HIGHCREST HEADLINES
October 13, 2023
A Message from the Administrative Team
PLEASE READ THE MESSAGE BELOW CAREFULLY FOR DETAILS ABOUT FREAKY FRIDAY!
We are looking forward to the Freaky Friday celebration happening next Friday, October 20 from 5:00 - 6:30 PM! We can’t wait to see the creative costumes, and to have the opportunity to mix and mingle with our friends that we don’t see during the school day.
Tickets are currently available for purchase via the Highcrest Middle School PTO. Tickets are $20 online through midnight Thursday (10/19). Tickets are available for $25 at the door.
This event takes place ENTIRELY OUTSIDE on the fields behind the school. Please read the following information carefully so we can keep all of our students safe, and so they can have an enjoyable experience.
BRACELETS: If you purchased a ticket to the event, a bracelet will be delivered on Friday, 10/20, to your child’s homeroom. Your child will put the bracelet on, and MUST have it to enter the event. There will be a table set up for check in for each student to ensure they have a bracelet on.
COSTUMES: Students are permitted to wear their costumes, but please keep in mind that there will be inflatables, games, and a dance area. Everything is outside. If the ground is wet, or there is a muddy area, this could create an issue for the costume. Dress accordingly! Please also keep the costume limited to clothing only. Props such as fake weapons, canes, wands, etc. should remain at home so they don’t get lost!
LOCATION: As mentioned, the fields will be used for the different locations of the events.
DJand dance area set up in the bike rack area.
A photobooth will be located by Gym C.
In the parking lot there will be donuts, allergy aware snacks, and a place to drop personal water bottles.
On the Community Playfields, students will access inflatables and games.
During the event it is expected they will stay in the party area.
If students are found outside of the event area during the event, we will call home and have them picked up. This is necessary to ensure everyone’s safety during the event. Thank you for helping us to reinforce this with your child.
Students may only arrive and be dismissed to the Freaky Friday Event this year by walking or by car. Bike racks will not be available so bike riding is not permitted.
FOLLOW THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION IN THE SECTIONS BELOW FOR ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL INFORMATION.
ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL INFORMATION *** IMPORTANT ***
The FIFTH grade DROP OFF AND PICK UP is in the upper lot off of Hunter Road.
**THIS IS INDICATED WITH GREEN ARROWS AND A STAR ON THE MAP BELOW**
Please enter the lot in the north driveway, drop off your child at the top of the steps, and then exit via the south driveway. Seegreen arrows on map included for the path.
Please ask your child to exit the vehicle quickly to keep the line moving.
There will be adult volunteers there to help guide your child to the check in table. Students arriving prior to 5:00 PM will wait on the playground (not on equipment) to be let into the event.
The SIXTH grade DROP OFF AND PICK UP is in the main parking lot.
**THIS IS INDICATED WITH RED ARROWS AND A STAR ON THE MAP BELOW**
Please be aware that the parking lot will be marked off to allow space for the party, so the drop off spot will be at the corner on the north side of the building (see picture).
Follow the cones and drop your child off at the check in area.
Please ask your child to exit the vehicle quickly to keep the line moving.
Once out of the vehicle, your child will be directed to proceed down the sidewalk to the check in table.
There will be adult volunteers there to guide and check in your child.
Both grades will drop off and pick up in the same location. Please review this with your child so they know the procedure for after the party.
**NOTE IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE CHILD, DROP THEM OFF WITH THE OLDEST.
The party ends promptly at 6:30 PM, and we ask that families be patient in the car line during pick up to prioritize safety. It may start to get darker around that time, so we want to be sure that if you are picking up your child by car, you are following the traffic patterns and waiting patiently for them, while staying aware of the other cars and students. Car pooling is highly encouraged. Please make these arrangements ahead of time and confirm with your child before the party.
LOCKDOWN DRILL - THURSDAY
On October 19 (Thursday), in accordance with the Wilmette Police Department, Highcrest will be conducting lockdown exercises with students and staff.
The Wilmette Police Department will be present to observe and evaluate the effectiveness of our procedures. Below are a couple of notes about our lockdown activities:
We will communicate with our students in an age-appropriate manner on what to do in the event of a lockdown situation.
All building occupants participate in these activities – students, staff, and any visitors who may be in the building at that time.
School administrators and school personnel may, at their discretion, exempt a student(s) from participating in a lockdown activities.
There WILL NOT be any simulations, gunfire or otherwise, in these exercises.
Families should be aware of the following provisions detailed in the Illinois School Safety Drill Act, Public Act 102-0395:
A student may be exempt from participating in lockdown exercises through written notification from a parent or guardian at least 24 hours prior to the start of the exercises.
Schools are required to provide education and instruction related to lockdown procedures to non-participating students
Students are allowed to ask questions during the exercises.
As always, the safety of our students and staff is our top priority and clear communication with our families is paramount. Wilmette Public Schools District 39 continues to have a strong working relationship with both the Wilmette Police Department and Wilmette Fire Department.
WRESTLING - OPEN MATS
Open Mat Wrestling is starting up at HMS on Tuesday, October 17th, from 4 - 5. Open Mats will be held every Tuesday and Thursday through October and November in gym A. If you would like to give the sport a try or have wrestled in the past and want to get ready for the season, come to open mats!
AUTHOR VISIT!
