Harper Happenings
January 27-31
What's Happening
Important Upcoming Dates-
- Open Gym: January 13 through to Monday, March 16, 2020. Open Gym will be in the school gymnasium between 6:30-8:00pm. All children must be accompanied by an adult. A change of shoes is a MUST for inclement weather. This event is funded by the PTO and open to ONLY Harper students.
- Documentary on Social Media on Social-Emotional Health: Wednesday January 29 6:30PM. District 39 is hosting a documentary to watch on how this impacts families.
- Be a Hero Blood Drive: Friday, January 31st
PASS39 Parent Education: Thursday, February 6th. All Parents Welcome!
Topic: Fostering Resilient Learners. 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. in the Highcrest Middle School Auditorium
Principal's Message
Dear Harper Families,
Students had great academic adventures in the specials this week as they participated in a variety of activities that support our whole-child approach to education.
Here are some exciting updates:
Art: All classes are filling their portfolios with incredible art projects for Harper's Open House art displays on March 18th. Come check out our hallway galleries from 6:30-7:30pm that night. Student masterpieces include fourth grade modernized versions of “The Mona Lisa,” and third grade artists using Henri Rousseau as inspiration for a mixed-media piece featuring a toucan. In second grade students are using their knowledge of the color wheel to create underwater scenes featuring creatures in every hue. Our first graders are growing their artistic ability through a study of Mexican artist Diego Rivera and applying what they learn to make woven paper baskets filled with 3D paper blooms.
Music: Music literacy is developing in our students as we learn to read, write, and move to music. Kindergarten is moving to a steady beat and experiencing musical form as we also work to match pitches with our voices. First grade music literacy takes life through singing, playing, and moving, to quarter notes, eighth notes, and quarter rests. Performance etiquette and routine is the fiber of our second grade lessons as we prepare for our big second grade show! The big step as a musician to play a woodwind instrument will start soon in third grade with our recorder unit. Advanced musicianship takes flight in fourth grade with sixteenth notes, syncopation, and the playing of high C and low D on the recorder.
PE: Students are growing in their health and wellness as they target cardio and muscle groups through various activities this week. Basketball is the focus of our 3rd and 4th graders as they enhance basic skills and engage in 3 on 3 small sided games. These students also get to experience the loved Harper scooter activities that our teachers bring to our gym each year. 1st and 2nd graders are building muscle and stamina through low organized games and scooter activities. We are truly proud of our kindergarteners exploration of space to music while they venture through our rhythmic and creative movement unit.
Technology & Library: Our integrated technology and library programs are combining forces as we develop fourth grade Reading Rally imovie book trailers, take third grade to space with google slideshows, second graders are gettin’ real with nonfiction texts, and we are finishing up our Dr. Seuss book clubs in first grade.
Spanish: Students in all grades continue to explore the Spanish language of foods as they make their own restaurants, or host a cooking show, even prepare to attend the Mexican Market. Our WIN time Spanish classes in first and third grades are enriching their experience with staging a Spanish play that will be performed in class soon.
Have an excellent weekend!
- Elena Ryan and Aaron Dubnow
Parent Planning Notes:
- Parent Events: HERE is an informational flyer about another parent event coming up on February 5, 2020 at 7:00pm at WJHS titled, “Understanding How Identities are Impacting Students Today.” HERE is a list of many of the remaining parent educational events for the school year.
- Kindergarten and KEEP39 (Kindergarten Enrichment and Enhancement Program) Registration has started. Come to Harper School to enroll! Please share this information with families who have incoming kindergartners. For more information or questions, please email Aaron Dubnow at dubnowa@wilmette39.org
Tik Tok Viral Video Message Information: Here is warning from the Wilmette Fire Department: Do Not Try TickTok Penny Challenge Due to Serious Risk of Fire. Fire officials in Wilmette and across the country are sending a warning about a dangerous viral video that shows sliding a penny behind a partially plugged-in phone charger. Doing this can result in a short in the electrical outlet which can immediately cause a fire in a home or school and severely injure anyone in close proximity.There are already incidents of this dangerous activity being investigated across neighboring communities. The Wilmette Fire Department asks anyone that witnesses this behavior or sees evidence of a burnt outlet to contact 911 immediately. Officials also urge parents to talk to their kids about this dangerous penny challenge.
- Cold Weather Planning: As the Winter is here and the weather is getting colder, please prepare accordingly. Students should have jackets to wear outside. When there is snow, students must have hats, gloves, boots, and snowpants.
- Before and After School: Supervision before school begins at 8:20am. Please try to not drop off your kids before then. After school, students should be walking while on school property as well as walking their bikes until they are off the school grounds. Thank you for your help reinforcing these expectations.
