As we head out to enjoy a week off for the Thanksgiving holiday, we wanted to share a little joy! Inspired by "Balloons Over Broadway" by Melissa Sweet—the true story of how the iconic balloons were created for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade—our kindergarten puppeteers treated us to their very own parade. It’s sure to become another Hill City classic! Happy Thanksgiving from all of us!
22 days ago, Hill City Elementary
Thanksgiving Balloon Parade with kindergarten.
Thanksgiving Balloon Parade with kindergarten.
Thanksgiving Balloon Parade with kindergarten.
Thanksgiving Balloon Parade with kindergarten.
Thanksgiving Balloon Parade with kindergarten.
Thanksgiving Balloon Parade with kindergarten.
Thanksgiving Balloon Parade with kindergarten.
Dino-mite discoveries in the Computer & STEM Lab! Kindergarten paleontologists rocked it with some dino-mite reconstructions to finish out Dino-vember!
22 days ago, Hill City Elementary
Dino-vember in the Computer & STEM lab.
Dino-vember in the Computer & STEM lab.
Dino-vember in the Computer & STEM lab.
Dino-vember in the Computer & STEM lab.
Dino-vember in the Computer & STEM lab.
Dino-vember in the Computer & STEM lab.
Dino-vember in the Computer & STEM lab.
Harry the Hawk was on duty this afternoon, making sure everyone left for Thanksgiving Break with a smile (and a wave)! Thanks for the grand send-off, Harry! Happy Thanksgiving!
22 days ago, Hill City Elementary
Harry the Hawk waving us out for Thanksgiving Break!

A HUGE shoutout to Prestige Pediatrics for sponsoring the ice cream for today's Behavior Celebration! And a mega thank you to Annie's Restaurant and our own Mrs. Chapman for their donation to create the ultimate toppings bar—sprinkles and all the sweet fixings!

Thanks to YOU, our celebration was a SWEET success! #CommunityPartners #PositivePickens

22 days ago, Hill City Elementary
Thank you Prestige Pediatrics, Annie's Restaurant, and Mrs. Chapman for donating to our Ice Cream Behavior Celebration.
The HCES Holiday Shop, sponsored by our amazing PTO, will be open December 8th–12th!

Our Hawks will get to experience the joy of selecting, purchasing, and giving special gifts for family members, friends, and even pets.

🎁 Gift prices range from $1–$12
💵 This is a CASH ONLY shop
📅 Your child’s teacher will share the day their class is scheduled to shop

We can’t wait to kick off the holiday spirit with this fun tradition!
22 days ago, Hill City Elementary
The HCES Holiday Shop opens the week of December 8th.
For those who wish to plan ahead, here are the dress-up themes for the 10 Days of Christmas! We can’t wait to see everyone show off their festive spirit beginning the week of December 8th on the Hill!
22 days ago, Hill City Elementary
Daily dress-up themes for 10 Days of Christmas Spirit beginning the week of December 8th.
Feathered Finery! These little PreK turkeys from Mrs. Allen's classroom are all ready for Thanksgiving Break! Gobble, gobble!
22 days ago, Hill City Elementary
Turkey hats in Mrs. Allen;s PreK.
Turkey hats in Mrs. Allen;s PreK.
Turkey hats in Mrs. Allen;s PreK.
Turkey hats in Mrs. Allen;s PreK.
And the Hawk Award goes to... Mrs. Shawna Justice!

Mrs. Ellis passed the Hawk to Mrs. Justice, sharing, “She is someone who puts her ALL into teaching. She sets high expectations and supports students to reach those expectations. She began as my teacher but ended up as a co-worker and friend.”

Congratulations, Mrs. Justice! We are so grateful for your dedication and the way you support your students and colleagues.
22 days ago, Hill City Elementary
Mrs. Justice is the Hawk Award recipient.

Congratulations to Mrs. Ashley Smith and Ms. Cricket Brown!
We’re proud to celebrate Mrs. Smith, one of our second-grade teachers, as Teacher of the Month and Ms. Cricket, one of our custodians, as Staff Member of the Month! Thank you both for the positive impact you make every day on Team Hill City Hawk.

22 days ago, Hill City Elementary
Mrs. Smith is Teacher of the Month and Ms. Crickett is Staff Member of the Month.
A big thank you to members of the Pickens Boys and Girls Basketball teams for joining us for car duty this morning! We appreciate you sharing a little Dragon Nation spirit with our Hawks as we head into Thanksgiving break.
22 days ago, Hill City Elementary
Pickens Dragons basketball team members joined us at car duty today.
Congratulations to Mrs. Roper and Mrs. Natasha for proudly sporting the Turkey Hats today!

