ASEP (After School Enrichment Program)

(Fall and Spring)

PTO volunteers plan, organize and run this hugely popular Hillside program. ASEP classes run from 2:20 until 3:20 and give students at all grade levels the opportunity to enjoy physically and/or mentally enriching activities. 

 

Backpacker

The Hillside Backpacker is a weekly e-newsletter designed to keep parents, teachers, administrators, staff and students informed about programs, events, services, and current events at the school (or that impact the school). Sign up from our homepage!

 

Book Awards

Each year, PTO volunteers coordinate student votes at each grade level for the Hillside Book Awards. The Hillside Book Award winners are announced in June and a guest storyteller treats the kids to a reading. The Buy-One-Get–One-Free book fair is held on the same day and the Ice Cream Social is also that evening at Hillside. 

Book Fair

Love books? Volunteer to help our Media Specialist, Debbie Ubriaco build our wonderful media center and help parents inspire the love of reading at home. Our energetic organizers work with Debbie and the selected book fair vendor to coordinate set-up, run, and publicize the book fair.

  

Class Dues

Each year, the PTO gives all of the classroom teachers a stipend for the purchase of supplies for their classrooms. The “class dues” collected in September are used to fund this program but they are most often augmented by additional funds raised through other PTO fundraisers. 

 

Craft Night

Develop crafts, coordinate craft stations, set up, clean up, and have fun at this well attended event!

 

Fall Social

Hillside parents, faculty, and staff socialize with our Hillside community while the children play on the playground. This laid-back event ... with cider donuts!

 

Family Boogie Night

DJ, food, decorations, and volunteers are always needed. Family Boogie Night is a popular themed dance event.

 

Help to Families in Need 

Throughout the year, and at the discretion of Dr. Fasciglione, the school principal, the PTO coordinates services and assistance, including financial assistance, to Hillside families in need.

 

Homeroom Parent Coordinators

Volunteer to coordinate communications between Home Room Parents and Parents re: class dues, class parties, general reminders, and the 5th grade moving up ceremony. Liaison with the PTO board regarding district and school board communications, especially around budget voting time.

 

Ice Cream Social

Free ice cream and fun family social evening.

 

Learning Fair

The Hillside Learning Fair is an annual school-wide display of independent study student projects organized by PTO volunteers. It is open to all students at Hillside. Family members are encouraged to attend. 

 

Library Volunteers

Are you good at alphabetizing? Would you like to spend time with your child’s class while they visit the media center? PTO volunteers coordinate parents to re-shelve books, check books out, and assist our librarian, Mrs. Ubriaco with class projects and assignments. For parents with older children, this can be a great way to help out your child’s class.  

 

Family Movie Night

Coordinate a movie, beverages, and snacks for our K-5 students and their families to enjoy.

 

Newcomer’s Ice Cream Social/Fall Social

Meet & greet ice cream social for incoming kindergarten families and other families new to Hillside. This is a great opportunity for new families and students meet their teachers and other classmates, have ice cream, and play on the playground.

 

PARP (Parents As Reading Partners)

(Ongoing)

The PARP program motivates elementary school readers. In exchange for recording time spent reading and meeting reading goals, PARP participants can earn rewards (i.e. coupons for one scoop of ice cream from Stewart's or a Hillside pencil).

 

Passive Fundraisers

Would you like to help Hillside make money through corporate sponsored fundraisers such as: Box Tops for Education; Labels for Education and Price Chopper E Labels for Education; Hannaford Helps Schools; and Price Chopper Tools For Schools. If you are in the volunteer spirit, but you don’t have a lot of time to give, help organize, publicize and make our school lots of money with one of these wonderful corporate sponsors. Organizers will also be asked to get creative and help implement incentives/contests in order to maximize our full fundraising potential.

 

Picture Day

Volunteer to coordinate picture day (October) and retake day (November) with school, teachers, photographer and parents as necessary. Help children to and from their classrooms and make sure the students are looking picture ready. Liaise with the PTO board and Hillside school office with any contracts that need to be reviewed and signed.

 

Pre-School Story Hour

Volunteers coordinate, communicate, and supervise the library and gym time for preschoolers who will be coming to Hillside for kindergarten in the fall.

 

Restaurant Night 

(All year)

Plan dining nights/days at local restaurants such as Chipotle and Panera. These dining nights are very
easy to coordinate, and require a minimal time commitment. It’s a great way to build community spirit and benefit Hillside at the same time.

 

SDM (Shared Decision Making Liaison)

PTO volunteers attend regularly schedule committee meetings with  teachers, parents, support staff, administration, and non-parent community members and report information back to our PTO.

 

Special Projects/ Capital Improvements

Over the years, the PTO has planned, funded, and implemented projects that resulted in major improvements to Hillside Elementary School.

 

Spirit Wear/Apparel

Because it is expensive to produce high-quality Hillside apparel, the PTO runs the apparel sale in the Fall as service to the Hillside Community and does not mark-up the items to make a profit. New Hillside parents take note: there are several days during the school year when the kids like to wear Hillside tee shirts- for Field Day, ACES Day, School Spirit Day, Niska Day, and others.

  

School Banking

Hillside school banking is a program sponsored by First NY Federal Credit Union. It allows students to make weekly deposits right at school; only requiring a minimum deposit of of $0.25. Students are eligible for prizes after every 5th deposit which they receive in school. After making 15 deposits, the student is eligible for a movie ticket. The program takes place every Friday morning in the lobby.  Currently on pause 

 

Visiting Author, Artist, or Musician

PTO volunteers plan, coordinate, and partially fund an author, artist, or musician visit. 

 

Webmaster

Volunteer who maintains the PTO website, with updates school information on a weekly basis, and coordinates with the district PTO webmaster.