Hello, Hillside Families!  

It's hard to believe we are just two short days away from the end of this school year!  It's been a great one, and we look forward to an exciting final two days that will feature tomorrow's Fifth Grade Talent Show and the Fifth Grade Clap Out on the last day of school.  

At the Talent Show, pillar teams will present cheers/songs that they practiced last week. Please remember to send your children into school tomorrow with the color shirt that corresponds with their assigned character pillar (same as Wall Decorating and Field Day).  Thank you, in advance!  Can't wait to see all the awesome talent and cheers/songs!

We will have our Fifth Grade Clap Out on Tuesday at dismissal.  Families attending are asked to gather behind the cones in the circle near the pillar doors starting at around 11:30 a.m.  Fifth graders will start making their way through the school at 11:45 a.m. and will exit the building at the pillar doors at around noon, which for many, are the doors they first entered in Kindergarten.  A bittersweet moment, for sure, but we look forward to one final celebration of our awesome fifth grade class!

Note to Kindergarten and First Grade Families regarding pickup on Tuesday, 6-24:  In order to alleviate the congestion expected at door 9 on the last day of school due to the Fifth Grade Clap Out, families who pick up Kindergarten and first grade students should meet them on the upper blacktop near the annex (trailers).  Teachers will walk students out through door 8 to the blacktop.  Thank you for your cooperation and understanding!

We have partial days of school on Monday and Tuesday.  Students will dismiss at 12:00 p.m. (11:55 a.m. for Kindergarten).  Families are asked to ensure appropriate pick up arrangements for these last two days of school.  Thank you!  Note that lunch is not served on partial days, but students are still welcome to bring a healthy snack to school.  

Final report cards will be available to families in the Genesis Parent Portal after 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday.  Families should ensure that all items that belong to the school are returned this week, particularly library books and classroom books to avoid delay in accessing student report cards. Thank you!

Former Hillside husky and current Harvard College student, Matthew Zhang, is co-founder of Omega Speech and Debate.  He and I had the opportunity to catch up recently, and he shared that his organization is offering a summer camp for students interested in speech and debate.  Information about the summer camp can be found here.  I know he'd absolutely love to have some huskies sign up!

Stay tuned for Summer Reading information!  I will send that either tomorrow or on the last day!

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REMINDER:  The Hillside PTA is looking to fill two executive board positions for next school year (VP and Treasurer).  Please see here for additional information. Thank you!

REMINDER:  Families whose children are not returning (i.e., those who are moving or attending a private school) to Hillside next school year should notify the office as soon as possible.  Please contact Mrs. Schroeder at jschroeder@livingston.org, and she will provide you with necessary information to withdraw your children and access school records.  Thank you!

REMINDER:  Checkmate to a Better Future, Inc., is hosting a Summer Chess Tournament and Fundraiser.  Information can be found here.

REMINDER:  The Hillside PTA is seeking parent volunteers for the 2025-26 school year!  Please see the following links for a Volunteer Interest Sheet and a Class Parent sign up sheet.  Please contact the PTA with any questions at hillsideschoolPTA@gmail.com. Thank you!

1. Volunteer Interest Sheet                                  

2. Class parent Sign Up

REMINDER:  School Supply Kits for the 25-26 school year are now available for purchase!  This convenient service saves parents the potential hassle of shopping for school supplies during the summer, especially late August when everyone else is doing it, too!  And, supplies get delivered right to students' classrooms for the first day of school!  Interested families can find information here.  The attached has the itemized supply list for those who would prefer to purchase on their own.  Please note that the purchase window ends June 30th.  Special thanks to the Hillside PTA and School Supply Coordinator, Mrs. Litsky, for coordinating the process with us!

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The close of every school year is a bittersweet time for many reasons.  We will miss our fifth graders very much as they move onto the next phase of their educational journeys.  We will also miss students who are moving away or attending other schools.  Best wishes to them all!

We, too, will miss staff members who are moving on from their roles at Hillside School.  We say goodbye and thank you to the following members of the staff:

• Mr. Battista, our longtime General Music teacher and Chorus Director, who is retiring after 32 years in education, 24 of which were in Livingston, and 14 at Hillside.  Mr. Battista will be truly missed, and we wish him a joyful and relaxing retirement!

• Mr. Grossman, teacher at Hillside school for the last seven years.  Mr. Grossman has accepted a position as Elementary Instructional Facilitator for the Summit Public Schools where he will lead elementary professional development, instructional coaching, and curriculum development.  Mr. Grossman will also be truly missed, and we wish him the best as he enters the next phase of his career!

• Miss Sadowski, first grade teacher, who joined us in December as Mrs. Pezzulo's replacement for the year.  Thanks to Miss Sadowski for all of her hard work and dedication to her students, and the best of luck to her as she goes across town to teach Kindergarten at Mount Pleasant Elementary!

• Mrs. Campbell, second grade teacher who served in a leave replacement position this year.  Thanks to Mrs. Campbell for taking such great care of her students!  She will be missed, and we wish her well!

• Miss Perez, fifth grade teacher who joined us in February to replace Mrs. Gribbon who went on leave.  We are grateful to Miss Perez for her efforts in giving her fifth graders a fantastic end to their time at Hillside. All the best to Miss Perez!

• Mrs. Yeung, instructional aide who joined us this year to help us start the new class.  Her support of the students ensured a successful school year for them, and we wish her well as she heads over to Burnet Hill!

On a final note, I want to thank the students, staff, families, and the wonderful Hillside PTA for making this year a really special and successful one.  It continues to be a privilege to serve as your principal, a role that I shall never take for granted.  Hillside is a wonderful place because of the people who make up our school community–staff, students, and families alike–and we look forward to our continued success–together!

Have a happy and safe summer, Hillside School!

Best,

Dr. Gramata

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Upcoming Dates to Remember!

Week of June 23, 2025

Monday, 6-23: Partial Day of School; 12:00 PM Dismissal for Students

Fifth Grade Talent Show

Tuesday, 6-24: Last Day of School!

Partial Day of School; 12:00 PM Dismissal for Students

Final Marking Period Ends

Fifth Grade Clap Out, 12:00 p.m., Front Loop

Final Report Cards Available to Families After 4:00 p.m.

Happy Summer, Hillside School!