A Note from the Principal’s Desk – 10.1.2021
Dear Hillside Parents/Caregivers:
The State of New Jersey’s annual “Week of Respect” will take place from Oct. 4 – 8! Here at Hillside, we strive on a daily basis to cultivate a positive school climate that promotes academic achievement while preventing negative behaviors, such as violence, harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB). Besides the monthly character education lessons delivered by our School Counselor (SC), the month of October will bring opportunities for us to highlight and build upon these efforts by engaging students in age-appropriate instruction during both the “Week of Respect” and “School Violence Awareness Week”. Here’s a preview of how we will celebrate so get your children’s gear ready!
- MONDAY (10/4) Respect our Diverse Community – Let’s celebrate diversity and throw kindness around like confetti!!! Wear as many different colors as you can!
- TUESDAY (10/5) Respect Others – Hurtful words can’t be taken back. Wear your clothes backwards!
- WEDNESDAY (10/6) Respect Yourself – Be comfortable with who you are! Wear your pajamas or cozy sweats!
- THURSDAY (10/7) Respect our “Hillside Family” Connection- Together Everyone Achieves More! Wear something from your favorite sports team (i.e. jersey, t-shirt, socks, etc.)
- FRIDAY (10/8) Respect our School- Show your school spirit! Wear your Hillside Gear or school colors!
School-wide News…Be in the Know
St. Lukes Place:
PLEASE!!!! Please stop doing K turns on St. Lukes Place. I know the extra two minutes it takes to drive around the corner is an inconvenience, however, the traffic jams and car clusters are dangerous for our students. Please drop your child off on the side of the street of the school, they should never be encouraged to jaywalk or cross in an area of a street other than a crosswalk.
Travel Quarantine:
There have been a number of requests for district information to be in writing. I’ve been informed that such information will be included in the Superintendent’s Community Message SY 21-22 No. 3.
3rd Grade Aesthetic Rotation- REVISED:
The 3rd grade rotation schedule for related arts has been revised. Please click the link below to see the schedule for the last few weeks of the rotation. 3rd Grade Rotation for Parents REVISED 2021-22.pdf
3rd Grade CI/Aesthetic FAQ
As discussed on Back-To-School-Night, an FAQ with important CI and Aesthetic dates and information is now available. You can view it here as well as on our website. Additionally, information regarding aesthetics and CI programming can be found on page 12 of our Hillside Elementary School Handbook 21-22SYSY.
Hillside’s Fall Events
Hillside & Nishuane Movie Night on the Green
Friday, October 15, 2021 from 6:30pm – 9:00pm $5 per ticket
- Pizza will be available for pre order & Snacks available for purchase
- Volunteer’s please sign-up here
Hillside Car Wash
Saturday, October 23, 2021 from 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Volunteers needed!! More information to come.
Trunk or Trick on the Hill
Friday, Oct 29, 2021 from 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Volunteers needed to decorate their car trunks!! More information to come.
Smashburger, Panera, Chipotle Dinner Fundraiser
Chair and Volunteers needed!
In order to make all of these events happen, we need your help! Email us @ ptapres@hillsidepta.org if you’re interested in volunteering.
Bike, Walk to Hillside 2021
Get ready to lace up those sneakers, and gear up those bikes for National Walk/Bike to School Day on Wednesday, October 6th!
Two Meet-up Locations:
– Whole Foods back Parking Lot (located on Bell Street & Mountainview Ave)
– Porter Park (located on Orange Road & Harrison Ave)
We are departing at 8:30am for our group walk/ride to Hillside. Once at the school, all students including our bussers can join-in on the fun! Activities include Dance on the Lawn, led by Montclair’s own Beyond the Boogie Dance Company! Don’t forget to stop by and sign the “We biked/walked to school today” poster!
Full list of activities:
- Students and parents/caregivers will meet-up at 8:20am and walk/bike to school as a group with our Hillside Bike/Walk Team Captains & Montclair’s MFD & MPD
- Depart both meet-up locations, Whole Foods Back Lot and Porter Park @ 8:30 AM
- Bike & Walk Montclair (street safety advocates) will be in attendance to address our Hillside Community
- Take part in our ‘Dance on the Lawn’ session led by local dance company Beyond the Boogie
- Sign the “We biked/walked to school today poster”
- Refuel with light refreshments
Contact: hillsidesatp@gmail.com
Hillside SATp + Hillside Social Justice – First Meeting of the School Year
Wednesday October 13th – Zoom link will be forwarded this week
6:30 – 7pm SATp
7pm – 8pm SATp / Social Justice
What is Hillside Social Justice?
