Hillsdale PTSO Website



PTSO 2023-24 Membership Form (No Donation Required)

It's another fabulous Friday, and it's the first one in February!!

There's been lots of rain and cold weather this week. Did you know that there are students in our HHS Community who are in need of Winter Coats (new and gently used) and essential items-- toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, deodorant, laundry detergent, shampoo, conditioner etc.? Please consider giving if you are able. The Community Closet will be open Thursdays 2:30-4pm and Friday mornings 7:30-8:30am to receive donations in Alameda Parking Lot. If those times don’t work please feel free to drop off in main office. Thanks for your support!

Wednesday evening, PTSO hosted an amazing Parent Education Zoom about AP Classes and Electives. We had over 100 people in attendance. Thank you to our Parent Education Chair, Shree Reddy for organizing. Thanks to Sarah Prensky-Pomeranz, Janice Kelly, Sarah Berger, Mike McCall, Brendan Papciak for speaking at the event. Did you miss the Zoom? Not to worry--the recording is on the PTSO Webpage and we have linked it here (Passcode: GYyH?X9Q) and the accompanying slide deck AP/Electives. There is LOTS of information about classes, course tracks, requirements, and summer options.

Wednesday was also another amazing opportunity for our SMUHSD college bound seniors and their families to get support with their financial aid applications, it was Hillsdale's turn to host the meeting. Did you miss it?? There's still FOUR more opportunities to attend, including a Saturday option. See flyers below and also check the Bulletin's Senior Section.

Hospitality needs donations for the Valentine's Day Teacher/Staff treats. (specifically bagels and coffee) Please consider donating. Jan/Feb Hospitality Thanks to those who have already donated :)

Speaking of Valentine's Day, we have Part 2 of our Candy Matching this week. How many can you match? Answers at the bottom of the bulletin.

Also Valentine's Day related, next week, Leadership's Student Appreciation will be selling Valentine Grams in the Great Court. Roses and candy will be sold and distributed for you. See pricing and delivery information on the flyer below. 

Winter Formal is Saturday, February 24th. Tickets will go on sale starting the 13th. Students must be attendance eligible to purchase a ticket. You must have less than 4 periods of cuts and less than 9 tardieness events from January 9 to February 12 to attend. More ticket sale information on the flyer below.

Athletics is planning their Board for next year and have openings for the following positions:  Vice President and Secretary. See blurb below for more details and contact information. Curious about Athletics Boosters? Attend their monthly meeting next Monday in the MUR from 6:30-8:30 and see. You can also email Stacey Sierra [email protected]  No experience required!

Get your calendars ready for a Friday night event you don't want to miss! Next Friday, February 9th, there will be HHS HIT and AIT Improv Olympics from 7:00-9:45. Come see our talented students!

Also, mark your calendars if your student is taking a Spring Sport. The spring sport mandatory player meeting is Monday, February 12 at 6:30. Drop off your player at the meeting and then families can come attend our in-person (or Zoom) PTSO meeting at 6:30 in the library.

Happy Groundhog's Day! Are you team: "Long Winter" or "Early Spring"? Click the survey to cast your anonymous vote. Groundhog's Day Responses will be shared next week. 

Until next time...

Jen and Holly

HHS PTSO Co-Presidents

We Want YOU to Join the HHSF Board!

The Hillsdale High School Foundation is looking for new members to join its Board of Directors for the 2024-2025 school year.  Applications are available now and will close on Friday, March 29th.

Now, we know what you’re thinking: “Board membership? Ugh.  That way lies madness!”

However, there are so many benefits to serving on the HHSF Board of Directors! Here are just a few:

• You will play an integral role in ensuring that our Small Learning Communities are fully funded, which benefits every student at Hillsdale.
• You will have the chance to put your skills, knowledge, and experience to use in support of our school.
• If you’ve ever been curious about how a nonprofit works, we will help you scratch that itch!
• You will interact regularly with the many amazing people who make up our school community.

You can learn more about our expectations of our Board members and our officer roles on the HHSF website. Please reach out to Katherine Goodman, HHSF Executive Director, with any questions you have at [email protected], and we look forward to reading your application!

