April 20, 2026 / Robert S. Hyer Elementary School

Dear Hyer Families,

It was wonderful to see many of you at The Baker Kids Cookie & Lemonade Stand yesterday. Thank you for your support of our students and The Janie Hunt Foundation.

As we start the week, we’re excited to jump back into learning, growing, and having fun together. With just five weeks left in the school year, our focus remains strong on instruction and helping every student continue to thrive.

You can support a strong finish by keeping up with routines at home—encouraging nightly reading, completing homework, and sticking to consistent bedtimes that set students up for a great day of learning. And of course, please help our students arrive at school on time so they don't feel rushed in the mornings.

We are so grateful for the partnership between school and home that makes Hyer such a special place for our students. Thank you for all you do, and have an amazing week!

Respectfully,

Debbie

Debbie Burt

Hyer Elementary Principal

HYER CALENDAR

This Week:

April 22: Administrative Professional Appreciation Day (Kim and Michelle)
April 24: PNO - Ms. Lund & Ms. Price

Next Week:

May 1: PNO - Fourth Grade Only! - Ms. Eppler & Ms. Tartarian

Coming up....

May 4: Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week
May 5-7: "Book it to Summer" Book Fair
May 6: School Nurse Appreciation Day & Hyer Spirit Day!
May 8: PNO
May 15: Field Day
May 15: PNO
May 15-16: Dads Club - Softball Tournament
May 20: Fourth Grade Caravan and Swim Party
May 22: Last Day of School; Early Release at 1:00 p.m.; Fourth Grade Performance and Picnic; End of 4th Grading Period.
SUMMER BREAK!

ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL APPRECIATION DAY

THIS WEDNESDAY!

They work each day to help our school be a warmer, kinder, and happier place.

We are incredibly grateful for our amazing Hyer administrative assistants, Mrs. Shelton and Mrs. Martin. Their dedication, hard work, and countless hours of service to our Husky families do not go unnoticed. They help make Hyer the warm, welcoming, and exceptional school that it is.

Thank you, Mrs. Shelton and Mrs. Martin, for your unwavering commitment to our students, parents, teachers, and staff. We appreciate you more than words can express!

PTA TURNOVER

As the sun sets on Boot Scootin’ Hyer, we’re excited to set sail toward a new adventure—welcome to Hyer Harbor!

What an incredible year it has been. As we tip our hats to all we’ve accomplished together, we extend our heartfelt thanks to our outgoing PTA President, Ellen Kershaw, for her outstanding leadership. She has truly set the bar high, leaving some very big boots to fill!

We are thrilled to welcome our incoming PTA President, Megan Conlon and President Elect, Amanda Robertson. They are ready to lead us into this next chapter with enthusiasm and vision.

So without further ado, it’s time to trade in our boots for boat shoes and drop anchor at Hyer Harbor! This coming year is all about building on the strong foundation we’ve created, strengthening our sense of community, and moving forward with purpose and pride. We know it will be another amazing year!

Anchored in Tradition, Sailing Toward the Future!

HYER WON FIRST AND FIFTH IN US REGIONAL CHESS TOURNAMENT!

Hyer played in the Checkmate Adventures Chess Tournament, a regional US Chess tournament in Plano on Saturday, April 11th! Our huskies played in five rounds for nearly six hours. Hyer did a wonderful job, earning 1st place in the K–2 Team Section and 5th place in the Grades 3–4 Team Section. Those trophies are now on display at Hyer! Many players also won individual trophies in the sections they entered.

Ethan Holter, Brady Cameron, Charlie Pieper, Calvin Davies, Kyle Holter, Ace Narayanan, Peter Shannon, Luke Cameron, Johnny Hardaway, Will Shannon

KC CLUB’S NEWEST COMMUNITY PROJECT!

Our final Community Outreach project for KC Club is an extra special one…

We are introducing The Janie Hunt Art Supply Drive benefiting For the Nations!

The drive will take place April 23 - May 5th, please see the attached list of requested art supplies for purchase. You can choose these exact items or similar ones. Please NEW art supplies only. New supplies can be purchased anywhere and dropped off in the bins located around the school entrances and in each grade level pod. We want to honor and celebrate Janie’s kindness, heart of service and deep love of art!

The art supplies will go directly to the refugee children who are served at For the Nations’ summer programming. For more information about For the Nations please click HERE.

Questions? Please contact our Community Service Chair, Nellie Dunn.

LIST OF SUPPLIES

FOURTH GRADE FOAM PARTY!

Click HERE to RSVP!

BOOK IT TO SUMMER

A Book Fair Curated by Moms, for Kids

This spring, Hyer is introducing a book fair thoughtfully curated by moms, for kids, with one clear goal: to nurture lifelong readers. As our students head into summer break, we want to place high-quality books in their hands—stories that spark excitement now and keep children choosing to read all summer long.

When children are surrounded by books they genuinely love, reading becomes more than a school skill; it becomes a source of joy, curiosity, and connection. By selecting books that are engaging, meaningful, and just right for growing readers, we hope to send children into summer with stories they’ll return to again and again—building habits and memories that last far beyond the summer season.

How We Choose Our Books

We selected each book using criteria that balance strong literacy growth with the joy of reading. Every title at the fair was chosen because it meets the following criteria:

Engaging and Interesting: Books that spark curiosity, imagination, and excitement—because kids read more when they’re interested.
Age-Appropriate: Stories that match children’s developmental stages while still challenging their thinking.
Rich Language and Structure: Books with strong vocabulary and varied sentence structures that build comprehension, even when read aloud.
Thoughtful, Timeless Themes: Stories that explore kindness, courage, friendship, and curiosity—ideas that matter at any age.
Readable and Accessible: Texts that balance challenge with clarity so children can read with confidence and success.

