Harper Happenings
March 11th - March 15th
What's Happening
Monday, March 11th
- Harper Open Gym, 6:30pm - 8pm
Tuesday, March 12th
- Dr. Kick and Mrs. Ryan's Birthday Lunch
General PTO Meeting: Special Cyber Safety Presentation: Monday, March 18th, 9:00am Harper Auditorium
PARENTING IN THE DIGITAL AGE, Presented to you by Tony DeMonte and Office Pavely
Join us for topics that include:
~ Creating boundaries with mobile devices
~ Online social content and cyber bulling
~ Live Snap Chat demo
~ Dangerous apps and inappropriate content
~ What is “The Momo Challenge?"
~ Privacy expectations for children
Please register for this event by clicking on the button on flyer. This event is open to all D39 schools and parents. PDF Flyer attached below
Dr. Kick's Corner
What a month March has been! The weather has kept our students inside more than we would like! It seems that a thaw is beginning to occur...It's hard to believe that we are nearing spring break. As a parent, I always love suggestions. Here are a few that might help with your spring break planning.
- With spring break approaching quite quickly, I thought I would suggest some fun and educational activities. Please know that this link has advertisements that aren't necessarily endorsed by D39 or me. https://www.parents.com/fun/vacation/tips/travel-activities-for-kids/
- If you aren't traveling, here are other ideas for your children: 1. Write a play/musical and then perform it for family/friends/neighbors. 2. Create homemade games and then play them. Use recyclable items from your home for the creation. 3. Write letters and create artwork to send to family/friends. 4. Help clean out clothes and toys and then pick a charity together for the donation. 5. Plan and then assist in the preparation of a meal or a dessert. 6. Purchase flower/vegetable seeds and then plant them in containers (consider using recyclable containers). Transplant them in outdoor pots/gardens in April/May/June.
Harper PTO
The Harper PTO NEEDS YOU!! Thank you to everyone who has already signed up to volunteer. You ROCK!
We still have several important spots left to fill so please 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. 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 created a very detailed and streamlined plan for you to follow and check the boxes for booking vendors and set up.
~Many of our activities are now vendor run, like games and bounce houses. How easy!
~Here’s your chance to rethink the “prize tent” giveaways. Stuffed animals?!
~The Hoedown is a Family Fun Festival and is not considered a school fundraiser so while fundraising is always a great idea, it certainly does not need to offer tons of raffle prizes. The choice is yours!
~This event can be yours to simplify or change. We just need a chair or co-chair to step forward and take the lead.
*It is a difficult decision, but if we don’t have a chair/co-chair step forward, then the PTO will have to cancel this event. Please help!
Environmental Chair:This spot has been beautifully reinvented by Aimee Stoltz. The responsible disposal and recycling process in our cafeteria runs itself. The GreenTeam is run by Harper staff. The Environmental Chair could be simply maintained through communication in Harper Happenings 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. Harper needs you, Planet Earth needs you!
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 bring in the coffee and donut holes for 5 PTO meeting.
~They also coordinate the end of the year PTO Luncheon. They find a host home (doesn’t have to be your own home), create an Evite that tells people to bring a salad or dessert. 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!
Other PTO positions still open:
Community Service Committee(there are 4 members already but they need more help): Help organize, communicate and promote donation drives throughout the year.
After School Clubs (1): Our clubs are run by the Park District so this job is about organizing and sending out communications in Harper Happenings.
Jr Great Books Reading Club (2): This is a fun kids book club that meets once a week during winter recess time. Lead the discussions. The reading material are predetermined.
Please consider joining an amazing group of Harper Parents! Thank you for your consideration! For further information; contact Carrie Diamond at carriediamond@mac.com or Sissy Polacek at polacek4@sbcglobal.net
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.
Yearbook
- Will your child receive his/her yearbook in June? It's not too late to order...click here!
Not sure if you ordered already? Go to www.jostensyearbooks.com and select "My Orders" or call Josten’s at 877-767-5217.
Library Volunteers
- The Sign Up Genius above has been updated to include the remaining volunteer dates for 2019 and there are many open dates for March! Please come and help out at the Harper Library! Thank you!
iGNITE! Enrichment Information
Thank you to iGNITE! for the following Enrichment Experiences!
- Mark you calendars with the below upcoming iGNITE! sponsored events:
- 4th Grade parents: We are pleased to be able to share with you Mike Byster and his amazing and unique Brainetics learning program to Harper on Wednesday, March 19th at 1:00pm. Come, watch, and learn with your student as Mike shares his system for solving complex match problems in his head. Can you solve 789/234 in your head faster than you can type it in a calculator? He can! You have to see it to believe it. Please RSVP with the flyer coming home.
- 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!
Community Service Corner & News
- On Thursday, March 14 Connections for the Homeless will be hosting one of their Milestone Celebrations. These are wonderful opportunities to honor participants who have been perseverant in working toward positive changes in their lives. At the Milestone they will also be recognizing a staff member and volunteer who live out Connection’s core values of equity and inclusion, community, transparency, generosity of spirit and resilience. Please join and see first hand the result of the contributions Harper has made. There will be a community dinner following the program. Please note that this event will be held at Beth Emet Synagogue, 1224 Dempster, Evanston. Please RSVP at: www.connect2home.org/milestones .
- Save the date! Finding Balance: Understanding how parental controls on iOS devices can help our students April, 8th 6:00-8:30pm New Trier East Campus See
- 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.
- New Trier High School's Winter Carnival! There will be something for everyone! March 15th, 5:30-9:00PM at NTHS Winnetka Campus There will be food, games, prizes and raffles, and all of the money raised will go to Habitat for Humanity! To celebrate our 25th year, we have added two awesome, new activities–Inflatable Bumper Cars and Glow in the Dark Mini-Golf! A preschooler will have just as much fun as an eighth grader! (See attached flyer.)
Kids Against Hunger is March 16 at The Winnetka Community House! For the ninth year, the Rotary Club of Winnetka-Northfield, the Volunteer Center and the Winnetka Community House join with Kids Against Hunger to host a food packing event at which 100,000 highly nutritious meals will be packed for distribution to starving children in Nicaragua. Over 400 participants from all over the North Shore are expected to participate in the day-long food packing event. This is a terrific community activity. Work side by side with people who share your interest in helping. It will take just two hours of your Saturday!
Individuals, families, local corporate volunteers, service and faith based groups, are invited to register at https://wnrotary-kah2019.eventbrite.com to pack during one or more of three two-hour shifts, and pay a $25 participation fee to cover a portion of the cost of the food, packaging materials and transportation expenses. Table sponsorships may be available for youth groups for whom the participant fee may be a barrier.
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.
New Trier Seniors host 25th Annual Winter Carnival March 15th, 5:30 - 9:00 pm.
SFX PREP Board hosts Family Service Center’s Presentation "Parenting in this Digital Era” held Thursday, April 4th, 7:00 - 8:30 pm at St. Francis Xavier’s School Atrium.
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 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 18th
- Harper Open Gym, 6:30 - 8pm
Wednesday, March 20th
- Fourth Grade Game Night!
- The Fourth Grade teachers are hosting a game night. These aren’t your every day games. These games are strategic games. So, get on your thinking cap! Your brain will grow.
- Time: 6:00-7:00pm
- Where: Harper Cafeteria
- Please RSVP by Monday, March 18th by clicking HERE
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