We develop compassionate, engaged students who are HAPPY to be at school!
*Winter Concert Recordings w/ Mr. Messerly: Dec. 13 & 14*

*TOMORROW, Monday Dec. 13: Deadline to Contribute to the Teacher/Staff Holiday Gift Fund*

*Tuesday Dec. 14: HPS Restaurant Night at MOD Pizza*
Upcoming Events
December 13 & 14: Winter Concert Recordings w/ Mr. Messerly
December 13: Deadline to Contribute to Teacher/Staff Gift Fund
December 13: Deadline to Return Gifts to Holiday Hope Tree (unwrapped & marked with their gift code)
December 14: HPS Restaurant Fundraiser at MOD Pizza
December 17: Last Day of School Before Winter Break/Holiday Parties
December 18- January 2: Winter Break/No School
January 3: School Resumes
January 10: No School for Students
'Tis the Season to Thank Our Teachers & Staff: The School Wide Gift Fund CLOSES TOMORROW, December 13
In this season of thanks and giving, we want to make sure our HPS teachers and staff really feel our love through school wide holiday gifts! We are collecting cash donations from the whole school (find the donation link here), which then will be split among ALL teachers and staff to ensure that everyone knows how much we appreciate them, and no one is overlooked. The deadline to contribute is TOMORROW, Monday, December 13. This streamlined school-wide approach to teacher and staff holiday gifts has proven fruitful in the past, and we are hoping to reach our goal of gifting at least $200 to every teacher and staff member. Please follow the steps in this link to donate any amount you'd like. Thank you!!
With Sympathy for a Loss in Our Community
It is with deep regret that we share the news that Principal Jill Sunderman's mother, Jane Baltimore, passed away last week after an extended illness. Mrs. Sunderman was at her side. The obituary is linked below for your information. 
THIS Tuesday, Dec. 14 (11am to 9pm): HPS Restaurant Fundraiser at MOD Pizza
The next HPS Restaurant Day/Night is at MOD Pizza in Oakley Station ALL DAY this December 14, beginning at 11 am all the way through close of business at 9 pm. Be sure to warm up the night with some delicious MOD pizza or salads; 20% of all proceeds go to the HPS PTO. Orders through 3rd party delivery services (DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grub Hub, etc) do not qualify. Further details are here: https://www.groupraise.com/events/212504-hyde-park-school-pto-at-mod-pizza
Winter Concert Recordings with Mr. Messerly: Dec. 13 & 14
This year's Winter Concert is going to be a video (not in person) of every grade singing one or two songs. Hopefully, it will be ready to be viewed by families before winter break. Students will be gathered by grade at a specific time to film their songs. The students do not need to wear anything special and there will be no audience. However, if parents want their child to wear something special, these are the days that students will be filmed.
Monday December 13th:
5th grade
Kindergarten
4th grade
3rd grade

Tuesday December 14th:
6th Grade
1st grade
2nd grade
The Holiday Hope Tree is FULFILLED!
Thank you for you for taking up the cause and fulfilling the needs and wishes of families in our community! Your wonderful generosity rounded third, bringing us so close to purchasing every item on the tree that the HPS PTO brought the project home by purchasing all the remaining items. Now the tree is entirely FULFILLED! Holiday Mission: Accomplished! Thank you!!
Registration is Open for Winter Session Kids' Classes at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center (CCAC)
The Clifton Cultural Arts Center (CCAC) is accepting registrations for its Winter 2022 Kids' Class Sessions, which include a wide variety visual arts (drawing, painting, sculpting, cartooning, and more); performing arts (many styles of dance and music lessons); cultural and language classes; creative writing; and more. The Winter Session begins on January 3 and runs through March 12, 2022. Here is more information about the Clifton Cultural Arts Center followed by a Class Schedule:

Clifton Cultural Arts Center is a community arts center located in the Clifton neighborhood of Cincinnati, OH whose mission is to strengthen the critical link between participation in the cultural arts and successful, healthy children, adults and communities. CCAC advances education, urban quality of life, and sustainability among local arts organizations. Serving residents of all ages, socioeconomic capacities and ethnic backgrounds in Uptown (where 30% of families live below poverty level) and throughout Cincinnati, CCAC nurtures the interests of youth who will become Cincinnati’s future community leaders and arts patrons, promoting a healthy, vibrant community and sustainability of Cincinnati’s rich arts and cultural heritage.
 
In addition to a variety of exhibits, events, and programs that are open to the community, CCAC runs four quarters of over 50 visual and performing arts, culture + language, creative writing, and wellness classes each year. Courses are held after-school, in the evenings, and on the weekends for kids, teens, and adults. We’ve recently started a special section of classes, called CCACMakes, of hands-on visual arts offerings that teach new skills in a tactile way. Our next session begins on January 3 and runs through March 12, 2022: see the attached brochure for our Winter 2022 Kids Class lineup. We also run a robust scholarship program to ensure that all children are able to participate, regardless of financial situation. More information about all CCAC programming can be found on our website, www.cliftonculturalarts.org.
HPS PTO Special Election
The PTO will hold a special election at our next regularly scheduled general assembly in January (specific date TBA). We will be electing a new Vice Treasurer. As per the Corporate Regulations of the PTO, the President has recently appointed Emily Ricciardi. Any additional nominations can be made in email to president@hydeparkschoolpto.org by the start of the January 2022 meeting.
Shout Out, Take 2: Since We Published the Child's Name Instead of the Mom's, Let's Just Try This Again...
Thank you for the smiles, the helping hands, the positivity...the list goes on! Here is a Thank You Shout Out to Mrs. Heleny Ochoa who has done an amazing job each week volunteering as a Kindergarten lunch assistant! You help our youngest students' tiny hands maneuver their lunches, coat zippers, shoe strings, and more. But best of all, you are a positive influence. Thank you!
Stay Tuned for Extracurricular Activity Info & Second Session Signups
After-school programs and extracurricular activities provide a richer environment to help students learn and grow. At Hyde Park School, the PTO implements a variety of programs and activities so that students can explore and develop new interests. Signups for the second session of extracurriculars will open on December 16. Be on the lookout for information about the available activities in the upcoming Tuesday folders. 
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).