Hillside Public Schools

Today, Tuesday, (May 6th, 2025) 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 2025! 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 2025 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 Superintendent Glover, the Hillside Board of Education , the Hillside Fire Department, Hillside High School staff, and students! #hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #hillsidehighschool #afterthefire #firesafety #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilitiies

Happy National Nurses Day from Hillside Public Schools! "On National Nurses Day, we thank the extraordinary men and women who have dedicated their lives to the critical and noble profession of nursing." Thank you to all of our Hillside Public Schools nurses for providing quality, compassionate, and essential care to all! #hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #nursesday #thankyou #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week from Superintendent Glover and Hillside Public Schools! Thank you to all of the teachers within our district who educate our students daily and prepare them for a successful future! #hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #teacherappreciationweek #teachers #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

On Saturday (5/3/2025), Hillside Public Schools hosted the program "State of Emergency: Navigating Marijuana Use In Our Community"! This crucial program brought Hillside Township members together to discuss vaping and marijuana usage in our community, and included a panel of local and state officials, educators, @hillsidepolicenj, and representatives from Hillside organizations! We had a full house in the Hillside High School Media Center, thank you to everyone in attendance, the Hillside Board of Education, Hillside Public Schools staff, students, and families! Thank you to Hillside High School Counselor Ms. Melba Mullins and Superintendent Glover for organizing this important forum! Thank you to our panelists, Superintendent of Hillside Public Schools Erskine Glover, Hillside Recreation Department Supervisor Calvin Lofton, Hillside Township Council Member Andrea Hyatt, Hillside Police Department Lieutenant Cosimo Tripoli, Shiva Bhattarai of RWJ Barnabas Health at Newark Beth Israel Hospital, Yaa Amankwaa of Prevention Links, Mrs. Gwendolyn Watts of Phi Delta Kappa Sorority, Inc., Union County Mental Health Administrator Miriam Cortez, Hillside Board of Education Member Eric Okai, Chief Rashawn Carey of the Hillside Fire Department @hillside_firefighters, and the Hillside Troop of the Girl Scouts of America! #hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #antivaping #hillsidehighschool #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

Yesterday (5/1/2025) Hillside High School celebrated College Decision Day 2025! Hillside High School Seniors revealed the colleges and universities they have enrolled in! Shoutout to Ms. Ruban, and the Hillside Media Team for contributing photos. Thank you @hillsidehs_schoolcounseling, and congratulations Hillside High School Seniors! #hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #hillsidehighschool #decisionday2025 #decisionday #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

Last night (5/1/2025) W.O.K. Middle School hosted its International Night! The spectacular night featured International poetry, songs, dances, and food! Our W.O.K. Scholars did an amazing job with their performances and informative presentations. Shout out to Dr. Aruna Mathura for her work in organizing the event as well as Vice-Principal Ms. Tracy Scott-Jackson, and Principal Dr. Roy Wilson! Shout out to Hillside Board of Education Members Ms. Marjorie Hargrave, and Dr. Donald Howard Jr. who were in attendance. Thank you, Superintendent Glover, the Hillside Board of Education, W.O.K.'s staff, students, and families! #hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #internationalnight #internationalcultures #wokmiddleschool #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

Good Day, here is the Anti-Vaping FACT of the day: 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

Today, May 1st, 2025, Hurden Looker Elementary School hosted a pep rally to get students excited for NJSLA (New Jersey Student Learning Assessments) testing! Shout out to Principal Alvarez, Vice-Principal Pinho, Superintendent Glover, the Hillside Board of Education, Hurden Looker School staff, and students! Good luck, scholars, you got this! #hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #hurdenlooker #njsla #testing #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

Students and teachers from across the district engaged in problem-solving lessons using CueThink, a problem-solving application through Imagine Learning's educational tools! Shout out to Ms. Flournoy, Mr. Spychalski, Mr. Brooks, Mr. Powers, Mrs. Mignone, Mr. Pereira, Ms. Ranallo, and Ms. Cavuoto for engaging in these conversations. Thank you to Dr. Sam Rhodes for planning with teachers, co-facilitating the lessons, and sharing about the use of generative AI in the math classroom. #AI #problemsolving #mathematics #hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

Happy Principal Appreciation Day from Hillside Public Schools! School Principals’ Day is celebrated on May 1st, 2025! This day is dedicated to recognizing the important role of school principals and showing appreciation for their hard work. Take a moment to thank all of our hardworking Principals here at Hillside Public Schools! #hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #principalsappreciationday #principalsday #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

Good Day, here is the Anti-Vaping FACT of the day: Nicotine can exacerbate anxiety and depression, impairing memory, concentration, self-control, and attention, particularly in young individuals. 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

Hillside Public Schools proudly recognized by the Union County Commissioner as recipients of the 2025 Kids Dig In! School Garden Grant! This award provides funding to expand our school gardens and offer students hands-on opportunities to explore healthy eating, environmental stewardship, and sustainability. The Union County Commissioner Board presented the award as part of their ongoing commitment to supporting school-based garden initiatives! #hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #gardengrant #gardening #kidsdigin #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

Good Day, here is the Anti-Vaping FACT of the day: Adolescents are more vulnerable to nicotine addiction than adults due to their still-developing brains. 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

We have two contest winners at Hillside High School for the New Jersey Speech and Debate League's Online Festival Series! The New Jersey Speech and Debate League hosted a virtual festival series centered around the theme of "Celebrating Earth Day." Hillside High School proudly had two winners in the program. Twelfth grader Perla Garcia, was a Bronze Medal Finalist for writing and performing her own poem on Earth Day! Tenth grader, Licelys Melendez, read children's literature aloud, earning her a Silver Medal of Honor! Congratulations to both students from the Speech & Debate Club and their advisors, Ms. Musheerah Gill and Mrs. Leslie Young! "The New Jersey Speech and Debate League is a volunteer, member-led, not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that exists to promote the arts of effective communication among students in public and independent schools in New Jersey. The League is registered as an incorporated non-profit entity with the State of New Jersey." #hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #speechanddebate #finalists #hillsidehighschool #congratulations #literature #readingandwriting #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

Congratulations to our Hillside Comets Boys Varsity Volleyball Team, who defeated Roselle High School 2/3 yesterday, April 28th, 2025! Let's go Comets! #hillsidecomets #hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #highschoolvolleyball #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

Good Day, here is the Anti-Vaping FACT of the day: Vaping is not safe; some vapes can contain as much nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes. 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

Good Day, here is the Anti-Vaping FACT of the day: some e-cigarette aerosols contain harmful chemicals, such as formaldehyde, which can lead to cancer. 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

Good day, please see the following flyers for Hillside Public Schools' District's Summer Academies! Students in grades 1 through 8, register by scanning the QR code on the flyer that corresponds to your grade and complete the Google Form. ESL/Bilingual students are encouraged to apply! #hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #summeracademies #register #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities

Happy Administrative Professionals/Secretaries Day from Hillside Public Schools! National Administrative Professionals Day celebrates the important role of secretaries, assistants, receptionists, and other administrative support professionals! Hillside Public Schools appreciates and thanks all of the Administrative Professionals in our district. #hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #administrativeprofessionals #administrators #secretaries #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities #thankyou

A big thank you to Flagstar Bank's representatives for speaking with our 2nd-grade students about money and finances! Our young learners gained valuable knowledge about saving, spending, and the importance of making smart financial choices. We appreciate your support in helping our students build strong financial foundations!" #partnerships #mathematics #appliedmath #financialliteracymonth #hillsidenj #hillsidepublicschools #mathematics #newpride #newpathways #newpossibilities