Hillsdale PTSO Website



PTSO 2023-24 Membership Form (No Donation Required)

It's Friday again and we are wrapping up September with a bang. 

The Ritmo Latino dance last Friday was quite the way to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month. Thanks to the Latinos Unidos club, and the parent group who contributed time and efforts to this event. Last Sunday, we had an amazing Marketplace in the Stadium parking lot. Thank you to all who made the afternoon such a great success. Although our Senior Class put the event into action, each class was able to have their own booth--and were able to raise monies for their class. 

We also have our Community Closet Clothing Drive happening! There are boxes in your child's advisory classroom where clothing can be dropped off. See attached flyer for what is needed.

September 30 is the last day to buy your yearbook for the lowest prices of the year. ($80 includes personalization and a free icon) You can also get Senior Ad pages for the lowest prices, too. See attached flyer for more details.

If you haven't had the opportunity to attend one of our many fall sporting events, you should! Just attending these events is a great way to support our athletes. But...if you're looking to further support Athletics, you should volunteer to help out at concessions--it's a pretty fun crew running the show AND gives you the opportunity to meet other families--all while supporting our athletics program. Click here for the sign-up link Concessions and scroll further for the list of sporting events happening at home and away this week.

October is coming, so be ready...there are so many exciting activities and events coming!

Enjoy your Friday!!

Holly and Jen

HHS PTSO Co-Presidents

HHS Community Closet - Clothing Drive

We are really excited to launch our Fall 2023 Clothing Drive in support of Hillsdale Families who face the ongoing challenge and high cost of living in San Mateo. To find out more about our programs, please see HHS Community - A Call to Action.

We continue to need clothing and essential items for our Community Closet. From September 18-October 13th we are asking Hillsdale students, families, and staff to consider donating the following:

1. Jeans, hoodies, sweats, Hillsdale gear 
2. Homecoming/prom clothes and accessories
3. Winter clothing
4. Essential items: toiletries, towels, sheets, school supplies, new socks, undershirts and underwear, etc.

All items should be clean, undamaged, and something that a current teenager would wear/use.

Starting September 18, we will be accepting donations in Advisory classes, Thursdays (2:30-4pm) and Friday mornings (7:30-9 am) at the Community Closet. The Community Closet is located in the Alameda parking lot next to the stadium/track.

Interested in Volunteering? Please sign up here: HHS Community Closet, and we will add you.

Many thanks to all of the community members and volunteers who have already contributed their time, effort, or items to our HHS Community Closet! Flyer Link

Fall into New Armor flyer link: English / Spanish

A “Big Things Happen in Small Learning Communities” Story

We all know that Hillsdale High School is a remarkable place, and that our Small Learning Communities (SLCs) play a pivotal role in our students’ educational journeys.  Check out this story from Holly Allen, HHSF Board President, about her daughter’s SLC experience:

When I attended 8th Grade Parent Information Night, I knew Hillsdale High School was the right place for my daughter.  Jeff Gilbert, the principal, spoke of the care and love that are part of the Hillsdale culture.  That culture started for my daughter with the Small Learning Communities.  My daughter is a “people person”, and community is very important to her.

I had no idea how impactful this decision would be.  During my daughter’s freshman year, school was online due to COVID, which made school work and socializing a struggle (as it was for so many kids!).  I was in close touch with her teachers, especially her advisor.  We practically had her advisor on speed dial, and I can’t emphasize enough how much that lifted my daughter’s spirits in a very tough year.  She has continued to benefit from the amazing community at Hillsdale.

I am proud to serve as the President of the Foundation’s Board because I know the benefits my daughter has enjoyed at Hillsdale can also help many current and future Hillsdale students.

Thank you, Holly, for sharing your story!

Do you have a Hillsdale story to share? Please contact Katherine Goodman at [email protected]. We may ask if we can feature your story on our website!

Una Historia de "Grandes Cosas Suceden en las Pequeñas Comunidades de Aprendizaje”

Todos sabemos que Hillsdale High School es un lugar extraordinario, y que nuestras Pequeñas Comunidades de Aprendizaje (SLCs) juegan un papel fundamental en la jornada educativa de nuestros estudiantes. Lean esta historia de Holly Allen, Presidenta de la Junta Directiva de HHSF, sobre la experiencia de su hija en SLC:

Cuando asistí a la Noche de Información para Padres de 8vo Grado, supe que Hillsdale High School era el lugar correcto para mi hija. Jeff Gilbert, el director, habló del cuidado y amor que son parte de la cultura de Hillsdale. Esa cultura comenzó para mi hija con las Pequeñas Comunidades de Aprendizaje. Mi hija es una "persona sociable", y comunidad es muy importante para ella.