Highcrest is excited to have local author Wendy Parris visit our school on Tuesday, Oct 24. Her book "Field of Screams" was chosen as a Junior Library Guild gold standard selection and is the perfect spooky cornfield, empty farmland ghost story to read this Halloween season.
You can order an autographed copy of "Field of Screams" for your student and have it delivered to Highcrest on the day of Wendy's presentation. Deadline to order is Oct 19.
https://www.thebookstall.com/wendy-parris-visits-chicago-area-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.
6th Grade: MATH COUNTS CLUB
Are you in 6th grade? Do you like math competitions? Do you want to represent HMS at the regional MathCounts competition on Saturday, February 3rd, 2024? Then try out for the MathCounts team.
On October 24th, November 7th, and November 14th, students will take 3 school contests. The 12 top scoring students will be chosen to represent HMS at the regional competition. These 12 students will continue to practice for the regional competition on November 28th, December 5th and 19th, and January 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th.
Students who do well at the regional competition may be invited to the State Competition in March. The four top scoring students from the Illinois State competition will be awarded an all expense paid trip to the National Competition in May.
If you are interested in trying out, please fill out this Google Form.
5th and 6th Grades: MOEMS (Math Olympiads for Elementary and Middle School) Club
All 5th and 6th graders are invited to compete in the Math Olympiads for Elementary and Middle School competition (MOEMS). Students will meet after school (3:40 - 4:40pm) once a month from October to April.
The club dates are Oct 30, Nov 27*, Dec 18*, Jan 29*, Feb 26*, March 11* and April 15. It is important for students to attend all starred dates as these are the dates of the competitions.
Parents, please fill out this form by October 23 if your student is interested in MOEMs. The first club date is Oct 30 when the rules of MOEMs will be discussed and students will practice a past competition.
Please email Anne Jacobs (jacobsa@wilmette39.org) if you have any questions.
***PICTURE DAY MAKEUPS ARE 10/19***
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!
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 Education Events
Thank you to everyone who participated in our Parent Education event this week titled “Parenting in the Digital Age.” A recording of this presentation is now available for viewing. Our next Parent Education event, titled “How Identities are Impacting Students,” is an evening event and in-person only at Romona Elementary (no virtual option via Zoom). Please register online to reserve your spot and visit our Parent Education page for our full schedule of events, registration links, and archived recordings.
Parent-Teacher Conferences: Save the Date
Our fall parent-teacher conferences will take place on Nov. 15-17, immediately preceding Fall Break (Thanksgiving week). Conferences will be held virtually through the Meet the Teacher platform, with in-person appointments available by request. More details, including sign-up information, will be provided in the coming weeks.
FREAKY FRIDAY: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20 FROM 5-6:30 PM
This outdoor event for Highcrest students features a DJ, dancing, donuts, giant inflatables, photo booths, and lots of spooktacular fun! Costumes are encouraged!
Tickets: Tickets can be purchased HERE for $20 (HMS students ONLY). Ticket price will increase to $25 on Wednesday, October 18 at 12pm. Online ticket sales close Thursday, October 19 at 12pm.
Volunteers Needed: We need MANY parent volunteers to help this event run smoothly. Sign Up HERE to Volunteer!
Rain date is Friday, October 27.
**Nutrition information for the donuts can be found HERE.
Email questions to freakyfriday@highcrestpto.org.
The Book Fair is Coming 10/23 - 10/26
The Scholastic Book Fair will take place in the Learning Commons 10/23-10/26. The committee needs volunteers to help set-up, work the food truck event (10/23 from 5-7pm) and work the bookfair when classes come through. Click here to sign up.
The committee is also looking for parents to shadow the event and take over planning for next year. Please reach out to Heather Metz if interested: hmetz630@gmail.com
Book Fair Hours:
Monday 10/23: 5-7pm,Food Truck Event
Tuesday 10/24: 8:30am-5pm
Wednesday 10/25: 8:30am -5pm
Thursday 10/26: 8:30am - 3pm
Students can pay for books via cash, credit card or the Scholastic cashless e-wallet. You can set it up here.
6th Grade Night Sky Viewing
Bring your 6th grader to view the night sky on Monday, October 23 at 7:15pm on the fields behind Highcrest. While you’re there, grab some grub from the Book Fair Food Truck (available until 7:30pm).
Designed to complement their astronomy unit, 6th graders will be given the chance to look through special large telescopes set up by Mark Schneider, Solar System Ambassador for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Hear Mark talk about the moon and planets visible and get your burning questions answered!
Any questions? Email enrichment@highcrestpto.org
Get your donations ready now for Make a Difference Day, Highcrest's biggest annual community service effort!
Collect your gently used and new goods to benefit more than 15 local nonprofits making a difference in our community. Look around your house and consider what gently used items you might donate—or shop new!
CLICK HERE for directions on how to donate gently used or new items to help people and animals in our community, plus a full list of local nonprofits participating in Make A Difference Day!
We need your help to collect and sort donated items for MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY!
CLICK HERE TO VOLUNTEER on Friday, October 20, at Highcrest (two shifts available).
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
PTO Positions - There’s lots of ways to get involved! Click to see open positions.
Verify Directory Information By 10/15
Highcrest PTO's Print Directory will be sent to the printer soon, so please login to your Membership Toolkit account and verify your information by October 15th. Any changes made online after that date will not be captured in the printed directory. Email directory@highcrestpto.org with questions.
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.