A Note from the Principal’s Desk – 10.30.2020
Dear Hillside Parents/Caregivers:
I hope this message finds you well. We are hustling and bustling to ready the school building for those students who will be returning in-person for hybrid.
- Master schedule and building-based hybrid protocol plan: We are in the process of finalizing This information will serve as a living document that will be updated accordingly. Our most up to date version will be forwarded to families next week. I will also provide an explanation video for your review.
- Ventilation: It is recommended from the CDC that we provide as much fresh air as possible. Our classrooms will be ready for students and staff either through mechanical ventilation, air purification, windows being opened and reduced class sizes. Currently our school has 45 rooms identified as having mechanical ventilation and 17 rooms which will have the air purification systems installed. Please be mindful that we will continue to update the community as repairs are made to the ventilation systems.
4th & 5th Grade Aesthetic Classes:
Week of Monday, 11/2: A-day aesthetics for 4th & 5th graders
3rd Grade Aesthetic Rotation:
The 3rd grade rotation schedule has been revised and updated for weeks 8-13. We recommend printing out the updated schedule for your reference. This schedule is based on your child’s homeroom teacher as listed on Genesis. 3rd Grade Rotation for Parents 2020-21.pdf
School-wide Topics:
Happy Halloween! We have 3 exciting Halloween Activities:
1) Virtual Cast of Characters Parade – 10/30
Staff and students are allowed to wear costumes on October 30th. We are organizing a Virtual Parade. If you choose to participate, then please submit your Costume Photo to Virtual Parade Submission – Submit Your Child’s Costume Photo, Full Name, and Teacher Name to hillsideschoolmpsd@gmail.com by 12pm on 10/30
2) Virtual Costume Contest – 10/30
The PTA will have a virtual Costume Contest, please email your photo to ptapres@hillsidepta.org. You can send pictures of your child or family in costume. We’re also accepting pictures of home decorations, carved or decorated pumpkins. Costume/Pumpkin Contest Pictures are due on Monday 11/2.
3) Happy Read-o-Ween! 10/31
Judy Newman of Scholastic Books, the famous Montclair Avenue Book Lady of local Halloween lore, isn’t going to be open for Trick-or-Treating this year due to COVID-19, but she has generously donated scores of new books to the Montclair elementary school PTAs. We invite interested Hillside families to come pick up a bag of new books (one per household) from the Hillside parking lot via car line pickup on Halloween Saturday, October 31, between 10:00am and 1:00pm and start Halloween off right. Supplies are plentiful but not limitless, so come early and we’ll update on the Hillside PTA Facebook page if we’re starting to run out. Thank you Judy Newman!
Class Liaisons Communication Google Form Due – 10/30
All parents/caregivers, if you have not already done so, please review and complete the google form using the link below to receive communications from your Class Liaisons. Participation is optional. If you opt out, you will NOT receive ANY communication about the class from the Class Liaisons. Please complete the form by 10/30. Class Contact Permission
Spirit Wear Pop-Up Shop @ the Van Vleck House & Gardens – 11/3
We will have a Hillside Spirit Wear table set up on Tuesday, Nov 3rd (election day!), from 10 am to 12 pm, at the Van Vleck House (21 Van Vleck Street, Montclair). We will have sweatshirts, tees, long-sleeve shirts, PJ bottom and much more swag. Families are welcome to visit the gardens and see the Community Scarecrow Exhibition on display with some scarecrows created by Nishuane and Hillside students!
*Visitors should find street parking around the Gardens and not pull into the parking lot.
*Masks must be worn and social distancing observed while in the property.
*Restrooms and drinking fountains are not available at this time.
MFEE ShowUp Montclair – 11/07
MFEE (The Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence) is bringing back its award-winning Showdown Montclair talent battle on November 7th. ShowUP features local hidden talent gems, success stories from Montclair schools — and even some familiar, super-talented Montclair Public School staff members! Check out this highlight reel that gives you a peek at what ShowUP is all about. Funds raised will support MFEE and its new Arts Open Hearts Fund which fuels innovative arts programs that nurture students’ social and emotional health.
Hillside Music Teacher Mr. Park will be showing off his virtuoso piano talents, and Hillside Dads Mike Burke and Dave Harrison are hosting the VIP pre-party. You won’t want to miss a special appearance from our two fearless leaders! Get your tickets here: https://givebutter.com/showupmontclair
Hillside Coat Drive – 10/19-11/20
Starting Monday, October 19, until Friday, November 20th, please drop off your CLEAN and GENTLY-USED Adult, kids and infant WINTER coats in the collection bins outside of door K, parking lot entrance. Last year, Hillside collected 121 coats for the Jersey Cares Coat Drive. This year’s goal is 125 coats!
Montclair PTA Council Statement regarding school re-opening
This PTAC statement was to the Board members, Dr. Ponds and Dr. Morgan.
https://montclairpta.org/2020/10/27/safely-returning-to-our-schools-10-26-20/
PTA
PTA Membership https://hillsidepta.new.memberhub.store/store?category=Memberships. Join us!