The Hillside Social Justice Committee is a collective of Teachers, Parents and School Administrators who are committed to educating and expanding awareness of Racial Equity, Cultural infusion, and Social Justice topics within the school community. Goals for the 2021 -2022 School Year include: Hispanic Heritage Month, Student Voices Book Club, Kwanzaa Celebration, Black Lives Matter Week of Action, Lunar New Year Celebration, Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and Juneteenth Celebration. Now in its second year, we will host monthly meetings for interested persons to learn more about Social Justice at Hillside. All are welcome to listen in, ask questions, and get involved!
What is the SATp?
Hillside School grows creative and engaged leaders who value friendship, fairness and fun through academic exploration, healthy relationships, and exposure to the arts to navigate a diverse and global community.
Mission Statement
The district has adopted the School Action Teams for Partnership model. The model was developed by Johns Hopkins’ researcher, Dr. Joyce Epstein, who has identified six types of involvement that make school-family-community partnerships successful:
1. Parenting – Support and assist families with parenting and child-rearing skills, child development, and supporting learning at home as well as at school.
2. Communication – Communicate effectively with families about school programs and student progress.
3. Volunteering – Recruit and train families and community members to work with children and support school programs
4. Learning at Home – Involve families with their children in learning activities at home, including homework and other curriculum-related activities.
5. Decision Making – Support and involve families as participants in school governance and advocacy through school action teams, and other organizations.
6. Community Collaboration – Coordinate resources and services for students, families, and the school with businesses, agencies and other groups; they provide services to the community.
Examples of activities: First Day of School Celebration, Cultural Infusion, Coat Drive, Family Code Night
Message from Ms. Scott (School Counselor)
Hello Hillside Families! I have a lot to say today LOL so please keep reading for important information.
“Lunch Bunch” groups will begin in October. Lunch bunch groups will take place during your child’s lunch/recess period so your child will miss their recess once per 6-day cycle or, for 3rd graders, one day per week. For example, a 4th or 5th grade student might have “Lunch Bunch” every 1st A Day or 3rd B Day, whereas a 3rd grader might have it every Wednesday. If you think your child would benefit from participating in a “Lunch Bunch” group please complete the In Need of Counseling Survey so I will have a better idea of their needs.
Throughout the rest of the school year I will occasionally be hosting live, virtual “Topic Tuesday” sessions for parents. These will be informational sessions about a specific topic and will run about 30-45 minutes. In addition to the live session, I will also include the link to the Google Slides in [my] Ms. Scott’s Google Classroom (class code jzelps7) and in the bulletin on the Friday after Topic Tuesday so all parents will have an opportunity to receive the information. While there will be an opportunity for parents to ask questions during “Topic Tuesday”, please note it will not be the appropriate time to ask questions about your child specifically. As the children know, confidentiality is a priority for me so all questions should be general. Personal questions/concerns should always be shared with me privately via email or phone call.
In honor of National Bullying Prevention Month, the first “Topic Tuesday” will be about Bullying. It will take place October 12, 2021 at 10:15 a.m. Please use the link below to join. Topic Tuesday- Bullying (Passcode: SSCOTT)
A few parents have reached out to ask about a Mindfulness technique (5-4-3-2-1) I shared with the children to help in moments of anxiety/worry. Please feel free to visit [my] Ms. Scott’s Google Classroom to see the steps.
As always, I am here to support our Hillside families in any way I can. In addition to email (sscott@montclair.k12.nj.us), I can be reached at 973.509.4200 x4297. Additionally please ask your child to join Ms. Scott’s Google Classroom (class code jzelps7). They will be able to access the I Need to See Ms. Scott Google form there. Lastly, here is the In Need of Counseling Survey parents can use to let me know if your child could use my help. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any concerns about your child’s social-emotional well-being.
Note from Nurse Boyle
Hello Hillside Families and Friends!
You can always reach me via phone or email with any questions or concerns. My phone number is 973-509-4200 ext.4192 and my email is rboyle@montclair.k12.nj.us. Have a great weekend! Nurse Boyle
Important Dates:
Week of Respect
Friday 10/1: Hispanic Heritage Event 5PM
Wednesday 10/6: Bike/Walk to School 8:30AM, BOE Meeting 7:30PM
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