Hillside Happenings

Dear Hillside Families,

🌟 Habit of the Month: Habit #6 Synergize🌟

What a fantastic and high-energy week we’ve had! Our school-wide huddle was a wonderful way to come together, and it was a joy to see the building filled with so many creative book characters. It was impressive how quickly the children caught on to the theme and shared the stories behind their costumes!

Thank you also for your continued support of our therpay dog, River! A note of thanks can be found in River's section of the newsletter.

As we look toward the horizon, please keep in mind that M-STEP testing will begin shortly after we return from Spring Break. We know our students are well-prepared and ready to show what they know!

Upcoming Community Events

We have some great opportunities to connect as a community right after the break:

Final School-Wide Skate Night: Join us at Bonaventure on April 8th for one last night of skating fun this year!
PTA Meeting: Our next meeting is scheduled for April 9th. We would love to have you join us as we start to plan for next school year.

With Gratitude,

Mrs. Maas & Mrs. Amos

School Hours for 2025-2026:

Student Hours: 8:30 A.M. – 3:30 P.M.

Half Day: 8:30 A.M. – 11:45 A.M.

Office Hours: 7:45 A.M. – 4:15 P.M.

Save the Dates:

March 30 - April 3 - Spring Break

April 6th - Classes Resume

April 8th - Bonventure Skate Night

April 9th - PTA Meeting

April 13th - MSTEP Testing Begins

April 14th - Spring Picture Day, 5th Grade Photo

April 14th - 2nd Grade Field Trip, Young 5's Field Trip

April 24th - Kindergarten Field Trip

April 25th - Science Expo

May 1st - Kindergarten Orientation - No School for Current Kindergarten/Y5 Students

May 4th - 8th - Staff Appreciation Week

May 6th - Farmington Focus Business & Community Showcase

May 11th - Silver Dairy Fundraiser

May 13th - Cultural Arts Night

May 14th - 2nd Grade In-School Field Trip

May 14th - PTA Meeting

May 18th - Boosterthon Kick-Off

May 19th - 1st Grade Zoo Field Trip

May 19th - 2nd Grade Greenfield Village Field Trip

May 19th - 4th Grade to the Nature Center

May 19th - Kindergarten/Senior Concert

May 21st - 3rd Grade Music & Art Show

May 22nd - Half Day of School

May 25th - No School (Memorial Day)

May 27th & 28th - 5th Grade Music & Art Gallery Walk

May 28th - 5th Grade Bonaventure Night

May 29th - Color Splash Dash

June 4th - 5th Grade Promotion/Party

June 11th - Last Day of School

The link below takes you to all published newsletters thus far.

Archive of all Newsletters

Did you know that the 26-27 School-Year Calendar is now available? Click here to download it.

The email address: hil@fpsk12.net is not regularly monitored.

To reach someone in the office, please use the email addresses below:

Mrs. Maas - torrie.maas@fpsk12.net - Principal

Mrs. Amos - deb.amos@fpsk12.net - Assistant Principal

Ms. Pliska - emily.pliska@fpsk12.net - Secretary

Mrs. Jacobs - susan.jacobs@fpsk12.net - Office Clerk

Mrs. Huell - tanya.huell@fpsk12.net - Office Clerk

We are excited to share our cultures and leadership on May 13! Please complete this form to let us know if you would like to perform or participate in our "Taste of Traditions" by bringing a cultural food item.

Students and families are welcome to participate in any way that feels comfortable. Whether sharing food, art, performances, or cultural traditions, every contribution helps make our Cultural Arts Night special.

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Teacher Appreciation Week (May 4-8) is an opportunity for us to recognize the incredible educators who support and inspire our students every day.

Between now and April 5, we invite families to share a message of gratitude for a teacher who has made a difference in your child’s life. Please consider submitting a short note of thanks to a teacher who has impacted your student through our Teacher Appreciation form. These messages will be shared on social media and with our teachers to recognize the impact they have made on our school community.

Mrs. Pasini's art students in Young 5s and Kindergarten and their Magic Trash event in the Art Room! Student creations were inspired by Detroit Artist Tyree Guyton's book entitled Magic Trash. Click here for more photos!

Huge Congrats to Frieda who represented Hillside & competed in the

Oakland County Scripps Spelling Bee!

We are so proud of you!

Order your class photo using the link and keyword below!

Link to shopping cart: https://shop.imagequix.com/g1001374273

The keyword is: AA3611Group25-26

This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to participate in a science expo!

Click here to register and learn more!

Click Here to Pay Your Membership Dues

Join us on April 9th at 7pm via Zoom for our PTA Meeting.

Zoom info will be emailed the day before.

The agenda will include:
- Nominations for the 26/27 PTA Board
- Details about Cultural Arts Night
- Details about Staff Appreciation
- Moolinda Monday date!
- and more.

