HIGHCREST HEADLINES
October 27, 2023
A Message from the Administrative Team
If you ever need a pick me up on a Monday morning, we have a solution for you! Our weekly LIVE broadcast of WHMS streams live at 8:52 AM each Monday we have school. The weekly broadcast has become a tradition at Highcrest, and is one of the best ways to start your week off with a smile.
The broadcast is completely student-led. Kids have roles such anchors, weather people, lost and found reporters, sports reporters and more. There are jokes, holiday decorations, and many fun segments that truly make each week unique.
Each homeroom organizes their broadcast, and practices the week before with our fantastic tech team of Ms. Sloan and Ms. Smith. Be sure to ask your child about their broadcast experience, and tune in this coming Monday!
Have a great weekend!
Kelly, Linda & Susie
WHMS LIVE...MONDAY BROADCAST!
Tune in Monday, September 11th for our first student-led LIVE broadcast of the school year. Every Monday (or the first day of the school week) at 8:52 am Highcrest students put on a live morning news broadcast. Each week a new homeroom is responsible for writing, producing, directing, filming and starring in WHMS News. Want to catch all the action? Please visit our WHMS News YouTube Page and subscribe to get alerts when we go live!
Freaky Friday was a Blast! Thanks, HMS PTO!
Freaky Friday was a wild success thanks to all our volunteers and your amazing kids. Special thanks to the committee that worked tirelessly in preparation and day-of to land this special day for our kids.
We enjoyed donuts, dancing and all sorts of exciting inflatable opportunities. Take a peek at all the great pictures from our amazing event. Speaking of those inflatables, one of the horses has gone missing. If you could check your child's belongings for an inflatable horse that would be great! (picture of inflatable horse shown above)
We got word that some kiddos were bummed they did not get a fanny pack. Great news, we have more!! If you are interested in a fanny pack please contact us at freakyfriday@highcrestpto.org.
THANK YOU FREAKY FRIDAY VOLUNTEERS!
HALLOWEEN GUIDELINES
Students ARE permitted to dress up for Halloween as long as they follow the guidelines below:
1. Costumes must maintain the educational environment and allow students to participate fully in school without distraction.
2. Students must be recognizable to staff members. Full face masks, makeup (including eye black), face paint, or anything that prevents us from seeing a student's face is not allowed.
3. Accessories including fake weapons, sports equipment, or items unattached to the costume are not permitted at school.
3. Costumes must be worn to school. Students will not be permitted to change or add to their costumes once inside the building.
4. If a staff member or administrator determines a costume to be disruptive, inappropriate, or a safety hazard, the student will be asked to call home for a change of clothing.
We look forward to our students enjoying the day, and we want to be sure that it does not interrupt any instruction taking place. Please encourage your child to make a great costume choice and keep in mind that Highcrest is a place of learning and safety for all students.
CLUBS SCHEDULE
Below are some club descriptions to help you and your child discuss which clubs they might attend! There are not sign ins or attendance lists for clubs - all clubs are drop in, so there is flexibility if they decide they don't like something or want to try something else at the same time.
SEL NEWS
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. From research, we know that a reduction in bullying behaviors comes from strong, connected, classroom communities where all students feel that they belong.
The District 39 Social-Emotional Learning objectives for students at the middle school level directly address how to prevent bullying, and support students as they develop the skills to be Upstanders when faced with situations involving conflict.
As they experience the social-emotional lessons from our Responsive Advisory curriculum, students at Highcrest learn and practice expressing themselves respectfully when disagreements arise, they understand how who they are impacts their work and interactions with others, and they learn and begin to use strategies to include others and stand up for oneself and others when mistreatment or bullying situations occur. You can see your child’s grade level specific objectives for learning HERE. Through the use of these lessons at Highcrest, our District 39 students are developing the essential skills they need to prevent bullying at school and in the community.
DISTRICT 39 UPDATES
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Families will receive an email today from D39 with their Meet the Teacher login credentials to sign-up for parent-teacher conferences. Our fall parent-teacher conferences will take place on Nov. 15-17, immediately preceding Fall Break (Thanksgiving week). The sign-up window for families to schedule parent-teacher conference appointments opens on Monday, Oct. 30 at 9 am and closes on Monday, Nov. 13 at 11:59 pm.
District 39 and Wilmette Public Library Welcome Grace Lin
District 39 and our member PTA/Os are proud to partner with Wilmette Public Library to welcome award-winning author Grace Lin for an all-community event on Monday, Nov. 6 at Wilmette Junior High School. Ms. Lin will also be visiting our four elementary schools to present to our students! Online registration is open to reserve your spot now. We are grateful for the work done by our school PTA/O to help bring Grace Lin to Wilmette to present to our community.
Parent Education Events
Mark your calendars for our next Parent Education event titled “How Identities are Impacting Students Today.” This will be an in-person only, evening event on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 7 pm at Romona Elementary. Please register online to reserve your spot. Visit our Parent Education page for our full schedule of events, registration links, and archived recordings.
Additionally, District 39 is excited to be a co-sponsor as the Family Action Network (FAN) offers “Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World.” As part of this virtual event on Nov. 6, we are thrilled to welcome Devorah Heitner, Ph.D., educator, consultant, and author of “Growing Up in Public” and “Screenwise.” Please register online to reserve your spot.
Board of Education Meeting
Our Board of Education conducted its regular business meeting this past Monday. The Board heard assessment presentations on Fall 2023 NWEA/MAP and aimswebPlus assessment data as well as our Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) data from Spring 2023, which is reflective of the 2022-23 academic year. The Board was also presented with updated key performance indicators (KPIs) for Goals II, III, and IV of our strategic plan, the Fall enrollment report, and the tax year 2023 Estimate of Levy during this meeting. Agendas and materials for all Board of Education meetings will be posted here the Friday prior to the meeting.
D39 Trivia Night
Join us for the D39 Educational Foundation annual Trivia Night on Saturday, November 4 at St. Joseph’s! All proceeds from Trivia Night help fund District 39 Educational Foundation’s many initiatives benefiting the students of D39. Purchase tickets here.
CRC Representative for Highcrest
The District 39 Community Review Committee (CRC) is seeking to fill their committee with one representative from Highcrest. The CRC advises the District 39 Board of Education by researching a relevant topic that will lead to improvements in the district. The position requires attending monthly meetings October through June to develop a topic and recommendations to present to the district. Meetings are scheduled from 7:00 pm to 8:30 p.m. on the first or second Tuesday of each month. You can learn more about the CRC here.
Volunteer Opportunities
There are so many ways to get involved at Highcrest! See links below to sign-up:
Outdoor Classroom: Enjoy time outside with the kids during lunch
School Store - Hawk Hut sign-ups are available on Wednesdays during lunch
Lunch Duty - Volunteer to help with lunch on Tuesdays, Thursdays or Fridays
Order Your Yearbook!
Yearbooks are available to order now. Click here to order your 2023-2024 HMS yearbook!
HMS Spiritwear
Your Highcrest PTO is thrilled to announce our new spirit wear partnership with humanKIND, locally owned by a D39 Alum! Order featured items OR create your own! Local pickup available at no additional cost. Check it out by scanning the QR code below or click here.