We develop compassionate, engaged students who are HAPPY to be at school!
*The HPS Spirit Wear Sale is Happening Now through March 4*

*March 3, 6:30 pm: PTO General Meeting*
In-person & online
Upcoming Events
Now through March 4: Spring HPS Spirit Wear Sale
March 3, 6:30 pm: PTO General Meeting (In-person & online via Google Meets: meet.google.com/tui-qqem-ahh)
March 7: No School, Staff Professional Development Day
March 28-April 1: No School, Spring Break
April 22: The Annual HPS Spring Celebration
**Kindergarten Registration: Open & Ongoing**
Black History Spotlight: Verna Williams, Making Local Black History as UC College of Law's First Black Dean
From Cincinnati WKRC: Verna Williams is the first Black dean of the University of Cincinnati's College of Law, an institution that's been around for nearly 200 years. “I don’t focus on it much, because to be the first today is different than being the first 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 50 years ago,” said Williams. Students and staff agree that though it's different, her achievement is no less significant. Janelle Thompson is in her final semester of law school at UC. She says, growing up, she didn't see anyone in the legal community who looked like her. Then, she met Dean Williams on a campus visit. “So, when I came here and saw all the representation I had, it made me feel more comfortable — made me feel like I had a voice without having to do too much, and it made me push for whatever I wanted to push for, so I feel like I challenge myself a little bit more,” said Thompson. “In an ideal world, you shouldn’t have to see the person to think it’s a possibility for you, but I think the reality is it does matter,” said Williams. It turns out, representation even matters for someone as accomplished as Dean Williams. She says she nearly talked herself out of applying for what wound up being a historic promotion [to Dean of the College of Law]. “Looking back, was that a confidence thing, too? Like, 'Oh, I don’t see myself reflected in that role.' Certainly, there were very few Black women deans at that time when I was on the faculty,” she said. Williams wants to remind young Black men and women that even if you can't "see" it, you can achieve it. “I hope to inspire them not just to be deans of law schools," she said. "I hope to inspire them to strive, and not count themselves out."
Join Us This Thursday March 3 at 6:30pm for the Next PTO General Meeting In-Person or Online
The next PTO General Meeting will take place this Thursday March 3 at 6:30 pm both in-person and online via Google Meets at meet.google.com/tui-qqem-ahh. Join us to hear about the HPS Building expansion; the Spring Celebration and how you can help make this, our largest fundraiser, happen after a two-year COVID hiatus of the live event; and more!
Seeking Silent Auction Donations & Business and Family Sponsors for the Spring Celebration
The Silent Auction and Sponsorships are the keys to making the Spring Celebration a successful fundraiser. We're actively seeking donated gifts and/or services for the Silent Auction as well as business and family sponsorships.

Here are some Silent Auction ideas to get the pot stirring: gifts cards to restaurants, food delivery services, spas, haircuts, or other services; movie tickets; a gift membership to a streaming service such as Disney Plus, Prime Video, Netflix, etc; themed gifts baskets (such as a Bengals/Bearcats/Reds/Xavier-fan basket with merchandise or game tickets; a wine-lovers gift basket; a spa-package gift basket, etc); larger ticket items such as a Garmin GPS watch, Apple iWatch, or other electronics; jewelry; golf clubs, fishing gear, or other sports equipment; a hotel package; a weekend getaway to a VRBO in Hocking Hills, Mammoth Cave, Norris Lake, or other destination; a day-pass for a jet ski or pontoon boat rental at a marina; passes or a gift membership to an experience such as an escape room, Kings Island, the Cincinnati Zoo, Urban Air, the Children's Theater, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Museum Center; Scene 75; or other local or destination experience. The Sky is the Limit! If you would like to make a donation to the Silent Auction, please email auction@hydeparkschoolpto.org or you may drop off the item to the Main Office.

