Happenings (April 28, 2026)
Late Start on Friday, May 1
We look forward to welcoming our guests for Grandparents Day on Friday, May 1, from 7:30–9:30 AM! Please note: for those not participating, the school day will begin at 10:00 AM.
AP Testing is kicking off on May 4!
As your student prepares for their exam, I wanted to offer a resource link that is very helpful. This link will allow your student to search by AP Course or College and determine what score they may need to receive college credit. It is pretty cool! Take a look: https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/getting-credit-placement/search-policies
Uniform Order and Discounts
Ordering Uniforms
Spring is here! It’s a great time to think about fresh, new uniforms for next fall. The uniform order portal is open from the 1st to the 10th and the 15th to the 25th each month. You can find the online uniform catalog and link to the Game One order portal online on our school website in the Hill-Murray parent portal. Orders can take up to 6 weeks. Be sure to order by June 25th so that your order is here before school starts!
Discount Sale
Are you looking for uniform bottoms? We’ve got you covered! Hill-Murray is discounting all bottoms, while supplies last. Skirts, Shorts & Joggers have been discounted 10% – 50%. Hurry! Sizes are limited. Just email uniforms@hill-murray.org with what you’re looking for, and our uniform coordinator will get back to you. If we have it in stock, you’ll be able to pick it up right away. This is a great deal! Don’t wait! Please note – This sale applies only to inventory on hand at Hill-Murray. This sale does not apply to Game One uniform items. Game One will continue to stock all brands & sizes of bottoms at the regular price.
Spring Musical Secret Garden
DECA Members travel to National / International Competition
Seven members of our DECA chapter are in Atlanta, GA at DECA’s International Career and Development Conference. They are among 26,000 delegates from around the world attending this prestigious event. Our students will compete in innovation plan and school-based enterprise. In addition, our DECA members have the opportunity to network and collaborate with students and professionals from around the world during this event. The competition runs April 25 – 29.
2026 Pioneer Golf Classic
Alumni, current and past parents, grandparents, and friends of Hill-Murray are invited to join us for the 2026 Pioneer Golf Classic at Indian Hills Golf Club on Monday, June 15, 2026.
11:00 AM Check-in & boxed lunch
12:00 PM Shotgun start time
Dinner to follow the tournament
Includes lunch, golf, carts, and dinner.
Pioneer Day of Service
Pioneers will be out serving on Saturday, May 16th to provide helping hands and to bring the spirit of service to our community.
Give back to the community and earn service hours that count toward next year’s requirement.
How to participate:
- Choose a service project to do anytime on May 16 (you can work with friends). If you would like to help at Hill-Murray from 9:00 AM – Noon that day, you may also indicate this in the project description on the RSVP form.
- CLICK HERE to register your group and choose your t-shirt sizes.
- Send someone to H-M to pick up your group’s t-shirts the week before the event, May 11-15, 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM, or May 16, 9:00 AM – Noon.
- Go have some fun on May 16, giving back to our community! Share your photos on social media using #PioneerDayofService
Questions?
Contact Judy Hajlo Schwartz ’79
jschwartz@hill-murray.org or (651) 748-2445
Senior All-Night Party
What’s for dinner this Friday? Chipotle!! The Senior All-Night Party Chipotle Community Fundraiser is this Friday, May 1st from 4-8 pm at the Oakdale Chipotle. Mention the Hill-Murray Senior All-Night Party at checkout and we’ll receive 25% of the total order.
Do you own a business? We are still in need of financial sponsorships for the party. Anything helps! You can email the Senior All-Night Committee and we’ll get you more information.
Junior & Senior Parents – we need more volunteers the night of the party. Check your email for a link to sign up.
Senior Students – final call for your kindergarten photo. Drop off your photo in the folder outside the OSL. Photos should be 2.5” x 3.5” (approx.), kindergarten age (or somewhere around that age). Photocopies are fine. Please put your name on the back of the photo. It will be used for a ‘Guess the Kindergartner’ contest. Photos will be returned the night of the party.
If you’d like to help make the night even more awesome, we invite you to check out our Amazon Wishlist and consider donating an item or two. It’s easy to do. Browse through the list, pick an item, purchase and it’s automatically sent to our event coordinator. You can find the Amazon Wishlist here. All donations are greatly appreciated.
