Hillside Happenings

Great job navigating the parking lot and new traffic signs! Please remember to stay in your car at drop off. Staff are in place to help your child exit safely at 8:20 am. When you exit your vehicle, this slows the line done. It is also helpful to have your child seated on the passenger side of the vehicle for easy exit. Also, please remember to use the crosswalk. Overall, traffic is flowing much better at arrival and dismissal, and we appreciate your cooperation.

If you are newly enrolled, you may have missed some important information! Please go back and read our newsletters. The link below takes you to all published newsletters thus far.

Archive of all Newsletters

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.

Parent Orientation Night:

Parent Orientation Night is on Wednesday, September 10th, for all students and families.

It will be in two shifts as noted below:

Wednesday, 9/10 - Grades 1, 3, 5 - 5:30-6:30 P.M.

Save the Dates:

September 10th - Parent Orientation Night

September 11th - Bonavenure Skate Night

September 12th - Leader in Me Shirt Sales End

September 16th & 17th - Parents on the Playground

September 17th - Dentists R Us Visit

September 18th - PTA Meeting at 7:00 pm

September 18th - Mum Sales End

September 19th - Half Day of School

September 19th - Relocation Safety Walk

September 23rd - No School

September 24 - 26 - 5th Grade Camp

September 25th - Mum Pick-Up

September 25th - Panera Restaurant Night

September 30th - Picture Day

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 so happy to welcome Andrew Lamott to the Hillside Family! Mr. Lamott will be teaching PE to our K-1 students and our Level 3 Class. He will also work with the FPS Traveling Enrichment Program. Mr. Lamott comes to us from Lanigan with a wealth of knowledge and experience!

We are fortunate to be a community of multilingual and multicultural families. We consistently welcome new families throughout the school year; and often times parents and guardians have questions about our school and community.Just as Hillside students support their peers with new language and cultural experiences, we invite you, parents and families, to help support new families to our community. Please complete this form if you would like to connect with new multilingual families in the Hillside Community.

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

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

Sign Up to volunteer at the Fun Run

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!

Fun Run envelopes will be coming home mid-September for cash & check donations. Thank you for supporting the PTA!

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.

• Fall Event Planning Volunteer - We need 1-2 parents to help our VP of Events, Melika with planning the Fall Event. Please email hillsidehuskypta@gmail.com with questions or if you are interested in helping make the event a huge success.

• Fun Run Volunteer - Pass out water and popsicles during the Fun Run - Sign Up

• Mum Pick Up - Thursday, September 25th 4pm-6pm : Help check off orders and load mums into vehicles - Sign Up

• Book Fair Chair - We are looking for 1-2 parents to lead the Book Fair in the fall and spring, including hang signs around the school, coordinate volunteers, & coordinate drop off / pick up of fair materials. Please email hillsidehuskypta@gmail.com with questions or if you are interested in helping - we will guide you along the way and have how-to documents.

Student Directory Opt-Out - The annual Hillside student directory is a valuable communication tool and resource for Hillside families, containing an alphabetical listing and contact information for all students, staff and teachers. A printed document is provided to all PTA members and will come home with students in October. Sign up to be a PTA Member today!

You are provided the opportunity to opt-out of having your contact information printed in the directory. Only Complete this Google Form if you DO NOT wish to have your student(s) information included in the 2025 - 2026 Hillside Student Directory. Deadline to Opt-Out is September 30, 2025.

Additionally, support Hillside while you shop at Kroger & Busch’s

Kroger Community Rewards

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

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

Mark your calendars for the 1st PTA Meeting of the year. We offer free school aged childcare during the meeting. We will offer a Virtual option again this year. Expect an email the week of with Zoom information.

Agenda Items:

• Introduction of the 25/26 Board

• Upcoming Events

• Approval of the 25/26 Budget

Chromebook Protection Plan

For those families who have not purchased the Chromebook Protection Plan and would still like the opportunity to do so, please visit E-Funds and follow the instructions to create an account and purchase the $25 plan. The Chromebook Protection Plan covers one incident of loss and normal wear and tear.

The closing date for purchase is 9/19/25 at 11:59PM.

Annual Registration

Thank you to families who have completed the Annual Registration process. The ParentPortal will close on 9/19/2025 at 11:59PM to allow Oakland Schools to update student records on their end.

***Families new to FPS can still enroll year-round as the pre-enrollment process remains unchanged.

After 9/19/2025, only the following modules will remain open for information updates during the school year:

• Demographics

• Emergency Contacts

• Education Benefits

• Document Uploads

For questions, please contact Emily Pliska.

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

We are so proud of you!! Congratulations:

Zoey

Connor

Olivia

Peter

Grayson

Vincent

Celeste

Nicholas

Braxton

Thank you to Mrs. Janks, Mrs. Bongero, Mrs. Dowd, Mrs. Mishanec, Mr. Morrow, Mrs. Pelton, Mrs. Kherkher, and Mrs. Schultz for nominating these amazing students!!

We can't wait to see who's next!😍

Leader in Me Shirts are now on sale! This year we will be purchasing shirts for all Young 5's and Kindergarten students. We wear these shirts every Wednesday!

Please click on the link below to order shirts for adults and students in grades 1 - 5. Orders close on September 12th and shirts will arrive the week of September 22nd.

https://americansilkscreenmi.com/.../hillside-elementary.../

Nominate an Outstanding Educator for the 2025 Serra Brighton Teacher of the Year Award! Know a teacher who goes above and beyond to inspire students and shape the future? The 2025 Serra Brighton Teacher of the Year will be celebrated with a personalized plaque, recognized throughout the year, and awarded a prize package valued at over $650! In addition, we will honor two exceptional educators with Honorary Mention Awards, each receiving a $100 appreciation gift. Nominate a teacher who is making a meaningful impact in their classroom, their school, and the lives of their students.

Free meals will continue through 9/30/25.

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

Our first skate night is Thursday, September 11th . 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

FIRST ® LEGO® League Explore is an amazing chance for kids to use their curiosity and creativity to develop solutions for real problems using science, LEGO® and technology! FIRST ® LEGO® League Explore is appropriate for students 2nd through 3rd grade only. Placement is limited. Therefore parents are requested to submit their responses soon..

When : Every Tuesday 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm

Where: Hillside Elementary School Starting from September 9th .

Cost : $50 (Pay here)

Please register online by visiting : First Lego League Explore

PARENT COACHES NEEDED: For this program to work and be successful, we are in need of Parent Coaches . No experience needed. If interested please note on the registration link and contact swetha.kasturi@gmail.com

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

Join other families on the playground at an informal meet up to visit with new and old friends!

• Tuesday, September 16th - Young 5’s, Kindergarten and 1st Grade
• Wednesday, September 17th - 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Grades

Join us for our 1st restaurant night of the year on September 25th at Panera Bread between 4pm-8pm and ALL DAY with online orders . Use promo code FUND4U and 25% of your purchase will be donated to Hillside. 12 Mile & Halstead location only.

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