The Read-A-Thon is off to a strong start with $4,500 raised of the overall $29,000 goal. Students can log reading time through October 25 and collect pledges through October 28, so now is the time to grab your favorite books and read, Read, READ!

The Read-A-Thon is one of our school's largest fundraisers. But first and foremost, we strive for 100% participation by every child logging reading time. Pledges and fundraising are not required to participate, and any funds raised are designated to student's homeroom total and never reveal the individual student's name. The amount of money a student raises is never revealed in order to keep the students' primary focus on reading rather than money.

• This year we kicked off the Read-A-Thon with a book drive to share our compassion and love of learning. Thank you for your generosity! We collected a whopping 23 boxes of books for Queen City Book Bank to be distributed to local children.

• Simply for turning in their forms in person or online October 26, 27, and 28, students will also receive game tickets to be used at the November 5th Pumpkin Chuck.

• Although we will collect pledges in person between October 26, 27, and 28, here is the website used to collect online pledges: https://app.99pledges.com/fund/hps2022. This user friendly website streamlines the process and makes it easy to collect pledges without the worry of misplacing any papers or money! All money raised in the Read-A-Thon will go directly to student and classroom needs at HPS including field trips and enriching classroom materials.

Please visit https://www.hydeparkschoolpto.org/read-a-thon/ for a complete explanation of all things Read-A-Thon!

You know the Pumpkin Chuck is drawing near when the HPS Prize Brigade storms King's Island and leaves with car loads of stuffed animals. (See pics below!) Yes, the prize assortment has been curated, tickets are on sale, and volunteer and sponsorship signups are open!

Yes, the Pumpkin Chuck is a big event, and we need all hands on deck! We are now seeking volunteers and sponsors, so please consider the options below to be a part of this event's Smashing Success! The options are plentiful and include running game booths, the bake sale, ticket sales, the photo booth, set up, clean up, and, yes, even the prestigious position of pumpkin chucker (aka operating the trebuchet/launcher). The shifts are broken up into hour-long slots so you can help for a bit and then spend the rest of the time chucking your hearts out. Kids are welcome to sign up for a game booth slot with a parent (just indicate parent/child pair in the comments). One small job for you, one giant chuck for HPS!

Presale Tickets: Pumpkin Chuck tickets are on sale here! Buy your tickets now and receive them in your child's Tuesday Folder the week before the event.

Volunteer Sign-ups are now open! Follow this link to find volunteer opportunities of all types needed to make this signature HPS event happen. Volunteer opportunities range from Standard Volunteers (operating game booths, ticket sales, the bake sale, or intaking pumpkins); Setup or Cleanup; Chuckers (operating the trebuchet/pumpkin launcher); and Supplies (lending pop-up tents, card tables, wagons, and other necessary supplies to be dropped off on November 4).

To add to the fun and fundraising, Game sponsorships are available for $100 and Chucking (Event) Sponsorships are available for $50. This means individuals or groups can sponsor a game at the surrounding festival for $100, or individuals or groups can have your name(s) added to the fence surrounding the chucking zone for $50. The games are being established by a committee so sponsoring a game does not obligate you to work the game booth or create the game. With each sponsorship, you will receive game tickets and a ticket to chuck your pumpkin! To sign up for a sponsorship, click the following link and follow the prompts: https://www.hydeparkschoolpto.org/pumpkin-chuck-countdown/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgKRMn673rg; and

 https://www.dropbox.com/s/1kb2ct682w513j0/227966795_559129775243753_113357543273837645_n.mp4?dl=0. And as you can see from the pics below, the prizes aren't in short supply! HPS was well-represented at King's Island this week hand-selecting stuffed friends to join the p

You can contact Melissa DeMarcantonio at fundraising@hydeparkschoolpto.org for more details and to volunteer.

A new extracurricular (Quickness, Speed, & Agility Training) is available starting October 11 and registration is open now. The class will run on Tuesdays for 6 weeks, from 2:15-3:15, and is available for 1st through 6th graders.

Use this link to register and scroll down to the specific link for Hyde Park School. Please note: when registering, please include the student's name and homeroom teacher in the "add a note" section of your shopping cart.

