2017 59th St, Des Moines, IA 50322

I must disagree with other comments about, the principal Mrs. Gelfond. She is a good leader and does her very best to make sure that all students, staff, and parents feel welcomed. In the future, it doesn't hurt to be the first one to say hello.Hillis is a great school because of the people who come together there. Students and teachers make meaningful relationships and grapple with learning TOGETHER. There is no such thing as a "perfect school" but Hillis is a great place to be.Hillis welcomes a diverse population of teachers and students. If you walked the hallways, you would feel what I feel every day. Close your eyes and listen to the chatter of students. Students finding meaning in what they are learning. Students agreeing and disagreeing. Learning from their mistakes. Students asking questions that might sound funny. Open your eyes and see smiles coming from teachers' and students' faces. You will notice that we like it here. We like our students. Students and teachers learn more than ever because we have our minds and hearts open. Yes, we learn about reading, writing, and arithmetic, but we learn so much more.From Kindergarten through fifth grade, you will find teachers that legitimately care! The support staff are also in on the fun! We care about our students and our colleagues. We learn that working together is much better than working separately or alone! With that in mind, we are always seizing that magical teaching opportunity to help light a fire of curiosity in a student's mind. We know that that fire will grow into great things. Yes, we have challening days. After a night of rest, we are ready for another day with our amazing students at Hillis.