Contact Information:
Tyson D. Hilkert
Principal
Minerva France Elementary
Westerville City Schools
614-797-7500
HilkertT@wcsoh.org
Contact Information:
Tyson D. Hilkert
Principal
Minerva France Elementary
Westerville City Schools
614-797-7500
HilkertT@wcsoh.org
6.2.25
Falcons,
As we head off into the summer months I wanted to be sure you are aware of a few items.
The School Office remains open most business days through June 17th & reopens July 17th. If you have a need to reach the office please consider calling or emailing first to be sure you need can be addressed in a timely fashion.
As we transition to next school year, start up information can be found by following this link. The first day of school for students in grades 1-5 is August 13th and a copy of our school supply list can be found via this link.
As always, feel free to contact me with any needs or questions. Have a great Summer and Go Falcons!
Sincerely,
Mr. Hilkert
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1.30.25
Hello Falcon Families,
Just under a week into our Read A Thon we are so proud of our students! They have raised over $5,000 and logged thousands of minutes read. We are excited to see our students continue to flourish during this campaign.
The primary purpose of this conversation is to provide you an update on our Student Showcase Night on February 13th, from 4:30-7pm. This will be a night where we celebrate your student’s academic achievements and progress. This event will provide students the opportunity to showcase their growth, knowledge, and skills to their adults and families! A few points families should know prior to this upcoming activity….
Time to arrive…
We kindly ask that you arrive during your assigned time to help us manage the flow of the event.
Student Last Names of A-N should attend 4:30-5:45pm
Student Last Names of O-Z should attend 5:45-7pm
If the above times do not work for your family due to work or other commitments, we would rather you prioritize your attendance and come when you are available.
What to do…
Stick together as a family! All students should remain with their adult for the entirety of the event.
Your student will be presenting information to their adult and it is important to remain together.
Once you arrive at the school, plan to head straight to your child’s home room.
How long to be at the school…
Please plan to be in the school building for 15-30 minutes per child. Your child will be presenting their information to you and you will have the opportunity to celebrate their achievements and celebrations.
Questions?
Email Mr. Hilkert at HilkertT@wcsoh.org or contact your child’s teacher.
For your convenience, here is a flyer about the event. Look for this to be sent home with your child soon. We look forward to seeing you and your child’s family here at Minerva France Elementary on February 13th.
Go Falcons!
Tyson D. Hilkert
Principal
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January 22, 2025
Minerva J. France, the WCSD Student for which our school is named, valued education and pursued a career in library sciences. What better way to honor her legacy than encouraging our students to get excited about reading while giving your friends and families the opportunity to encourage your child to read even more! Each of the last 2 years our students have logged over 100,000 minutes read & our school community has raised more than $10,000. We are excited to meet or even exceed these stats for this year's Read-A-Thon!
Our Read-a-thon begins Friday, January 24, 2025. Here is the general link for you to Register/Donate for the upcoming Read-A-Thon beginning Friday https://app.givebacks.gives/c/falcon-student
To further encourage your child to read, students will have opportunities to earn prizes such as school incentives, teacher approved toys, and other fun items. A list of those items can be found by following this link. Additionally, here is a calendar of various themes and activities that will be highlighted at the school to support student/family engagement between January 24th and February 7th. A few items to highlight…
January 24th from 4-6:30pm
The Library @ Minerva France will be open to students and families to browse together and find great books for reading during the Read-A-Thon
Stop by and see Mrs. Cornelius and others to kick off the Read-A-Thon
January 31st @ 7pm
Virtual Trivia Night with Mr. Hilkert and the MFES PTA
Do you have questions about the upcoming activity? Feel free to email minervafrancepta@gmail.com. We hope EVERYONE participates and gets excited about reading with their child! As a final note, mark your calendars for the evening of Feburary 13th for an event with your students at the school!
Go Falcons!
Tyson D. Hilkert
Principal
Minerva France Elementary
Westerville City Schools
614-797-7500
HilkertT@wcsoh.org
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December 15th, 2024
Minerva France Families,
It is hard to believe that the first semester is almost behind us. Looking at our initial 1st semester results I am quite proud of the work our faculty and staff have completed and the accomplishments of our students. As of today, our students as a whole have shown more academic growth thus far than any other 1st semester here at Minerva France! Although we have much to recognize and celebrate, the primary purpose of this communication is Student Appreciation Week.
Student Appreciation Week is a tradition here at Minerva France where we pause and reflect upon what all we have accomplished so far this school year, and celebrate the reason and motivation for our work, our students! A detailed list of this week’s activities can be found here. A schedule for the week includes…
Monday = Pajama Day
Tuesday = School Spirit Day
Wednesday = Color Day
Thursday = Royalty Day
Friday = Rockstar Day
One day/activity I would like to specifically recognize is school Spirit Day. On School Spirit day students are encouraged to wear their Falcon Colors and be ready to SOAR! Early this week ALL of our students will be provided their own Minerva France T-Shirt. This gesture of appreciation for our students was coordinated by our school’s equity team and supplied by monetary donations from multiple different sources. The largest donation for these T-Shirts was made by our school’s PTA. If you are interested in purchasing additional Falcon Gear you may do so here.
We are excited for the upcoming activities across our school this week and are looking forward to continuing to watch our students learn and grow. If you have any questions about these activities or other items as it relates to our school please do not hesitate to contact me at HilkertT@wcsoh.org.