The PTA is looking for interested parents/guardians for our 2026-27 Executive Board. This is a great way to stay involved and make a difference! Seeking candidates for:

President (2 - year term) – Oversees and directs PTA, local & state liaisons, represents the PTA at meetings/events, Hillside Happenings, Bylaws Updates. The outgoing president is happy to mentor for this role!
Vice President of Academics (1 - year term) – Spelling Bee, Reflections, Robotics/Lego League.
Vice President of Fundraising (1- year term) – Mum Sale, Book Fair, Restaurant Night, Fun Run (fundraising coordination), Bonaventure Nights, & Movie Nights

A slate of nominees needs to be presented at the April 9th PTA meeting for elections to take place at the May meeting. If interested in being on the board, please fill out this form by April 3rd. If curious in learning more about the open positions, please contact Kristen Buring (HillsideHuskyPTA@gmail.com).

Staff Appreciation Week is May 4th-8th. We are looking for volunteers to set up/prep the weekend before, help throughout the week and clean up on Friday. Please reach out to Angela if you’re interested at aguerro28@gmail.com!

Does your child enjoy drawing? Sign them up for a 1-day after-school workshop with Cartoonist Neal Levin. Space is limited to 40 students!

https://hillside.givebacks.com/shop/items/3fbbe7cd2f83

https://www.neallevin.com/

Spring Enrichments are now available to register!

More info and registration links on the PTA Website!

Brixology (same program, new day!) - Mondays, starting April 6th

Chess Wizards - Tuesdays, starting April 14th

Sunset Theatre presents Trolls - Wednesdays, starting April 8th

MadScience - Thursdays, starting April 9th

Basketball

Kindergarten & 1st: Mondays, starting April 6

2nd - 5th : Wednesday, Starting April 8

Soccer

Young 5’s & Kindergarten : Mondays, starting April 6

1st, 2nd & 3rd Grade: Thursday, Starting April 9

Our last skate night of the school year is Wednesday, April 8th, from 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm. Bonaventure is open just to Hillside Elementary and their families, which is a wonderful family-friendly evening! The cost is $13, which includes skates. Spectators are always free! Address: 24505 Halstead Rd - Farmington Hills

Congratulations to all of our students who were recogized with Leadership Awards this week!!😁

We are so proud of you!! Congratulations:

Sidd

Mikaela

Daniel
Sawyer

Mariah

Inish

Thank you Mrs. Lamott

for nominating these amazing students!!

We can't wait to see who's next!😍

On Friday March 27th, which is National AI Literacy Day, Michigan Virtual and aiEDU are hosting a webinar on Raising Kids in the Age of AI: A Guide for Families.

Join us if you want to learn about ways that parents should be thinking about approaching the conversation about AI in learning, supporting their schools in their efforts to personalize learning, and be savvy consumers of AI technology at home for their students.

Description: Artificial intelligence (AI) is showing up in classrooms in new and sometimes unexpected ways, and many caregivers are still figuring out what that means for their children. This 45-minute webinar is a starting point for parents and guardians who want to better understand the kinds of AI tools students may encounter, the questions worth asking, and how to have supportive conversations with their kids and their school community about this evolving technology. You don't need to be a tech expert to participate, just a parent who wants to stay informed and be part of the conversation. Join us as we explore this topic together and share ideas for supporting our students as they navigate a changing learning landscape.

Noon - https://michiganvirtual.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5RijBIvORe-Sjq7d-joX9w

3pm - https://michiganvirtual.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rR_8aXujRj6CkV5y8s9oTw

In celebration of the history and beauty of the Detroit riverfront and the start of the spring/summer season at the Ralph Wilson Park, InsideOut Literary Arts is sponsoring the IF THE RIVER COULD SING poetry contest!

We are looking for poems that celebrate and give voice to the beauty and history of the Detroit River or rivers in general. There is a youth contest (18 & under) and an adult contest.

The winning poem will be printed on-site by Signal Return at Ralph Wilson Park on Saturday, May 16th. The winning poet will also receive 15 copies of their printed poem and a $75 gift card to a local bookstore. One runner up will also receive a $50 gift card.

CONTEST RULES
1) Deadline for submissions is Monday, April 13 at 5 PM.
2) Poets must reside in the state of Michigan.
3) All adult submissions should be no more than 16 lines.
4) One submission per person.
5) Winners will be announced via email by Wednesday, May 6th.

Submit ONE poem (no more than 16 lines). We are excited to read your work!!

Click here to enter!

Elementary students will have the option to purchase a second slice of pizza on Little Caesars Pizza Day (every other Thursday - March 12 & 26). The first slice is free, and the cost for an additional slice is $2.25.

Students must have sufficient funds preloaded in their cafeteria account. Deposits can be made online at https://farmington.familyportal.cloud/

Please reach out to Nutrition Services at 248.489.3717 if you have any questions.