Hillside Elementary Weekly Update

October

• 30th - PTO Trunk or Treat Event (Hillside Parking Lot)
• 30th - Teacher Workday - Schools Closed for Students
• 31st - Teacher Workday - Schools Closed for Students

November

• 1st - Moveable Monday Schedule
• 1st - PTO Meeting (7:00 pm - Virtual)
• 7th - Student Holiday. Teacher Professional Development Day.
• 8th - Kindergarten and 1st-Grade Assembly (Secret Garden)
• 13th - Diwali - Schools and Offices Closed
• 14th - Fall Picture Retakes and Make-ups
  
• 16th - PTO Family Breakfast (Last Names A-L)
• 17th - PTO Family Breakfast (Last Names M-Z)
• 17th - PTO Thank You Staff Luncheon
• 22nd to 24th - Schools Closed for Thanksgiving Break

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2024 Washington Post Teacher and Principal of the Year.

Important criteria change: Both the Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year must have a minimum of two (2) years of experience, one (1) of which must be in LCPS. This is a change from the previous requirement of five years of experience.

Completed nomination packets must be received by 5:00 pm on Friday, December 15, 2023, for a nominee to be considered. Please email completed principal nomination packets to POY@lcps.org and teacher nomination packets to TOY@lcps.org. If you have any questions, please contact Carrie Simms at carrie.simms@lcps.org

Washington Post Principal and Teacher of the Year Information

Nomination packet teacher

Nomination packet principal

Tips for nomination packets

School Cash Online (SCO) is LCPS’s online payment portal for school activities. Hillside Elementary uses this online payment portal for all school activities, such as:

• Field Trips
• School Sponsored Clubs

All families are asked to register for SCO, as we only accept online payments for school

activities.

The link to register and access SCO is available through our Hillside Elementary School

website: https://lcps.schoolcashonline.com/

When registering your student, use your student’s LCPS ID number. If you choose to

register using your student’s name, you will need to enter it exactly as it appears in

Parent Vue for School Cash Online.

Save the Date for the Multicultural Fair! Save the date and consider getting involved in the first Hillside Elementary Multicultural Fair on Friday January 19, 2024, from 6:00-7:30pm.

We are looking for volunteers to:

1. Be a part of the planning committee and/or
2. Host a booth representing a culture, country, or region; this is the heart of our multicultural fair

We will also need volunteers to assist with:

1. set-up before the event b) clean-up at the end
2. preparing food from your country, ethnic group, or heritage
3. helping to organize a cultural show and/or
4. help prepare materials leading up to the fair

This event relies on the help of volunteers. If you would like to participate, please register here. Tell us what country you would like to join. If that country already has a group, we will help you get in touch with the leader. If your country is not yet represented, we will help you get one started! Once registered the planning committee will reach out to you.

We are in the initial stages of planning and lot of details are yet to be figured out. We will be hosting our initial Parent Information Night / Planning meeting October 23rd, 2023 at 6:00PM. Please join us on our first zoom call.

If you have any questions, please email us puja.612@gmail.com! Thanks. PTO Chairs, Puja & Bhavan

Calling all Hillside Volunteers!!!

Parents or family members over the age of 18 who plan to volunteer at school events, Hillside PTO events, make copies, assist with student pull-out groups, or chaperone field trips must complete an LCPS Volunteer/Mentor Application each school year. There are forms available in the front office or on the Hillside Elementary website: https://www.lcps.org/HILLSIDE.

Forms may be returned to your student’s teacher or the front office.

Do you LOVE holiday lights and go over-the-top, extra festive, or gloriously cheery in your outdoor decor?! If so, share your sparkle will the Hillside community and sign up to be on the Hillside Holiday Lights Hunt. We are looking for up to 12 festive and unique decorated holiday homes to be featured on our first Hillside Holiday Lights map! Sign up here by Friday, 11/10.

Join us for a family breakfast in the cafeteria before school! Donuts, coffee, juice, and allergy-friendly options will be served. Families with last names A-L are invited on Thursday, November 16 and families with last names M-Z are invited on Friday, November 17. Doors will open at 7:00am and breakfast will be served until 7:40am. Please enter through the cafeteria doors by the parking lot. Make sure to RSVP here

to give us a headcount. We also need volunteers! Check out the sign-up genius for opportunities to volunteer. Link to reserve a seat; https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1w9BJhu9uJCjLJbpKg-Zk1XeQSM489VDsb1ymv7xrzOA/edit?pli=1 Link to Volunteer: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050C48A8A928A5F94-44444158-family#/

Save the date. Join us for a family breakfast hosted by the PTO! Families are invited to the cafeteria from 7:00 to 7:40 am for donuts, juice, and coffee.

Last names beginning with A-L please join on November 16, and last names beginning with M-Z please join on November 17.

More details to follow.

Hillside PTO's Annual Raffle & Auction Fundraiser is on the evening of Saturday, April 20, 2024 at Founders Hall in Ashburn. Early bird registration and ticket details to follow. VOTE FOR THE THEME! Should the theme of our fundraiser be Back to the 80s -or- Casino Night? Cast your vote here before the end of the week! The Raffle & Auction co-chairs are seeking committee members! Do you enjoy event planning, design and decor, or building community business relationships? We have a role for you! Click here to learn more. *The Raffle & Auction fundraiser is hosted by and benefits the Hillside PTO, a 501(c)3 non-profit. The funds raised support the Hillside PTO initiatives. Participation in this fundraiser is voluntary and is operated independently of the Loudoun County School Board, the Superintendent, and Hillside Elementary School.

Support local heroes and earn money for Hillside by dropping your extra candy off at: Loudoun Pediatric Dentistry (43490 Yukon Drive, Suite 105) on November 1st, 2nd, and 6th - 9th between 8AM-5PM.

Loudoun Pediatric Dentistry donates candy to local fire stations and charities, plus gives Hillside:

• $1 per lb. if 1-9 students drop off, or
• $2 per lb. if 10+ students drop off!

PLUS...All students who drop off candy will be entered into a raffle to win a NEW NINTENDO SWITCH! If Hillside has the most students come in, we win the $1,000 Grand Prize!

LCPS Superintendent, Dr. Aaron Spence, is holding Community Listening Sessions between September 2023 and April 2024. With sessions at every high school, the evenings plan to help facilitate a successful transition with the new Superintendent in three key areas:

• Developing relationships with the community,
• Accelerating the Superintendent's learning about LCPS
• Building on success while making meaningful changes.

In addition, the public events allow the LCPS community to share comments, concerns, and feedback directly with division leadership. Below are the dates and locations of the Community Listening Sessions; more information can be found on the LCPS website. The first Community Listening Session is Wednesday, Sept. 20, at Broad Run High School.

Schedule of Events for Listening Sessions:

• 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Community Session
  
• 8:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. - Community Session Meet and Greet

Dates for Listening Sessions:

• 10/26 - Tuscarora High School
• 11/9 - Woodgrove High School
• 12/6 - John Champe High School
• 1/11 - Freedom High School
• 1/17 - Loudoun County High School
• 1/24 - Potomac Falls High School
• 2/1 - Academies of Loudoun High School
• 2/7 - Dominion High School
• 2/21 - Lightridge High School
• 2/29 - Loudoun Valley High School
• 3/6 - Riverside High School
• 3/14 - Rock Ridge High School
• 3/20 - Heritage High School
• 4/4 - Briar Woods High School