No tenía ni idea del impacto que tendría esta decisión. Durante el primer año de mi hija en Hillsdale, la escuela estaba en línea debido a COVID, el trabajo escolar y la socialización fue una lucha (como lo fue para tantos niños!). Yo estaba en constante contacto con sus profesores, especialmente con su asesor. Prácticamente teníamos su profesor de asesoría en marcada rápida, y no puedo enfatizar lo suficiente cuánto le levantó el ánimo a mi hija en un año muy difícil. Ella ha continuado beneficiándose de la increíble comunidad de Hillsdale.

Estoy orgullosa de servir como Presidenta de la Junta Directiva de la Fundación porque sé que los beneficios que mi hija ha disfrutado en Hillsdale también pueden ayudar a muchos estudiantes actuales y futuros de Hillsdale.

¡Gracias, Holly, por compartir tu historia!

¿Tienes una historia de Hillsdale para compartir? Póngase en contacto con Katherine Goodman en [email protected]. Es posible que le preguntemos si podemos incluir su historia en nuestro sitio web.

HHS Athletic Contests Calendar

Come support the Fighting Knights at this week’s contests. Games in blue = home games

Go Knights!

GoFan Ticket Link

Family Pass Link

AP Exam Registration for 2023-24

If your student is taking an Advanced Placement (AP) course this year at Hillsdale High School, registration for AP exams is open!

The College Board requires students enrolled in an AP course and participating in the AP Exams in May 2024 to register, pay, and commit to taking the exam during the fall semester. To ensure accurate and timely processing of all AP test registrations, the deadline to register and pay for taking AP exams at Hillsdale High School is October 31st, 2023. After October 31st, student registrations will be assessed a $40.00/exam late fee until December 11th. After December 11th, no student will be allowed to register for any exam. 

Students will need to use and navigate two online systems to register for exams:

1. Students will need to register and pay for the exams through https://user.totalregistration.net/AP/53165.
2. In their College Board account, students will confirm they are taking the exam and use this platform for the online learning tools. Students can access this through myap.collegeboard.org. Students MUST complete both steps in order to register. 

The registration directions are outlined in this presentation. The presentation also includes information about requesting testing accommodations for students with IEPs/504s and how to request financial assistance. 

The registration deadlines are hard deadlines and it is important that all families are aware of them. AP teachers will review the registration process with students, but for more information you can:

• Visit the AP Exams section of the Hillsdale High School website
• View this presentation
• Visit the AP section of the College Board website at https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/. 

If you have questions, please reach out to your course teacher or email Ms. P. at [email protected].

The Shield 2024 Yearbook Pre-sales 

EARLY BIRD PRICING ENDS SUNDAY!

The yearbook is now available to purchase.

Buy now for $80 ($15 off the regular price) with free personalization. Early Bird Pricing ends October 1, 2023

Senior parents can also buy ad pages for their students with the best price available till October 1st.

Go to https://ybstore.friesens.com/768274 to purchase!

Preventa del anuario The Shield 2024 Hemos elegido una nueva editorial que tiene mejor impresión y mejores precios para nuestros anuarios de 2024. El calendario de fechas límite para los estudiantes del anuario también facilita la producción. 

¡Comprar ahora! El precio de reserva anticipada de $80 finaliza el 1 de octubre de 2023 Ofertas en personalización e íconos incluidos.

Freshmen and Sophomores -

The Younger Games

The Sophomore class officers are currently organizing "The Younger Games" to be held TODAY Friday, September 29th @ 5:30-8:00 pm. Yummy Pizza dinner included with ticket, fun games and so much more!

We hoping that you can help encourage students to purchase a ticket and attend! The Younger Games will be an opportunity for the lower classmen to bond and for the Freshmen to experience all the fun HHS has to offer!

Tickets are $10 and are being sold outside the dance room tickets window, and during advisory STARTING Monday September 11!

We will also plan on stopping by during advisory in the next few weeks to pass out grams and give brief information about the event. Thank you so much!

-

Sophomore Class Officers

HHS Spirit Wear - Spirit Squad Fundraiser

Spirit Wear Fundraiser: Support the HHS Spirit Squad! Orders due by TODAY Friday September 29th Flyer Link

Concession Volunteers Wanted

Concessions Update: Our griddle died during service at the previous game, so Chef PJ upgraded to 2 48" Blackstone griddles for the amazing game night against Sacred Heart Prep. Now there's room for bacon and our new menu item: Western Bacon Cheeseburger ($12)

Big shout out to the phenomenal crew of volunteers who battled wind and cold weather (and the endless lines looking for hot chocolates and Cup Noodles) to offer up big smiles and delicious food to the Knights families, fans and SHP guests.

