Each year the HPS PTO organizes a Read-A-Thon to help raise money to support field trips for our kids and to meet classroom needs identified by our teachers. This year's Read-A-Thon begins tomorrow and runs through October 25. 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!

Stop by the Hyde Park Art Show today to see the art work of 11 of our Hyde Park School students prominently on display by the fountain! Congratulations on having your art work selected for this honor! We're so proud of you!

Congratulations to the following students for being chosen by the HPS Staff as the September Hyde Park Heroes! These students demonstrated the character trait of Curiosity. For the next month they will proudly display their Hyde Park Hero yard signs! We're so proud of you! And here they are:

Lilian Shuman, Lilly Dribin, Malik Murray, Lucy Wyrabkiewicz, Devin Finley, Dylan Wiesenhahn, Will Harman, Isaac Deutsch, Ellie Wood, Elton Vinson, Graham Rivet, Ben Schiller, Liza Lundgren, Jude Schindel-Hassan, E.J. Bone, Russell Jellison, Jeffrey Hahn, Beckett Monday, Eva Jobe, Oscar Johnson, Phinney Lee, Saige Christopfel, Crosley Seevers, Landen Wyrabkiewicz, Charleston Salter, Joaco Lastra, Jamieson Reed.

The October Character Trait is Bravery. Having courage and bravery help us overcome challenges and achieve great things! Here is a link with some children's books that focus on bravery.

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.

Join us for the next HPS PTO General Meeting this Thursday October 6 at 6:30. The meeting will take place both in-person in the school Cafeteria and via Google Meets at meet.google.com/mea-mujd-ays. Hope to see you there!

The HPS Parents Social Season continues this weekend with the Second Grade Crafts & Cocktails Theme Party this Saturday October 8 at 7:00pm at the Samples' Lounge. You can purchase your tix here! Information on the remaining Grade Level Parent Social (for Sixth Grade Parents), including a link to purchase tickets, can be found further down in this Newsletter.

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.

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.

The Countdown to the Pumpkin Chuck is underway! The Pumpkin Chuck is one of HPS's biggest school-wide events of the year! It is the definition of a FUNdraiser, and YOU can help make it happen!

Yes, the Pumpkin Chuck is a big event, and we need all hands on deck! We will be 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!

Standard Volunteers (operating game booths, ticket sales, photo booth, set up, clean up)

Muscle Work Volunteers (pumpkin launching and set up/clean up involving lifting hay bales, pumpkins)

Keep watching this Newsletter for Signups to Open. You can contact Melissa DeMarcantonio at fundraising@hydeparkschoolpto.org for more details and to volunteer.

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.

On what may have been the last warm evening of the year, Popsicles on the Playground was a hit! Thanks for celebrating our turf field, track lanes, and other playground additions and improvements, which are the fruits of your generosity!

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 Athletics October Raffle is now LIVE. We are asking that every student athlete sell just 10 tickets. Tickers are $5 a piece, but you have 25 chances to win - AND if your name is drawn, you go right back into the mix for more chances! Drawings will begin on October 7th, and will run daily until October 31st. We need your help in promoting this fundraiser!

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to Mike Brugh at michaelbrugh@outlook.com. And in case you needed extra motivation, there will a prize to the student who sells the most raffle tickets!

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.*

It's officially HPS Social Season! Each grade level will hold an Adults-Only Themed Parent Social which doubles as a fundraiser. You can purchase your tix here! Attending your Grade Level Parent Social is a great way to mix, mingle, and have fun with other parents and families - all while raising money for our school! All proceeds go to the HPS PTO, which uses all funds to directly support our students and teachers by providing classroom materials and funding for opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom (such as Field Trips and playground supplies)!

Kindergarten Parent Social: September 17 (Theme: College Night)

1st Grade Parent Social: October 1 (Theme: Hyde Park Eagles)

2nd Grade Parent Social: October 8 (Theme: Crafts & Cocktails)

3rd Grade Parent Social: August 27 (Theme: Third Grade Throwback)

4th Grade Parent Social: September 24 (Theme: 90s)

5th Grade Parent Social: September 23 (Theme: Old School)

6th Grade Parent Social: October 22 (Theme: Final Fowling Hurrah)

Click this link for more information and to purchase tickets! 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. 

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!