Kindergarten earned this prestigious honor once again by purchasing the most Turkey Feathers—and leading the charge was none other than Mrs. Roper’s class, our top gobblers!
23 days ago, Hill City Elementary
Mrs. Roper's kindergarten had the most Turkey Feathers!
These High Flying Hawks were caught practicing Habit 3: Putting First Things First by doing what we MUST do before what we WANT to do! These students have developed the habit by staying focused, minimizing distractions, and prioritizing important things first, like work before play. Great job, Hawks! #LeaderInMe
23 days ago, Hill City Elementary
Habit #3 Raffle Drawing Winners for Week #2.
HCES Holiday Shed of Hope

Enter to win this beautifully crafted shed—perfect for storage, hobbies, or holiday cheer! Tickets are just $10 each or 3 for $25.

Every dollar goes directly to Camp Sunshine, a wonderful camp supporting children with cancer.

Purchase your raffle ticket (or 2 or 20!) today using the QR code below and help us spread a little hope and sunshine this holiday season.

Thank you for supporting such a meaningful cause!
23 days ago, Hill City Elementary
Please purchase a raffle ticket for HCES Shed of Hope using the QR code.
This little flock of turkeys from Mrs. Dilbeck's kindergarten is ready to celebrate at our Thanksgiving holiday lunch today. Check out their festive turkey t-shirts!
23 days ago, Hill City Elementary
Mrs. Dilbeck's kindergartners are ready for today's lunch in their festive turkey t-shirts!
Hill City Elementary Thanksgiving Lunch Details:
We are excited to have so many families joining us for Thanksgiving Lunch on Thursday, November 20th. To ensure a wonderful experience for everyone, please be prepared for the following safety and crowd control measures.
24 days ago, Hill City Elementary
Thanksgiving Lunch, 11/20/2025
Congratulations, Nash!
We are excited to announce that Nash, an outstanding first grader, has been selected by Deputy Roach as the Pickens Sheriff’s Office Campus Law Enforcement Student of the Month!

“He’s a polite and respectful young man who is always focused on doing the right thing,” said Deputy Roach. He’s also a very responsible student who always acts in a quiet yet helpful manner.

We are so proud of you, Nash!
25 days ago, Hill City Elementary
Nash, a first grader, is the Campus Law Enforcement Student of the Month!
Friendly Reminder!
Please remember to pay for your child’s school pictures or return the picture packet to school by Friday, November 21, 2025. Any photos that are not purchased will be sent back to Strawbridge Photography, where they are responsibly recycled. Thank you for your help!
25 days ago, Hill City Elementary
Please pay for school pictures by 11/21/2025.
Tonight’s the Night—Math Night in Candyland!
We hope to see you tonight at 6:00 p.m. in the HCES gym for a sweet evening of learning and fun!

No RSVP? No problem! Everyone is welcome—just come join the fun!
26 days ago, Hill City Elementary
Candyland Math Night is tonight!

"Moo-velous" Math Practice!
Ms. Sultan’s 1st graders have officially adopted a cow! Her name is Raven, and she lives on a farm in Madison, GA.

Each month, students receive virtual updates—complete with photos and videos—to follow Raven's growth. They’re even estimating her height from month to month as part of their learning!

A big thank you to the Adopt-A-Cow program through Discover Dairy for making this experience possible!

29 days ago, Hill City Elementary
Meet Ms. Sultan's class cow - Raven!
Meet Ms. Sultan's class cow - Raven!
Meet Ms. Sultan's class cow - Raven!
Meet Ms. Sultan's class cow - Raven!
Meet Ms. Sultan's class cow - Raven!

It’s Dino-vember in the Media Center!

Our PreK and Kindergarten students learned about the mighty Apatosaurus — a dinosaur that stood 19 feet tall, stretched as long as a bowling lane, and even used its tail like a whip to keep predators away! Here are students from Mrs. Tippens', Mrs. Dilbeck's, and Mrs. Anderson's classrooms getting hands-on with snap cubes to measure dino lengths and compare which dinosaur was the biggest.

29 days ago, Hill City Elementary
Dino-vember in the media center!
Dino-vember in the media center!
Dino-vember in the media center!
Dino-vember in the media center!
Dino-vember in the media center!
Dino-vember in the media center!
Dino-vember in the media center!
Dino-vember in the media center!
Dino-vember in the media center!
Dino-vember in the media center!