• Propane Duty: Kevin Henneghan
• Friday prep: Mollie Carter
• General Help: Stacey Sierra, Jim DeMartini, Louise Lefevre (alum)
• Grill Support: Flor Santana, Mark Bernard, Ruben Zamora (alum), Josephine Shelton
• Concessions: Shannon Schumacher-Han, Karen Alvarez, Zherylynn Vinyard, Mabel Law, Anaya Patel ('24), Kathy Chea, Emma Jhun Otsuji, Allison Marinec, Jessica Ganoza
• Weekend Clean-up: Susan Jensen

Wanna join the fun? Sign up to volunteer here:

https://bit.ly/HHSKnightRider2023 Team work makes the dream work! Go Knights!!

See you at the next game!

Concessions Team: Chef PJ Stalteri and Melanie Baldwin

Flyer Link

Chipotle: Girls Water Polo Fundraiser

Order dinner from Chipotle (near Whole Foods) on Tuesday, October 3 and 30% of your total bill will be donated to the Girls Water Polo team. The varsity and JV teams are having a great season and appreciate your support! See the attached flier for more information.

Flyer Link: English / Spanish

Choral Pops Concert

Hillsdale High School & San Mateo High School Choirs are presenting the CHORAL POPS CONCERT on Thursday, October 5th @ 7pm at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center. Get your ticket by visiting HillsdaleMusic.Ludus.com (Flyer Link)

General Admission: $10, SMUHSD Student: Free, Seniors/Students: $5

Class of 2024 and Families - Grad Knight

Registration for Grad Knight at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is now open! Early bird pricing of $175/person is available through Friday, October 13. More info and and/or to sign up, please see flyer or visit bit.ly/GradKnight2024. Sign up today!

Flyer Link: English / Spanish

In case you were unable to attend the Senior Family Meeting at BTSN, the slide presentation can be found on the Senior Information page of our Hillsdale website.

HHS Drama: Shrek The Musical

HHS Drama presents Shrek The Musical, November 9-12. Visit hillsdaledrama.org for tickets. (Flyer Link)

Hillsdale Community Peace Pantry,

Closet & Garden

Hillsdale Community,

Whether you are a new staff member, new parent or veteran parent to Hillsdale we want to welcome you to a community who stands together to support Hillsdale families experiencing food insecurity and the impact of the high cost of living. If you have been thinking about getting involved or are hearing about our community response to food insecurity for the first time, now is the time to get involved and volunteer. You can either sign up below, email or stop by our garden at 3:45pm on Thursdays or at our Peace Pantry and Community Closet Friday mornings at 8am to learn more. Giving an hour a week would make a huge difference for our community. 

To learn more about these programs, please see:

HHS Community Support Slidedeck

Hillsdale Stands Together!

Hillsdale Community Closet

If you would like to volunteer at our Community Closet(Alameda Parking Lot) on a Friday in August please sign up here. *Please follow us on Instagram @hhs_community_closet

Hillsdale Community Peace Pantry

We need September 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 September, 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].

Senior Newsletter

Here is the latest newsletter, which I send to families and students at the beginning of each month. (The newsletters-- both current and past-- can also be found here.)

Highlights of this month's newsletter:

• Resources: what Ms. Burtness does, college visits, how to find info. on the HHS website, scholarships, and more!
• Certificate programs at our local community college
• What is Ms. Burtness listening to or reading?

Welcome again to the school year!

Best-- Laura Burtness, [email protected]

650 558 2613

Career Speakers Series:

We are back and we are looking for you!

Are you in a job that you’d like to share with high school students? We’d love to host you for the College & Career Center’s 2nd annual Career Speaker Series!

Programs will take place on Fridays, from 10:15-11am and arranged by general topic. We will be holding the events in person in the College & Career Center at Hillsdale.

We are interested in having a wide-variety of educational levels, from high school, community college, and through to graduate school. You would be part of a 3-4 person panel, with Hillsdale staff asking questions about your job, your educational pathway and other relevant topics.

Below are the career groupings. If you are interested in being part of a panel, we’d love to have you! Please fill out this Google Form by October 1st. Thank you so much for your interest in supporting HHS students!

