HMS Headlines
February 4, 2022
A MESSAGE FROM THE ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM
Dear HMS Families,
Report cards will be made viewable later next week (Wednesday) for parents and students to check out their progress so far this year. These report cards summarize all of your child's work over the course of the past semester.
Highcrest report cards include three elements for each class at the semester: Learner Descriptors, Progress marks for standards, and Product or Achievement letter grades.
- Learner Descriptors reflect your child's work habits and participation in class. These are marked with a 3, 2, or 1. Please see this explanation for more details.
- Progress Marks are given based on the standards that have been assessed during the semester. Marks are 4, 3, 2.5, 2, and 1. Please see this explanation for more details.
- Letter grades are based on each child's overall performance in the class as it relates to their mastery of standards. Letter grades include A, B, C, or D. Please see this explanation for more details on letter grades.
This website explains each of these elements in greater detail, and also offers some resources if you have questions. We encourage you to have a conversation with your child about their growth this semester, and work with your child to set goals for the second semester.
We are interested in growth in learning and understanding for every child, so it is important to remember the grades are a snapshot in time, and the work continues. This article has some good ideas for parents as they have these conversations in the coming days.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Kelly, Linda & Susie
ARRIVE ON TIME AND SAFELY!
Supervision at HMS begins at 8:25, and the bell rings at 8:45 so students are able to make their way to homeroom. It is important for students to be in homeroom at 8:50 AM so that they are able to hear important daily announcements, and participate with their classroom community in social-emotional learning activities to kick off their day.
Please aim to be at school at 8:45 AM so your child is able to be in class on time.
Additionally, as you arrive, we ask for your patience in the car line. Trying to bypass the line or "pass on the shoulder" could potentially cause an unsafe situation for students. The line will go quickly if we are all patient and wait our turn to drop off our students.
THANK YOU for your help in these areas!
The Lightning Thief
A group of college students from Northwestern are putting on a production of the musical adaptation of Rick Riordan's "The Lightning Thief". They are giving out free copies of the book for students to read and are inviting families to participate in an informal book discussion on 2/20.
They are also inviting families to the show. There are two evening performances on 2/24 and 2/25 and an afternoon performance on 2/26. It's free and proof of vaccination and masks are required for safety purposes.
AND if you are not able to participate in the book discussion or see the show, no worries, your child can still get a free copy of the book.
Please see the Google Form for more details.
HMS Grief Group
If you are interested in your child participating in this opportunity, please reach out to Kelly Jackson at jacksonk@wilmette39.org.
Math Resources
Our math team has compiled some great online resources for your child to utilize when practicing concepts and reviewing math work throughout the semester. Check them out and encourage your child to explore these resources when they have a few extra minutes!
MAP REPORTS
MAP reports from our winter testing session were mailed home via snail mail to families on Thursday, February 3rd. Please give the mail time to arrive at your house, and reach out to the office later next week if you have not received your child's MAP information.
UPLOAD YOUR CHILD'S VACCINATION STATUS
Please upload your child(ren)’s vaccination status information via the PowerSchool Parent Portal. The information you provide helps make contact tracing more efficient and will assist us as we review health and safety protocols later this month. As of today, approximately 75% of our 12+ aged students and 40% of our 5-12-year-old students have submitted proof of full vaccination to their school.
PARENT EDUCATION EVENTS
Our next parent education event is Wednesday, February 16th at 11am. It is titled Raising Resilient Children in a Highly-Competitive, Digitally-Driven World and will be presented by Family Service Center. Please Register Here. There are multiple ways to participate - onsite at the district office, live over Zoom, or watch the recording on our YouTube channel.
DISTRICT 39 UPDATES
Portrait of a District 39 Scholar
An important part of our District’s new, multi-year strategic plan is our Portrait of a District 39 Scholar. These are the characteristics we nurture, support and grow among all D39 students. Please enjoy this video which brings to life the wonderful characteristics of our D39 scholars. Many thanks to Tony Tang Productions for partnering with us on this project!
