Last week, students at ARIS experienced an exciting and enriching opportunity to connect with local law enforcement. Members of the Hillsborough Township Police Department visited ARIS on Friday, January 31st, to participate in physical education classes as part of a community engagement initiative. This collaborative effort aimed to foster positive relationships between students and police officers, building bridges of understanding and trust. The Board of Education proudly recognizes and celebrates this valuable partnership. This initiative reinforces the importance of community involvement in education and demonstrates a shared dedication to the well-being of our youth.
📢 Mark your calendars! Join us for a crucial Community Engagement Night to discuss the future of our schools! 📢
We want to hear your thoughts on two important topics:
Redistricting: As shared at the last Board meeting, full elementary redistricting is on the horizon for Fall 2026. This is your chance to learn more about the process and share your input.
Full-Day Kindergarten: We're exploring the possibility of implementing full-day kindergarten! We anticipate that by this meeting, we will know if this can be launched in Fall 2025 or if it will align with the redistricting in Fall 2026, Your feedback is essential as we consider this exciting potential!
Your voice matters! Come share your perspectives and help shape the future of our children's education. Be heard!
March 10th, 2025
Time - TBD, but in the evening
Auten Road Intermediate School
#CommunityEngagement #Redistricting #FullDayK #YourVoiceMatters #BeHeard
If your child is a resident of Hillsborough, stay tuned for information on our Summer Enrichment Program!
This week, the nation's top school counselors are being honored at the American School Counselor Association's 2025 School Counselor of the Year celebration in Washington, D.C. . Among those being recognized is our very own Director of School Counseling, Cindy Povall. Joining her in the celebration are counselors from across the country, including Stephen Watts from Alabama, Jill Cook, ASCA Executive Director, Liz Clark from Montana, Beth Mills from Oklahoma, and Hanna Kemble-Mick from Kansas. Congrats Ms. Povall!
At the Board of Education offices, we are partnering with the Hillsborough Township Social Services department to help stock their food pantry with some of the items that they need the most! In the Board offices, we are asking our employees to show their support for one of the teams in the Super Bowl by dropping bags of dried beans in the corresponding bag. Be on the lookout for similar food drives that will be advertised shortly at each of our schools and consider making a donation at a school. Some of the items needed most by the food pantry right now are dried beans, rice, canned tomatoes (diced, pureed, and crushed), and toilet paper. Thank you for your consideration!
Save the date! The Hillsborough Township Board of Education is thrilled to invite you to its second Community Engagement Night on Monday, March 10th (time TBD). We're diving into some exciting topics that will shape the future of our schools, and we want to hear from YOU!
Curious about full-day kindergarten? 🤔 We'll be exploring all the amazing possibilities it could bring to our youngest learners. Plus, we'll have the latest updates on the redistricting process and timeline. (Remember, at Monday night's Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Volpe announced that full elementary redistricting won't happen until Fall 2026, so there's plenty of time to get involved!)
This is your chance to connect with fellow community members, share your thoughts, and help us make the best decisions for our students. Stay tuned for more details on the time and location – you won't want to miss it!
#HillsboroughSchools #CommunityEngagement #FullDayK #Redistricting #ShapingOurFuture
At Monday night's Board meeting, the Raider Marching Band, the Pride of Hillsborough, was recognized by the Board of Education for achieving a resounding victory by winning the 2024 USBands Group V Open State Championship, a testament to their hard work and dedication. The band's exceptional performance at the competition earned them an impressive score of 96.4, the highest of the night, along with caption awards for best music, best overall effect, best visual, best percussion, and best color guard. Congratulations to all, especially staff members Jules Haran and Nick Clipperton!
Join us on Thursday, February 6ᵗʰ from 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM for a live WEBINAR featuring a professional Clinician and a young adult speaker, who will share their story of hope, resilience, and recovery. In addition to our guest speakers, HTPS counselors will share information regarding efforts to address suicide prevention with our students and introduce the Lifeline Prevention Program to be delivered at ARIS, HMS, & HHS this school year.
Please see attached flyer with more information on the event. Check your email for the registration link.
Questions? Contact Minda Maggio (mmaggio@htpsus)
Due to the outstanding work Hillsborough educators have done with the implementation of our new K-2 foundational literacy program, Heggerty has created a heartwarming video featuring our dedicated teachers and students using their "Bridge to Reading" program. It beautifully captures the enthusiasm and positive impact of this program in our classrooms.
A link to the video is here: https://heggerty.wistia.com/medias/vrmj4qncpu .
I believe you'll be as proud as we are to see our amazing educators - including teachers Andrea Sass and Scott Preisler, Principal Steve Kerrigan, and Supervisor Sheila Cooper - and students showcased in this way.
Leaders lead! Congratulations to Lisa Kiel, Supervisor of Science, who was recently elected to the National Science Education Leaders Association (NSELA) Board of Directors. As a director she represents science leaders from New Jersey , New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Maine.
Did you know that Anjana Iyer was not the first Hillsborough teacher to win the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST)? In 2019, Alessandra MacFarlane won this award as well. Due to the covid pandemic, this achievement did not receive the recognition it deserved. We want to rectify that oversight. Alessandra, thanks for all you do for students and all you have achieved!
Want to read more about Alessandra? Check out this link: https://paemst.nsf.gov/finalist_profile/2214
Today, President Biden announced 336 teachers and mentors from around the NATION as recipients of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). These awards honor the vital role that America’s teachers and mentors play in shaping the next generation of technical leaders, including scientists, engineers, explorers, and innovators.