Jobs in VAPA (ex. Audio, video, photo, dance, music etc.) - September 15, 10:15-11:00 am

Jobs in Trades and Public Services (ex. Police, Fire, TSA etc.) - October 6, 10:15-11:00 am

Jobs in Engineering and Science - November 17, 10:15-11:00 am

Jobs in Medical/Healthcare Field - December 1, 10:15-11:00 am

Jobs in Business/Fashion and Beauty - January 12, 10:15-11:00 am

Jobs in Legal Services - February 2nd, 10:15-11:00 am

Jobs in Education - March 1, 10:15-11:00 am

Jobs in Technology - April 12,, 10:15-11:00 am

https://forms.gle/Q5FbTV71z8jtvfmeA

Call for Entries: Multicultural Art Showcase Seeks Student Artists

Join a celebration of cultural diversity through art! Welcome to the "Our Shared Stories" Art Showcase, an extraordinary opportunity for talented artists aged 14 to 18 in San Mateo County to express their cultural heritage and creativity through hangable artworks. The "Our Shared Stories" Art Showcase is organized by Hillsdale High School student Alex Carreon, a dedicated Youth Cultural Ambassador of San Mateo County. With 12 years of professional art instruction, Alex aims to celebrate diversity, empower young artists, and foster cultural unity. As a Chicano student, Alex understands the power of art to bridge cultures and create positive change within the community through this county-wide art project. Learn more about submission requirements: bit.ly/OurSharedStories

Convocatoria de Inscripciones: Exhibición de Arte Multicultural Busca Estudiantes Artistas

¡Únase a una celebración de la diversidad cultural a través del arte! Bienvenido a la Exhibición de Arte “Nuestras Historias Compartidas”, una oportunidad extraordinaria para artistas talentosos de 14 a 18 años en el Condado de San Mateo para expresar su herencia cultural y creatividad a través de obras de arte colgables. La Exhibición de Arte “Nuestras Historias Compartidas” está organizada por el estudiante de la Escuela Preparatoria Hillsdale, Alex Carreon, un dedicado joven Embajador de la Cultura del Condado de San Mateo. Con 12 años de formación artística profesional, Alex tiene como objetivo celebrar la diversidad, empoderar a los artistas jóvenes y fomentar la unidad cultural. Como un estudiante Chicano, Alex entiende el poder del arte para unir culturas y crear un cambio positivo dentro de la comunidad a través de este proyecto de arte en todo el condado.

Obtenga más información sobre los requisitos de envío: bit.ly/OurSharedStories

NoodleTools

SMUHSD students are encouraged to take advantage of NoodleTools - an online research management platform that promotes critical thinking and authentic research. Students stay organized as they evaluate information, build accurate citations, archive source material, take notes, outline topics, and prepare to write. Three differentiated levels support individual students across grades and abilities. Log in at https://my.noodletools.com/logon/signin and click on the Google icon with your stu.smuhsd.org email. If you need help with logging in, please contact your school’s Library Media Tech.

NoodleTools

Noodle Tools te mantiene organizado para que puedas concentrarte en lo que realmente importa. Se anima a los estudiantes de SMUHSD a aprovechar NoodleTools, una plataforma de gestión de la investigación en línea que promueve el pensamiento crítico y la investigación auténtica. Los estudiantes se mantienen organizados mientras evalúan información, crean citas precisas, archivan material de origen, toman notas, describen temas y se preparan para escribir. Tres diferentes niveles apoyan a estudiantes en todos los grados y habilidades. Los estudiantes pueden iniciar sesión en https://my.noodletools.com/logon/signin y hacer clic en el icono de Google y usar su correo electrónico de estudiante stu.smuhsd.org Si necesitan ayuda para iniciar sesión, comuníquese con la bibliotecaria de su escuela.

JStor

SMUHSD has partnered with JSTOR to offer students a free online platform that provides access to more than 12 million journal articles, books, images, and primary sources in 75 disciplines. JSTOR helps students explore a wide range of scholarly content through a powerful research and teaching platform. Log into https://www.jstor.org Register and click on the Google icon with your stu.smuhsd.org email. If you need help with logging in, please contact your school’s Library Media Tech.

JStor

¿Sabía que SMUHSD se ha asociado con JSTOR para ofrecer a los estudiantes una plataforma en línea gratuita que brinda acceso a más de 12 millones de artículos de revistas, libros, imágenes y fuentes principales en 75 disciplinas?

JSTOR ayuda a los estudiantes a explorar una amplia gama de contenido académico a través de una poderosa plataforma de investigación y enseñanza. Los estudiantes pueden iniciar sesión en https://www.jstor.org. Los estudiantes pueden registrarse y hacer clic en el icono de Google con su correo electrónico de estudiante stu.smuhsd.org. Si necesitan ayuda para iniciar sesión por favor póngase en contacto con la bibliotecaria de su escuela.