Harper Happenings
January 22nd - January 26th
What's Happening?
Monday, January 22nd
- Harper Open Gym, 6:30-8:00 pm
- District 39 Board of Education Meeting, 7 pm, MEC
Thursday, January 25th
- Kindergarten lottery
Friday, January 26th
- Harper Spirit Day--wear your PJs to school
Coming Up/Reminders
Monday, January 29th
- Dr. Kick's January Birthday Lunch
Friday, February 2nd
- Early Release Day, 1st-4th 11:55, am kinder 10:00, NO pm kinder
Monday, February 5th
- Harper Open Gym, 6:30-8:00 pm
Monday, February 19th
- No School--President's Day
Dr. Kick's Corner
-As I listened to Laura Dern’s 2018 Golden Globe speech my mind went to education and our efforts to stop teasing/bullying and to promote reporting within the educational setting.
“Many of us were taught not to tattle,” Dern said. She went on to say that for many of us, this was how we were raised. She encouraged us to be brave enough to report the actions of bullies and to promote restorative justice. She concluded by saying, “May we teach our children that speaking out without the fear of retribution is our culture’s new North Star.”
Restorative practice (justice) is a discipline technique that we use to repair relationships among peers that have been hurt through peer altercations (teasing/bullying). It facilitates a sense of renewing action and remorse on the part of the offender and forgiveness on the part of the victim. It brings both parties together to solve a problem; how can we co-exist in a respectful way? It builds a sense of community. Classroom teachers implement Second Step lessons that also reinforce how to be respectful to each other.
Thank you for your partnership in teaching our children to be compassionate, kind and respectful.
-District 39 Families,
District 39 is looking for your input as we explore the feasibility of a sustainable, fee-based kindergarten enrichment program. Your input is very important and will help determine if we take this idea to the next step. We are sending this short survey to all of our Early Childhood - 4th grade parents. Please take a few minutes to give us your thoughts by Wednesday, January 31st.
-The monthly Board of Education meeting is Monday, January 22nd at 7:00 PM at the MEC. Below are a couple of topics that may be of interest. If you can’t make the meeting, you can view it live or later, either on the District website or on Channel 6. Highlights of the meeting will be emailed and posted online within a day or two.
- Interim administrative appointments
- Strategic Plan Updates
- School Calendar - 2018-19
Announcements
- Girls on the Run IS BACK! If you have a 3rd or 4th grade girl interested in setting goals, making new friends, and running her first 5K, this is the activity for your daughter. We're gauging interest right now so we can figure out the number of GOTR coaches needed. If you're considering signing up, please email Ali Wenzke at awenzke@gmail.com. GOTR will start in the spring.
- Please read 4th grade parents!! As you probably know, we dedicate a portion of our yearbook to the fourth graders. It is a Harper tradition to include each fourth grader’s baby picture in the yearbook, allowing their classmates to guess the baby. Our fourth grade yearbook club is helping to design this section of the yearbook and we’d like to get them working on it as quickly as possible. Please e-mail a baby photo of your child no later than Monday, January 22nd. Send the photo to Nikki Householder @ nlhouseholder@yahoo.com. Send a high-resolution image, with a clear shot of your child’s face, so the photo is sharp and identifiable. Please provide us with your child’s baby picture asap to ensure that we meet our publishing deadline. Thank you for your help in making this a special keepsake for your fourth grader!
- Will you have a child at Highcrest next year? The HMS PTO is currently in the process of setting up the nominating committee to assist with the exec and general boards slates for the next school year. We need 2 reps from each of the elementary schools as well as Highcrest. The PTO is also looking for volunteers for positions on the general and exec boards. If you or someone you know are/is interested in a position on the nominating committee, please contact Lisa Hirschle at nominating@highcrestpto.org by January 31st. If you are interested in general or exec board positions or just want to learn more about them, please also contact Lisa Hirschle at nominating@highcrestpto.org.
- The Yearbook Committee wants your Holiday Party Photos! If you haven’t tried the ReplayIt app for uploading photos to Yearbook, it’s so easy. Below is a guide on how to set it up. Download the app and give it a try www.replayit.com (password is HarperRocks). Please contact soniaesler@gmail.com with questions.
- What to do on these cold winter nights? Open Gym is happening at Harper! Mondays, 6:30-8:00 pm 1/22-3/19. Harper Students only (no non-Harper siblings, sorry!) Limit 30 students, there will be a door monitor keeping a list. Clean shoes must be brought in for the gym. Students may not go to their lockers so you must bring shoes from home. A parent needs to stay with their child(ren). This is not a drop off. The gym program will be run by D39 gym teacher, Mr. Chris Toy! He is awesome and the reason we have to cap our number at 30. First come/first serve. See you there!
Community Service
- From January 22nd through 26th, the Community Service Committee is collecting unused children's pajamas for Housing Opportunities for Women. The donation week will end with a spirit day on January 26th for Harper students to wear their PJs to school! Please consider donating and please visit http://www.how-inc.org for more information about HOW. Thank you! The PJs are assigned per grade as follows:
K - size 3/4 (XXS)
1st - 5/6 (XS)
2nd - 7/8 (S)
3rd - 9/10 (M)
4th - 12 (L)
- Continue your support for Connections for the Homeless. Please read the latest update attached below and learn about opportunities for your family to provide additional support at home by assembling homeless outreach kits, making meals or collecting donations.
Enrichment
Upcoming date(s):
- 1/24--Author Eliot Schrefer visits with 3rd and 4th graders
- 2/7--Trip to Shedd Aquarium for 4th graders
- 2/6 through 3/20--1st grade yoga program
4th grade trip to Shedd Aquarium: Mark your calendars for Wednesday, February 7th. This day long trip will be an exciting adventure and includes exploration of the aquarium and an aquatics presentation. Please send a brown bag lunch from home. This incredible event is made possible by the generous donations made to Ignite.
From February 6th to March 20th, 1st grade classes will participate in a yoga program led by Lisa Weber E-RYT with Heaven and Earth Yoga in Evanston. Lisa will hold a 30-minute session for each class every Tuesday, for a total of seven sessions. The program will teach students techniques to help them calm their minds, and it will build upon the growing research showing the health benefits of a mindfulness practice. This program is brought to you by IGNITE!
Thank you for your contributions to iGNITE!
FAN Events
Upcoming Dates:
- Monday, January 22nd at 12:00 pm and 7:00 pm --"Advice Not Given: A Guide to Getting Over Yourself" by Professor, Author and Psychiatrist Mark Epstein, MD. 1st program at 12:00 pm at Loyola University Chicago School of Law 25 E. Pearson St., Chicago, IL 60611 RSVP required at www.familyactionnetwork.net. 2nd program at 7:00 pm New Trier High School, Northfield Campus, Cornog Auditorium 7 Happ Rd., Northfield, IL 60093 No RSVP required. Tuesday, January 23rd from 9:00-10:30 am -- Grand Rounds Presentation "Working with Trauma: Integrating Psychotherapy and Mindfulness" CEUs available -- pre-registration required at www.familyactionnetwork.net. New Trier High School, Northfield Campus, Cornog Auditorium 7 Happ Rd., Northfield, IL 60093. *The January 22nd evening event and the January 23rd morning event will be videotaped. Suitable for ages 12+.
Community Events
- Link to community events: http://www.wilmette39.org/news/community_events/
- Wilmette Historical Museum celebrates African American History Month February 11th 2:00 - 3:00pm
All announcements to be included in the Harper Happenings should be sent to Adriane McKnight 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 adrianemcknight@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