We are also seeking both Business and Family Sponsorships. If you work for or have contacts with a business that might be interested in sponsoring the Spring Celebration; or if your family would like to become a sponsor, here is description of opportunities available by tier along with their accompanying perks and a shout-out list to our current sponsors:






  • Acknowledgment on the event website and newsletter
  • Spring Celebration event tickets (2 - $80 value)
  • Thank you to the following HPS Friends & Family Silver Level Sponsors:
  • The Ballard/Reynolds Family
  • The Beattie Family
  • Cinci360
  • The Faris Family
  • The Hankinson Family
  • Marion & Jessica Haynes
  • Dan & Christine Heing
  • The Heisel Family
  • The Hogan Family
  • Eric & Kat Hubbell
  • Mike & Andrea Klocke
  • Paul & Page Lee
  • The Lindy Family
  • The Lund Family
  • The Lundgren Family
  • The Meisman Family
  • The Schiller Family
  • The Williams Family
  • The Wolfe Family

If you would like to become a Business or Family Sponsor, please follow this link and click on the appropriate sponsorship level. The HPS PTO is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit. Sponsors will be provided with a donation acknowledgment for their records. Please feel free to share the link with any interested business sponsors. Thank you!
Sign-up to Help Make the Spring Celebration Happen: April 22 at MadTree Brewing! Sponsorships & Volunteer Opportunities are Available
Planning is underway for the 10th Annual Spring Celebration! This adults-only event on April 22 is our largest fundraiser for the year, and after two years of hosting this event virtually we have every finger and toe crossed to be back in person for 2022! The Spring Celebration provides an opportunity for HPS families, staff, and community supporters to celebrate our successful and growing school. At Hyde Park School, we are proud to provide a personalized learning environment that supports academic achievement and social-emotional development for children in grades K-6. We are proud to serve nearly 550 students primarily from the Hyde Park and Oakley neighborhoods.

What better way to make the payoff of the live event even more rewarding than volunteering and being part of the team that helps make this spectacular event happen! Please check out this link with various volunteer opportunities available to suit many different time commitments and interests.

We also invite your family or business to participate as an event sponsor. Your contribution will help our PTO bridge the Cincinnati Public School funding gap by covering the costs of field trips, classroom supplies, technology upgrades, and enrichment opportunities for our students. By making a donation, you will also receive recognition in all Spring Celebration communications and enjoy the amenities our sponsor packages have to offer. If you are donating as a family, don’t forget to check with your employer as many companies have matching programs. The HPS PTO is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit. Sponsors will be provided with a donation acknowledgment for their records. Thank you in advance for your support! Visit the Spring Celebration website here to see the levels of sponsorship available.

Thank you!! And continue to stay tuned for more news and updates about Spring Celebration 2022!
One Week Only!! The HPS Spirit Wear Sale is Happening NOW through March 4
Give your Spring wardrobe a lift HPS style! The HPS Spirit Wear Sale is running NOW through THIS FRIDAY, March 4! HPS PTO will receive a portion of all sales placed during this sale window! Short and long-sleeve t's, zip-ups, hoodies, trucker caps, beanies, shorts--there's something for every style in blue, white, gray, trendy tie-dye, and even some camo! Check your options here. Your merch will be delivered for free to your child's homeroom the week of March 21, in time to cheer on the Spring Sports!
Kindergarten Info Night Follow-up: Links for Registration & More
After a successful Kindergarten Info Night, here are four important follow-up links:


2) Find the documents shared about a Day in the Life of a HPS Kindergartener here.

3) If you're in the incoming Kindergarten Community, please join the Incoming Kindergarten Facebook Group here.

4) Finally, please take a moment to fill out the Future Enrollment Survey here!
Registration Is Now Open for Clifton Cultural Arts Center's 2022 Summer Camps!
CCAC is thrilled to present an exciting slate of visual and performing arts summer camps designed to explore the limits of your camper’s imagination – all while observing health and safety protocols to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Check out the list below, then head over to cliftonculturalarts.org/summer-camps or call 513-497-2860 for camp descriptions, scholarship information, and to register!
 
Visual Arts Camps
 
Music Camps
 
Theatre Camps
How You Can Help Keep HPS Open for In-Person Learning
In the coming weeks, our HPS staff may need extra help. The PTO is committed to doing whatever is necessary and possible to keep our students IN the classroom. While it's uncertain what those needs may be, we want to be ready to immediately respond when those needs arise.