Book fair will be open from 7:15-7:50 a.m. for students to shop WITH their parents. Classes will get to preview and shop the fair during the day, and it will be open to the public from 3:15-4:30 p.m. We need volunteers for before and after school shopping! See the sign-up link below!

Buy Hyer Book Fair gift cards for your kids today! Click the link below but be sure to purchase before May 1st at 5:00 p.m.!

Buy Here

Show your teacher some love during Teacher Appreciation Week! Buy them a gift card so they can shop the fair for books for their classroom!

All gift cards will be delivered to classrooms on May 4th!

Buy Here

We need volunteers to make this happen!

We need volunteers for before and after school shopping!

Volunteer Sign-Up!

PARTENT'S NIGHT OUT APRIL 24TH!

Join hosts Ms. Lund and Ms. Price for pizza, pjs and PNO fun from 6-10 PM this Friday, April 24th. Tickets are $50 for the first child, and $40 each for siblings. Click HERE for the registration form. Hurry – the PNO is limited to 50 lucky Huskies and spots will go fast!

CALLING ALL FOURTH GRADERS!

FOURTH GRADE ONLY PNO MAY 1st!

Join hosts Ms. Eppler and Ms. Tartarian for pizza, pjs and PNO fun from 6-10 PM this Friday, May 1st. Tickets are $50 for the first child, and $40 each for siblings. Click HERE for the registration form. Hurry – the PNO is limited to 50 lucky Huskies and spots will go fast!

SAVE THE DATE FOR FIELD DAY MAY 15TH!

Get ready to run, jump, and hop your way to victory ... and be on the lookout for volunteer sign-ups coming soon!

PARK CITIES LEARNING DIFFERENCE ASSOCIATION

HYER NOMINEES

Park Cities Learning Differences Association held their annual Julie Young Teacher Appreciation Awards Ceremony Monday, April 13th. We are excited to announce this year's nominees from Hyer!

Please join me in congratulating the following educators for their outstanding dedication and impact.

Allison Rosen

Angie Friddle

Ashley McCutchin

Dodie Guerra

Hannah pallasch

Jaqueline Ortiz

Morgan Caranfa

Delaney Jansen (campus winner)

Alizey Perez

Blair Lovoi

Park Cities Learning Difference Association is a nonprofit booster organization that supports the special education departments and students/staff throughout the district. We have been doing so for almost 50 years, and we have an upcoming fundraising event which is open to all. All money raised goes back into each school.

FOURTH GRADE PARENTS!

MIS CAFETERIA NEEDS YOU NEXT YEAR!

Click HERE to create your account! And Click HERE for instructions!

Please e-mail Katherine and Tracy to schedule for next year!

❤️ WE CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER IN HYER! ❤️

Hyer Cares is a resource available to all Hyer families who need extra support. Whether the need is financial aid, a “sunshine box” for a family experiencing a hard time, a support system for new families, or kids feeling disconnected, or a meal delivered to your doorstep… Hyer Cares is here for you and your family.

Our promise to you is confidentiality, unless you prefer otherwise. We are a neighborhood school with a big heart… and we hope everyone feels our love and support.

Please email Kyle Yohe or Ellen Kershaw if any of these resources might be a blessing to your family or a family you know at Hyer.

NEWS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD

HP TENNIS ACADEMY - SUMMER PROGRAM

HP Tennis Academy

Summer 2026

May 26 - August 7th

Click HERE for more information and to register!

- Scratch the high-fives, I want to give a BIG HUG to all the moms who served on my PTA Board - whether as an officer or chairperson. We had our turnover coffee this past week, and I am pretty overwhelmed by how many of you stepped up to pour into our kids' school to give them a magical experience. I have gotten to see so many of you pour out your talents and time to create an experience, event, or daily task that makes Hyer exceptional.

- To those of you stepping up to the plate and serving on PTA next year, gosh ... just you wait. It's THE MOST incredible experience to serve this school. To get to see the smiles on your kids' faces, knowing YOU created something for them that they will always remember. I'm so excited for y'all... and to be led by Megan Conlon - you're in for a real treat!

- Alyson Bell, whatever you do, and whatever you touch turns to gold. You don't do anything half-heartedly. You led our budget meeting like the financial wizard that you are. Thank you for your wisdom and how deeply you care about every detail.

- To our auction girls - past and present - watching your turnover meeting was another reminder what a beast auction is. You all are wonderfully gifted. Definitely TAG material. Thank you for taking on this job, and raising funds for Hyer.

- Ann Higginbottom and Jen Melson, once again setting the table and smothering our teachers with love and lunch last Friday! Sweet Greens was a sweet treat for our most valued teachers!

- Lindsey James - you are putting the WORK in before you ride off into the sunset to MIS and HPHS. Thank you for your graphic design genius.

- Kyle Yohe - the heart and care of Hyer. She has loved families so well this year through our Hyer Cares Program.

IMPORTANT CONTACTS & QUICK LINKS

Linde Thompson

Counselor

214-780-3340

ThompsL@hpisd.org

Kim Shelton

Admin. Asst.

214-780-3305

SheltoK@hpisd.org

Debbie Burt