That's right! The Holiday Season just got warmer and fuzzier because we'll get to see our kids sing in-person next month! Winter Concerts are back!! Grades K-2 will perform in December 7 at 6:00pm*. Grades 3-6 will perform December 8 at 6:00pm*. Both concerts will take place at Withrow High School. *Please note the time correction.

If you attended the Pumpkin Chuck, we'd be so grateful if you'd take this short 4 question Pumpkin Chuck Survey. Thank you!!

If you missed the sale, check out the styles here, and place your order by THIS Tuesday, November 15. Orders will be distributed to your student's homeroom before Winter Break.

The HPS Student Council is leading a Thanksgiving Food Drive, and Wednesday (11/16) is the LAST DAY to donate food items! If you'd like to contribute to this cause, please bring your donations this week. Donation boxes can be found outside each homeroom. Thank you!! Here is the list of suggested donations by grade level:

Kindergarten: instant oatmeal, granola bars (no nuts), canned fruit of any kind

1st Grade: canned soup, canned veggies, canned beans

2nd Grade: cereal (no nuts)

3rd Grade: popcorn, pretzels, crackers, sandwich crackers

4th Grade: just add water mixes (no nuts)

5th Grade: rice mixes, mashed potatoes, stuffing mixes of any kind

6th Grade: mac & cheese, pasta sauce, pasta

Continuing through November 18 (Friday), we are collecting clothing (gently used or new in all sizes from Infant to Adult), toiletries, and cleaning supplies for the Hyde Park Helps Winter Drive. Bins are located at Doors 1 and 2, and on each level of the school to collect donations.

On November 20, a Winter Shopping FREE will take place where all donated items along with food donations collected by the HPS Student Council will be distributed to our Hyde Park family and community members in need.

If you or someone you know is in need of a Thanksgiving meal or assistance with the upcoming needs that Winter and the holiday season brings, here are some places offering meals and winter clothing for those in need.

For the first time in years, HPS is seeking to field a Brain Bowl team in the Cincinnati Public School Brain Bowl League! Student team members and Parent Coaches/Helpers are needed!

Brain Bowl is an academic quiz team opportunity for 4th to 6th grade students. Brain Bowl members will have an opportunity to represent our own Hyde Park School Eagles in friendly competition vs. other CPS elementary schools in the district.

The program will begin November 28th with practice. Matches will begin in January. All matches will take place during the week beginning around 4:30 or 4:45. Each school will play 8 matches during the months of January and February, and the season will end with a tournament on a Saturday in March at the Ed Center vs. other Brain Bowl schools.  

If you are interested in helping to make Brain Bowl happen at HPS, contact Jill Sunderman at sunderji@cpsboe.k12.oh.us or Ann Salzbrun at salzbra@cpsboe.k12.oh.us.

This month, the Hyde Park Hero Character Trait is Gratitude. With the lead up to Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season, what a perfect time to reflect on Gratitude! Here are some children's books and reflections centered on Gratitude.

It's time to Raise Dough at Dewey's Pizza Oakley Square on Tuesday, November 29 from 4-9pm! It's HPS Restaurant Night! Dewey's will donate 20% of all proceeds to the HPS PTO. The fundraiser applies to dine-in and carryout orders, including online order through deweyspizza.com. When ordering online through the Dewey's website, please type "GBN" in the Order Notes. This fundraiser DOES NOT APPLY to orders placed through 3rd party delivery services including Door Dash, Uber Eats, and Grub Hub.

Just bring your pillows, blankets, and/or sleeping bags to get comfy on the floor, we'll take care of the rest, including the popcorn! The movie and start time will be announced ahead of time in an upcoming edition of this Newsletter.

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

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!