Have a great week and Go Falcons!
Tyson D. Hilkert
Principal
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October 17, 2024
Minerva France Families,
As you already know, October is a busy month for our school. Our first round of Ohio State Tests have wrapped up, we are excited to host our families for parent-teacher conferences on 10/23 & 10/24, Fall Celebrations are upon us, and several outside of the student day activities such as trick or treat are happening. As we are approaching November, the purpose of this communication is to share what we have planned for Veterans Day.
Veterans Day commemorates those who have served in the US Armed Services. As a school, we are excited to recognize those who have served in our school community while also providing our students with a unique learning experience. On Monday, November 11th, our school would like to invite any veteran or active service member associated with Minerva France Elementary to participate in a parade through the building and partake in a short ceremony hosted by our student ambassadors. Veterans and service members who would like to participate in this ceremony should arrive at the school by 9:45am. The parade will begin at 10am, followed by activities that will conclude prior to 11am.
Families are encouraged to invite any veteran to participate in this fun and informative experience for our students. Should you have a veteran confirmed to attend our veterans day celebration, please complete this brief survey so we may plan appropriately for this event. It is important to note that although we are inviting veterans to participate in this activity inside of our instructional areas, we ask that all others follow our typical visitor procedures during this school day.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at HilkertT@wcsoh.org.
Sincerely,
Tyson D. Hilkert
Principal
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10/4/24
Minerva France Families,
Classroom celebrations are a fun and memorable experience for students during their elementary school years. At Minerva France, we intend to continue these celebrations in a fun and memorable way that encourages our students to share, listen, and learn.
Through the first quarter of the school year, our students have accomplished so much at Minerva France Elementary and have proudly continued our namesake. Minerva J. France set a precedent for women of color in higher education, paving the way for others to follow. France received her Bachelor’s Degree from the West Virginia Collegiate Institute, spent time at Columbia University, and ultimately landed a job as a librarian and English instructor at Wilberforce College. While at Wilberforce, France regularly made the one-hour trip to Columbus to take night classes for her Master’s Degree that she obtained in 1934. To honor her legacy and dedication to education, our staff will wear apparel of their alma mater and/or favorite higher education institution on 10/17/24. Your child is invited to do the same.
On 11/1/24, our classrooms will hold their fall celebrations. These celebrations will focus on the fall season and incorporate many seasonal, educational, and festive activities. If you have any interest in supporting this celebration in your child’s classroom, please contact your child’s teacher. On this day our staff will be wearing our favorite Falcon apparel. If you have any interest in purchasing any Falcon Merchandise, you may do so by following this link. $2 from each purchase will go to support student activities at our school.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the Trick or Treat Opportunities here at Minerva France. On 10/17/24 from 5:30-7pm will be our MFES PTA Truck or Treat here in the parking lot. Additionally, feel free to stop by the main driveway entrance of the school between 6-7:30pm 10/31/24. There, any child can trick or treat for a free book and sweet treat, while supplies last. They will also see a few mystery staff members who will be present and all dressed up! Providing these free books to any child of the Minerva Park Community is just one more way we can honor the legacy of a brilliant librarian and educator such as Minerva J. France.
Students are encouraged to maintain regular dress through the dates mentioned above. Although we are not encouraging costumes during school hours, students are welcome to express themselves through their personal style while still adhering to the current standards of appropriate public attire. Maintaining this approach will help our school foster a safe and collaborative atmosphere that encourages our students to share, listen, and learn from a variety of diverse experiences.
Sincerely,
Tyson D. Hilkert
Principal
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9/6/24
Hello Falcons!
I am very proud of our students in the first few weeks of school. Please see the attached newsletter for the Month of September! You can expect to find this communication around the 1st week of each month. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at HilkertT@wcsoh.org.
As you may have noticed, the number of walker and car rider students for our school has increased significantly this year. As a result we want to make sure everyone is aware of the process and procedures during arrival and dismissal during each school day. Please see the attached document. Another helpful items is this video video to prepare to visit our school during these busy times.
Finally, I would like to point out ways to find us digitally. Follow on social media or visit our helpful building website.
Have a great weekend and Go Falcons!
Tyson D. Hilkert
Principal
Minerva France Elementary
Westerville City Schools
614-797-7500
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August 21, 2024
Minerva France Families;
As you know, curriculum night is August 29th, from 5:45-7:30pm. Curriculum Night is a great opportunity for parents to learn more about the upcoming school year and the experience your child can anticipate while attending our school. We have designed this evening with various sessions parents can attend so you can choose what best meets your family’s needs to get the most out of the evening. You can access a schedule here.
Curriculum night is one of the only evenings we encourage to be parents only. If you have questions about the upcoming event please do not hesitate to contact me at HilkertT@wcsoh.org.
Sincerely,
Tyson D. Hilkert
Principal
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July 22, 2024
Hello Falcons!
Welcome to the 24-25 school year at Minerva France Elementary in Westerville City Schools. We are excited to see you! Families, please plan to attend Popsicles with the Principals on August 6th from 10am-12noon and 4:30pm-7:00pm. During this event, you will receive all the information you need to get the school year started while your child enjoys a sweet frozen treat! Meet the Teacher will be August 13th from 2pm-3:30pm and Curriculum Night will be August 29th from 5:45pm-7:30pm.
Our first day of school is Wednesday, August 14th. We cannot wait to see you!
Go Falcons!
Mr. Hilkert
Principal