Hillside Spirit Wear and Gear: https://hillsidepta.new.memberhub.store/store
PTA website: montclairpta.org/hillside/
PTA Facebook group: https://m.facebook.com/groups/2527911263932164/
PTA Email: ptapres@hillsidepta.org
SATp Social Justice Committee
The Hillside SATp had started a new subcommittee dedicated to Social Justice. Committee members include parents, teachers and administrators from the Hillside Community who are dedicated to spreading awareness and education about Social Justice Issues such as:
– Racial Literacy
– Anti-Racism Education
– Cultural Infusion
– Restorative Justice
– Safe Spaces for Community Members to come together and talk about racism
Are you interested in learning more about the Social Justice Subcommittee or would you like to join future meetings? Please contact group administrator: Jennifer Di Lullo jenndilullo@gmail.com
MFEE’s “America to Me: Real Talk Montclair” Project
Are you curious about your own racial literacy and how it impacts your ability to identify and address racial inequity in our town? Several members of the SATp Social Justice Committee are training as Watch Group Facilitators for the “America to Me: Real Talk Montclair” Project.
We will be hosting WATCH GROUPS for Hillside Community Members starting Monday November 9th, in the evenings. “America to Me” is a documentary mini-series (10 one hour episodes) filmed at a suburban Chicago high school in Oak Park, IL – a town that looks a LOT like Montclair!
To find out more about the documentary, please follow this link: https://mfee.org/america-to-me/america-to-me.html
If you would like to participate in a WATCH GROUP AND DIALOGUE with other adults from the Hillside community, please contact these Watch Group Facilitator: Jennifer Di Lullo, Hillside Parent jenndilullo@gmail.com
A Message from Ms. Scott:
The next few days and weeks will likely feel a bit more stressful. We are nearing the close of a heated 2020 election season, the number of COVID cases is once again on the rise, racial tensions continue to be high, and our students and staff are set to return for hybrid instruction in the midst of all of this. Throw in the fact that the weather is getting colder and our daylight hours shorter, and you have a perfect recipe for anxiety and depression. The good news is that’s ok. Now that we have laid out things that may add to our stress, we won’t be surprised by these feelings if they happen. Instead, we will already have ways to cope ready in our mental health tool kit. Here are a few strategies for managing the stress and/or sadness you may feel in the coming days. Healthy Coping Strategies I encourage you to make a plan and be very purposeful about protecting your and your children’s mental health in this season.
Thank you to all the families who have participated in the anonymous survey. Teachers have expressed this information has been helpful in supporting and engaging with their class as a whole. If you haven’t had an opportunity to complete the survey, and would like to, the following link will direct you to it. Hillside Social-Emotional Survey This anonymous survey has four questions and will take you less than three minutes. The survey is designed to gather general information about ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) within our school, in an effort to help Hillside school better meet the social and emotional needs of our students. This is especially important during this phase of remote learning. More specifically, this survey will help us to identify the needs of the homerooms, which in turn will help me to program and provide social-emotional supports.
Here is the link and code for my Google classroom for anyone who would like to join.Ms. Scott’s Google Classroom. The class code is y5znwsx. There are daily affirmations, mind moments, and meditation activities to help calm some of the angst the children may be experiencing at this time. Signing up for the daily summary email will allow parents to experience some of these activities too. 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend! ~Ms. Scott
Notes from Nurse Boyle
Hello Hillside Families and Friends,
I hope you are all doing well! A few housekeeping items I would like to go over with you. Parents please remember to have students practice wearing masks at home for a few hours daily. It will get them prepared for wearing the masks at school. I encourage students to have two masks in case one breaks or gets dirty. Students should bring their own water bottles to school during the hybrid session. We will not be using the water fountains. If you child has a prescription for an inhaler or an epipen I need the medication form returned to me.
We have a long weekend on November 5th-8th. If you are traveling to a state that requires a quarantine for return to NJ please follow the guidelines. Do not send a student to school the day after returning from one of the quarantine states. You can find information here. NJ Traveler Advisory Form
Bloomfield Library will hold an emergency food distribution event on Monday November 2, 2020. Please see attached flyer for information. Have a safe weekend!
Nurse Boyle
Important Dates:
Tuesday 11/3– Election Day/School Closed
Thursday 11/5 & Fri 11/6– NJEA Convention/School Closed
Thursday 11/12 6:30PM– Family Night /Curriculum Night
Monday 11/9-Fri 11/13– Virtual Book Fair
Kind regards,
Samanthaa
Samanthaa Lennon Anglin, Ed.D.
Principal
Hillside Elementary School ~ Gifted and Talented Magnet
54 Orange Rd., Montclair, NJ
Phone: (973) 509-4200
Fax: (973) 509-1448
Follow us on Twitter: @Hillside_MPS