Hillside Public Schools

“Spring Sensation” was a beautiful celebration of music, hard work, and school spirit at Hurden Looker Elementary School! A huge thank you to our amazing teachers, Ms. Valiante and Mr. Brandyberry, for your dedication, guidance, and support in making this concert such a special night for our students! #hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #springconcert #studentsfirst #hillsideone

Today, Friday, May 22, 2026, Hillside Public Schools District and W.O.K. Middle School held its Lumi @lumistoryai Showcase! This exciting event highlighted the use of the Lumi AI platform to create comic books and graphic novels! W.O.K. Middle School Student Illuminators showcased their work in the W.O.K. auditorium and Media Center! Scholars have been utilizing Lumi, which has provided them with access to digital storytelling tools. The Student Illuminators presented their projects to their 7th and 8th grade peers, parents, families, dignitaries, Hillside community members, Lumi CEO Colin Kaepernick @kaepernick7, Hillside Public Schools Directors, Principals, and more! The Hillside Public Schools District and author, activist, athlete, entrepreneur, and founder of the AI platform Lumi, Colin Kaepernick, formed a partnership in February of 2025 to work with students of the Hillside Public School District. Thank you to all of the Hillside Public Schools District and Lumi AI staff, and students who made this incredible event possible, including Acting Superintendent Dr. Pérez, the Hillside Board of Education, Principal of W.O.K. Middle School, Dr. Wilson, and Vice-Principal of W.O.K. Middle School Ms. Scott-Jackson!

#hillsidepublicschools #hillsidehighschool #lumiai #studentvoices #creativityunleashed #colinkaepernick #middleschoolers #studentsfirst #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

Deanna G. Taylor Academy (DGTA) hosted its Iron Chef cooking competition on May 20th, 2026! 4 aspiring chefs representing the two sixth grade classes at DGTA competed to make the best grilled cheese sandwich and soup using ingredients provided by @maschiofood ! DGTA's Principal Graham, Ms. Fernandes, and Security Officer Batts, served as judges for the competition. Our chefs' classmates joined in on the fun, cheering and supporting their peers! Shoutout to our Food Services Department staff, @maschiofood staff, Chef Jermaine, Acting Superintendent Dr. Pérez, Principal Graham, Ms. Castillo, Mr. Leonardis, Deanna G. Taylor Academy staff, and the phenomenal students for participating!

#hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #ironchef #competition #maschios #studentsfirst #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

Congratulations to Hillside Public Schools’ Teachers of the Year! Your dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment to our students made you stand out this year. Thank you for the countless ways you inspire learning, build connections, and make a lasting impact in our schools. We are proud to celebrate your hard work and the difference you make in the lives of our students and school community! - Dr. Pérez, Acting Superintendent of Hillside Public Schools!

Good day, the W.O.K. Middle School Daddy-Daughter Sneaker Ball originally scheduled for Saturday, May 30th, 2026, has been canceled. Please stay tuned for future updates, thank you.

Dr. Gretel Pérez, Acting Superintendent of Hillside Public Schools, Daryl Palmieri, County Superintendent of Schools, and Mr. Obinna Emenaka, Acting Principal of Hillside High School, proudly joined Hillside High School Class of 2026 Valedictorian Sofia Rodrigues and Salutatorian Princila Colecraft at the 41st Annual Outstanding Scholar Breakfast held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Berkeley Heights today, May 18th, 2026! Congratulations to these exceptional scholars for their outstanding dedication, perseverance, and remarkable academic accomplishments. Hillside Public Schools District is incredibly proud of your success and bright futures ahead!

#hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #valedictorian #salutatorian #hillsidehighschool

Last week, Stevens Institute of Technology (@followstevens) hosted its annual Innovation Expo, and Hillside High School students were invited!  The Expo showcased the work of graduating seniors all over the campus, and our Hillside High School students were amazed and inspired! Shout out to @hilldsidehs_schoolcounseling, Mr. McCoy, and Ms. Martinez.

#hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #stevensinstitute #studentsfirst #hillsidehighschool

Congratulations to the W.O.K. Middle School 7th and 8th grade scholars that were recognized for their academic achievements during yesterday's (5/14/2026) awards ceremonies! Keep up the great work students, shoutout to Dr. Wilson, Vice-Principal Scott-Jackson, Ms. Gash, Ms. Stewart, the W.O.K. teachers and staff, and of course all of the parents and families in attendance for the event!

#hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #studentsfirst #wokmiddleschool #honorroll

Congratulations to the 19 Hillside High School scholars from the class of 2026 who were awarded during the Hillside Scholarship Fund's Annual Awards Ceremony on May 13th, 2026! This was a beautiful ceremony, thank you the Hillside Scholarship Fund's Board of Trustees, including Dr. Juanita Daly, President of the Scholarship Fund, Sandra Cureton, Vice-President/Treasurer, and Linda Smith, Fund Secretary! Guest Speaker, Hillside Township Mayor, Andrea Hyatt, delivered an amazing speech which inspired our scholarship recipients. Lastly, shout out to all of the Scholarship Fund Board of Trustees members including George Cook, Kimberly Cook, Lynn Randle, and more, as well as the Hillside High School Director of Guidance, Eric Boateng!

#hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #hillsidescholarshipfund #studentsfirst #hillsidehighschool

On Wednesday, May 13th, 2026, Hillside High School hosted its Dance Ensemble Concert, and it was fantastic! Great work to our dance ensemble students, and shoutout and thank you to Dance Program Director and Choreographer, Ms. Love! Shout out as well to the Guest choreographers for last night's program!

#hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #danceensemble #studentsfirst #hillsidehighschool

Good day, Hillside Public Schools middle school and high school students (Grades 7 - 12)! Registration for the 2026-2027 school year Marching Band and Dance Team is now open! Please scan the QR Code on the flyer, which has been emailed or use the following link to fill out the registration form, thank you.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe45EaEBAzf5xlpMtZoK0g9WfCdGmryazABed0u2JC_XbIFLg/viewform

This morning, May 12th, 2026, the Hillside High School Auditorium was packed with students, parents, and staff for the third marking period Honor Roll Ceremony and Breakfast at Hillside High School!

Congratulations to all of the Hillside High School scholars who earned Superintendent's Honor Roll Scholar Designation, High Honor Roll, and Honor Roll! As always, thank you to our Guidance Department @hillsidehs_schoolcounseling, the Hillside Board of Education, Acting Superintendent Dr. Pérez, Acting Principal Mr. Emenaka, Director of Guidance Mr. Boateng, Vice-Principal Heartwell Jimenez, Mr. McCoy, Ms. Ruban, Dr. Ellis, the Hillside Board of Education, our Hillside Directors, Supervisors, administration and staff! We'd like to thank all of the parents, and families who attended the Honor Roll Breakfast as well!

#hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #honorrollbreakfast #honorroll #studentsfirst #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities #hillsidehighschool

Back in October during Red Ribbon Week, the amazing Jr. National Honor Society members at Deanna G. Taylor Academy planted red tulip bulbs as a symbol of making healthy choices, showing leadership, and growing strong together! Today, we are proud to see those beautiful tulips blooming — a reminder that the seeds of kindness, responsibility, and positive choices continue to grow! ❤️🌷

#RedRibbonWeek #JrNationalHonorSociety #GrowingGreatLeaders #SchoolPride #hillsidepublicschools

Thank you to all those in attendance for "Hidden in Plain Sight" this past Saturday (5/09/2026)! Professor Douglas S. Collier of @monmouthuniversity 's Department of Criminal Justice Graduate Program presented in the Hillside High School Media Center! The goal of this event was to simulate a teenager's bedroom, in which several items have been placed that may indicate that the teen is using drugs or vaping. This informative event opened parent's and families' eyes to the reality of vape, and drug usage among young people, and asked the question "do you pay attention to what's inside your child's bedroom? Thank you to Hillside Public Schools District Student Assistance Coordinator Ms. Mullins for coordinating this event, thank you Principal Emenaka, Hillside Police Department Detective Mr. Antoine Brown and more! Shout out to Acting Superintendent Dr. Pérez, the Hillside Board of Education Members, Hillside Mayor Ms. Andrea Hyatt, Mr. McCoy, all the Hillside Public Schools staff and students present!

#hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #hiddeninplainsight #monmouthuniversity #antivaping #studentsfirst

This week, Deanna G. Taylor Academy had so much fun celebrating its incredible educators during Teacher Appreciation Week! 💙🍎

DGTA staff enjoyed special treats all week long, including a fun dirty soda bar, delicious breakfast and lunch treats, thoughtful surprises, and moments to relax and feel appreciated. It was a great way of saying THANK YOU for the endless dedication, care, creativity, and heart teachers pour into their students every single day.

DGTA is so grateful for its amazing staff and everyone who helped make this week extra special. Your hard work does not go unnoticed—we appreciate you today and every day! ✨ #TeacherAppreciationWeek #DGTAProud #ThankATeacher #LeaderInMe

As we come to the conclusion of teacher's appreciation week, here's a post from Hurden Looker Elementary School! Scoops of appreciation for the sweetest teachers & staff around! Yesterday (5/7/2026) the amazing team at Hurden Looker Elementary School were honored with a little ice cream treat because all they do deserves something sweet!" Shoutout to Principal Alvarez and Vice-Principal Pinho! #hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #icecream #studentsfirst #hillsideone

As part of Hillside Public Schools' anti-vaping efforts, vaping facts and prevention messages will be shared daily this week (May 4th, 2026 - May 8th, 2026)! This campaign is intended to educate our students, families, and community about the dangers of vaping and to support healthy decision-making!

Today's fact: Vaping poses risks of lung damage, which can be life-threatening.

If you or someone you know is ready to take the first step towards a healthier lifestyle, please contact the Quitline at 866-657-8677.

Hurden Looker Elementary School celebrated Teacher's Appreciation Week with a Red-Carpet Walk for their teachers! Thank you to Acting Superintendent Dr. Pérez for capturing photos, shoutout to Principal Alvarez and Vice-Principal Pinho, as well as all of our teachers throughout the district!

#hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #teachersappreciation #hurdenlookerelementaryschool #redcarpet