Harper Happenings
February 25th - March 1st
What's Happening
Monday, February 25th
- Staff Appreciation Week! See details below.
- Students should bring 3 flowers for staff.
- Board of Education Meeting, MEC-7:00pm
Tuesday, February 26th
- Send in K-cups for Harper staff
Thursday, February 28th
- 2nd Grade Choral Concert 9:30am
Friday, March 1st
- Return staff thank-you notes. (See template below.)
- D39 Educational Foundation Family Bingo Night at Highcrest Middle School. More details below!
Assistant Principal Ryan's News to Note
A pillar of our success at Harper is the community relationship we value and appreciate. Our Open House was a celebration and reflection of this relationship. At 6:30 our halls flooded with families made of current and past students who raced through the halls to see teachers, find their artwork, locate the music room, and more. Thank you for this partnership, we truly believe it makes a difference in how we grow children at Harper.
- Please know that Monday will be the last day to view report cards through the online system for your child.
- Spirit Day Announcement: Student Council is sponsoring a dress as your favorite book character on Friday, March 1st to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday! (If your child participates please keep our Halloween costume rules in mind for their attire.)
- 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.
Board of Education Meeting
The monthly Board of Education meeting is Monday, February 25th 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.
- 2018-19 Strategic Plan Update - continuing initiatives
- Summer Construction Highcrest Phase II
- Addressing E-Cigarette Use in D39
Coming Up/Reminders
Sunday, March 10th
- Going Green Matters Fair-Michigan Shores 12-4pm. The area’s most comprehensive environmental fair. You will walk away knowing a lot more than when you came in!
Monday, March 18th
- 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!
Staff Appreciation Week Info!
- Staff Appreciation Week begins! Donate k-cup pods for the teacher’s lounge all week. And, each child should bring 3 flowers for teacher/staff bouquets.
- Please return the teacher/staff thank you's (see link below) directly to your child's teacher.
- Staff Appreciation Week is February 25-March 1! Please volunteer to help through your room parent to provide food and beverages for the staff. Print the following thank you for your child's teachers and staff members HERE.
- Have your child write what they love the most about their teachers/staff members and return it directly to your child's teacher anytime during the week. Monday, February 25th is Flower Day-each child should bring three flowers for teacher/staff bouquets. All week long you can donate pods for the k-cup in the teacher's lounge.
Harper PTO
Harper PTO 2019-2020 OPEN Positions
Below you will find the title of the role, number of people we need and a contact person should you have questions. NEW to the list: Movie Night.
Things are filling up so please consider contributing your time to one of the jobs below!
• MOVIE NIGHT (2)
• Community Service (4)- contact Laura Geiger or Ari Holt
• Community Review Committee (2)- contact Sheetal Shah
• Kindergarten Enrichment- contact Heather Smith
• 2nd Grade Enrichment- contact Lisa Ginsberg
• Environmental Affairs (1 or 2)- Aimee Stoltz
• Planters/Large pots at the front door of Harper
• Harper Hoedown (2 co-chairs and a general committee of 4/5)
• Hospitality (2)- contact Theresa Bittenbender
• Jr. Great Books (2)- contact Christine Blum or Kara Gillespie
• Nominating- contact Sissy Polacek
• SchoolKitz- contact Erica Lockwood
• Yearbook Assistants (we still need 1)- contact Amadee Scheele or Jesse SchirmangFor any other general questions regarding the Harper PTO, please contact Sissy Polacek
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!
- Students have participated in the final iGNITE! sponsored Mindfulness Program! Please see the PDF below for details of what they learned and any take home work/challenges. Please click HERE and complete an optional parent survey regarding this program.
Harper's Green Corner
- Calling all Green Team members past and present! The EA committee is looking for volunteers for the D39 PTO table at the Going Green Matters Fair on Sunday, March 10 from 12-4pm at Michigan Shores Club. Shifts are 1 hour long. Interested in sharing what Harper has done? Please contact Aimee Stoltz @aimee_prunier@yahoo.com. Thank you!
D39 Educational Foundation Bingo Night
- B-I-N-G-O! Enjoy a night of family fun at D39 Education Foundation's Annual Family Bingo Night on Friday, March 1st at the Highcrest Middle School cafeteria! Multiple rounds, multiple winners, multiple prizes! Doors open at 6PM and the event runs from 6:30-8PM. This is not a drop-off event. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Proceeds fund school district Gripp Grants.Space is limited so buy your tickets today. Event tickets, food and beverages for sale at d39foundation.org
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
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 Public Library hosts Maker Fest on February 23rd, 10:30-2:30.
Wilmette Baseball Association has opened registration for spring leagues. 4th grade registration is closing soon with evaluations on February 23rd.
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