We’re so proud of our seniors and are very excited to celebrate this milestone with them. No donation is too small! No gift is insignificant! Thank you to our sponsors and everyone who’s donated. Thank you for supporting the Senior All-Night Party and our senior class of 2026!
Adoration
Adoration refers to the time when the Blessed Sacrament is placed on the altar and the faithful spend time with Jesus in the Chapel in quiet prayer and reflection. Our next day of Adoration is this Friday, May 8 from 9:15am-12:00pm. CLICK HERE to sign up for a time. We will start with Mass at 9:15am (finished by 9:45am). Adoration starts immediately following Mass.
Spring Dance Clinic
Calling all Dancers in current grades 6th through 12th! Come and dance with Julia Harris, current St. Thomas Dance Team Head Coach, Charliz Balicao, founder of CBDC, and Chloe Shaw, U of M Dance team alum! You will be challenged in Pom, Jazz, & Technique! Register Here!
10th Grade Career Fair
Guidance and Counseling hosted a dynamite Career Fair on Thursday, April 16th!
This event featured 35+ working professionals representing a wide variety of career fields. All 10th-grade students attended this event and had the opportunity to choose five professions to learn more about. During these short sessions, students learned about various career paths, asked engaging questions, and heard firsthand experiences from industry experts.
Here are some pictures from the event; these 10th graders are exploring future opportunities and gaining real-world insight into different professions! Great job, Pioneers, and a HUGE thank you to the Hill-Murray community and staff for making this possible!
Hill-Murray Art Show
Congratulations to all the prize recipients in the Hill-Murray Art Show at Saint Paul’s Monastery!
Avery Houser – 1st place
Sophia Proulx – 2nd place
Caden Capra – 3rd place
Honorable Mentions:
Kelly Maier
Kayla Nikolas
Jack Larson
Will Keller
Delaney Owsley
Kenley Cole
Shaughnessy McGarry
Maddy Kinning
Tristan Rodriguez
Molly Raverty
Ms. Heid and Mr. Dahl are so very proud of ALL the creative students who entered artwork into the Art Show!
And remember Pioneers, over 50 student artists’ artworks can still be viewed at the gallery in St Paul’s Monastery through May 29th!
Students Perform at Children’s Theatre Company
Current students George Wellens and Morgan Houser, alongside Hill-Murray alum Autumn Ness, are taking the stage in the world-renowned Children’s Theatre Company production of The Wizard of Oz! George and Morgan are part of the student ensemble, while Autumn stars as the Wicked Witch of the West in this magical reimagining of the beloved classic. The Wizard of Oz runs April 21–June 14—don’t miss your chance to follow the Yellow Brick Road and support these incredible performers. Get your tickets now at childrenstheatre.org
Finding Balance: Why Less Screen Time Is So Helpful for Middle Schoolers
Screens are a regular part of life for our children. They use them for school, entertainment, socializing, and relaxing. But too much screen time can leave kids feeling tired, distracted, or disconnected.
Middle school students are still growing in so many ways—academically, socially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Time away from screens gives them more opportunities to build healthy habits that really matter. They may sleep better, focus more clearly, listen more intently, and feel more present and less hurried during the day. Time away from devices can also help reduce overstimulation and create more room for creativity, conversation, and rest.
Balance is the goal—not perfection. Screens are part of modern family life, and every family’s routine looks different. Even simple steps, like putting devices away during meals, setting a bedtime screen break, or encouraging outdoor play, can make a difference.
The Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health encourages families to consider these areas/questions:
1. Content of the media being consumed. High quality or educational content is better for child development. For older children, consider how the content makes them feel.
2. What is screen time displacing or crowding out? Is time spent on screens getting in the way of opportunities for human connection or other essential activities (e.g., physical activity, homework, reading, etc.)?
3. Is the time on screens well spent? In other words, is it meaningful, fascinating, joyful? Or is it compulsive, repetitive, or being used frequently as a calming or distraction tool?
Hill-Murray Middle School is having a “Screen-Free Week” May 4-8. Our goal for this week is to reduce non-academic screen use during passing times and WIN times, to raise awareness, and to promote the wellness benefits of less screen time. Our Middle School Student Council is helping plan the event. We are looking forward to making a difference!
