Hillcrest Cougars

10/21/2026

❤️🎃 Life is SPOOKTACULAR drug free!

Hillcrest will celebrate Red Ribbon Week, October 26–30! Students and staff are invited to join these fun dress-up days as we encourage everyone to be kind, make healthy choices, and stay drug free!

❤️ Monday, October 26:Wear RED!

🤠 Tuesday, October 27:Western Wear—saddle up and stay drug free!

💜 Wednesday, October 28:Crazy Hair Day—our future is too bright for drugs!

✌️ Thursday, October 29: Peace Out to Drugs—wear tie-dye or ’60s/’70s style!

🎃 Friday, October 30: Wear school-appropriate Halloween costumes. No masks, face coverings, or accessories.

Let’s make it a fun week of celebrating healthy choices and bright futures, Cougars! ❤️💙

10/21/2026

🎉🐾 Congratulations to Our Perfect Attendance Winners! 🐾🎉

We are so proud of our Hillcrest Cougars who achieved PERFECT ATTENDANCE for the first nine weeks of school! ❤️💙

Showing up every day, ready to learn and grow, is an accomplishment worth celebrating! Your dedication, commitment, and hard work have not gone unnoticed.

A special thank you to our families for making school attendance a priority. Your support plays an important role in helping our students succeed!

🌟 Every day matters. Every minute counts. Every Cougar makes a difference!

Let's keep the momentum going as we work toward another successful nine weeks!

👏 Way to go, Cougars! We are PAWS-itively proud of you!

10/20/2026

💕 Wear Pink for Charlee Kate! 💕

Tomorrow, October 21, we invite our entire Hillcrest Elementary school community to wear pink in honor of Charlee Kate’s birthday.💗

Let’s come together as a school family to celebrate her precious life, honor her memory, and show our love and support for her family.

A little pink can represent so much love! 💕

Together, we wear pink for Charlee Kate! 🎀

10/19/2026

Book Fair is approaching. Payment options include cash or eWallet.

Create your child’s Book Fair eWallet so they can shop cash-free, worry-free, and independently! It’s easy to set up and easy for others to contribute funds! Start here:

https://www.scholastic.com/bf/hillcrestelementaryschool54

10/18/2026

🐾❤️💙 Way to Go, Hillcrest Cougars! 💙❤️🐾

🎉 We met our weekly attendance goal! 🎉

Our students did an amazing job showing up and making every school day count last week! To celebrate, we're kicking off the new week with a little extra FUN!

🥳 Monday is FUN HAIR or HAT DAY! 🧢

Students and staff are invited to show off their fun hairstyles or favorite hats! We will also enjoy a relaxed dress code for the day.

👏 Thank you to our students and families for making attendance a priority. Every day at school is another opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed.

Keep up the great work, Cougars! Let's make it another fantastic week of attendance!

10/17/2026

A BIG Cougar THANK YOU to Our Amazing PTO

Our Hillcrest students have even more reasons to smile at recess thanks to our incredible Hillcrest PTO!🏀⚽️🏈

We are so grateful for the generous donation of new playground equipment that will bring endless opportunities for fun, friendship, and active play.

Our PTO continues to go above and beyond to make Hillcrest a special place for our students. Your hard work, dedication, and commitment to enriching their school experience do not go unnoticed.

Thank you, Hillcrest PTO, for investing in our students and making a lasting difference, one smile and one recess at a time! ❤️

Our outdoor toy boxes got a little refresh! ❤️
PTO purchased new playground toys for the kids to enjoy, and we had the help of a few awesome 4th graders yesterday afternoon to get everything sorted and refilled! We love helping make recess fun and enjoyable for all students!

10/17/2026

🚜🚒🚛 Careers on Wheels: Bringing Careers to Life at Hillcrest🐾❤️💙

Our Hillcrest Cougars had an unforgettable experience during our Careers on Wheels event! Our students had the unique opportunity to explore exciting careers right here in our community while getting an up-close look at the impressive vehicles, equipment, and specialized machinery these professionals use every day.

From asking questions to seeing these incredible machines in person, our students discovered that learning goes far beyond the classroom. Experiences like these spark curiosity, inspire big dreams, and help students begin imagining the many possibilities their futures may hold.

A special thank-you to Mrs. Becky Orr, Obion County Schools Career Specialist, and Mrs. Meagan Gregory, Hillcrest Guidance Counselor, for collaborating to organize this wonderful event and bringing such a meaningful, hands-on learning experience to our students.

We are also incredibly grateful to the local businesses, agencies, and community professionals who generously shared their time, expertise, and equipment with our Cougars!

A HUGE thank-you to our Careers on Wheels participants:

🚜 Gibson Electric Cooperative

🚓 Obion County Sheriff's Office

🚔 Tennessee State Trooper

🚒 Rives Fire Department

🚑 Baptist Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

🚜 Tennessee Tractor

🌾 Obion County Co-op

🌱 Nutrien

🦌 Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA)

🌲 Tennessee Department of Forestry

🚧 Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT)

Your willingness to invest in our students and share your knowledge makes a lasting impact. We appreciate each of you for helping bring career exploration to life!

