• Hillside Diverse Books Initiatives - The Inclusion Working Group, a subcommittee of the PTSA, worked closely with Hillside Principal Amy Cazes to support the work of the Diverse Books Committee. Three areas of diversity were introduced this year to students: learning differences, gender, and race. Teachers received professional development to support those areas. The IWG had the same presenters provide workshops to parents to allow them the same training and understanding as the teachers. The last of the parent workshops will be on May 8 with Detra Price-Dennis, assistant professor from Teachers College, Columbia University.

• FMS Playground - The PTSA surveyed FMS students during recess to get their input for additional equipment to be added to the playground.

• Student Advisory Committees      
• The PTSA met four times with 8th graders on the Student Leadership Board to learn more ways the PTSA can support middle schoolers. Their first initiative was a Dinner & Movie Night for 7th and 8th graders to socialize and raise money to support Family-to-Family. May 3, Blue Lecture Room at HHS, 6:30pm
• The PTSA also met with representatives from HHS to discuss the best ways to support students. As a result of these discussions, the PTSA advocated for the posting of assignments online in a timely manner and a limit on the number of tests, quizzes or papers due on the same day. Further, the PTSA will continue to help fund the Challenge Success programs with the goal of lowering student stress and raising student, parent, and teacher awareness of positive coping strategies.

• The Be Yourself Club
• This is a PTSA sponsored club that is open to all students, is social, and completely child-driven. It's the only club that bridges all three schools as high schoolers from GSA serve as mentors. This year the group raised money to help environmental causes by selling t-shirts they designed, painted gorgeous, positive affirmations in the bathrooms at Hillside and are now working in the FMS bathrooms.