Register Your Child(ren) for 2022-23 Academic Year
Registration remains open for the 2022-23 academic year. For returning students, visit the PowerSchool parent portal, click on the registration link and follow the instructions. For new students to D39, visit www.wilmette39.org/enroll for instructions on the four-part registration process. We encourage parents with new kindergarten students to enroll as quickly as possible. Additionally, D39 is offering its KEEP39 afternoon enrichment program for kindergarten students. Click here for more information. You can register your child for KEEP39 at the same time that you register for kindergarten.
Winter Weather Procedure
As we continue to navigate the cold weather season, we want to share some important information regarding District 39 protocols and procedures for dealing with inclement weather and school closure considerations. Although we hope to avoid the cancelation of classes, the safety of our students and staff is always our top priority. Please click here for our protocols and FAQs for dealing with inclement weather.
COMMUNITY NEWS
LINK: http://www.wilmette39.org/news/community_events
In honor of Black History Month, the Village of Wilmette is sponsoring a Black History Month Student Contest. Submit posters, essay, poems and multimedia items relating to the prompt, "Why do we celebrate Black History Month?” Submissions are due Friday, March 4th. See contest rules for details.
The Village of Wilmette & 'Ready Set Wilmette' Comprehensive Planning Team want to hear from Wilmette residents. ReadySetWilmette.com Help ensure Wilmette is welcoming, thriving and vibrant for years to come. A series of polls focused on plan themes, an online comment map, and ideas wall. Provide input at your leisure and as ideas come up: feedback shared to date is highlighted in this recent online post.Check out the Facebook Page
The Volunteer Center is offering many volunteer service opportunities. Kids Against Hunger Event will be held on March 19th. Help pack nutritious meals for over 100,000 starving Nicaraguans.
The Trevian Girls Softball Association is adding 8-10 year olds to their spring and summer teams. Contact Kelsey Farmer for more information.
Wilmette Food Pantry is open every Tuesday 10:00-11:00 am at Trinity United Methodist Church.
"Best Step Tutoring” offers free online tutoring for PreK-12 grades.
February 26th Virtual Family Bingo Night…Purchase tickets now!
Need something different to do at home on a winter Saturday night? Join the D39 Educational Foundation from 6 - 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, for a virtual Family Bingo Night! We’ll recreate this popular event over Zoom, but the fun — and the prizes — will be REAL! CLICK HERE to register!. A $10 registration gets you the Zoom link, and each bingo card is $10. We look forward to seeing you there!
Spirit wear is now online and ordering is super easy!
Show your Hawks pride with a variety of spiritwear options!
CLICK HERE to get your orders in! Please contact Jen at spiritwear@highcrestpto.org with questions!
Highcrest After School Clubs
There is still space available in select After School Clubs at Highcrest… CLICK HERE to register!
Appreciation Certificates Available
Looking for a way to say thank you to a special teacher, staff member 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 D39 Educational Foundation's Gripp Grant program. Purchase your Appreciation Certificate here.
Order your 2021-22 HMS Yearbook!
CLICK HERE to order today!
Trex Plastic Bag Challenge
The Trex Plastic Bag Challenge is happening from November 15, 2021-April 15, 2022. Students, teachers and families (and the community at large) are asked to dispose of their plastic bags at conveniently located bins by the front office. Collections will be weighed and logged each week and will help HMS to compete against other middle schools nationwide. Plastic MUST be clean and dry. Questions? Please contact EnvironmentalAwareness@highcrestpto.org.
Membership Toolkit
AtoZ Connect is now powered by Membership Toolkit to bring you the best directory experience available. PTO memberships, directories, communications, online store, and more will all run through the newly improved online software. Click here if you haven’t already signed up!
To access the new 2021-2022 Highcrest PTO Directory, please visit https://highcrestpto.membershiptoolkit.com/. Bookmark this site now!
All announcements to be included in Headlines must be submitted via the Communications Request Form by Wednesdays at 2pm.