Harper Happenings
March 4th - March 8th
What's Happening
Monday, March 4th
- Harper Open Gym, 6:30pm - 8pm
- D39 CRC Meeting, MEC Center, 7p-9pm
Tuesday, March 5th
- PASS39 Special Education Annual Report. Topic: Updates with D39 Staff and Child Find Count
- Location: Central School, 9:15 am
Sunday, March 10th
- Going Green Matters Fair - Michigan Shores 12-4pm. The area’s most comprehensive environmental fair.
Dr. Kick's Corner
- Thank you for a VERY special Staff Appreciation Week! From the flowers, to the treats, coffee bar, daily raffle, massages, notes and lunch...Thank you! Please know that staff feel appreciated. An extra thank you to the committee who coordinated a wonderful week!
- Driving/parking reminders: I have been observing frequent driving and parking violations.
- Greenwood is a one-way street during drop-off/pick-up.
- Dartmouth is a one-way street on school days.
- Harper parents cannot turn left or right from Thornwood into the carpool line. The carpool line begins at Kenilworth. Non-Harper residents are able to turn from Thornwood to return to their homes.
- Cell phone usage is prohibited in a school-zone.
- Do not block resident's driveways.
- Please don't forget that placement letters are due by March 22nd. See attachment below.
- There is still time to register for Summer Enrichment! Please register early. Classes will be cancelled if we don’t meet the minimum enrollment by March 18th. Late registration opens March 19 until May 3rd. During this time there will be a $9.00 late registration fee per class.
Harper PTO
OPEN PTO SPOTS with NEW INFO! Please take a moment to read and consider volunteering.
HARPER HOEDOWN
This Harper tradition has been redefined over the last several years and has become an amazing event for our school and the community. It has also become a large event that many people don’t want to step into because there are many moving parts. This is a great time to get onboard with this event because it is a CHANGING MODEL. Read below.
· Peggy Prescott, our fearless chair from last year, has a streamlined plan for you to follow and check the boxes for booking vendors
· Many of our activities are now vendor run, like games and bounce houses, so you would not have to ask for 300 volunteers
· Due to rain last year, the tent of discarded stuff animals and other plastic stuff had to be THROWN AWAY. This means that you could a.) start collecting nasty stuffed animals again and store them in your house or b.) start a new tradition which involves our kids having fun at the event with no emphasis on the prizes
· Due to pending construction at Harper, the Hoedown may have to be SMALLER next year
· The Hoedown did not begin as a fundraiser and while fundraising is always a great idea, it certainly does not need to remain a fundraising event every year.
This event can be yours to simplify. We just need a chair or co-chair to step forward and take the lead.
Environmental Chair:This spot has been beautifully reinvented by Aimee Stoltz. The responsible disposal process in our cafeteria runs itself. We collect dried out markers with a Crayola recycling program. The district acknowledges Earth Day/Week and you could piggy back onto what they are doing by simply communicating the initiatives through the HH. The GreenTeam is run by Harper staff. This job could be simply maintained through communication or you could get creative with some new initiatives. You would not be alone! The other D39 environmental warriors know each other and share ideas. Think about it.
Hospitality Chairs (2):This job has three big parts. That’s why two people work best.
· These two volunteers would take email requests for the tables at the opening day coffee in the cafeteria. They turn in the number of tables needed to the office and Sal, the awesome head janitor, sets up the tables for the coffee. Hospitality would show up with the signs (already created) and put them on the appropriate table for the committee. They have brought the coffee and possibly donuts for this gathering. The coffee runs itself and there would be plenty of time to head to your child’s classroom.
· They bring in the coffee and donut holes for each PTO meeting. There are only 5 of these meetings for the whole year. You do not have to stay for every meeting.
· They also coordinate the end of the year PTO Luncheon. They find a host home, create an Evite that tells people to bring a salad or dessert, split by last name. (Last year we had maybe 30 people.) They just organize this event, keep up with the count and help with setting up/clean up. This year’s chairs can give you the step-by-step of what they did and when.
Find a friend to join you and think about it!
Please consider joining an amazing group of Harper Parents! Thank you for your consideration!
After School Clubs
- Chess Club registration opens Tuesday, March 12th at 9:00 AM. Chess Club will run Mondays for 8 weeks, April 8 - June 3. From beginners to competitive the lessons are geared to enhance each student's level of play. Come and have fun! Click here to register through the Wilmette Park District.
Highcrest Middle School PTO
- Attention 4th Grade graduating parents.....The HMS PTO Needs You! - We have a variety of positions open on both the Executive and General Boards. Please contact Susan Landwer at president@highcrestpto.org if you would like to hear more about availabilities. It is a wonderful way to get involved within the HMS community!
iGNITE! Enrichment Information
Thank you to iGNITE! for the following Enrichment Experiences!
- Mark you calendars with the below upcoming iGNITE! sponsored events:
- March 8th - High Touch High Tech visits 1st Grade with their “What’s the Matter” program
- February 4th through April 1st -- 1st Grade Yoga! Classes will participate in a yoga program led by Lisa Weber E-RYT with Heaven Meets Earth Yoga in Evanston. Lisa will hold 30 minute sessions for each class every Monday for a total of seven sessions. The program will help teach students how to 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!