🐾 Today's curious learners are tomorrow's community leaders! Thank you for helping our Hillcrest Cougars dream big, explore new possibilities, and discover the exciting opportunities waiting for them beyond our school walls.

10/17/2026

🐾❤️💙 Hillcrest Teachers of the Week 💙❤️🐾

This week, we are excited to celebrate two outstanding educators who make a lasting impact on our Hillcrest school community—Mrs. Shiloh Leake and Ms. Jessica Kirk. 🌟

📚 Mrs. Shiloh Leake – 2nd Grade

With 24 years of dedication to Hillcrest, Mrs. Leake brings a wealth of experience, knowledge, and passion to her classroom. She works to build strong academic foundations while nurturing a love of learning in our second graders. Her commitment to helping students grow in confidence and independence makes a difference that extends far beyond her classroom.

🔬🌎 Ms. Jessica Kirk – 3rd Grade Science & Social Studies

With 21 years of teaching experience, Mrs. Kirk brings creativity, enthusiasm, and a passion for learning to our third graders. She helps students explore the world around them, make meaningful connections, and develop curiosity about science, history, and their communities. Her dedication helps shape thoughtful, engaged learners who are excited to discover more.

❤️ Together, these incredible educators represent 45 years of teaching experience. Their dedication, expertise, and love for students help make Hillcrest such a special place to learn and grow.

☕ A special thank-you to Rebel Grounds Coffee for generously sponsoring our Teachers of the Week and helping us celebrate the amazing educators who make a difference every day!

🐾❤️💙 Let's show these amazing educators some Cougar love! Help us celebrate Mrs. Leake and Ms. Kirk by leaving a kind word, sharing a favorite memory, or telling us how they have made a difference in your child's life. Your words of appreciation are a wonderful reminder that the impact of a great teacher reaches far beyond the classroom. Let's fill the comments with gratitude for these two incredible educators! ❤️💙🐾

10/16/2026

🫖🚢 STEM Meets History: The Boston Tea Party🇺🇸

Hillcrest fourth graders brought history to life with a fun and challenging STEM activity today. Students became engineers as they designed and built crates using popsicle sticks and tape to protect their precious cargo—a tea bag!

What was the mission? Keep the tea bag dry when tossed from a British ship! 🌊📦

While a few designs were successful, others didn't quite survive the splash! But that's what STEM is all about—problem-solving, creativity, perseverance, and learning from our mistakes.💡

Our young engineers are already brainstorming improvements for their next attempt. We love seeing our Cougars think critically, tackle challenges, and discover that sometimes the best learning happens when things don't go as planned. ❤️💙🐾

10/16/2026

It is a GREAT day to be a Hillcrest Cougar!

Hillcrest Elementary School has been named one of America’s Healthiest Schools for 2026, by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.
Since 2007, this prestigious recognition program has honored 3,780 schools nationwide for their commitment to advancing the health and well-being of students, staff, and families. We are incredibly proud to be among the schools recognized for creating a healthier school community where everyone can thrive.

Hillcrest received recognition in the following three areas:
1. Supporting School Health Services
Recognizing our commitment to providing routine health screenings, addressing chronic health conditions, and connecting students and families with additional healthcare resources and support through school and community-based providers.

2. Bolstering Physical Education and Activity
Celebrating our efforts to provide quality, evidence-based physical education and incorporate opportunities for physical activity throughout the school day, ensuring ALL students, including those with special health needs, have opportunities to stay active and healthy.

3. Promoting Tobacco-Free Schools
Recognizing our commitment to educating students about the dangers of to***co and va**ng, promoting a to***co-free campus, and providing prevention education and appropriate interventions to support healthy choices.

This recognition is a testament to the incredible teamwork and dedication of our entire Hillcrest school community We believe that supporting the whole child—academically, physically, and emotionally—creates a stronger foundation for lifelong success.

A very special thank you to Chastity Simpson, our Director of Coordinated Health, for her exceptional leadership in spearheading this initiative. Her vision, hard work, and commitment to promoting student and staff wellness have been instrumental in achieving this recognition. We are grateful for her leadership and dedication to building healthier school communities.

We are also especially proud to recognize our outstanding school nurse, Mallorie Southerland. Her professional expertise, compassion, and unwavering dedication to the health and well-being of our students and staff are invaluable. From managing student health needs and providing essential screenings to supporting families and connecting students with resources, Nurse Mallorie plays a vital role in ensuring our Cougars are healthy, safe, and ready to learn. Her commitment to our school community makes a difference every single day.

This is a celebration for ALL of Hillcrest. From our teachers and staff who encourage healthy habits and physical activity to our students and families who help make wellness a priority, this achievement represents what we can accomplish when we work together.

We are proud of this recognition, but even more proud of the positive impact these efforts have on the students we serve each day. At Hillcrest, we aren't just preparing students for academic success—we're helping build healthier futures.

Healthy Cougars. Happy Cougars. Thriving Cougars!