• We are at 76% of our PTA membership goal for 2019. 164 Families have already joined! With just 51 more memberships our children will win an extra recess AND a pajama day.  Support your children through the PTA by becoming a member today. Your membership helps fund our many fun and educational services. Go to hillsideschoolpta.com to sign up. The deadline is 10/25. Thank you for your support.
  
  
• Hillside Has H.E.A.R.T.! The first PTA community service project for the school year will be our annual costume drive.  For thousands of children across New Jersey, the Halloween traditions of costumes, candy and trick-or-treating are anything but magical. For these children, Halloween costumes often don’t make the list of essentials in the family budget. Halloween carnivals, trick-or-treating and the possibility of being your favorite super hero – even for a night – all disappear when you don’t have a costume. Help Jersey Cares bring imaginations and magic to life for children living in New Jersey by collecting new and gently used Halloween costumes.  The Halloween Costume Drive will be held October 14th through the 22nd, please drop off your donations in the boxes by the Kindergarten doors.
  
  
• Join the fun with the Hillside Afterschool Enrichment Program, brought to you by the Hillside PTA. Students in grades K-5 will have the opportunity to sign up for Clay Play or LEGO Classes. The Fall session will be held every Tuesday for six weeks, starting on 11/12/19. Sign up early while spaces are available! Enroll online by visiting this registration link!  Please see the flyer for additional program information and the after school dismissal permission slip.
  
  
• The Hillside PTA is offering a fun childcare option for Parent-Teacher Conferences on Tuesday, November 5th.  From 12:15-2:30 PM, students will enjoy lunch, followed by a movie and popcorn.  There will be limited spots, so all parents interested in this opportunity must pre-register their child(ren) to participate.  Click here for the flyer and register online to secure your participation.
  
  
• This fall's main fundraiser is the Hillside Fun Run! It’s an 8-day program that kicks off with a Pep Rally on October 16th. Families will then gather pledges for every lap your student runs (26-36 laps), and we’ll celebrate at the Fun Run on October 30th. With our big goal of raising funds for new Hillside PTA initiatives and events, we asked the Fun Run experts at APEX to power our Fun Run and make it more profitable, easier, and fun.  Students will also experience the amazing character theme, GAME ON! which focuses on how students can become game changing leaders by learning the important habits that it takes.  The interactive lessons discuss the components of these habits and why they are important! Donations will go toward helping our school and to the entire 8-day experience. So please help our school by reaching out to sponsors. Lastly, families are invited to volunteer and cheer on the students at the Fun Run! To volunteer please visit https://signup.com/go/PAoTHAn.  More details may be found in our Fun Run Flyer..  Thank you for your support!
  
  
• Thank you to all the families who continue to support our weekly bake sales, either through volunteering, donating baked goods, or purchasing items after school!  Outdoor bake sales will continue on Fridays through November (weather permitting), and we can always use additional volunteers.  If you wish to volunteer or donate to the bake sale, please contact Denise Dunton via email at denise.dunton@gmail.com.
  
  
  
• The deadline for ordering Glow Sticks is Friday, October 25th!  Don't miss the opportunity to support your school, while adding a little extra safety to your trick-or-treating!  Orders must be placed through the Online School Store.
  
  
• Hillside Elementary School is hosting its annual spring fundraiser on Friday, March 20th, 2020 at Powerhouse Studios from 6:30pm-10:30pm.  This is the school’s major fundraiser of the year with the goal of raising $10,000. How can YOU get involved?
  

You may become a family sponsor by donating money, or donating game/event tickets/vacation shares (no time requirement).   As part of this event, we will be putting together baskets for attendees to win. We would like to buy many of these prizes on Black Friday, in order to get the most bang for our buck. We need your help!  If you would like to become a FAMILY SPONSOR for this event, please click here to register your family sponsorship!

Silver Family Sponsor - $25

Gold Family Sponsor - $50

Diamond Family Sponsor - $75 

Over-The-Hill Family Sponsor - $100

2. Solicit gifts from local businesses (no money, but a time requirement)   

Please reach out to Denise Dunton or Joanne Dzama (jdzama@mbs.net) to get involved! Thank you so much for your support!

• We’re off to a good start in Hillside’s Media Center this year! Mrs. Donnelly and Amy Drost held the new volunteer training on 10/4/19, and volunteers have begun signing up at each grade level. Please contact Amy Drost at amy.drost@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering in the Media Center during your child’s library class period, as your schedule permits.
  
  
• Box Top collection sheets have gone out for the October collection, please return all unexpired Box Tops to school by 10/25 marked with your child’s name and teacher.  We will be hosting contests as in the past, for the top 3 classes to win parties in June. There will be one winner for the October Collection - a sweet treat will be awarded to the student who sends in the most Box Tops!  You may have noticed something NEW and exciting on the Box Tops collection sheets. Box Tops is going digital! Please visit https://www.boxtops4education.com/ to learn more about the future of the Box Tops program.  Although physical Box Tops are being phased out of production, they can still be found on numerous products until participation becomes fully digital.  Please clip or scan to earn money for Hillside! Contact NicoleAaron@aol.com or elisafloralou@gmail.com for more information.