Harper's Green Corner
Do you feel wasteful dumping uneaten or leftover food? You can compost ALL of it -and easily too- with Collective Resource. The Evanston based group swaps your filled bucket with a clean one each week (5 gallons works for a family of 4). As a commercial composter, they can accept practically everything - from bones and seafood to microwave popcorn bags and coffee filters. For a weekly fee of about $10.50, you will see the amount of your trash reduce. For more info go to https://collectiveresource.us/contact
Community Service Corner & News
- For our next Community Service Drive (March 4-8) we will be assembling and donating Welcome Kits to Hilda’s Place Shelter/Connections for the Homeless! We are excited to undertake this donation drive for the first time.
- Information about the Welcome Kits can be found on the attached documents. Hilda’s Place is a transitional housing shelter so these welcome kits are a first step in providing encouragement to the residents in their move out of homelessness.
- We will be collecting FULL SIZE items for these kits. We have divided the items by grade. In addition, please feel free to donate in your classroom box or in the lobby the “Also Needed” items.
- We will be assembling welcome kits on Friday, March 8 at 2:15pm at Harper and invite you and your children to join us if you are able.
- Kindergarten
- Lotion
- First Grade
- Talc Powder
- Deodorant
- Second Grade
- Soap
- Washcloth
- Third Grade
- Toothpaste & Toothbrush
- Fourth Grade
- Shampoo & Conditioner
- Also Needed:
- Razors
- Shower Shoes
- Plastic shower caddy or basket
Dear Harper Community, Do you know a veteran? If you do, please ask them if it ok to share their name and address with me, Mrs. Kennedy. I am collecting names so that we can send cards and appreciation their way. Thanks for considering. If you have more questions regarding this request, please contact me at kennedyk@wilmette39.org.
Please “be our guest” at this year’s spring musical, Beauty and the Beast, Jr., featuring almost 80 students from Wilmette Junior High School!
Here’s a link to the spring musical site with ticket info: https://sites.google.com/a/wilmette39.org/fall-play/performance-ticket-info
Beauty and the Beast JR. tells the story of Belle, an adventurous young girl, and the Beast, her hideous captor who is actually a young prince trapped under a spell. In order to break the spell, the Beast must learn to love another and earn her love in return – before time runs out. With the help of the castle’s enchanted staff, including a loving teapot, a charming candelabra, and a nervous mantel clock, Belle and the Beast find a beautiful friendship and love that neither knew was possible. Beauty and the Beast JR. features classic songs from the Academy Award®-winning film score such as “Be Our Guest” and “Belle,” as well as original songs from the 1994 Tony®-nominated Broadway musical.
The performance of Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST JR. is open to the public at WJHS on Friday and Saturday, March 15 and 16 at 7 pm, and Sunday, March 17 at 1 pm. Tickets will be sold for $5 in the WJHS cafeteria from 11:30 to 12:30 on March 11 - 15, and at the door for $7.
LINK: http://www.wilmette39.org/news/community_events
2019 Municipal Election Candidate Forums will be held at the Village Hall on Saturday, March 16th. Check the website for specific groups and times.
Wilmette Baseball Association has opened registration for spring leagues.
Wilmette Historical Museum hosts "Design Your Dream Home" on March 17th, 1:30 - 4:00 pm.
Northwestern’s Center for Talent Development offers Weekend Enrichment Programs for students age 3 through 8th grade.
Kids Against Hunger service project on Saturday, March 16th.
Love to sing? Youth Choral Theatre of Chicago offers a free vocal training class with flyer. Vocal classes available for children ages 4-18.
The Center Fitness Club schedule and various park district classes for children ages 3-14 are posted.
Wilmette Food Pantry is open every Tuesday 10:30-11:30 am at Trinity United Methodist Church.
4th & 5th grade girls
Trevian Girls Softball Association hosts fastpitch softball clinics/evaluations for girls ages 9-10.
All announcements to be included in the Harper Happenings should be sent to Liz Hayes 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 elizabeth.hayes78@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
Coming Up/Reminders
Monday, March 11th
- Harper Open Gym, 6:30 - 8pm
Tuesday, March 12th
- Birthday lunch
- General PTO Meeting -- Special Presentation: Cyber Safety and Technology by Tony DeMonte and Officer Pavely, 9am Harper Auditorium
Monday, March 25th - Friday, March 29th
- No School, Spring Break!
Wednesday, April 10th
- 4th Grade Outdoor Education Parents Meeting, 6:30pm Harper Auditorium
Wednesday, April 17th
- General PTO Meeting: Special Presentation for incoming HMS 5th grade parents with GLAd Aaron Dubnow and Q&A Parent Panel, 9am Harper Auditorium
- Incoming Kindergarten Orientation Presentation, 6:30pm Harper Auditorium
Friday, April 19th
- No School, Good Friday
Wednesday, April 24th
- 4th Grade Music Concert
Thursday, April 25th
- Early Release Day, Parent/Teacher Conferences
- Scholastic Book Fair in Cafeteria 11am-3pm
Friday, April 26th
- No School, Parent/Teacher Conferences