HMS Headlines
September 2, 2022
A MESSAGE FROM THE ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM
Dear HMS Families,
As we close out this second week of school, we want to share how impressed we are with how all of our students have acclimated back to the routines of the school day, met our HAWKS expectations for HMS, and have jumped in with both feet to learn and engage with their peers at school.
Students have had orientations to the Learning Commons, have been meeting with their Grade Level Administrators to review HAWKS (Honest, Accountable, Welcoming, Kind, and Safe) expectations for school, and have enjoyed exploring the recess options like the Lego Wall and the Outdoor Classrooms. We also welcomed our sixth grade families into the building last night for a fantastic Curriculum Night. Thanks to all who came!
Please enjoy this long weekend, and take some time to relax and soak in the last few moments before the "official" end to summer!
Take care,
Kelly, Linda, & Susie
MAP TESTING
6th Grade Physical Reminders
**PLEASE NOTE PARENTS MUST FILL OUT THE PARENT SECTION BEFORE TURNING THE FORM INTO THE OFFICE***
HERE is a link to find the required forms.
ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL
Please refrain from meeting your child on the playground after school. Many of our classes use the playground ninth period, or are learning outside and having people who are not checked in at the main entrance and unfamiliar adults is distracting and also a safety and security concern. Any adults who are interacting with students on school grounds during the school day must be checked in at the main office. Additionally, our buses use that parking lot and we have instructed students who are not riding the bus to stay free of that area after school.
If you are meeting your child after school, we ask that you meet by the paths next to the playfields or on the north side of the school by the crossing guard so we can keep from interrupting the school day. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP WITH THIS!
LATE ACTIVITY BUS AT HMS
We are excited to announce that Late Activity Buses will be serving students attending clubs and athletics at both WJHS and HMS.
All the buses will depart from the front of WJHS at 4:45. They will then proceed to the upper deck of HMS to pick up those students.
- Bus #1 will then take the students to Central School (9th Ave entrance)
- Bus #2 will then take the students to MCK School (15th St entrance) and then continue on to Harper School (front entrance)
- Bus #3 will then take the students to Romona School, the Rec Center, Indian and New Glenview (serving the northside students), and then Indian and Glenview (serving the southside students).
You do not have to be a bus rider to use this service at the end of the day.
PICTURE DAY - 9/13/22
Stuart-Rodgers is proud to be your official photography studio for Picture Day 2022-2023.
After picture day, you will receive an email providing you with your student’s personal password protected online gallery! Approximately 14 days after picture day you will also receive a printed proof sheet that will have your student’s photo and gallery password with directions on how to
order.
Placing an order is easy! You can visit the website at www.srphoto.com > Order Photos > View My Session and enter your password. You can also mail in your printed proof to the Stuart-Rodgers Photography studio on Green Bay Road in Evanston.
Stuart-Rodgers Photography will offer free shipping on all orders placed by 9/27/22.
If you have multiple students, you can combine the online orders in the galleries by going to the top bar and selecting Change Gallery. You will need to enter each child’s password to combine galleries and put everything on one order!
If you have any questions please call Stuart-Rodgers Photography at 847-864-7322, or email info@srphoto.com.
**MAKEUPS WILL BE ON 9/16/22**
Bike Safety
- Students should always wear their helmets when riding their bikes to/from school.
- Students should stay on the paths and sidewalks when biking to/from school.
- Please remind your child to look out for others when riding on the path, especially when the path is more crowded at the end of the day. There are walkers and many bike riders, so even hanging out for a few minutes after the "rush" can help alleviate the congestion.
- Please remind your child to carry your books, phone, and any other school items in their backpack when on the bike. Using a phone or having books in their arms or baskets can be a distraction or cause the bike to become unbalanced.
- Students should listen to the supervisors around and follow their directions when arriving and leaving school. If there are any issues or accidents, they should find an adult right away.
Thank you! We want to make sure that we can enjoy biking to HMS and be safe while doing it!
PARENT EDUCATION EVENTS
It is time to kick off our year-long series of Parent Education Event for District 39 families. This year's topics range from academic to social-emotional health to technology safety. HERE is an outline of all of the events. To register, just click on the link for the title that interests you.
Click HERE for a link to all of the events, as well as recordings after the events have occurred.
PASS39 UPCOMING EVENTS
Welcome Back from PASS39!
PASS39 stands for The Parent Association for Student Services in District 39. It’s a district-wide parent organization that works in collaboration with Administration to help provide education and support for families who have children with learning, behavioral, emotional and developmental challenges.
PASS39 Email List
Join our email list to receive information on area and district events related to children with learning disabilities and/or special needs. Email us at pass39@wilmette39.org to be added to the PASS39 group e-mail. All addresses are blind copied for confidentiality.
PASS39 on the Web
The PASS39 website below provides more information about Wilmette D39 Student Services and contains educational, therapeutic and recreational resources for parents with children with specialized needs.
http://www.wilmette39.org/cms/one.aspx?portalid=360930&pageid=899243
PASS39 also has a private Facebook Group. To receive access, open the “Upcoming Events” link listed above, scroll to the bottom and click on Facebook.
