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New to HHA
A simple guide to your first days: school essentials, ways to meet people, and how to join in with the PTO whenever you're ready.
Start here
Find what you need
You don't need to read everything. Pick what helps today.
First, the school
The day-to-day essentials
HHA keeps these details up to date. These links go straight to the school.
Plan the school day
Find supply lists and arrival and dismissal procedures.
Find care and school records
There are several before and aftercare options. Campus Portal shows grades and attendance.
Care options
Before and after school
Each program handles its own enrollment. Check hours, space, and pricing directly with the provider.
Fitness Fun & Games (FF&G)
Before and aftercare at HHA. Check the school's details or enroll with FF&G.
Coppermine
CopperKids meets at Du Burns Arena and offers a shuttle from HHA. Confirm current details with Coppermine.
View the program ↗
Then, the PTO
You already belong to the PTO
If you're a parent or guardian of an HHA student, or you work here, you're part of the PTO. There are no dues or application.
Come to an event, help when you can, or simply stay in the loop. All of that counts as being involved.
Next PTO event
See what's coming up
Check the calendar for the latest dates and details.
When you're ready
Three more ways to stay connected
Keep PTO dates handy
Subscribe to the PTO calendar to see events on your phone.
Save the PTO links
Save hhapto.org on your phone — it gathers sign-ups, payments, and flyers. We also post reminders on social media.
Ask about uniforms
PTO uniform swaps are free. You don't need to bring anything to take something. Check the calendar or email us if you need help now.
Another easy way to help: link your Harris Teeter VIC account to HHA ↗ It's free; check the current program terms and re-link each school year.
Who to ask
Get to the right person
The PTO is a volunteer group. For official school matters, start with the school.
Events, volunteering, or fundraising
You can ask us about uniform swaps and the wish list, too.
Email the PTO ↗Enrollment, attendance, or transportation
The school office can help with records and other official questions.
Call 410.396.9146 ↗Questions about your child in class
For homework, behavior, or progress, start with your child's teacher.
Before or after school care
Each program handles its own enrollment. Compare the options and contact the provider directly.
See care options ↓Not sure where to start? Ask us anyway ↗
Meet your community
How to actually meet people
Start wherever feels comfortable. You can just show up.
1. PTO Coffee Connect
The lowest bar there is. You're already there for drop-off. Nobody will ask you for anything and there's no sign-up.
2. Bring your kids to something
Movie night or the welcome party. The kids run off and the adults end up talking. Works better than any formal introduction.
3. Work one shift
Two hours at one event and suddenly you know ten people by name. By far the fastest way to stop feeling new.
See shifts4. Come to a meeting
Open to everyone, during the school year. Childcare is provided and meetings are interpreted in Spanish. You don't have to say a word.
Let us know
Let's talk about money
What costs money and what doesn't
PTO membership is free. Always. Most of our events are free too — the coffee, movie night, the welcome party, the uniform swaps.
A few events sell tickets, like B3 and the golf tournament. The spirit store and donations are entirely optional.
If cost is a barrier, tell us
Email HHAPTO@gmail.com or leave a note in the PTO mailbox in the main office. We handle it quietly. No HHA student misses out on a PTO event over money.
Language & access
This community speaks more than one language
PTO meetings are interpreted in Spanish and childcare is provided. This site has an EN/ES button at the top right. Most of our flyers go out in both languages.
If you speak Spanish and can help translate — or just be there to welcome other families — you would be enormously useful to us.
The school also maintains immigration and food resource pages.
Decode the shorthand
What everyone is talking about
HHA runs on shorthand, and nobody explains it because everyone else already knows it. Here it is.
Show the HHA glossary
| When someone says… | They mean |
|---|---|
| BeeFit | The fall color run. Students collect pledges and run through color powder in the Patterson Park Annex. Every grade takes part. |
| B3 | “Bingo, Bidding & Bites.” An adults-only spring night of bingo and a silent auction. Raised nearly $50,000 in April 2026. Get a babysitter. |
| The Greentop | The school's green yard, a familiar gathering place for PTO activities. BeeFit 2026 takes place in the Patterson Park Annex. |
| PTO Coffee Connect | Coffee and conversation after drop-off, once a month. No agenda, no presentation. If you're new, this is the easiest possible place to start. It used to be called Coffee on the Greentop, so you'll hear both. |
| Dine & Donate | A neighborhood restaurant gives HHA a share of one night's sales. You eat out. That's the entire ask. |
| Someone Special and Me | The spring dance. Each student brings one special person — a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, neighbor. It doesn't have to be a parent. |
| Orange Friday | A school spirit day. Students wear orange. |
| Leaders Getting Ready / Leaders Go Places | HHA's programs for grade 5 and for grades 6–8. They include reward trips the PTO helps fund. |
| FF&G | Fitness Fun & Games. On-site before and aftercare at HHA; enroll with the provider. |
| Coppermine | An aftercare program at Du Burns Arena with a shuttle from HHA. |
| Campus Portal | The Baltimore City Schools system where you see grades and attendance. Run by the district, not the PTO. |
| The Wishlist | How teachers ask for classroom items the school budget doesn't cover. Parents and students can request funding too. |
| News from the Hill / Noticias de la Colina | The school's monthly news magazine, in English and Spanish. |
| The PTO mailbox | A physical mailbox in the school's main office. Still works, and still the easiest way to reach us if you'd rather not email. |
Common questions
The questions people don't ask out loud
If yours isn't here, just email us. There are no silly questions.
Do I have to volunteer?
No. Nobody keeps a list and nobody will ask you why not. When you can, there are jobs that take 30 minutes.
Do I have to donate?
No. Your time is worth more than a check anyway, and neither is required.
Can I come to a meeting if I'm not on the board?
Yes. General meetings are open to everyone, and they're where the budget and funding requests actually get decided. Childcare is provided and they're interpreted in Spanish.
Can I bring my kids to events?
To almost all of them, yes — they're family events. The exceptions are B3, which is adults only, and some setup shifts. If you're unsure, ask.
My English isn't strong. Can I take part?
Yes, and we need you. Plenty of jobs don't involve much talking, and Spanish-speaking families are far more comfortable when someone there speaks their language.
We started mid-year. Did we miss everything?
No. Something happens most months from September through May. Look at the calendar and come to whatever's next.
We're glad you're here
Everyone running this is a parent who was also new at some point. Stop one of us at drop-off, come to the coffee, or send an email. Nobody expects you to know how any of it works yet.