6th Grade Wax Museum
The entire 6th grade class spent time in English class working on researching, writing a speech, and presenting information about a famous Minnesotan. This connects with what they are learning in history and we tied in some writing, speech, and presenting skills to round out this project. We had an open house style event on Monday, April 20th at 6pm in the Student Union with parents, friends, and teachers all invited. There was a fantastic turn out and the students were able to show what they learned and also display their trifold board full of information and pictures. If you see a 6th grader be sure to ask them who they picked to learn about for Wax Museum! Super proud of all these kids!
Engineering or Technology Internship
Do you work in engineering, technology, or other STEM related fields? We are seeking partners for internship or job shadow opportunities for high school students. Our students have hands-on experience in coding, engineering, and 3D fabrication. They are excited to learn more from professionals like you and are eager to see how their skills apply in real-world settings.
We are interested in exploring a variety of potential partnerships. Students can be available for one to two hours per day, two to three times per week for internships. Other possibilities include job-shadow programs or even one-time site visits or facilities tours. We would also welcome professionals who would be willing to speak to our students here on campus. These experiences are invaluable in helping our students explore career paths and gain practical skills. If interested, please reach out to Aran Glancy at aglancy@hill-murray.org. Thank you for supporting our students’ journeys!
Bussing for Families in District 622 for the 2026-2027 School Year
If you live in District 622 and are interested in having your student receive bussing services, please click here to fill out the form below. Please keep in mind that you must live within District 622, and that when District 622 is not in session, bussing is not provided.
FYI – Bussing to and from Hill-Murray involves a transfer of buses. In the morning, students start at their home bus stop. They then proceed to either John Glenn or Skyview Middle Schools. From there, they board a bus that brings them to Hill-Murray. In the afternoon, students start on a bus at Hill-Murray that goes to Transfiguration School. From there, they board a bus that will bring them to their home bus stop.
Hill-Murray will provide your information to the district, and we will then be in contact with you during the summer with route information. The FINAL deadline to complete this form is June 1st. Please reach out to JenO’Gary with any questions at jogary@hill-murray.org.
Carpool List for the 2026-2027 School Year
If your family is interested in being included on a carpool list for the 2026-2027 school year, please click here to fill out the form. All the interested families’ contact information and home addresses will be gathered into a spreadsheet. In July, that spreadsheet will be shared with all the families that are on it. At that point, you can reach out to those in your area to setup carpools. The final deadline for completing the form is June 1, 2026. Please reach out to Jen O’Gary jogary@hill-murray.org with any questions.
Uniform Policy for 2026-2027
Uniform Policy Link – https://www.hill-murray.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Uniform-Expectations-2026-2027-1.pdf
PSAT Testing for Juniors in the Fall of 2026
Hill-Murray will be offering the computer based PSAT/NMSQT to junior students next school year on Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. This day is planned to be a late start, but students taking this test will need to arrive at school at 7:30 am on this day.
This PSAT test is a predictor of how a student will do on the SAT and is the qualifying exam for the National Merit Scholarship Competition. This is not a college entrance exam. Over 1.6 million high school students take the PSAT exam each year, and less than 1% advance in this competition.
If you are interested in your student taking the PSAT, please fill out this 2026 PSAT Registration Form here by Friday, September 11, 2026 so that exams can be ordered. If we do not hear from you, we will assume your student will not take the PSAT. If your student has an Academic Achievement Plan and will be requesting testing accommodations, the deadline to register is Friday, August 28, 2026. Counselors will submit all accommodation requests and the College Board will determine accommodation eligibility and approval. Please indicate a request for testing accommodations in your form response.
If you have any questions about the PSAT, please call or email your student’s counselor.
Mr. Charlie Cicalello (A-C) ccicalello@hill-murray.org
Ms. Amy Cosgrove (D-J) acosgrove@hill-murray.org
Mrs. Jenny Vinck (K-Q) jvinck@hill-murray.org
Mr. Aaron Goulet (R-Z) agoulet@hill-murray.org
Mr. Eric Carlucci College Counseling ecarlucci@hill-murray.org
