Hillside and Eliot School Teachers and Parents Team Up For 6th Annual Basketball Game

NEEDHAM, MA. For the 6th consecutive year, teachers and parents from Hillside and Eliot schools will meet at Needham High on March 18th* for a spirited game of basketball to raise money for each school’s PTC. Doors open at 6:30pm. Tip off is at 7pm.

The two schools met on the basketball court for the first time in the spring, 2011 - selling out within minutes of opening doors and exceeding revenue goals. The following years have generated even more success and created tremendous excitement in both school communities.

PTC folks from both Eliot and Hillside are optimistic that the upcoming March 18* rematch will again produce an outstanding result.

Says Sue Nissen, co-President of the Eliot PTC, “the Eliot-Hillside game is a fantastic community event - the kids are so excited and they screech and giggle all night long...it’s wonderful small town fun!”

Seema Meloni, co-President of the Hillside PTC agrees, saying, “The Hillside-Eliot basketball game is such a beloved event for our community. The kids truly love watching their teachers and parents out there on the court. We are excited for the new things that will be introduced to this event this year and to continuing this fun tradition.”

To recapture the excitement of prior years, Eliot and Hillside are jamming the night with a variety of family-friendly attractions and activities. These include a student-led singing of the National Anthem, half-time dance performance and the sale of school-branded sports novelties.

Administrators at both Eliot and Hillside are already anticipating another great event.

Chanit List, assistant principal at Hillside, says, “I enjoy the game every year. The students love seeing all of their teachers, and it’s a great way for teachers to get involved in a popular fundraiser for the school.”

Roderick MacNeal, Jr., Principal of Eliot, echoes those thoughts: “The Eliot-Hillside basketball game is a wonderful event that energizes both school communities. I am honored to be apart of such a great tradition.”

In the spirit of collaboration, the schools offer an opportunity for parents and teachers from both teams to practice together in the days leading up to the game.

Not surprisingly, the big stars of the game are the teachers. They get the loudest cheers when handling the ball.

Both Eliot and Hillside make special efforts to stack their team rosters with teachers.

Says Gia Jeas, a 1st grade teacher at Eliot and veteran of the game: “It’s a great night for everyone, and it’s wonderful for the teachers to have the support of all the students and teachers. It’s truly a night to remember!”

*Please note that that the game was originally planned for March 4th but will now be played on Friday, March 18th.

For more information:

Eliot School:

Josh Goldfine

j.goldfine@comcast.net

Hillside School:
Betsy Alperstein

balperstein@gmail.com

Erin Apstein

eringapstein@gmail.com