Come join the HHSF team!

HHS Athletic Contests Calendar

Come Support our teams! GO FIGHTING KNIGHTS!

Home games are in BLUE.

• GoFan Ticket Link (needed for Wrestling and Basketball)

SENIOR NIGHT - Girls Soccer - Thursday February 8

POPS Concert Series

Join us for our annual POPS Concert series featuring familiar and popular music, sure to energize your weekend. Tickets are on sale now at http://hillsdalemusic.blogspot.com. Students FREE - Adults $10 - Seniors $5

Our Choral POPS will be held at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center and will include performances from Hillsdale HS, San Mateo HS, and Bowditch Middle School. The Instrumental Concert will feature all Hillsdale orchestras, bands, and Jazz ensemble.

Choral Concert: Thursday, February 15th at 7PM

Instrumental Concert: Friday, February 16th at 7PM

Music families, we are in need of volunteers for this event. You can sign-up at: https://bit.ly/48Rhkyh

Hillsdale Athletic Boosters ~

Executive Board 2024-2025

The Athletic Boosters have two open positions for next year's Executive Board:

• Vice President
• Secretary

Current officers Scott Wellwood and Stacey Sierra will continue to be active with their support but are currently doing multiple jobs! If you are interested in making a significant positive contribution for our Hillsdale High School community, please consider joining our Board!

Please message directly with questions or to volunteer.

Jenna Carson , Hillsdale Athletics Booster President

650-207-5989     [email protected]

California Scholarship Federation (CSF) ~ Applications Due for Fall 2023

*** Only smuhsd.org emails will have access to these documents ***

Fall 2023 semester grades are in! In order to update your CSF membership and attain Lifetime Membership (Seniors), please submit an eligible CSF form for Fall 2023. According to CSF bylaws, students must submit eligible forms from the previous semester prior to four weeks of the current semester. New students are welcome and should follow the steps to submit eligible forms below. 9th Graders - while your application does not go toward lifetime membership, it's great to start getting into the habit of completing CSF Applications.

Please submit your Fall 2023 CSF forms by February 11th, the absolute deadline.

What is CSF and why join? General CSF Information and the CSF Official Website.

Follow these steps to keep your CSF membership updated:

1. Complete this CSF online form by February 11th using your Fall 2023 grades (Students are NOT allowed to retroactively submit CSF application forms.) Refer to this CSF List of eligible classes.
2. Counselors will check grades for final approval. No need to attach transcripts.

Please email your counselor directly with any questions. 

FAFSA/ CADAA Support

12th grade families: Need support with the FAFSA or CADAA financial aid application? Please the list of all the Financial Aid Workshops in the flyers below.

Questions? Contact Laura Burtness, Hillsdale's College, Career and Financial Aid advisor at [email protected] or 650 558 2613

Flyer Link English / Spanish

Committee Volunteers Needed for the Annual HHS Golf Tournament

We are looking to form a committee to plan the Annual HHS Golf Tournament.

Date: Friday, May 10

Time: 1:00 PM

Place: Poplar Creek/Par 3

Golf will be followed by a banquet dinner and auction (live and silent).

We are forming the following subcommittees:

• Participant Recruitment
• Donations--Auction
• Marketing
• Planning/Decorations

If you are able to help, please let me know AND/OR if you know of others who you think might enjoy helping, send me their names!!

Thanks so much!

Stacey Sierra

[email protected]

Athletic Booster Secretary

HHS Winter Formal Ticket Information

Hillsdale High School's Winter Formal will take place Saturday, February 24th @ 8:00pm - 11:00pm in the HHS gym! 

Tickets

Tickets sales will take place February 13-22 in both the Dance Room and the Leadership Room (428). Tickets cost $25.00 and can be paid for with check or cash. Checks should be made to "Hillsdale High School." All ticket sales are final. The ticket sale schedule will be sent out in the coming weeks. 

Financial Assistance

If you qualify for free/reduced lunch OR are a senior requesting financial assistance, please complete this form.

