Attending Hillside STEAM Academy 2022-2023

The School of Choice application is now available through the district website at the following link: www.simivalleyusd.org/SOC.

Hillside STEAM Academy is a neighborhood school (except for sixth grade- School of Choice only). All available seats above and beyond neighborhood enrollment follow School of Choice application rules.  

The link above will take you to forms that may be completed and submitted electronically. If you have questions, please contact Hillside's Registrar at 805-520-6810 ext 1012 or email at (milana.sobel@simivalleyusd.org).

Incoming 6th Grade Students: We will notify incoming 6th grade families of their acceptance to Hillside beginning March 1st. Once you receive notification from us, we will direct you to select your child's electives online.

Incoming 6th, 7th and 8th Grade Students: We will communicate with incoming 7th and 8th grade families beginning March 1st. Once you receive notification from us, we will direct you to select your child's electives online.

Once you have been accepted to Hillside through the School of Choice process, or you have confirmed that Hillside is your neighborhood school*, this page will help you navigate the enrollment process.

*Note: ALL 6th grade students must apply to attend Hillside through the School of Choice process.

If your child is new student in the Simi Valley Unified School District,  please complete an enrollment form and return it to the Counseling Office. Please Note: Enrollment forms can not be submitted online (other than by email).  After completion, the form must be printed and brought into our office, saved as a PDF and attached to an email, or scanned and emailed.  Please send any Enrollment forms via email to the Registrar (milana.sobel@simivalleyusd.org). 

Neighborhood students are automatically enrolled at Hillside Middle School unless they apply to another middle school through the School of Choice Application.  For Neighborhood students, you will be emailed at the start of March to complete your course request.  The link can be found below under "Steps for Registration" under Step 4B.  Elective descriptions can be viewed below under Step 2. 

Hillside families, please note that students not qualifying for priority enrollment into Santa Susana High School (SSHS) should still complete the SSHS School of Choice Application (due no later than 4pm on February 28th- also available below). Should SSHS receive more applications than there are spaces available, a lottery will be conducted to determine acceptance. However, please note that SSHS is seeking to increase its enrollment and have been able to accept all general education students through the School of Choice application over the last two years.  

Hillside Middle School students that meet the criteria below, complete the SSHS School of Choice Application (due no later than 4pm on February 28th) and submit a Priority Enrollment Online Application (opens January 19, 2023 and due no later than 4pm on January 27th) and will be granted priority entrance into Santa Susana High School (SSHS) for the 2023-2024 school year.  The criteria for meeting Priority Enrollment include attendance at Hillside for at least two years, an overall 3.0 GPA, and have met one of the areas of emphasis below:

• 1 year of an advanced visual art class (with an A each semester)

  • Ceramics II  (full year), Drawing and Painting II (full year)

• 1 year of an advanced music class (with an A each semester)

  • Choral Ensemble (full year), Concert Choir (full year), Concert Band (full year), Concert Orchestra (full year)

• 1 year of an advanced dance class (with an A each semester)

  • Dance Ensemble (full year)

• 1 year of an advanced theater class (with an A each semester)

  • Play Production (full year)

• 1 year of an advanced technology class (with an A each semester)

  • Annual/Yearbook Design

  • Any two of the following: Computer Science II, Computer Programming, Website Design, Digital Photo II, Video Production, Digital Illustration

• For Legal Studies: Honors Social Studies 8 (with an A each semester) AND 1 year Applied Legal Studies/Mock Trial (with an A each semester)

• For STEM Emphasis: Completion of Algebra I (with a B or higher each semester) AND “PASS” in the Aerospace/NASA and/or Robotics and Engineering OR Completion of Geometry (with a B or higher each semester) AND “PASS” in the Aerospace/NASA and/or Robotics and Engineering

Important Notes:

• All students interested in attending Santa Susana High School (SSHS) must complete the online School of Choice Form. The deadline for priority and lottery, if there are more applications than available spaces, is February 28th at 4:00 PM.

• Students meeting the Hillside criteria outlined above will have priority enrollment over other students if a lottery takes place. 

• Students who qualify for Priority Enrollment (following the application in January) may be asked to present on their skill and mastery developed in the advanced coursework.  More information will be provided to those who qualify after completing the application.

• Students not qualifying for priority enrollment into SSHS may still be selected through the regular lottery process. Again, please note that SSHS is seeking to increase their enrollment and have been able to accept all general education students through the School of Choice application over the last two years.

• Students transferring to Hillside Middle School in eighth grade from outside of the Simi Valley Unified School District may still be eligible for priority enrollment into SSHS by:

  • 1. Taking STEAM-based electives at their prior school each year. If STEAM-based electives were not available at their previous school, provide a letter detailing how your child participated in STEAM activities outside of the school day. 2. Providing a transcript that documents a 3.0 overall GPA and STEAM electives. 3. Meeting the criteria listed above while at Hillside Middle School.