Hillside Happenings

What an incredible week it has been here at Hillside! Our halls have been buzzing with excitement, and we want to extend a huge thank you to all our families for your support during such a busy and eventful stretch. From the sticky fingers and creative designs at our gingerbread parties to the incredible energy during our school-wide huddle, the holiday spirit has been truly contagious. We also had a blast hosting the safari visit, which brought so many smiles to our students' faces.

There were so many wonderful moments this week that we couldn't fit them all in one newsletter! We encourage you to visit our Hillside Facebook Page to see additional photos and highlights from our celebrations. Additionally, our Book Blast Fundraiser was a HUGE success, thanks to you! We have a total of 1,500 books heading our way! Distribution of books and prizes will take place once we return from break. The best part? Every single child will be receiving a book to add to their home library.

As we head into the holidays, we wish every one of our Husky families a peaceful and enjoyable winter break. Whether you are traveling to visit loved ones or looking forward to some quiet relaxation at home, we hope you enjoy this well-deserved time together. We look forward to seeing everyone refreshed and ready for a great 2026! 🎊

Thank you,

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:

January 5th - School Reconvenes

January 6th - Dentists R Us Returns

January 14th - PTA Meeting (Virtual)

January 16th - Half Day of School

January 19th - No School - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 21st - Bonaventure Night

January 30th - Movie Night

February 3rd - 4th Grade Ski Trip

February 11th - Bonventure Skate Night

February 16 - 20 - No School - Mid-Winter Break

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

While smartwatches can be helpful tools at home, we ask that they not be worn or used during the school day. To maintain a focused learning environment and prevent distractions or loss of property, please ensure your child leaves their smartwatch at home or keeps it turned off in their backpack. If you need to get an urgent message to your child, our front office is always available to assist you.

Last weekend, our FLL Explore Teams had a showcase event at Farmington Steam Academy. It was a wonderful experience for our students as they had the chance to present all they have learned for the past 10 weeks. Hillside Teams won "Best Poster", "Best Solution", and "Best Model" awards.

A big thanks to PTA for helping the team!

Scripps Spelling Bee - Grade level study words are coming home in Friday Folders TODAY!

• 1/12/26 – 1/16/26: Classroom spelling bee at the teachers’ convenience. All students participate.

• 1/20/26: Families of finalists will be notified of their timeslot for the Final Bee on 1/28/25

• 1/27/26: Hillside Final Bee: there will be (3) grades from 5:30-6:30p and (3) grades from 6:30-7:30p

January Movie Night is Friday, January 30th. Tickets are now on sale - Purchase tickets here

It may seem early, but after-school enrichments for 2026 are available to register. You can find additional details on our website.

Just ADDED:

KidCreate - Fridays, starting January 23rd

Basketball - (K-1st) Mondays, starting January 12th // (2nd-5th) Wednesdays, starting January 14th

Still available to enroll:

MadScience - Mondays, starting January 26th

Chess Wizards - Tuesdays, starting January 13th

Sunset Theatre presents Lilo & Stitch - Wednesdays, starting January 14th (Only 3 spots left!)

NEW! Brixology - Thursdays, starting January 29th

Support Hillside while you shop at Kroger & Busch’s

Kroger Community Rewards

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

Farmington Public Schools (FPS) is partnering with Varsity Tutors for Schools to provide students with free access to additional learning tools through the Varsity Tutors for Schools Platform.

Varsity Tutors for Schools offers a wide variety of tools including:

• 24/7 On-demand chat tutoring
• On-demand essay review
• Live academic and enrichment classes
• SAT and ACT test preparation classes
• Celebrity-led Starcourse classes
• Self-study resources
• College and career readiness resources
• Adaptive assessments and personalized learning plans
• Prerecorded enchantment classes and videos

Students can access the free resources only by logging in through Clever at Clever.com.

Once students login to their Clever account, they can access tools by clicking on the Varsity Tutors application. From here, students can explore the learning lab and discover all of the features the platform has to offer.

To learn more about the Varsity Tutors partnership, visit www.clever.com.

To learn more about Farmington Public Schools, visit www.farmington.k12.mi.us.

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

We are so proud of you!! Congratulations:

Twisha

Adhira

Nathan

Gargi

James

Rugved

Tristan

Winter

Thank you Mrs. Kherkher, Mrs. Burzynski & Mrs. Lamott

for nominating these amazing students!!

We can't wait to see who's next!😍

Elementary students will have the option to purchase a second slice of pizza on Little Caesars Pizza Day (every other Thursday - Jan. 15 & 29). 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.

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