Dear Families,

It's hard to believe that there are only three days left before the first day of school. Hillside staff are preparing the classrooms and the school for the first day of school on August 24th. Below are few announcements and reminders.

• If you received an email from me regarding immunizations or health information, please make sure you connect with Mrs. Margaret Strange, Health Clinic Specialists to rectify this so that your child can start school on the 24th.
• We look forward to seeing parents and children at the Open House on Tuesday, August 22nd from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Open House is an informal opportunity for children to meet the teacher, find their way to class, and pick up school supplies if you ordered them through the PTO. Children who attend Open House will receive a coupon for Bruster's Ice Cream.
• Parents are invited back to school Tuesday evening for Back to School Night. Due to space limitations in the classroom, Back to School Night is an adult only event. We ask that you make arrangements for someone to watch your children.
• Please read the arrival and dismissal procedures in this Weekly Update. Your children's safety is our highest priority.
• We are very fortunate to have a highly dedicated PTO who have planned several back to school "Welcome Week" activities. See the important dates below for details and times.
• Many thanks to Meg Strasburg and her team of volunteers for sprucing up our faculty lounge. Volunteers were at Hillside on Saturday and Sunday giving the lounge a new coat of paint and getting it ready for staff.
• Additional thanks to out to the army of parents and students who help with landscaping on Saturday. The volunteers pulled weeds, trimmed hedges and trees, and dressed up our garden beds in front of the school with a new layer of mulch.
• All parents and guardians should have received an email from me asking you to complete a dismissal plan survey. See the message with a link to the survey in this Weekly Update if you missed that email.

We can't wait for your children to arrive on Thursday and breath some life back into Hillside and we continue our partnerships with all of you to create a wonderful place for children to grow and learn.

Sincerely,

Chris A. Mills, Hillside Principal

August

• 21st - School Is Sweet (5:30 to 6:30 pm). Join the PTO for a Cookie, to make new friends, and catch up with old buddies. (RSVP Link) (Volunteer Link).
• 22nd - Meet and Treat Open House (1:00 to 3:00 pm). Students get to meet their teachers, see their classrooms, and receive a coupon for Bruster's Ice Cream!
• 22nd - Back to School Nights (6:00 PM for K-2 and 7:00 pm for 3-5). Due to space limitations, this is an adult-only event.
• 23rd - PTO Sponsored Staff Luncheon. (Volunteer Link)
• 23rd - Kindergarten Playdate (5:00 to 5:30 pm). Come meet other incoming kindergarteners and their parents near the shade structure on the Hillside playground.
• 23rd - Chalk the Walk (5:30 to 6:30 pm) Stop by the front of the school to add your drawings or positive messages before the first day of school.
• 24th - First Day of School. Meet Crystal the Hawk at the front entrance.
• 25th - Spirit Day. Wear your Hillside Spirit Gear or wear school colors (burgundy, navy or gray)

September

• 1st - Schools Closed for Labor Day Weekend
• 4th - Schools Closed for Labor Day Weekend
• 4th-8th - Substitute Teacher Appreciation Week
• 6th - PTO Meeting (3:15 to 4:15) Hillside Library.
• 8th - PTO Blast Off Bingo Night (6:30 to 8:00 pm). Preregistration required. This is a family event. A parent or guardian must accompany children.
• 15th - PTO Charleston Wrap Fundraiser Begins
• 20th - Walk to School Wednesday
• 22nd - PTO Fall Spirit Wear Sale Ends
• 25th - Schools Closed for Yom Kippur

Ensuring your children arrive home safely and as prescribed by you is our highest priority. Please help us by completing this survey indicating your preferences for how your child should be dismissed from school each day.

To avoid confusion and ensure all students safely arrive home each day, we ask that parents make every attempt to maintain a consistent plan for student dismissal.

Note: You may only choose LCPS Bus if you live in the transportation zone and your child has been assigned to a bus in ParentVue.

School Year 2023-2024 Hillside Dismissal Plan Survey

To expedite our car line dismissal, each Hillside family will be issued a 3-digit car line code that they will display on the dashboard in the car line.

