning. Every lesson completed is another step toward growth!

Just like our Thanksgiving Challenge, the Winter Challenge encourages students to complete assigned Progress Learning activities over the coming weeks. The goal is to keep learning strong while having fun, staying motivated, and celebrating effort and achievement.

📄 A flyer with all challenge details, timelines, expectations, and reward specifics will be sent home soon, so be sure to check ParentSquare and social media.

We know motivation matters—and our students LOVE being rewarded for their hard work! Students who participate and complete their assigned Progress Learning activities will earn exciting incentives, which may include:

Just like before, rewards are designed to celebrate effort, consistency, and growth, not just perfection.

Your encouragement makes a HUGE difference! You can support your child by:

A little practice each day goes a long way, and students feel so proud when their hard work is recognized at school!

This Winter Challenge is all about building confidence, strengthening skills, and keeping students engaged as we head into the second half of the school year. With continued teamwork between school and home, our Hawks are going to keep soaring and shatter their goals!

Thank you for supporting Progress Learning, cheering on your child, and helping make Hickory Tree Elementary a place where students love to learn and succeed.

🦅 Let’s rise to the challenge—Winter Edition!

💛 Thank You,