Eligibility to Attend

Students must be attendance eligible to purchase a ticket. You must have less than 4 periods of cuts and less than 9 tardiness events from January 9 to February 12 to attend. 

Non-HHS Guests

If a student plans on bringing a guest from another school, completed guest forms must be submitted at the time of purchase. Those forms can be found in the main office. 

Have fun!

Peace Panty/Community Garden/Community Closet

*** We really need some help Friday mornings at the Peace Pantry - please see below for details. ***

How Can You Get Involved in 2024 at Hillsdale:

The greatest gift we can give to someone else (outside of our immediate family) is our time. Our mantra in this work and in terms of volunteer time is “no shame in the game” with the amount of time we can offer Collectively, if WE can all chip in a little bit of time or heart work, WE can make a major impact in the Hillsdale Community. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, check out our website or follow us on Instagram: 

• Hillsdale Community Closet: If you would like to volunteer at our Community Closet (Alameda Parking Lot) in February please email [email protected] for information. *Please follow us on Instagram @hhs_community_closet
• Hillsdale Community Peace Pantry: We need January volunteers to work the drive thru OR deliver groceries to 2-3 families who do not have transportation. If you would like to volunteer in February, please sign up here. 
• Hillsdale Community Garden: https://www.hhscommunitygarden.com/ Our Hillsdale Community Garden provides organic fruits and vegetables to Hillsdale families enrolled in our Peace Pantry. Primary volunteer opportunities are Thursday harvest support from 4:00pm-5:00pm and Friday morning projects from 8:00am-11:30am. Please follow us on IG at @hhs_community_garden for updates. If you are interested in volunteering, please email Brett Stevenson at [email protected].

We are still in need of Winter Coats and Essential Items i.e. toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, deodorant, laundry detergent, shampoo, conditioner etc. Community Closet will be open Thursdays 2:30-4pm and Friday mornings 7:30-8:30am to receive donations in Alameda Parking Lot. If those times don’t work please feel free to drop off in main office. It has been really cold and rainy and a warm coat matters. 

Hillsdale Stands Together!

Warriors Game ~ Spirit Squad Fundraiser

Support the Cheer team - Gather your family and friends and join Hillsdale High School Nights at Chase Center as your Golden State Warriors take on the Utah Jazz on Sunday, April 14 @ 12:30pm! Last day to buy tickets is February 23, 2024.

See Flyer for details...

FAFSA/ CADAA Support

Need support with the FAFSA or CADAA financial aid application? Please the Financial Aid Workshops list in the flyers below.

Questions? Contact Laura Burtness, Hillsdale's College, Career and Financial Aid advisor at [email protected] or 650 558 2613

Flyer Link English / Spanish

Senior Yearbook Ads

Looking for a special way to recognize your Senior for all of their hard work? Buy a Senior ad today!

Use this link to purchase: https://ybstore.friesens.com/768274

*After you purchase a senior ad, please complete this google form (https://bit.ly/HHS_SeniorAds) to enter a message and photos you want in the ad.

-The Shield Staff

Senior Day and Senior Knight Forms

Senior Families--please print and fill out forms for Senior Day and Senior Knight. Hard copies of both forms are available in the office. Senior Knight is free for all students. A payment is needed for Senior Day only*.

All forms and payments are due BY March 1 (at the front office).

*scholarships are available contact Andrea Savage [email protected] for details

January College & Career Newsletter

Greetings, 12th grader families, and happy 2024! I hope you and your family had a rejuvenating break.

Here is the latest newsletter, in English and Spanish. 

Highlights of this Senior Newsletter:

Highlights:

• Community college, CSU and UC updates
• 20+ new scholarships, including HHS-only ones!
• New jobs, summer internships and fabulous opportunities!
• Does your student want to become a radiology technician? Read on!
• Financial Aid workshops + Money Mondays!

On Wednesday, Jan 10, SMUHSD had a Financial Aid Webinar. Please find the recording here: https://youtu.be/HV3zlfxzxms (Only the English language event was recorded, not the Spanish language event.)