Established in 1983, PAEMST is the highest award K-12 math and science teachers can receive from the U.S. government. Award recipients over the years represent schools and organizations from all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) schools, and the U.S. territories (American Samoa, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands). Nominees complete a rigorous application process to demonstrate deep content knowledge and an ability to adapt to a broad range of learners and teaching environments.
A panel of distinguished mathematicians, scientists, and educators at the state and national levels assess nominations before recommending awardees to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Teachers are selected based on their distinction in the classroom and dedication to improving STEM education.
Congratulations to HHS's own Anjana Iyer! This is HUGE accomplishment! Well deserved!
A huge thank you to everyone who showed up last night to support the Hillsborough schools! We were a massive presence at the state's public hearing on school funding reform.
Whether you spoke or simply showed your support, your presence made a statement: Hillsborough is active, aware, and demanding change. They can't ignore us now! 📢
While we don't know yet what the outcome will be, one thing is certain: they know we're united in this fight for fair funding.
Thank you for your dedication to our students and our schools. Let's keep the momentum going!
#HillsboroughStrong #SchoolFundingReform #WeWillNotBeSilenced
As many of you know, Hillsborough has been facing challenges due to state funding cuts. This has resulted in larger class sizes and strained resources, impacting our teachers, staff, and students. In fact, as we start building the budget for the 2025-26 school year, we are still in the area of the unknown. Are we getting state aid cut again? Will our aid remain flat? Is there the possibility we get more state aid? We do not have answers to any of these questions at this time, making it nearly impossible to accurately budget.
I've heard from many of you asking, "What can I do to help?"
Here's our chance to make a difference. The state is holding a local public hearing on school funding reform, and we need a strong showing from Hillsborough to advocate for our schools.
I invite you to join us at the hearing:
Date: Wednesday, January 8th
Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Location: Somerset County Government Office at 27 Warren Street in Somerville in the First floor Conference Room
Your presence would send a powerful message that we are united in supporting our students and demanding a fair share of funding for Hillsborough.
Please RSVP here if you are available to attend:
https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=EnNPSwndWUm2ZtW6bcj0tMUhDgD8EyZEt3IsKMeaINlUQ0E0MjVMSkowT0JHUjVZWlVaSVI2M1dWMy4u&route=shorturl&_cldee=wk3bNbgutU2-XhJGs8bk9FPWqRCj-zD1lGyHHb4T5Br5y1hwGh0sZfuORxpKuwxn&recipientid=contact-03c3e1a0a13cea119c3900155d234400-09d6274f4e434c3f808a483904d0ac63&fbclid=IwY2xjawHlJRlleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHXe179efn6-sA0mC0ndDOkI5n9S0SdrU66vmhX1S025xBk38-fa0chH0QA_aem_AK28Ba8SWwTgyZwcyBWHyQ
Thank you for your dedication to our schools. Together, we can make a difference.
We continue to monitor all weather forecasts about the snow that was projected for this weekend. At this time, there is no information being provided that would necessitate making any type of call this evening about tomorrow's opening. Right now, we are preparing for a regular school day. Should circumstances change, you will not hear anything until tomorrow morning. At this time, all families should prepare for a typical school day tomorrow. Thank you!
It's time to be heard about state funding for Hillsborough!
For the past two years, you have heard about Hillsborough's struggles as it relates to state funding - particularly the massive cuts that we have faced over the past several years. Right now, the N.J. Legislature is considering changes to the School Funding Reform Act, and the New Jersey Department of Education has announced a local meeting when educators and members of the public may comment on the school funding law. This is an opportunity for the people of Hillsborough to have their voices heard .
On January 8th, NEXT WEDNESDAY, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Somerset County Government Office located at 27 Warren Street in Somerville, in first floor conference room, your "Hillsborough Voice" can be heard!
Anyone who would like to speak should register prior to the date of the hearing:
https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=EnNPSwndWUm2ZtW6bcj0tMUhDgD8EyZEt3IsKMeaINlUQ0E0MjVMSkowT0JHUjVZWlVaSVI2M1dWMy4u&route=shorturl&_cldee=wk3bNbgutU2-XhJGs8bk9FPWqRCj-zD1lGyHHb4T5Br5y1hwGh0sZfuORxpKuwxn&recipientid=contact-03c3e1a0a13cea119c3900155d234400-09d6274f4e434c3f808a483904d0ac63&fbclid=IwY2xjawHjx21leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHUOiC1HlEd9hbbst0NvCe6LfTk_P0wJSzaWsBNMM75jJuJnvWSLIlQCdrA_aem_JrNFhe_vhsveKj1ZNWGvkQ
Congratulations to HHS students Eva Qin and Sharvi Gusavi on their successful audition and acceptance to the 2025 All Eastern Choir Ensembles! Eva will be one of 5 Soprano I singers out of 24 total NJ students in the Treble Choir. Sharvi will be one of 6 Alto I singers out of 36 NJ students in the Mixed Choir. What a big accomplishment!
Out of an abundance of caution, we will continue to restrict water fountains/filling stations at our schools for today, Friday December 20th. Students are encouraged to bring bottled water and we have lots of bottled water available on site for children if needed. We anticipate being back to normal as it relates to water upon students' return on January 2nd.
Thank you!
The school district is aware of the current issues with NJ American Water. Principals will be making announcements that the water filling stations will be shut down until further notice. Please send your children with bottled water today should you choose. Thank you!
You may remember as a part of this year's school budget, the Board prioritized restoring courtesy bussing routes for students who live within two and half miles of our High school and Middle school. This effort was approved at last night's Board of Education meeting and we are looking for those routes to start on January 2nd and continue for the entire school year! We are most especially happy to be getting this up and running before any severe inclement weather has hit us. Be on the lookout for communications from our Transportation department for further information.
