HIGHCREST HEADLINES
December 15, 2023
Message from the Administrative Team
Happy Friday, HMS Families,
'Tis the season for music, creativity and fun for all! We enjoyed a fabulous winter concert this afternoon at Highcrest, presented by our Hawk Band, Orchestra, and Choir. The performance put us all in a wintry mood...congratulations to all of our performers on an outstanding accomplishment. Check out a quick video from the assembly below (click on the photo to access it).
Some of our fifth graders took time reading Balloons Over Broadway and using it for inspiration in the Maker Space to create balloon floats for a parade in the LC. Some of our Spanish students are creating Cuetlaxochitl (ask your child how to say that!), traditional winter Mexican poinsettia flowers that were used by the Aztecs for purposes including decoration and making of red and purple dyes. Check out some pictures of these fun projects below!
Have a great weekend,
Kelly, Linda, and Susie
STAY HEALTHY!
Please remind your child to remember to follow healthy habits while at school. Hand washing is important, as is staying home if they do not feel well. It's important to get a good night's sleep and eat well, especially as colds and flu are on the rise!
Roller skating is coming!
Beginning on February 1, 2024 , our Physical Education classes will be participating in an in-
house skating program. The skates will be delivered directly to the school. Due to insurance
purposes, we will be exclusively using Skatetime School Programs® skates.
This skating unit is being implemented because of its emphasis as a “Lifetime Activity”. Skating
provides a variety of benefits, which include balance, coordination, motor skills, and a top rated
cardio-respiratory workout. Students will also learn basic skating skills such as starting,
stopping, forward skating, backward skating, cornering, and a number of safety tips for being a
smart skater.
The fee for this unit will be $18.20 for quad skates or inline skates per student. The fee
includes delivery and pickup of the equipment as well as use of the skates for 7+ days of skating
during normal P.E. Class.
All students must complete a permission slip form available on their P.E. Schoology page, in
order to participate.
WHMS LIVE BROADCAST! TUNE IN EVERY MONDAY!
SEL NEWS
Once we return from our fall break for Thanksgiving, December becomes a very busy month for our families outside of school, and for our students also while here at school. When it comes to social-emotional well-being, we as adults can often feel stressed with the many items on our to-do lists at this time of year, which can tend to trickle down to a feeling of unease and added stress for our children. With adults and children are both feeling the effects of added stress, it can be a less enjoyable time of year than we hope!
It is important that as caretakers of children we model strategies (see suggestions below) of self-care and well-being (put your oxygen mask on first), and work to include our kids in practicing tools that can help regulate emotions, and reduce stress and anxiety when engaging in school work and extracurricular activities.
Take a Pause or Quiet Moment; This might include a brief walk outside, or even laying down on the couch for five minutes with your eyes closed to just calm your body and re-focus your mind. Taking an intentional pause when things get overwhelming helps not only to calm you down, but also can help you to be more productive when you re-engage in the task at hand.
Paced Breathing: Belly Breathing or Square/Box Breathing can be practiced together to help children (and parents!) control their emotions, de-escalate in periods of stress, or even just before starting a difficult project to prepare to engage fully.
Stretching/Yoga: Choosing a pose or two together can be a quick go-to that interrupts feelings of stress, allows children and parents to breathe, and helps to relax feelings of tension in our bodies. Here are a few poses that you could check out and try at home.
DISTRICT 39 UPDATES
Health and Safety Reminders
As we move into winter and toward the holiday season, we often see an uptick in cases of colds, influenza, other viruses, and strep. Should your child(ren) experience any symptoms of illness, we ask that you please keep them home from school.
The school nurse will assist with guidance regarding return-to-school protocol; however, students may generally return to school in accordance with the following:
If a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea is present, the student must remain home until those symptoms have been resolved for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.
If a student has tested positive for COVID, the student may return to school after a five-day isolation period. When COVID-like symptoms are present, getting tested for COVID is strongly encouraged.
If the student has been diagnosed with any communicable disease (strep, conjunctivitis, pertussis, etc.), please contact your school nurse to discuss isolation length and clearance to return to school.
If symptoms are attributed to another diagnosis, the student may return to school when the symptoms have improved and he/she is feeling well enough to participate in all aspects of the school day.
The health and safety of our learning community are extremely important to us and monitoring health symptoms and staying home when ill helps to protect all of its members. Please contact your school nurse with any health-related questions. Thank you for working with us to ensure the collective health and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff.