As always, please contact me if I can be of support or assistance.

Best--

Laura Burtness, [email protected]

Hillsdale's College, Career, and Financial Aid Advisor

650 558 2613

The 2nd Annual Pride Prom will be held Friday, February 23, 2024 at the College of San Mateo.

Celebrate the 2nd Annual Pride Prom, an inclusive, safe, welcoming, night to remember for 9th-12th grade students who attend high school in San Mateo County.

This FREE event will celebrate and uplift LGBTQ young people and advocate for the sustained and continued efforts in our County to build places where youth are seen and supported in environments free from hate and discrimination.

We recognize that while high school district proms are inclusive and welcoming, not all

students have an opportunity to celebrate themselves at their prom. This event will provide

a variety of activities, including dancing and a DJ, lots of food, drinks and much more.

Dress code: Just be You!

Students can RSVP now for this free event: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeWPYCWcenzBYVJxWyX3GiCFshspGf3LKMqd3EJ-4e5Y7L0-Q/viewform

Baile de Graduación Del Orgullo 2024

La fecha límite para inscribirse es el 11 de febrero. Viernes, 23 de febrero, 6:30 - 10 p.m. Ubicación: College of San Mateo, 1700 W. Hillsdale Blvd.

College Center Edificio 10, 2.º piso

Estacionamiento gratuito: lotes G y M o cualquier otro lote para alumnos. Sin costo para los alumnos Código de vestimenta: ¡Sé tú mismo!

Celebra el segundo baile anual de graduación del Orgullo, una noche inclusiva, segura y acogedora para celebrar a los estudiantes de noveno a duodécimo grado que asisten a la escuela preparatoria en el condado de San Mateo. En este evento GRATUITO, celebraremos y animaremos a los jóvenes LGBTQ, y promoveremos los esfuerzos continuos de nuestro condado por construir lugares en los que los jóvenes se sientan tomados en cuenta y apoyados en entornos sin odio ni discriminación.

Si bien la noche debe ser para divertirse con amistades, también es una celebración de esta comunidad entrañable. Las personas de cualquier identidad sexual y de género están invitadas a expresarse y divertirse.

Sabemos que, aunque los bailes de graduación de las escuelas preparatorias del distrito son inclusivos y acogedores, no todos los alumnos tienen la oportunidad de celebrarse en dicho evento. En este evento, se organizarán diversas actividades, incluido el baile y DJ, habrá mucha comida, bebida, y mucho más.

Obtenga más información en: www.smuhsd.org/prideprom

February is National Black History Month! This National Black History Month is an opportunity to teach students about racial progress and our shared and collective responsibility to address racial injustice towards the Black community.

This year, we celebrate African American artists – including poets, writers, visual artists, and dancers – who have historically served as change agents through their craft.

Check out an extensive list of resources on Black History Month for ways to celebrate and learn more: www.smcoe.org/bhm.

Read the Black History Month proclamation, presented at the January 18 Board Meeting: www.smuhsd.org/proclamations.

El Mes Nacional de la Historia Afroamericana es una oportunidad para enseñar a los estudiantes sobre el progreso racial y nuestra responsabilidad compartida y colectiva para hacer frente a la injusticia racial hacia la comunidad negra.

Este año rendimos homenaje a los artistas afroamericanos (incluidos poetas, escritores, artistas visuales y bailarines) que históricamente han servido como agentes de cambio a través de su arte.

Consulte una amplia lista de recursos sobre el Mes de la Historia Afroamericana para saber como celebrarlo y obtener más información: www.smcoe.org/bhm.

Lea la proclamación del Mes de la Historia Afroamericana, presentada en la reunión de la Junta Directiva del 18 de enero: www.smuhsd.org/proclamations.

February 5-9 is National School Counselor Week! School Counselors are an essential and integral part of the overall education process. They provide a comprehensive counseling program addressing the academic, career, personal and social development of all students. In partnership with other educators, parents/guardians and the community, school counselors facilitate and implement the support system at each school site. This support system ensures that all students in the San Mateo Union High School District have access to a quality education!

Thank you School Counselors!