On February 14th, Hillside School participated in it's 10th school wide Community Service Learning project, Jump Rope for Heart. Led by Mr. Rob Tatro, PE teacher at the Hillside School, students raised money for the American Heart Association while contributing to their own heart health by learning how to jump rope in various and unique ways. Single jumping, group jumping and double dutch jumping were all featured on this day. Children spent weeks not only gathering donations by finding sponsors but also by practicing their jumping skills and learning in general the importance of a healthy heart. This was a special year not only because it marked this 10 year milestone, but more importantly because the day was dedicated to Mrs. Carol Virginio, a former Hillside teaching assistant who passed away last spring from a heart condition. Along with Mr. Tatro, parents volunteers, and teachers helped make this event successful. Mrs. Virginio's two grown children, Michael and Joanne, were at Hillside to support the students in their jumping goals fundraising efforts in their mother's name. Motivated by the significance of this years event, Hillside School stepped up it's normal fundraising to set a record with over $25,000. This more than doubled what the school normally raises in a single year which pushed the total contribution to the American Heart Association over $100,000 in it's 10 years of participation.