All parents of students who completed the registration and ParentVue verification processes received an email on Friday with their Family 3-Digit Carline Dismissal Code. Teachers will distribute car line signs to families at Open House from 1:00 to 3:00 pm and Back to School Night on Tuesday, August 22, 2023.

We cannot emphasize enough the importance of safe arrival and dismissal practices to ensure every child arrives at school and gets home safely every day.

Important Hazards to Avoid During Arrival and Dismissal on Ellzey Drive

Below are two problem areas we have encountered that we need everyone's help mitigating.

Never allow your child to run over the hill in front of the school and cross the driveway into the bus and daycare van traffic. Students arriving from Ellzey Drive must use the crosswalks at Ellzey Drive and the School Driveway and enter the campus on the sidewalk leading to the main entrance (Door A2).

Do not make U-Turns on Ellzey Drive within two blocks of the school or in the crossing guard intersection near the driveway. Community members who witness hazardous traffic issues are encouraged to report incidents to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Department using the Loudoun County Traffic Complaint Form.

Arrival

• School begins promptly at 8:00 a.m. Students arriving after this time will need to be escorted by a responsible adult to the Main Entrance doors (A2) and ring the buzzer.
• Walkers will enter through the Main Entrance doors (A2).
• Bus Riders and Van Riders will arrive in the Bus Loop and enter through the Main Entrance doors (A2).
• Car Riders will follow the traffic loop around the school parking lot and drop off their student/s on the sidewalk next to the gym doors. Cars are not permitted in the bus loop during arrival and dismissal.

Additional Carline Procedures for Safe Arrival

• Drivers should not use their cell phones while in the car line. Pay attention to those around you.
• Do not enter the main driveway in front of the school. The driveway is reserved for buses and daycare vans.
• Cars should follow the traffic pattern around the parking lot.
• Students must exit vehicles on the car's passenger side at the curb next to the gym.
• Drivers must stay in their vehicles.
• Staff will be on duty to assist children in getting in and out of cars.
• Drive slowly (5 mph or less) and move forward after the car in front of you has moved.
• Do not pass other cars.

Dismissal

• KG Walkers will be dismissed at the outside KG doors around the back of the school (C2, C3 or C4).
• Walkers whose classrooms are in the back hallway will be dismissed at Door B2 (left side of the building back by the playground).
• Walkers whose classrooms are in the front hallway will be dismissed at Door B3 (left side of the building towards the front of the school).
• Bus Riders and Van Riders will be dismissed through the Main Entrance doors (A2).
• Car Riders will be dismissed from the Gym Door (D8) in order of the parent’s arrival in carline.

Additional Directions for Carline for Safe Dismissal

• Place a sheet of paper on the passenger side of your front window with your family's 3-digit dismissal code written in large block numerals.
• Children will enter your vehicle on the sidewalk side of the car when all cars at the curb have stopped and the driver's cell phones are not in use.
• Parents should not exit the vehicle at any time. Staff will be on-site to assist as needed.
• Drive slowly (5 mph or less) after the car in front of you has moved, and be aware of those around you.
• Follow the arrows shown in the Traffic Pattern Map.
• Do not pass other cars in the loop.
• At all times, follow staff directions.

Join the PTO

Important PTO Links

PTO Meeting Dates

Parents,

Beginning at 8 a.m. on Monday, August 14, please sign into ParentVUE to complete the Online Verification process as part of Loudoun County Public Schools’ First Day of School Information initiative. This process is necessary for families to review and update important information about their students as we begin the 2023-24 school year.

The Online Verification process must be completed no later than Friday, September 22. Once completed, you can view student schedules (teacher assignments) and bus information in ParentVUE.

For families who have activated their Stopfinder account, you will also see your student’s transportation information in the app. Please note: You will need to scroll to the date of August 24, in the app to see student transportation information.

If you do not have a ParentVUE account, please get in touch with the main office to request an Activation Letter.

For more information about this Online Verification process and FAQs about the First Day of School, please visit: https://www.lcps.org/firstday.

Because Transportation Department continues to update student transportation information in ParentVue, parents are asked to check transportation information the evening before the start of school and periodically throughout the year for any changes. Parents are also notified via email when changes are made to their student’s transportation.