Harper Happenings
December 3rd - December 7th
What's Happening
Monday, December 3rd
- Gift Wrapping event, Harper Cafeteria, 9 am (see Community Service section for details)
Friday, December 7th
- Harper Spirit Day--every Friday wear your Harper gear!
Assistant Principal Ryan's News to Note
It's the most wonderful time of the year! Music fills our halls as choir prepares for the winter concert, and our rooms are full of vibrant teaching and learning. We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are able to find ways to enjoy the snow.
Our field is full of fun student snow creations as kids spend their recess playing in the snow. Please remember to send your child with a warm coat, hat and mittens every day! If there is snow, students need boots and snow pants in order to play in the snow. It is a good idea to have extra socks and mittens in your child's locker.
Students go out to recess every day if the temperature (including wind chill) is five degrees or warmer.
If the morning temperature is 10 degrees or cooler, students will line up inside of the building.
December 1st: Registration opens for Connecting Kids pre-school 19-20 school year
2019-2020 Connecting Kids Preschool Openings
Housed within Romona School is the Connecting Kids Preschool Program. The half-day sessions for three, four and five year-old children are specifically designed to prepare children for District 39 kindergarten classrooms. With structured play, planned pre-academic instruction, differentiated learning, and vocabulary development, Connecting Kids provides an excellent foundation for all children. Reserve a spot for your child in next fall's three, four or five year-old classes. Registration opens on December 1, 2018 and closes on January 31, 2019. Registration forms can be found online here. If space is available, registration is ongoing until classes are filled.
Call Amanda Barton, Early Childhood Coordinator, at 847-512-6463, or visit www.wilmette39.org to learn more about this exceptional District 39 program.
Interested in enrolling your three, four or five year old in Connecting Kids pre-school this school year? There are still openings! Visit the above link or call Amanda Barton!
The Illinois 5Essentials Student Survey
The Illinois 5Essentials Student Survey
The 5Essentials Survey provides school districts with detailed data on school culture and climate. Students in grades 4 - 8 will participate in the Illinois 5Essentials Survey during the week of December 10th, 2018. Students’ identities will be completely confidential. Please be aware that you have the right to review a copy of the student questions which can be found on the Illinois 5Essentials website. If you have questions or concerns, please contact 5Essentials Client Services at 1-866-440-1874.
If you do not want your child to participate, please email your child’s classroom teacher.
Qball Gripp Grant: Thank you Education Foundation!
Get ready for The Qball! The District 39 Education Foundation approved a Gripp Grant that will bring five Qball microphones, with JBL flip 4 speakers, to our elementary schools. This microphone ball sends a student’s voice via bluetooth to a speaker that amplifies their comments for all to hear. It can be passed or tossed around a classroom as students share answers to questions, read aloud text, contribute to conversation, and uniquely engage with their peers and teachers. So when your student says “I threw a ball around math class today” or “I used a microphone to read my writing to the class” you will know they used the Qball!
Sphero Gripp Grant: Thank you Education Foundation!
Coming Up/Reminders
Monday, December 10th-21st
- Winter Gear Drive for Connections
Thursday, December 13th
- Before School Chorus Winter Concert
Monday, December 17th
- D39 Board of Ed Meeting, MEC, 7-9 pm
Tuesday, December 18th
- Dr. Kick December Birthday Lunch
Winter After School Clubs Information!
- Winter Clubs start at Harper school on January 7, 2019!
- Registrations begin for students on December 11th. Please click and download the PDF below which provides details on available clubs and how to sign up! All clubs are run through the Wilmette Park District.
iGNITE! Enrichment Information
Thank you to iGNITE! for the following Enrichment Experiences!
iGNITE! and AmazonSmile
- Thank you for everyone who has donated to the Harper iGNITE! fund this year. We are so close to reaching our goal and would appreciate your support if you haven't yet done so. Remember, every dollar goes back to the kids! Donate here!
- For those of you that have donated, the iGNITE! tax letter can be found on the Harper PTO website, under Parent Resources. Click here to find it.
- For your kind donation, we're offering a Harper Elementary Dolphins car magnet. These will be in a basket in the front foyer. Please, if you've donated to iGNITE!, you're welcome to take one to show your Harper pride!
AmazonSmile
- Want to help the Harper PTO from the comfort of your home? Go to smile.amazon.com and choose to support Harper Parent Teacher Organization as your donation organization. The PTO will receive 0.5% of eligible purchases. Happy Shopping!
Enrichment Update
- 2nd grade classes will be taking a trip to the Wilmette Historical Society December 4th and 6th. Museum tour looks at “Wilmette Then and Now” and gets students thinking about how the village has changed over time.
- Your K-4th Grade Students have participated in the iGNITE! sponsored Mindfulness Program this week! Please see the PDF below for details of what they learned and any take home work/challenges.
FAN (Family Action Network)
Upcoming dates...
- Co-author, television host and culture expert on the Emmy-winning Netflix reboot of Queer Eye Karamo Brown to talk about 'Know Thyself: Using Your Uniqueness to Create Success’ Wed, Dec. 5, 7PM Evanston Township High School Auditorium 1600 Dodge Ave., Evanston, IL 60201. The event will not be recorded.
- If you would like to sign up for the FAN newsletter, click here!
Community Service & News
- Monday, December 3rd
- Gift Wrapping Event (benefiting UIC Children’s Craniofacial Clinic)
- New toys that were donated last week will need to be wrapped. We’ll have a wrapping party in the Harper Cafeteria on Monday, December 3rd at 9:00am – please join us! We ask volunteers to bring scissors and tape, and are looking for wrapping paper donations as well! Please see PDF attached below for more info!
- December 10th-21st
- Winter Gear Drive (benefitting Connections for the Homeless)
- New and gently used winter gear for Connections families (adult and children). Items needed: winter coats, gloves and hats, warm socks, boots, blankets and sleeping bags, disposable hand and foot warmers, and long underwear!
LINK: http://www.wilmette39.org/news/community_events
Love to sing? Youth Choral Theatre of Chicago offers a free vocal training class with flyer. Classes available for children ages 4-18.
Loyola Ramblerettes offer 3rd-8th grade girls the opportunity to learn a holiday dance and perform at halftime on December 11th.
Trevian Girls Softball Association host tryouts for students born 2008 & 2009 on December 2nd, 2:00 - 3:00 pm
Loyola Ramblerettes host Holiday Dance Session December 11th for 3rd-8th grade girls
Wilmette Park District’s Saturday Basketball registration is open for boys & girls grades 4-8.
Wilmette Park District is hosting a Holiday Hustle exercise challenge November 26-December 23. Also the Center Fitness Club schedule and various 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.
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