DISTRICT 39 UPDATES
Shine on 39
District 39 is proud to debut a new, biweekly feature called “Shine on 39” as a way to showcase some of the extremely talented students and staff in our learning community, Please enjoy this first edition as Elisha, a 6th grade student at Highcrest who was recently one of 10 students across the country to earn a TIME for Kids reporter position, sits down with Dr. Cremascoli.
Safety when Traveling
With school back in session, traveling safely to and from school is very important. Whether traveling by car, bus, bike or foot, we remind everyone to be cautious and aware of their surroundings. Please review these safety practices with your children.
Obey traffic laws and signals – stop at all stop signs and crosswalks.
Be alert – watch for others around you and avoid using cell phones and earbuds/headphones while moving.
Adhere to bike safety – wear a helmet and watch for pedestrians, cars and other bikers.
Review village walking/biking routes – check out the Village-approved walking/biking paths for your school, which includes locations of crossing guards.
Travel with a friend - when possible, travel to and from school with a friend.
Have a plan – talk with your children about safety, what to do if approached by a stranger and where/how to get help, if needed.
Parent Education Events
District 39 recently kicked off its 2022-23 Parent Education schedule with a presentation titled, “Feeling Safe in District 39 Schools.” Mark your calendar to join us later this month for our next event, “Setting Goals with Students.” This D39 presentation will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 11 am via Zoom. Please click here to register for this upcoming event and to receive a direct link to the recording after the event. Click here to see our full Parent Education schedule.
COMMUNITY NEWS
LINK: http://www.wilmette39.org/news/community_events
The Village of Wilmette’s Sesquicentennial Celebration includes many fun activities and projects. See flyer for details or go to http://www.wilmette150.org
New Trier Township offers a Food Pantry 10am - 4pm weekdays for families that live/work in the township. NT Township also offers Emergency Financial Assistance, Legal Aid Clinic, property tax assistance, social service referrals and other available resources. Go to www.newtriertownship.com for more information.
Wilmette Food Pantry is open every Tuesday 10:00-11:00 am at Trinity United Methodist Church.
"Best Step Tutoring” offers free online tutoring for PreK-12 grades.
FIFTH GRADE CONNECTIONS
The first week of fifth grade wrapped up on Friday with “Fifth Grade Connections,” an event that allows students from different houses to get to know one another through games and activities. The event started with two getting to know you games like “mystery student” and “would you rather.” The children then moved outside to participate in team building field games. It was a successful day full of laughs and new friends.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
There are so many ways to get involved at Highcrest! Lunch duty and school store opportunities are back! We also still have a few openings on various PTO committees. There’s something for everyone! See links below to sign-up:
School Store - Hawk Hut sign-ups are available on Wednesdays during lunch
Lunch Duty - Volunteer to help with lunch on Tuesdays, Thursdays or Fridays
Picture Day - Volunteers needed for Tuesday, September 13th
PTO Positions - We have openings for Environmental Awareness, Yearbook Orders, School Supplies, & After School Club Liaison
FALL AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS
- Aces Debate Club - Where you’ll learn to think fast and speak well! Learn research, writing, and oral argumentation. Programs for beginning and experienced debaters, 5th thru 8th grade! All programs consist of weekly class sessions held at HMS for 60 minutes with supplemental debate activities. All programs conclude with a 2-hour session to give students an opportunity to demonstrate their new skills in full debates. Fall Club runs October 1 through early December. Note: There will be NO REFUNDS given for clubs after 1 week of each program. Registration opens on Wednesday, September 7th at 9AM
High Five Choir - The Wilmette High Five Junior Choir provides a safe learning environment in which students of all abilities come together to create and experience music, build friendships, and raise awareness against stereotypes of individuals with physical and mental disabilities. This club is based off of the High-5 Choir that is offered at New Trier High School. The Wilmette High Five Junior Choir aims to share the love of music with peers regardless of abilities, share our voices through music, and have a lot of fun! 7th and 8th grade registration opens on 9/7. Note: There will be NO REFUNDS given for clubs after 1 week of each program. Registration is open!
Yearbook Club and Chess Club are full at this time. Email webmaster@highcrestpto.org to be put on a waitlist.
MEMBERSHIP TOOLKIT DIRECTORY
You should have received an email from Membership Toolkit Directory on Sunday 8/20. It outlines how to join the PTO which gives you access to the school directory (including class lists). For convenience sake, you are also able to contribute to iGNITE (our main fundraiser), purchase Birthday Books and contribute to the Teacher's Holiday Gift Fund, which is a one-time gift given before winter break. One stop shopping! If you haven’t received this important email, please contact directory@highcrestpto.org or visit https://highcrestpto.membershiptoolkit.com
SPIRITWEAR
Show your Hawks pride with a variety of spiritwear options! Please contact Jen at spiritwear@highcrestpto.org if you would like to make a purchase.