Hillside Happenings

Habit #1 is "Be Proactive"

Habit #1 is about responding intentionally and focusing on what we can influence so we can shape the future we want. Some common language we will use this month with students: Proactive, Circle of Control, Pause. We are teaching students to be proactive, not reactive, and helping them to understand that different choices yield different results. The goal is to teach them to plan ahead and think about what the right thing to do is. Here is a resource that you can use with your children.

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:

October 10th - Vision Screening Begins

October 16th - Apple Crunch Day

October 17th - Fire Safety School Assembly

October 17th - Vision Screening Ends

October 17th - Festi-Fall

October 21st - Junior Optimist Club Meeting

October 23rd - 2nd Grade Field Trip

October 24th - U of M vs. MSU Color Day

October 27th - 1st Grade Field Trip

October 28th & 29th - Open Art/Music/PE (1st Grade)

October 31st - Half Day of School

November 4th - No School (Election Day)

November 5th/6th - 2nd Grade to Nature Center

November 10th - Scholastic Book Fair Begins

November 11th - Parent-Teacher Conferences

November 13th - Parent - Teacher Conferences

November 19th - Picture Retakes

November 20th - PTA Meeting (Virtual)

November 26th - 28th - No School (Thanksgiving Recess)

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

Archive of all Newsletters

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

Thank you so much for your support of the PTA Fun Run!

There is still time left to donate. Click here to make a donation and feel free to share this link with family and friends! All funds raised will be utilized by the PTA to support educational enrichments, field trips, community events, school support, and much more!

8:45 am - 9:15 am on October 31st

Halloween Husky Parade - 5th grade leads students through the building and out the lower level sidewalk in front of the building, where parents are welcome to watch from outside. If it rains there is NO outside PARADE.

9:30 am -11:15 am on October 31st

Parties can be scheduled for 45-60 mins anytime between 9:30 am -11:15 am. Classrooms are encouraged to have only 4-5 parent helpers total. ALL classroom volunteers must check in with the office and wear a visitor badge. Pleaes reach out to your child's teacher if you would like to volunteer. Stay tuned for more information from the teacher and room captain!

Students had fun exploring the five senses and writing sensory words to describe apples!

Our Hillside Junior Optimist Club is off to a great start and new members are welcome!!

Please register your child online at the website below. The fee to join is $20.00 and includes a T-shirt. https://f2hoptimists.org/junior-optimist-application-form/

The Hillside Club will meet once a month on Tuesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 in the Media Center. Our first meeting is Tuesday, September 30. Questions, please contact Andrea Janks at andrea.janks@fpsk12.net or Susan Riggs at susan.riggs@fpsk12.net.

Meeting Dates for the 25/26 School Year

October 21, 2025

November 18, 2025

December 16, 2025

January 20, 2026

February 24, 2026

March 24, 2026

April 21, 2026

May 19, 2026 - End-of-Year Pizza Party!

President - Blake P

Vice President - Graham P

Secretary - Avery S

Treasurer - Wade B

Presidential Assistants- Josephine J & Liliana K

Mark your calendar - our Fall Halloween event, Hillside City Limits Festi-Fall on Friday, October 17th from 5:30-7:30. Costumes are encouraged but not required.

• Please consider volunteering to help make the event a success!

• If you have a high school student who wants to volunteer, we would love to have them!

• Pre-order purchase food tickets here – pick up tickets at the door to skip the line!

We are looking for donations for our Fall Event. If you can help, please drop off at the front office or in the box near the front door. If you have any questions please reach out to Melika Dixon at graysonconnect@gmail.com

Candy & Treat Donations

• Mini chocolate bars (Crunch, Milky Way, Twix, Kit Kat, Hershey)I

• Lollipops & suckers (Tootsie Pops, Dum Dums, Blow Pops)

• Fun-size gummies (Gummy bears, Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish)

• Caramel or fruit chews (Starburst, Werther's Originals)

• Seasonal favorites (Candy corn packets, pumpkin-shaped chocolates)

Healthier / Non-Candy Treats

• Fruit snacks or fruit leather (individually wrapped)

• Mini pretzel bags or goldfish crackers

• Trail mix or granola bars (nut-free!!)

• Juice boxes or mini apple cider bottles

Non-Food Surprises

• Glow bracelets, rings, or necklaces

• Halloween stickers or temporary tattoos

• Mini bubbles or pinwheels

• Small themed toys (erasers, pencils, bouncy balls)

Tips for Parents

• Aim for individually wrapped items only.

• Please deliver donations one week before the event to allow time for sorting and display.

• Make sure packages are labeled nut-free or allergen-friendly.

Our Fun Run is today and we look forward to seeing everyone on the soccer field! Please submit your donation envelopes or donate online by October 10th! Grade Level & Classroom Prizes will be announced on October 11th.

Fun Run Line-up!

9:00-9:40 am - 4th Grade

9:50-10:30 am - 5th Grade

10:40-11:20 am - Kindergarten and Young 5's

12:20-1:00 pm - 3rd Grade

1:10-1:50 pm - 1st Grade

2:00-2:40 pm - 2nd Grade

The Hillside Fun Run is the PTA's most significant fundraising event of the year. All funds raised will be utilized by the PTA to support educational enrichments, field trips, community events, school support, and much more! Watch our 2024-25 Recap Video showing what the PTA supported for Hillside last year. Donate at this Link

Student Prizes

• $25 Donation - Light up Ball Fidget

• $50 Donation - Hillside Husky Sunglasses

Grade Level Prizes: Top Earner in each Grade - $50 Spiritwear Giftcard

Top 3 Classroom Prizes : Teacher to receive $50 Certificate to the Book Fair for classroom books.

