Harper Happenings
5.18-22 2020
What's Happening
Important Upcoming Dates-
- Monday, May 18: "Grey" Day during remote learning (information below)
- Open PTO positions 2020/2021. We need your help to run these programs:
1. Co chair Garden Club - open
2. Chorus Chair - open
- PTO General Meeting via Zoom Wednesday, May 20th: Please join us, for our last PTO General Meeting via Zoom on Wednesday, May 20 at 2pm. The 2020/2021 Exec Board and Budget will be confirmed.
Dial in information posted below.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/78047731213?pwd=bUplTkJveXFGamt0R21tWGQ4RFVrQT09
Meeting ID: 780 4773 1213
Password: 1he1ac
Principal's Message
Hello Harper Families,
To kick off this week of remote learning, we created a “snowball” WE MISS YOU video. If you did not have a chance to view it yet, you can find it HERE. We continue to be so proud of all the hard work and perseverance our students are demonstrating each day. Continue to spread kindness, continue to support one another, and please again let your kid(s) know, we miss them!
Have a great weekend. Be well and stay healthy!
Aaron
Harper Family Math Challenge
This week, we have some fun family math challenges for you. These activities are designed to engage kids and parents in fun, whole-family challenges that encourage a broader understanding of what “math” is and provide you with opportunities for authentic math dialogue and exploration at home. This is completely optional with the sole purpose to just have some math fun. Feel free to get started over the weekend but we will be introducing it to students on Tuesday morning through Google classroom or Seesaw. Good luck and have fun!
Activity 1: Magic Squares
Click "sign in students" to watch this video explaining Magic Squares
https://byrdseed.tv/students/login.php?d=https://byrdseed.tv%2Fstudents%2Findex.php
username: HarDolphin
password: dolphin
Try some magic squares on your own! How many 4 x 4 squares can you make? What's the largest magic square you can make?
Once your family has found a magic square (or two or three) post a photo of them on this Padlet! (Click on the plus sign on the bottom to add your photo!)
https://padlet.com/flachsbs/bjttlyu9fh830gmf
Activity 2: Pixel Art
Make some pixel art on a window! Use sticky notes or colored squares of paper and tape. What math do you notice in this activity? What is the area of each color used?
For ideas on how to carry this out, view this You Cubed activity and video.
https://www.youcubed.org/resources/pixel-art-on-windows-k-12-video/
Once you have completed your pixel art, take a photo of your work and post it on this Padlet. Bonus points if you tell how you used math in this activity! (Click on the plus sign on the bottom to add your photo and any text!)
Save the Date - Reverse Parade and Supply Pick-up
Our plans to celebrate the 2019-2020 school year are certainly not what we had hoped for, but we have been working hard to find a way to safely say goodbye and wrap up another wonderful year. Please save the date for a reverse car parade and student materials pick-up on Tuesday, June 9th. More details to come soon!
Our goal is to limit contact and provide a safety environment for all students, parents, and staff, but provide an opportunity for closure for everyone. On June 9, families can drive to Harper at an assigned time (to limit the number of people and cars at any given time) to pick up student materials. We will be asking you to stay in the car and we will bring your child’s bags of supplies to place in the trunk (locker materials, class materials, art projects, and more). Meanwhile, there will be Harper teachers lined up to wave goodbye to your child from a safe distance away!
Now, this is also your opportunity to have fun too... Let’s give our students and staff the celebration they all deserve. We will be encouraging you to decorate your cars, make signs, or paint your windows so feel free to start planning ahead. But of course, just simply arriving with a smile on your face to wave and cheer for an amazing year together is perfect too.
As mentioned earlier, we will be sending out more detailed information, but wanted you to save the date of June 9.
Parent Planning Notes
District 39 Remote Learning Website: Informational resource HERE and it is constantly being updated including the end of the year calendar.
This past Thursday, 3rd and 4th grade students had the opportunity to participate in a Virtual Author Visit with Newbery Award winning author, Adam Gidwitz! He talked with students about the writing process for the latest book in the Unicorn Rescue Society series, The Madre de Aguas of Cuba. To Purchase Books with an autographed book plate: https://www.bookstallauthorvisits.com/ (scroll down the page to the May 14th event)
Device Information for the summer: Families of current Kindergarten through 7th grade students will have the option to keep the school issued iPad/Chromebook through this summer to facilitate any educational needs such as summer school, extended school year or online enrichment. If you choose to keep it, the device expectations for use and general care for the device extend through the summer months. There will be a fall collection with date, time and process to be communicated during summer from the District Technology Department. If you do not need the iPad/Chromebook over summer, or are not returning to District 39 in the fall, it can be returned back to school at the following times. Grades K-4: During Student Material Pick-up/Drop-off on June 9th.
Returning Books: If you have library books or other classroom books checked out, you may begin to return these back to the school. Every Tuesdays and Wednesday through the end of the school year there will be a cart outside the school office between 9am and 3pm. Please place your library books onto the cart. Additionally, you may return any library books during student material drop-off/pick-up on June 9th. If you have any questions or have a missing book, please feel free to email our librarian, Mrs. Pinney, at pinneym@wilmette39.org.
Summer Enrichment Programming: You received an email last week regarding our District 39 summer school offerings. We are proud to be able to offer a variety of options for students to remain engaged and learning over the summer. Summer school has been rescheduled for a later date this summer to allow students an opportunity for a break at the end of June. In addition, a new two-week “Jump Start to Fall Learning” option is being offered this summer. Families are encouraged to consider options and information provided on our 2020 Summer Enrichment Program website.
- Staying Virtually Connected: Please consider this information and adapt it to your families rules and comfort level.
Playground Reminders: As the weather gets warmer, it is so refreshing and beneficial to be outside. We encourage all to take walks, safely ride bikes, and play in your yard. However, we want to remind you that school playgrounds are closed.
Giving and Receiving Support in D39: Wilmette Public Schools support the academic, social-emotional and physical needs of each child through a collaborative partnership with the greater Wilmette community. Through the generosity of families, businesses and affiliate organizations, District 39 is able to provide additional support to families when they need it the most.
- The Wilmette Board of Education will hold its regular meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 18, 2020. Topics of interest include:
* Discussion of 2020-2021 Lunch Fees
* Discussion of Elementary School Assistant Principal Appointments
* Discussion of 2020-2021 Student/Staff Planning
This Board of Education meeting will be conducted electronically and live-streamed on the District 39 YouTube page. Please view the agenda for instructions on how to comment and participate in the meeting.
Announcements
May 15 SCHOOL KIT ORDERING DEADLINE EXTENDED! The school kit ordering deadline has been extended through next Friday, May 22nd. Don't miss out, order your supplies today (https://www.edukitinc.com/find-your-school). The deadline is being extended for all District 39 schools, so you can order supplies for all District 39 students until May 22nd. Questions? Contact schoolkits@harperpto.com
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED PTO:
Open PTO positions 2020/2021. We need your help to run these programs:
1. Co chair Garden Club - open
2. Chorus Chair - open
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
- Wilmette Food Pantry is open every Tuesday 10:30-11:30 am at Trinity United Methodist Church.
- The Center for Gifted hosts summer programs. View flyers for details.
- NSSRA offers Campyardigans for Summer 2020. See flyer for details.
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