If you're willing to volunteer to help with things like drop off, pick up, lunch duty, cleaning, miscellaneous tasks, etc, please fill out this form. When the need arises, Ann Salzbrun or someone with the PTO will contact you to see if you are able to fill in for a need. THANK YOU in advance for all your support, we have the best community, and we appreciate you so much!!
How You Can Help CPS Fulfill a Critical Need & Keep More Schools Open for In-Person Learning: Become a Substitute Teacher
District-wide Cincinnati Public Schools are in critical need of substitute teachers to fill COVID-related staffing shortages. The basic requirements include a bachelor's degree and passing the necessary background checks. If you are interested in becoming a substitute teacher, please follow this link for more information and for instructions about how to apply.
The Cincinnati Police Department is Hiring Paid Civilian School Crossing Guards: Here is How to Apply
With HPS at the corner of busy intersections, the need for a crossing guard is evident and notorious. And the need exists throughout the city with 44 current openings including one at HPS. The Cincinnati Police Department is seeking to fill these important paid part-time positions. Pay is monthly, and no prior experience is needed. The crossing guard position involves observing traffic and nearby pedestrians, grouping pedestrians, and stopping and restarting traffic as needed to move pedestrians safely across the street. Please see the graphic below for more details including the number and contact for interested applicants and the application.
Seeking Disinfecting Wipes!
The staff ever-diligent with the COVID-19 health and safety protocol, HPS is close to exhausting its supply of Disinfecting Wipes! If you're out and about and are in the position to buy some extra, the HPS staff would greatly appreciate your donation, which you can drop off to the Main Office. Thank you for your support!
HPS Athletics: Booster Membership Drive
The Hyde Park Athletic Boosters is open to and seeking new members. Here is a note from them highlighting their mission and significant accomplishments:
The Hyde Park Athletic Boosters was founded in 2018 and has some amazing accomplishments due to your donations:
  • Reduced registration costs for all sports
  • Introduced 3 new programs –Volleyball, Softball, and Running Club
  • Supplies for the Gym facelift in the Summer 2020
  • Bought new uniforms at no cost to participants
  • Provided gym space for basketball
  • Donated to Mr. Schwab to purchase equipment
  • Bought new basketball hoops for the gym
Did you know that the School District and our School DO NOT provide any funding for your HPS sports programs? So…if your little athlete is playing basketball, softball, volleyball, football, or soccer – all the expenses related to those sports (balls, goals, nets, referee fees, pinnies, jerseys, goalie gloves, league fees, tournament fees, court time, etc…) are ALL paid exclusively with your DONATIONS and from the various Booster fundraisers throughout the year.
This annual membership is important to keep our programs affordable for families and allows us to provide financial scholarships to Hyde Park students and families. You will also receive early access and discounts for our fun events.
Please join us in supporting athletics for another year by donating at HERE!
Join our Facebook Group at HPS Athletic Boosters to keep up with the news and timelines for registrations!
Seeking Kindergarten Lunch & Recess Volunteers
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. And while the added bonus of visiting your special Kindergartener is undeniable, please make sure you assist and monitor all the Kindergarteners in the cafeteria and on the playground. You can sign up using this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084CA4AE2FA3FB6-20212022
Need a New HPS Mask Lanyard?
As we hang on to our masks a little longer for safety's sake, do you need a safe place to hang yours during a mask break? If so, you can purchase a HPS mask lanyard from the HPS PTO website!
Vintage HPS Spirit Wear is Calling Your Name!
Vintage HPS Spirit Wear is on sale, and it's calling your name! Everything is now only $5!! Click here to find the limited sizes and styles, still available now but not for long! Local orders from the vintage catalogue will be delivered to your child's homeroom. Please contact Leah Wyrabkiewicz (leahnally@yahoo.com) with any questions.
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/hydeparkschoolpto.
Amazon Smile
AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support Hyde Park School every time you shop at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to HPS. Please choose Hyde Park School PTO Inc. as your recipient.

AmazonSmile customers can now support Hyde Park School PTO in the Amazon shopping app on iOS and Android mobile phones! Simply follow these instructions to turn on AmazonSmile and start generating donations.

  1. Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device
  2. Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into 'Settings'
  3. Tap 'AmazonSmile' and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process
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!
If you have information that you would like included in a future newsletter, please send to president@hydeparkschoolpto.org (content included at PTO discretion).