Hillside Public Schools

Hurden Looker Elementary School is participating in the Annual NJIT (New Jersey Institute of Technology) eSTEM Challenge! Good luck to our Hurden Looker Tigers!! Shout out to Principal Alvarez and Vice-Principal Pinho! #hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #estem #njit #studentsfirst #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

Today, March 19th, 2026, Ola Edwards Community School hosted a Women's History Month/Recognition celebratory event! Students from all grade levels filled the bleachers of the gymnasium alongside their teachers, as Mrs. Dale-Rawls and Principal Mrs. Davis presented a handful women with a certificate, and praise for their hard work not only at Ola Edwards Community School but also within the community and Union County! Those honored today included: Acting Superintendent Dr. Pérez, Hillside Board of Education member Mrs. Egwaikhide, Union County Commissioner Mrs. Delisfort, Dr. Powell, CEO and Owner of Reimagine Now, and OECS 2025-2026 Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Alvarez! Hillside Public Schools appreciates all of the contributions of our women within the Hillside community. Thank you, Principal Davis, Vice-Principal Guilford, and Mrs. Dale-Rawls for organizing this event.

#hillsidenj #hillsidepublicshools #olaedwardscommunityschool #studentsfirst #womenshistorymonth #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

On Friday, March 6th, 2026, Hillside Innovation Academy hosted its Black History Month program in the auditorium of A.P. Morris Early Childhood Center! H.I.A.'s Black History Month program was awesome, filled with spoken word, dancing, and performances by students and even some H.I.A. staff! This event was the perfect way to end Black History Month, thank you Dr. Silva, Ms. Dotel, Ms. Therres, Mr. Harrison, our wonderful H.I.A. students, Ms. Rios, Acting Superintendent Dr. Pérez, the Hillside Board of Education, and H.I.A. staff!

#hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #hillsideinnovationacademy #blackhistorymonth #studentsfirst #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

The Hillside High School Performing Arts Club (@hhs.performingarts) is hosting a Panera Give Back Night on Thursday, March 19th, 2026! Stop by the Panera at Vermella (1109 Morris Ave. Union, NJ 07083) from 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. and 25% of your purchase will be donated back to the club! Use the code "FUND4U" at panerabread.com, in the Panera app, or at the Kiosk in the store when placing your order. You can also show the flyer at the register. Your support will help fund the productions at Hillside High School - costumes, set, scripts, and more - while someone else takes care of dinner! Thank you for your support of the arts at Hillside High School!

W.O.K. Middle School is hosting a Chipotle Fundraiser, tomorrow, Wednesday, March 18th, 2026, from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.! Purchases can be made online or in person at Chipotle, 1101 Morris Avenue, Union, 07083! Please see the flyers for more details. Thank you!

Today, Tuesday, (March 17th, 2026) the Hillside Fire Department (hillside_firefighters) and the Hillside Board of Education partnered to bring the “After the Fire” assembly program to Hillside High School’s Class of 2026! The assembly took place at 11:00 a.m. in the Hillside High School auditorium. “After the Fire” revolves around two college freshmen survivors (Alvaro Llanos and Shawn Simons) of the tragic dormitory fire that occurred in 2000 at Seton Hall University in nearby South Orange, NJ. The fire in Boland Hall claimed the lives of three students and injured 58 others. This fire remains one of the deadliest college fires in history. The fire was a result of a fraternity prank gone wrong. While many of the Class of 2026 are preparing to go off to college, almost none will think about their safety while living on campus. This assembly presentation showed the graduating students how things can change in the blink of an eye and how danger can strike, even in a place where they think they are safe. In addition to sharing fire safety tips, other topics included pranking/hazing and the consequences of these actions, learning to love yourself despite your scars, flaws, and imperfections, escape planning and complacency, forgiveness, and overcoming adversity at a young age! Members of the Hillside Fire Department were in attendance for this informative presentation for our seniors! Thank you to Alvaro Llanos and Shawn Simons @alvaroandshawn, for coming to speak to our seniors! Thank you Acting Superintendent Dr. Pérez, the Hillside Board of Education, the Hillside Fire Department, Principal Emenaka, Vice-Principal Heartwell, Hillside High School staff, and students!

#hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #hillsidehighschool #afterthefire #firesafety #studentsfirst #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilitiies

Congratulations to Hillside High School Theatre's (@hhs.performingarts) successful weekend of their Spring Musical "Cinderella"! Here are additional photos captured by Hillside High School teacher Mr. Frisch! Shout out to theatre director, Ms. Pribish, Mr. Corritore, the stage crew, Hillside High School staff, students, and more!

#hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #cinderella #highschooltheatre #springmusical #studentsfirst #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

Last Thursday, 3/12/2026, Dr. Mathura, Mrs. Johnson, and Mrs. Giro took W.O.K. Middle School 8th grade accelerated, Jr. Rho Kappa, Student Government, and Lighthouse students to the Metropolitan Museum of Art @metmuseum! They engaged in learning history through artifacts from Greece, Rome, Africa, Asia, and the Americas! #hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #themet #wokmiddleschool #studentsfirst #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

Hurden Looker Elementary School (HLES) is excited to present its upcoming production "Willy Wonka Kids"! Live for 2 days only, please come out to support our talented HLES performers on Thursday, March 26th and Friday, March 27th, 2026, at 5:30 PM at Hurden Looker Elementary School, 1261 Liberty Avenue, Hillside, New Jersey 07205! Tickets must be purchased in advance from the HLES main office! For additional information, please see the flyer and/or contact the Hurden Looker Elementary School main office, we look forward to seeing you there.

#hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #studentsfirst #willywonka #willywonkakids #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

Congratulations to Hillside High School senior Hanlet Cerda, who was nominated and honored as the 2026 Union County Unsung Hero for Hillside Public Schools! The student recognition ceremony took place on Wednesday, March 11th, 2026, at Rahway High School! This was a collaborative/joint event between the New Jersey School Boards Association @njschoolboards and the Union County School Boards Association. Hanlet was nominated by Ms. Jeanna Martinez, Hillside High School Counselor, and then chosen by the Hillside High School Counseling Department as the 2026 Unsung Hero for Hillside Public Schools for overcoming academic and personal challenges as well as achieving academic success despite disabilities, language barriers, and other significant challenges! Shout out to the Hillside High School Counseling Department, and Counseling Director Mr. Boateng.

#hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #njsba #unsungheroes @studentsfirst #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

The following photos are from today's (3/11/2026) Chef Day at Ola Edwards Community School! Shout out to Maschio's Food Services @maschiofood for providing Hillside Public Schools students with delicious and unique meals! Today's meal was a Hispanic Themed Bar consisting of arroz con pollo, cilantro lime corn, seasoned black beans, breadsticks, and a chocolate chip cookie.

#hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #maschiosfood #chefday #studentsfirst #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

The love of reading continues at Hillside Public Schools! On Monday, March 9th, 2026, Ms. Smith read to our young scholars at A.P. Morris Early Childhood Center! Students even presented Ms. Smith with "thank you" cards that they created for her.

#hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #readacrossamerica #apmorris #studentsfirst #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

Congratulations to the Hillside High School Academic Decathlon team for placing fourteenth in the entire State of New Jersey at this year's State Competition! Rensh Dascelin received an Honorable Mention in Interview and a Silver Medal in Music. Barry Louis, Matthew Guerreros, and Rensh Dascelin were the top scorers for the team. In addition, Rensh was named the team's MVP for his dedication and leadership. Thank you to Superintendent Dr. Pérez for joining our celebration at The Brownstone in Paterson, New Jersey, on Monday, March 10th, 2026. The team also extends its gratitude to the school administration, staff, and families for their support throughout this season. The students are looking forward to next year's topic: Journeys of Transformation: An Exploration of Travel and Transportation!

#hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #hillsidehighschool #academicdecathlon #studentsfirst #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

The Hillside High School Academic Decathlon and band students visited "Jazz at Lincoln Center" on Friday, March 6th, 2026! Students experienced a jazz concert that focused on the music of Louis Armstrong.  The students learned about what makes jazz music unique, as well as about Armstrong's impact on the genre! Thank you to the Hillside Board of Education and Acting Superintendent Dr. Pérez for making this experience possible, and shout out to Mrs. Corritore and Mr. Mandy.

#hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #jazzmusic #lincolncenter #louisarmstrong #studentsfirst #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

Last night, March 5th, 2026, Deanna G. Taylor Academy (DGTA) hosted its Black History Month Program "Let Freedom Sing"! DGTA truly put on a spectacle, both educating and entertaining the students, staff, parents, and families that filled the gymnasium! Shout out to Principal Graham, Vice-Principal Budhu, and the dedicated production team: Mrs. Nicholson, Mrs. Manoilova, Mrs. Brennan, Ms. Davis, and Mrs. Fernandes for making this wonderful event possible. Great work to DGTA's incredibly talented students, and thank you to all of those in attendance!

#hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #studentsfirst #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

Today, March 5th, 2026, W.O.K. Middle School held its Black History Month Celebration! The W.O.K. auditorium was packed with students, family, staff, dignitaries, @hillsidepolicenj, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Members, and more! The program featured outstanding performances and artwork by W.O.K. students, the Wildcat Band, Wildcat Dance Club, and Drama Club. The Multicultural Club Art Contest finalists and winners were announced, and various community members were awarded for their impact and service, including W.O.K. Middle School's very own Office Secretary, Mrs. Johnson! Thank you, Principal Dr. Roy Wilson, Dr. Aruna Mathura, Vice-Principal Scott-Jackson, Acting Superintendent Dr. Pérez, Hillside Board of Education members, Mr. Moore, Dance Teacher Ms. McCargo, Ms. Dale Harris, W.O.K. students, administrators, and staff for making this event possible!

#hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #blackhistorymonth #blackhistory #wokmiddleschool #studentsfirst #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

On Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026, Language Arts Supervisor Ms. Simon, and Hillside Public Schools teachers Ms. Fonseca, Ms. Lopes Araujo, Ms. Fairman, and Ms. Rosamilia, attended the 4th Annual Amplify (@amplifyela) New Jersey Literacy Summit for English Language Arts, learning about the science of reading and best practices for ELA curriculum! #amplifyela #hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #studentsfirst #newpathways

A.P. Morris Early Childhood Center has been proudly celebrating Read Across America Week with daily spirit themes and a whole lot of school pride! A.P. Morris Early Childhood Center is incredibly thankful to our Hillside Police Officers, Firefighters, Mayor Andrea Hyatt, Council members, and Hillside Board members for taking the time to read to our students and share in the joy of literacy. All week long, we are celebrating the power, imagination, and community that reading brings to our children. #ReadAcrossAmerica #APMorris #hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools

Hillside High School is proud to announce its spring musical, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella (Broadway Version), performing in the Hillside High School Auditorium on Thursday, March 12th and Friday, March 13th, 2026 at 7:00 PM, and Saturday, March 14th, 2026 at 2:00 PM. Hillside High School invites students, families, staff, and community members to join in supporting our talented Hillside High School performers and crew. Don’t miss this thought-provoking and beautifully staged production! For additional information, please see the flyer and/or contact the Hillside High School Theatre Department by emailing Director Rachel Pribish at rpribish@hillsidek12.net!

#hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #studentsfirst #cinderella #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities