We develop compassionate, engaged students who are HAPPY to be at school!
Upcoming Events
Sept 15 - October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month
Oct.12:Family Game Night! 5-7pm for parents and children!
Oct 16 - 20: Scholastic Book Fair
Oct 17: LSDMC Meeting 2:30 Room 2101
Oct 21: 6th Grade Parent Social
Oct 25-27: Turn in days for read-a-thon
Oct 27: Character Parade, 9am (parents encouraged to come watch!) & Fall Harvest Parties
Oct 28: Kindergarten Parent Social
Nov 3: Read-a-thon winners announced
Nov 4: Pumpkin Chuck
Nov 7: No School - Election Day / Save the Date: Urban Air Fundraiser
Nov 9: Save the Date: Solstice Fundraiser
Nov 10: No School - Veteran's Day
Nov 14: LSDMC Meeting at 2:30 Room 2101
Nov 19: Save the Date: Solstice Fundraiser
Nov 22 - 24: Thanksgiving Break
Dec 5: Winter Concert grades k-2 6pm at Withrow High School
Dec 6: Winter Concert grades 3-6 6pm at Withrow High School
Dec 15: Winter Classroom Parties
Dec 18: Winter Break Begins
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, between October 2nd through October 24th, the entire school will participate in a contest to see which team of students can read the most. Classes will be paired in cross-grade teams, named for children’s authors: Judy Blume, C.S. Lewis, Mo Willems, Maurice Sendak, Roald Dahl, J.K. Rowling, Loren Long, Dav Pilkey, Beverly Cleary, Aaron Blabey, Shel Silverstein, Dr. Seuss, and Laura Ingalls Wilder.

We kindly ask for your support, by sponsoring a reader, encouraging your student(s) to read, and helping to make this fundraiser a fun experience for the kids. Prizes will be awarded to the team with the highest amount of minutes read, the team with the highest average of minutes read per student, as well as the top reader in each homeroom. There will also be participation prizes for returning or submitting your forms at the end. We hope that every family will participate, as this is our second-largest fundraiser of the year and provides so much for our school community!

Every child is encouraged to participate no matter how much money they raise. Homerooms with the highest participation (meaning reading logs completed, with or without pledges) will earn a pajama day at school, and free reading time during ELA period on pajama day.
Important Dates
  • September 26th: Read-A-Thon packet goes home in Tuesday folder
  • October 2nd: Read-A-Thon Kickoff Rally
  • October 2nd: Set reading goals; first day to read
  • October 2nd – 24th: Gather sponsors
  • October 24th: Last day to read
  • Oct. 25th, 26th & 27th: Turn in days. Students turn in minutes read digitally OR drop off printed sheets, pledge forms, and money (if collected) from 7:30 a.m. – 7:40 a.m. in front of the school entrance or the car drop-off line. Students will receive game tickets to the annual Pumpkin Chuck when forms are submitted.
  • October 27th: Literary Character Parade
  • November 3rd: Winners announced at the end of the day.
  • November 4th: Pumpkin Chuck at 12 pm!
CPS wants to hear from you!
As part of our ongoing effort to gather comprehensive feedback from staff, students and families, CPS is conducting its online climate survey Oct. 2 -13, 2023.
The climate survey asks questions about your experiences with academics, behavior and culture that will help CPS make informed decisions, impacting the way the district educates Cincinnati’s children. The Fall 2023 survey will also help us monitor progress compared to previous years.

The survey will only take a few minutes to complete - all responses are anonymous.

Fall Survey Window - Oct. 2, 2023 through October 13, 2023 

Staff will receive an email from Panorama with a unique link to the survey.
Students will take their survey at school. 
Parents & Guardians can take the survey

Thank you in advance for helping us better prepare students for life! 
What is the PUMPKIN CHUCK?

The famed HPS Pumpkin Chuck is our annual fall fest that takes place the 1st Saturday after Halloween (11/4 from 12-4pm). The centerpiece of this event is watching pumpkins fly across our parking lot via catapult and trebuchet. It's also a great opportunity for students, families, staff and surrounding community members to gather to get to know each other, play games & feast on a variety of food options. Make sure to BYOP (bring your own pumpkin)! New this year - good old fashioned carved pumpkins will be composted (paint, sharpie marker, glitter and adhesive are no/no's). Don't trash it, smash it! Still not sure what the Pumpkin Chuck is? Check out these videos of past Pumpkin Chuck glory: HERE and HERE.

Order Pre-Sale Tickets to SKIP THE LINE:
Game, pumpkin chuck & meal tickets are available for purchase NOW through 3pm on Friday, 10/27. Click HERE to place your order. All tickets will be delivered in your child's 10/31 Tuesday folder.

Become one of our biggest supporters via SPONSORSHIP
To add to the fun & fundraising, Game Sponsorships are available for $100 & Chucking Sponsorships are available for $50. Individuals or groups can sponsor a game booth for $100 (your name will be added to the booth), or individuals or groups can have your name(s) added to the fence surrounding the chucking zone for $50. All sponsors will receive ticket perks! Also, do not fret. By sponsoring you are encouraged, but definitely not obligated to volunteer at the event. To sign up for a sponsorship, click HERE.

PROJECT SCARECROW
Get a little crafty and make a scarecrow! Ultimately, they will be used as chucking targets, but in the week leading up to the Chuck, we will display them to drum up excitement. Click HERE for more info & how we can help.
The HPS Athletics October Raffle is now LIVE. Tickets are $5 a piece, and you have 26 chances to win - AND if your name is drawn, you go right back into the mix for more chances! Drawings will begin on October 6th, and will run daily until October 31st.

WE NEED YOUR HELP IN PROMOTING THIS FUNDRAISER.

1. Ask family and friends to support HPS Athletics by purchasing raffle tickets for a chance to win multiple $25 and $50 gift cards to local hotspots.
2. Click on the link (found below and also on Facebook, our website and will be distributed via Tuesday folders from school) from any phone or send the direct link to family and friends to access our raffle site. You can also share via social media, asking friends and family to support your student athlete. No app required, no login required....just insert your info and payment information and hit enter!
3. Sit back and watch the fun happen throughout the entire month of October. Drawings will happen every evening at 8:00 PM and winners will be posted the next day.

Help support HPS Athletics. This is a fun and easy way to raise funds which will be used for new equipment and uniforms, gym and field time, league fees, etc.

Thank you! Go Eagles!
Our grade level parent socials are not only a school fundraiser but a great way to meet other parents in your child's class and have a lot of fun doing it!!
Tickets for most parties are on sale now, get them before they sell out!
Click on the links below to buy your tickets.
The Hyde Park running clubs will be holding their end of the season runs Thursday October 12 at 6pm at Hyde Park School.

The 3-6 grade run club has been progressively training towards a 5k. The course will be -2 loops around the Edwards/Observatory/Madison/Erie blocks. There will be Graeter's gift card prizes for age group and overall winner. The K-2 grade run club will also be holding 1/4 mile runs for each age group. We are also hoping to have some of your favorite HPS teachers out there running with the kids.

So if you find yourself in the HPS area at this time and see kids running the neighborhood give them a big cheer. They have put lots of hard work in. And we could still use a couple more volunteers for course marshall and water stop. If you are interested in helping please email coach Brian at bkkestner@yahoo.com 
Are you looking for after school care??
At Home Base, we provide Cincinnati families with high-quality, all-inclusive childcare after school. ​Your child will receive transportation from their school to Home Base, healthy snacks, homework help, Jewish learning, time to play, and more. Learn more Here
We are looking for a permanent Crosswalk attendant, but in the mean time we really need some parent help to keep everyone safe crossing the street! It will only take 20 minutes of your time in the morning or afternoon.
If you have a little extra time before or after school, please sign up for a spot here
Stop Sign and sweet neon vest will be provided :)
Our new Spirit wear site is LIVE!!
This spirit wear is soft and comfy and comes in sizes for everyone in the family!

Orders can be dropped shipped directly to your home, or delivered free to your child's homeroom teacher. Orders will ship within 2 weeks of being placed.
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 30 minutes of your time, please join our lunch period to help make the most of this important time! You will need to check in at the main office at 10:00am and will then be directed to the cafeteria.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:

Happy Hyde Park School is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment that values, embraces, and supports all members of the school community. Our LSDMC is in the process of forming a DEI (Diversity Equity & Inclusion) subcommittee for our school and would love to hear from you! Do you have feedback about your children's and your own experience at HPS, dreams, or ideas around this important work? Please connect with Lisa Nolan (lisa.m.a.nolan@gmail.com), a current 1st grade parent and founding chair of the committee, and/or Alyse Averdick (averdia@cpsboe.k12.oh.us), School Resource Coordinator, to share!
Make Life Easy: Upload All HPS Events to Your Own Calendar
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!
Follow HPS PTO on Instagram & Facebook
Make HPS PTO part of your daily feed on Instagram @HydeParkSchoolPTO and Facebook (facebook.com/HydeParkSchoolPTO). Just another way to make communicating ideas and keeping track of HPS events more convenient!
HPS PTO Linktree: The Link to All Links!
No more FOMO! This HPS PTO Linktree is the link to all important links! So if you'd rather have one link to check than many (hmmm, it's a real toss-up), just check this link: https://linktr.ee/happyhydeparkschool
Kroger Community Rewards
Earn 4% of your purchase for Hyde Park School. Don't worry...you still keep all of your points. Register online at www.krogercommunityrewards.com and select “Hyde Park School PTO Inc” from the list.
Box Tops for Education
Many people don't even realize just how easy the Box Tops for Education Program is now that it has gone virtual. No more clipping and collecting a pile of Box Tops. Just download the Box Tops App, scan your grocery receipt, instantly identify Box Tops products, and automatically add cash to our school’s earnings online. You can also email your online receipts to earn credit. Box Tops are still worth 10¢ each for your school. This may not sound like much, but it adds up to hundreds of dollars!
Meet the HPS PTO Board Officers for 2023-2024
Here are the HPS PTO Executive Board Officers for the 2023-2024 school year:

President: Hilary VanderMolen
Vice President: Michele Berry Godsey
Treasurer: Kevin VanderMolen
Vice Treasurer: Chuck Hamman
Secretary: Jen Eisenstein
LSDMC Representatives: Ed Paff, Amy Lovelace & Rachel Harrison
If you have information that you would like included in a future newsletter, please send to president@hydeparkschoolpto.org (content included at PTO discretion).