Treasure Chest Prizes: 1 Entry for every $30 donation

• Treasure Chest Drawings (15 winners each day!) will be held on Sept. 19th, Sept. 26th and every day the week of Sept 29th - Oct 3rd. Submit your donations early for more opportunities to win!

If we reach our goal, Mrs. Maas & Mrs. Amos will do the Ice Bucket Challenge!

This year's National PTA Reflections art contest theme is "I Belong!" Check out our website to learn more about the program and how to submit your entries by October 28th! https://www.ptahillside.org/academics/reflections

Email hillsideptareflections@gmail.com with any questions.

Help your student win a cookie decorating party by joining the PTA - sign up here!

The PTA supports the school in many ways, including sponsoring many of the activities your child participates in. Check out last year's video recap: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4hxdAhhmHqo

Want to learn more? Check out our website! https://www.ptahillside.org/home

Our 2nd Classroom Winner is Mrs. Bongero for most PTA Membership. Make sure to sign up today to become a PTA member to help your child win a Cookie Decorating Party. The next winner will be announced on September 29th.

Check out last year's video recap: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4hxdAhhmHqo

Want to learn more? Check out our website! https://www.ptahillside.org/home

Support Hillside while you shop at Kroger & Busch’s

Kroger Community Rewards

Busch's Cash for Education : Busch’s must be updated yearly

Sign up to bring soup, salad, breadsticks or another item on the Sign up to feed our staff on November 11th before Parent/Teacher Conferences. Sign up here

Reach out to Angela Probst with any questions at aguerro28@gmail.com

Dine to Donate / Restaurant Night – Enjoy lunch or dinner on October 23 at Panda Express in Novi (26150 Novi Rd) and they will donate 20% of sales back to Hillside! If ordering online or in the app - use code 3846715 in the fundraiser code box or show this flyer on your phone when you order in person.

If you drive your child to school, chances are, you've already met

Mrs. Fossen or heard her whistle. 😄

Mrs. Fossen is a former Hillside parent and an amazing community member

who is passionate about keeping our students safe and the traffic moving.

Say hello when you see her directing traffic at arrival and dismissal!

The Farmington African-American Parent Network, in partnership with Farmington Public Schools Student Services, will be launching Free Tutoring beginning Saturday, September 27. Sessions will be held from 9:00–11:00 AM at the Maxfield Education Center (32789 W. 10 Mile Rd., Farmington Hills).

As part of this initiative, we are also hosting an in-person parent workshop to provide hands-on support for navigating Canvas, MiStar, and the free Varsity Tutors online platform. These tools are essential in supporting academic excellence, and the workshop will give families the opportunity to practice directly on their own devices. For families without a device, loaners will be available.

To make families feel welcome, we will also serve a pancake breakfast, generously hosted and sponsored by the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Omicron Omega Chapter of Farmington Hills.

Please consider purchasing an item on the list to create our Hillside basket. Each school donates a basket to be raffled off in support of this event. This year our theme is "Pampered" . Sign up Genius Reach out to Angela Probst with any questions at aguerro28@gmail.com

(2) tickets to the event will be raffled off to those who donate to the basket.

A Toast to Education is an annual fundraising event hosted by the Farmington/Farmington Hills Education Foundation (FFHEF) to support innovative programs, grants, and scholarships for students in Farmington Public Schools.

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

We are so proud of you!! Congratulations:

Quinn

Joey

Felicity

Shreyan

Khadicha

David

Liara

Ezhilvenba

Thank you to Mrs. Potocki, Mrs. Schultz, Mrs. Mishanec, & Mrs. Dhaliwal

for nominating these amazing students!!

We can't wait to see who's next!😍

We wanted to share this event on behalf of one of our Hillside Families whose daughter has been diaganosed with epilepsy. Please reach out to the contact on the flyer if you have any questions. All donated funds go to the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan. Please come out and support if you are able to!

Free meals will continue through 10/31/25.

Once we have a budget from the state we will know more.

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

🎊1st - 4th Graders!

Join Ms. Morrow for an after-school enrichment focusing on basketball,badminton, jump roping and other fun activities.

Sign up at this link: https://tinyurl.com/2zvmn8ah

Reach out to Ms. Morrow at kim.morrow@fpsk12.net with any questions.

Day: Mondays - 10/6 through 11/24

Time: 3:35 - 4:35pm

Grades: K-5

Fee: $185

Website: Registration Link

Phone: 248-773-8570

Fall enrichments are a great after-school option to explore. Find more information and clickable links to register at the PTA Website

River will be joining the Hillside Staff very soon! Please consider donating to help with supplies.

As we begin to transition from summer to fall, don't forget to bring your items to our bin. Donate your old clothes, shoes, & linens. Donated items are recycled, and our school receives a donation. The bin is located on the west side of the parking lot. 

What is Clothes Bin?

Clothes Bin® is a textile recycling program that partners with schools to turn unwanted clothing, shoes, and textiles into funding for student needs. Our bright green bins are conveniently located on campus and equipped with smart technology to ensure timely service. Every bag you drop off reduces waste in landfills and, more importantly, provides direct funding for programs, resources, and activities that benefit our students all year long.

How You Can Help

• By dropping gently used clothing, shoes, and textiles in the Clothes Bin® on campus,

you keep items out of landfills and give them a second life.

• Every bag of textiles you bring in generates real funding for our school’s programs, classrooms, and

activities.

How Our School Benefits

• Enrichment programs

• Classroom resources

• Student activities and events

The Clothes Bin Program focuses on textiles only — toys, books, and household items can be

recycled or donated through other local programs.

Email: torrie.maas@fpsk12.net

Website: www.farmington.k12.mi.us/hil
Location: 36801 11 Mile Road, Farmington Hills, MI, USA
Phone: (248)489-3773
Facebook: Facebook.com/HillsideFPS

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hillsidefp