Mark your calendars for the next HPS Restaurant Night at Chipotle on Paxton Ave., next Tuesday, October 18 from 4-8pm. This crowd favorite is donating 1/3 of all proceeds to the HPS PTO so don't miss this one! Please note: orders placed through third party delivery services including Door Dash, Uber Eats, and Grub Hub do not qualify. Order must be placed in-person, or through Chipotle's app or website using code LAWHVJH.

Parent-Teacher conferences are being held on Thursday, October 27. In appreciation of our teachers, the PTO will cater a lunch for the staff. We are asking volunteers to provide individually packaged light snacks and treats to help our teachers stay energized through the late hours. Please sign-up here to donate a snack, and indicate in the comment section what specific items you will provide so that we can ensure variety.

Items can be dropped off either on the table outside the main office doors or by handing items to the staff in the car line on both Wednesday, October 26th and Thursday, October 27th. Thank you for your support!

The minutes from the October 6 HPS PTO General meeting can be found here, along with the minutes from all previous meetings. All are welcome to join us at our next meeting on November 3 at 6:30pm.

With the goal of continuing to provide a rich educational experience for our students, the LSDMC (Local School Decision Making Committee) at HPS is gathering parent input using the following survey link:

Your input is highly valued! Thank you for taking the time to help the LSDMC enrich our students' experience. The LSDMC meets at HPS the third Tuesday of every month at 2:30pm. Ed Paff, Amy Lovelace, and Kate Loveland serve on this committee.

Hispanic Heritage Month began on September 15 and spans until October 15. This special month of honor and celebration began in 1989, and quite rightfully, has gained greater awareness each year since. September 15 marks the start because it is a key date in the history of several Latin American countries. Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua each declared their independence from Spain on September 15, 1821.

Here are some family-friendly events happening in the Cincinnati area to celebrate, recognize, and educate about Hispanic Heritage.

Leo says it simply and most eloquently: "We Want You!!" But what's more, We Need You!! Sad but true, reality is setting in: our longstanding leaders of the HPS Athletics Program will be retiring from the ranks as their students near the end of their careers at HPS. The positions of Athletic Director, Head and Assistant Sports Coordinators, Equipment & Uniform Managers, Booster Positions (Presidents, VP, Secretary, Communications Director, and Fundraising Chair) are some of the many volunteers positions held mostly by Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Grade Parents. The same holds true for coaches. So the time has come for the fresh faces of the K-3 Parents to come forward to learn the ropes. To learn more about the positions and to volunteer, please contact Mike Brugh at michaelbrugh@outlook.com

The HPS Parents Social Season will conclude with the Sixth Grade Last Hurrah on Saturday October 22 at 6:00pm at Casa de Beckman. You can purchase your tix here!

Thank you for supporting Hyde Park School! If you are unable to attend this fundraiser and would prefer to make a donation, we have also provided that option on the ticket page.

Lunch time involves a learning curve, and our youngest students are in need of some assistance during lunchtime! Tasks like opening cheese sticks yogurt lids, and even putting straws in drink boxes can be challenging to little hands. If you could spare an hour of your time, please join our lunch and recess period to help make the most of this important hour of their day! Click here to sign up. This signup link will be included in this Newsletter each week for you to access.

*IMPORTANT NEW INFORMATION*: To allow for more eating time, Kindergarteners now will be having recess BEFORE lunch. This means if you are the Lunch/Recess Duty Volunteer, you should check-in at the Main Office, then report to the Playground instead of the Cafeteria. Then, following recess, you will help escort the Kindergarteners to the Cafeteria where you will assist them as they eat lunch. Please act as the Caboose for the line, ensuring that the very last students and any stragglers make it safely into the Cafeteria.

*Please note (and, yes, it goes without saying, but) by signing up for this opportunity, you will be signing up to assist ALL Kindergarteners with their lunch and to help monitor ALL students on the playground during recess, not just your child.*

Streamline your life by using this link to upload all HPS Events to your calendar: HPS Events Calendar. Throughout the year, this link will be updated with other events like socials, movie nights, family swims, playground dates, and more!