District 39 Angel Fund
As we approach the holiday season, I want to remind you all about the wonderful benefits provided by our District 39 Angel Fund. The Angel Fund provides scholarship funds to assist families in need with the costs for school-related needs. Contributions of any size are appreciated and can be made online. Thank you for considering a donation to support local students in need.
Parent Education Events
Thank you to everyone who joined us Wednesday for our Parent Education event, “Skills and Tools to Thrive in a Digital World.” In this session, Julie Smith, author and university professor who teaches media literacy and media related classes, reviews digital skills and tools your child should have in order to thrive in their digital world. This fast and engaging presentation is a source of great questions for you to use when having discussions with your child. If you missed the live presentation, the presentation recording is available. Below are some additional resources highlighted during the presentation.
Our next parent education event is Wednesday, January 17 at 11 am. It is titled “Strengthening Executive Functioning Skills.” Please register online. Our Parent Education webpage has registration links for this school year and recording links from this school year and previous school years.
Board of Education Meeting
The Board of Education will gather on Monday, Dec. 18 at 7 pm at the Mikaelian Education Center. During this meeting, the Board will approve the fee for the optional D39 Kindergarten Enrichment and Enhancement Program (KEEP39) for the 2024-25 academic year, be presented with our five-year financial projection, receive an update on 2024 summer construction project bids, and consider a first draft of the 2024-25 school year calendar. Agendas and materials for all Board of Education meetings will be posted online the Friday prior to the meeting.
PTO President Elect Needed ASAP
The HMS 2023/24 board is still in need of a President Elect. In January, we will start filling the board positions for the 2024/25 school year. It is imperative we have a president elect in the new year to shadow the current president.
Interested in learning more? Contact PTO President Jennifer Englehaupt: president@highcrestpto.org
Variety Show Volunteers Needed
The HMS Variety Show needs a team leader to spearhead this year’s production. All documents, information and communication are available from last year (most of the work is already done!).
Without parent volunteers, this annual event will not happen. The variety show provides an opportunity to showcase the many talents of our student body. Past acts have included singing, dancing, karate, magic, Rubix cube solving, stand-up comedy and so much more!
Contact PTO President Jennifer Englehaupt: president@highcrestpto.org to learn more, or sign up here.
Get Involved at HMS
There are many PTO positions still available for the 2023/24 school year. You can get involved in a wide variety of ways, connect with other parents and learn more about what the PTO does at HMS. Click here to see open positions.
Have You Checked Ignite Off Your List?
Did you know the Highcrest Ignite fund pays for ALL enrichment activities during the school year? This includes visiting authors, field trips, science projects and more. Visit Membership Toolkit to donate before the end of the year.
Winter After School Clubs
Winter after school clubs registration is open! For details on clubs, click here.
Thank You for Your Donations!
Thank you to all the parents who donated to the Holiday Gift Fund for our teachers and staff. We are thrilled to be able to gift all the wonderful team members who work with your children and make the school run smoothly every day!
Lunch and School Store Sign Ups
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
Order Your Yearbook!
Yearbooks are available to order now. Click here to order your 2023-2024 HMS yearbook!
D39 Educational Foundation - Appreciation Certificates Available
Looking for a holiday gift to say thank you to a special teacher, staff or administrator?
For your $39 donation, the staff member(s) of your choice will be honored with a personalized certificate sent via email and their name posted on our website's virtual Wall of Honor. All donations will benefit our schools by funding the Foundation's Gripp Grant program and, if needed, assisting our school community more immediately through special gifts. Purchase your Appreciation Certificate here.
D39 Educational Foundation - Trivia Night Recap and Paddle Night Coming Soon
The District 39 Educational Foundation’s annual Trivia Night was held earlier this month, raising over $15,000! The evening featured an impressive raffle, made possible by generous contributions from local businesses and families. Through fundraisers such as this one, the foundation can provide District 39 students with novel and innovative educational opportunities. The foundation has a series of upcoming events scheduled for the 23-24 school year, and next on the agenda is College Paddle Night on January 27! Tickets go on sale December 13, find out more www.d39foundation.org/paddle-classic.
Join us for the third annual College Paddle Night!
Grab some friends, sport your favorite college-themed gear, and join us for a fun night of paddle! Enjoy great raffle prizes, food, beverages, and some friendly competition. All skill levels are welcome. Similarly leveled players will be matched together in a rotating round-robin style tournament. Don't miss out on the fun!
Where: A.C. Nielsen Paddle Hut
When: January 27, 2024 from 7PM-11PM
Tickets: Available December 13, 2023 at 10am for $75/person at d39foundation.org.
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.
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.