Hillside Happenings

We're Wild About WIGs!

One way we can start teaching our students goal-setting is to have them focus on what is wildly important to them. Wildly Important Goals or WIGs are the few vital goals that must be accomplished in order for the student to be successful. Students can sometimes be unsure of how to achieve a long-term goal. When these goals are broken into small steps based on lead measures, it helps them see their progress along the way and ensure success in the long run. Every classroom at Hillside has WIG Goals. Congrats to Mrs. Thiele's class who was the first to reach their WIG Goal this year! Students are also encouraged to set goals at home. Use the planning worksheet below to think about some areas your child can focus on at home.

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:

September 30th - Picture Day

September 30th - Junior Optimist Club Meeting

October 1st - Count Day

October 2nd - No School - Yom Kippur

October 3rd - FUN RUN

October 8th - Walk & Roll to School Day

October 9th - PTA Meeting at 7:00 pm

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 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 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

Our 5th graders are having a blast at Camp Ohiyesa! Many thanks to our 5th Grade Teachers, all of our parent chaperones, and Mrs. Subha who stayed back with students at "Camp Hillside". Students took part in a variety of activities including ziplining, canoeing, archery, and rock climbing!

Girls on the Run is designed to inspire girls of all abilities to recognize and embrace their inner strength and make meaningful connections with others. Mrs. Silver and Mrs. Maas meet with the girls each week and on November 16th the girls will participate in a 5K on Belle Isle. Girls on the Run... is so much fun! 🎊

Walk or Bike to school on October 8th and you'll get a sticker!

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.

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.

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

Our 1st Classroom Winner is Mrs. Kherkher 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

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

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.

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:

Sarvesh

Craig

Lexi

Sayani

Hope

Ollie

Sia

William

Jack

Thank you to Mrs. Dowd, Mrs. Potocki, Mrs. Mishanec & Mrs. Bongero

for nominating these amazing students!!

We can't wait to see who's next!😍

The Farmington High School Sideline Cheer Squad is hosting their fall youth clinic on September 27th. This is an especially exciting clinic because participants will be invited back to perform under the Friday night lights during our home football game on Oct. 3rd. We'd love to have your students join us for this fun experience. All proceeds benefit the high school sideline cheer program.

Grades K-5
Saturday, October 4, 2-3 p.m.

FCL Farmington Hills: Auditorium

32737 W. 12 Mile Rd.

Join us as we celebrate a year of the 250 Books Before Sixth Grade program! We will have some fall-themed art stations and other fun activities. Celebrate how many books you have read or plan on reading! If you are not signed up, we can get you started with the program at this celebration. Hope to see you there!

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!

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.

Free meals will continue through 9/30/25.

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

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