- Summer School Enrichment Program information HERE. Registration is done online and open February 17.
Thornwood Traffic Information: We received a call from Christopher Cordeck with the Wilmette Department of Engineering. He wanted to let us know that Thornwood Ave. (between Dartmouth and Hunter) will be closed beginning January 29th thru February 7th between 7am-4pm. They are demoing a home (2336 Thornwood). There will be detour signs.
You are all invited to the Highcrest Learning Commons Open House on January 27 at 4:30pm. HERE is the invitational flyer.
Announcements
- Girls on the Run: WE NEED COACHES!!! Harper will be participating in Girls on the Run this spring. The program is 10 weeks with practices twice a week after school leading up to a 5K run event. It is open to third and fourth-grade girls. Sign-up runs until 2/14 at the GOTR website (gotrchicago.org) Also, if you or someone you know is interested in volunteering to be one of the coaches for the team, you can sign up for that as well at gotrchicago.org.
- Registration for this spring's Harper Chorus is still open! All 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders are welcome to join. Rehearsals are on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 7:50am in the auditorium starting January 21. Sign up at the Harper PTO website: http://www.harperpto.com/harper-chorus/
- Be A Hero Blood Drive, 1/31/2020 11am - 4pm @ the Wilmette Rec Center
In honor of two Wilmette D39 superhero kids who faced cancer, including Harper's own Super Petey. Feel free to bring along your children, as we will have supervision and fun activities for them while you give blood. To sign up, please visit: https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive and enter zip code 60091. If you have questions, reach out to Marnie at marnie.vandervoort@gmail.com
- Enrichment: The 1st grade classes will be participating in a fun, hands on workshop on 1/27 conducted by High Touch High Tech. The program corresponds with the students’ science curriculum and is called ‘What’s the Matter.’ The 1st-grade classes are beginning their 5 sessions of yoga. These sessions will take place once a week and are spread out over the months of Jan and Feb.
- Stock the Teacher Lounge: new spots for FEB 2020 have been added! Click on the link to sign up! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4faea722a3f58-stock
- Just Released! Five Additional Tables Available for D39 Educational Foundation's Sold-out Trivia Night on Saturday, February 1st, from 6 to 10:30 pm at St. Joseph School in Wilmette.
Grab a Team of 10! It’s an adult-only evening of trivia where teams incorporate a theme with costumes and table décor. Don’t forget to bring your own food (and beverages) as you compete for a chance to win the coveted titles of 2020's Trivia Champion and Best of Show.
iGNITE
http://harperpto.com/ignitetaxletter/
If you have not made a donation, it is never too late! We are still short of our goal that assures all enrichment activities are funded for our kids.
http://harperpto.com/ignite-donation/
If you have any questions or can't remember if you made a donation, please reach out to Jill Huebsch, jillhuebsch@gmail.com
Community News
LINK: http://www.wilmette39.org/news/community_events
- Scout Troop 5 hosts its Annual Open House on Monday, January 27th, 7:30 pm at First Presbyterian Church of Wilmette.
- Community Recreation Center presents “How I Became a Pirate!” January 31st - February 9th.
- "PROJECT B3, Helping Parents Navigate the Digital Generation” a 90 minute presentation to help parents teach children how to be digitally responsible. February 12th at 7:00 pm at Marie Murphy School, Porto Community Room.
- Wilmette Baseball Association House League registraton is now open for Kindergarten - 8th grade children.
- “Be a Hero” Blood Drive January 31st, 11:00 am - 4:00 pm at Wilmette Community recreation Center. Pediatric Cancer patients rely on blood donations.
- Wilmette Historical Museum presents “Fun with the Lincolns: February 16th 2:00 - 3:30 pm
- Wilmette Food Pantry is open every Tuesday 10:30-11:30 am at Trinity United Methodist Church.
- The Center for Gifted hosts Fall, Winter and Summer programs. View flyers for details.
- NSSRA offers Campyardigans for Summer 2020. See flyer for details.
WILMETTE PARK DISTRICT EVENTS:
- Wilmette Park District Saturday Basketball is back! For boys & girls grades 4-8.
- Sunday Youth Basketball for boys & girls grades 1-3. Contact Sara Hilby for information at shilby@wilpark.org
All announcements to be included in the Harper Happenings should be sent to Kelly Maggio via the Communication Request Form by Mondays at 9 am. If you do not receive an email response within 24hrs, please send an email to kwmaggio@gmail.com to confirm your Communication Request Form was received.
For more school information, visit the Harper PTO website.
For additional D39 community events, visit wilmette39.org