Hillside Happenings

🎃 A Big Thank You & November News! 🍂

We hope this message finds you well as we settle into November! Due to today's closure, please wear your Lions Gear on Monday, November 10th!

Thank You for a Spooktacular Week!

A massive thank you to all the families who helped make our Halloween parties last week such a fun and memorable success for the students! Your support, generosity, and time are truly appreciated and make such a difference in creating these special events.

✨ Habit of the Month: Begin With the End in Mind (Habit #2)

For the month of November, we are focusing on Habit #2: Begin With the End in Mind.

This habit is about planning ahead, setting goals, and knowing where you want to go before you start. We encourage you to use this language at home and help your student practice this skill.

• "What is your goal for this homework assignment?"

• "Before we start this project, what does the finished product look like?"

• "If you Begin With the End in Mind for cleaning your room, what steps will you take?"

Reinforcing this language at home will greatly help our students internalize this important habit!

🥫 Canned Food Drive Underway!

Our annual Canned Food Drive is officially underway! We will begin collecting non-perishable food donations soon to support local families in need. Please look for more specific collection dates and details next week, and thank you in advance for your generosity!

🍬 Candy for Our Troops

The box for our "Candy for the Troops" collection is filling up fast thanks to all of your generous donations! Thank you for bringing in your extra Halloween candy to share a sweet treat with our service members overseas.

Have a wonderful weekend, and Go Lions! 🏈

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:

November 10th - Scholastic Book Fair Begins

November 11th - Parent-Teacher Conferences

November 12th - Bonaventure Skate Night

November 13th - Parent - Teacher Conferences

November 19th - Picture Retakes

November 20th - PTA Meeting (Virtual)

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

December 1st - Book Blast Begins

December 2nd - 1st Grade Library Field Trip

December 2nd - Lunch & Learn w/ Dr. Coffin

December 9th - Leader in Me Book Event w/ Muriel Summers

December 11th - Bonaventure Skate Night

December 12th - 3rd Grade Capital Field Trip

December 16th - 1st Grade Safari

December 19th - Spelling Bee Lists Sent Home

December 19th - Winter Break Begins at the end of the school day!

(Classes resume on January 5, 2026)

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

Archive of all Newsletters

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

Our 2nd Grade students went to the Heritage Park Nature Center for the Shifting Sands Field Trip. Thanks to our district who generously paid for this field trip. Students were able to enjoy nature and learn how wind and water change the shape of the land. Thank you to our second grade team for two fun days of learning! Photos are from Mrs. Sabon.

Help us celebrate the educators who make Farmington Public Schools a place where Success Starts Here! Use this form to nominate an FPS teacher who exemplifies excellence in instruction, builds strong relationships with students and families, and goes above and beyond for our school community. Students, families, colleagues, and community partners are all welcome to submit nominations.

Save the date! Our next PTA meeting is Thursday, November 20th. This is a virtual-only meeting. We will send an email with Zoom info the day before. We hope you will join us!

Our Book Fair is next week - November 10th through 14th! Your students will have a preview with their class and bring home a Wishlist. There are several ways to make a purchase.

1. Parents come on Conference Nights - we are open until 8pm on Tuesday & Thursday. Many parents purchase as gifts for the upcoming holidays. We accept cash & credit and are located outside of the Media Center.

2. Students can purchase 2 ways on Thursday or Friday during the school day - with permission from their teacher.

1. Cash

2. E-Wallet: These are electronic funds you provide in their name through the Scholastic website. They share their name when cashing out and it will come up in the system. Left over funds can be used for online orders or for the next book fair. Learn more here.

3. Order Online - All book-only orders over $35 have free shipping during November 10th - November 23rd. Shipped direct to your home.

Purchase tickets today for our Movie Night on November 21st! This is a drop-off event for Hillside students. We have already sold half of the 150 tickets available. You must purchase tickets in advance. Purchase tickets here

Support Hillside while you shop at Kroger & Busch’s

Kroger Community Rewards

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

Restaurant Night - Save the Date! Our next restaurant night is November 18th at Rolling Stoves!

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.

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

We are so proud of you!! Congratulations:

Hector

Anayah

Ali

Roman

Liam

Margaret

Thank you Mrs. Sabon, Mrs. Mishanec, & Mrs. Potocki

for nominating these amazing students!!

We can't wait to see who's next!😍

The Detroit Lions Touchdowns for Teachers program is designed to celebrate and support outstanding educators by providing them with Lions experiences and classroom grants to enhance their teaching experience while benefiting their students. This initiative aims to recognize the hard work and dedication of teachers who go above and beyond in their classrooms.

How It Works:

1. Nomination Process: Students, parents, school staff and community members can nominate a teacher who has made a significant impact in their lives or in the classroom.
2. Grant Selection: Nominations will be reviewed by a committee, and selected teachers will receive grants to fund innovative projects, resources, or activities that will enhance student learning.
3. Celebration of Teachers: Recipients will be recognized, showcasing their contributions and the positive effects they have on their students.

Why Nominate?

• Empower Educators: Help your teacher gain the resources they need to implement creative ideas and improve their classroom environment.
• Acknowledge Dedication: Show appreciation for the time and effort your teacher invests in their students every day.
• Developing the Future: Grant-funded projects can lead to innovative teaching methods and inspire students in their learning journey.

Nominate your favorite teacher today and help them turn their classroom dreams into reality!

Our kitchen is getting upgrades!

While the kitchen is being renovated, the following menu will be served next week:

Elementary students will have the option to purchase a second slice of pizza on Little Caesars Pizza Day (every other Thursday - Nov. 6th/20th). 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.

Special Promo: Your students will come home with a sticker in their Friday Folders. Provide to the cashier when paying for your admission and they will receive 20 free arcade credits for our Hillside Skate Night. Can’t go in November? Save the sticker for another Hillside Skate Night!

The Community Support Services department has a limited number of coats available for students in need. These are available on a first-come come-first first-served basis. You can come to our building, located at 32789 West Ten Mile Rd during the following times:

Nov. 7: 8-4

Nov. 10: 9-6

Nov. 11 - 14: 8-4

Please see the CSS Website for many other resources.

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