HMS Headlines
December 17, 2021
A MESSAGE FROM THE ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM
Dear HMS Families,
Spirit week, band and orchestra concerts, a choir performance, and fun all week long! We have had such a wonderful week before break, and are so grateful for all of the time we have enjoyed with our students this week. We also want to give a big thank you to our families for the generous gift cards and all of the warm wishes you have sent for a great winter break. We appreciate our partnership, and know we wouldn't be able to do our jobs without your help from home.
We wish you a wonderful two weeks off of school! May you find time to relax, enjoy your families and see friends, and disconnect from the busyness of life for a while. We will see you in 2022!
Be well,
Kelly, Linda, and Susie
2021 5-8 Winter Choir Concert
UPCOMING UNIT IN PE!
MATH AT HOME!
PARENT EDUCATION EVENTS
Thanks to those who attended this week's Parent Education Event:
Making Room for Ambivalence/Sadness and Silver Linings of COVID. In case you missed it, the presentation recording can be found here.
Our next parent education event is Wednesday, January 12th at 11am. It is titled Parenting in a Digital Age presented by Tony DeMonte, District 39 Administrator for Technology, Information, and Safety. 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
On behalf of our entire D39 faculty and staff, we wish you a joyful and healthy winter break!
Board of Education Meeting on Monday
The D39 Board of Education held its regular monthly meeting this past Monday. At the meeting, the Board accepted the FY21 audit and gave its approval to move forward with summer construction projects. The meeting agenda and materials as well as a video recording of the meeting are available online.
SHIELD Testing – Winter Break Schedule
SHIELD testing will be available tomorrow (Saturday, Dec. 18) from 8-11 am and during winter break on Tuesday, Dec. 21 and Tuesday, Dec. 28 from 3:30-6:30 pm at Wilmette Junior High. Any student who is registered for the program is welcome to access testing for free, regardless of vaccination status. Additional testing resources and locations are available on the D39 COVID-19 Testing Page. The IDPH and CCDPH strongly recommend testing regardless of vaccination status if you have traveled, gathered indoors with groups of friends or family, or are experiencing symptoms of any kind. Thank you for helping us keep our schools and community healthy and safe.
Travel Guidelines from CCDPH
All families should remain apprised of the domestic travel guidance and restrictions provided by the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) and international travel guidance from the CDC. Families must follow these guidelines for return to school. Regardless of vaccination status, domestic travelers should get tested 3-5 days after returning from their trip and monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days. D39 COVID-19 Testing Page offers a variety of options for testing.
Student Vaccination Information
Please upload your child(ren)’s vaccination status information via the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Additional instructions were sent out in an email titled “Student COVID Vaccine Information'' on Monday, Nov. 29. With more students becoming eligible for vaccination, we anticipate a review of health and safety protocols in January.
Parent Education Recording
This past Wednesday, District 39 continued its Parent Education series with its latest presentation, “Making Room for Ambivalence/Sadness and Silver Linings of COVID.” If you could not join the presentation live, you are invited to watch a recording here.
COMMUNITY NEWS
LINK: http://www.wilmette39.org/news/community_events
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 Wilmette Fire Department joins in sponsoring a toy drive to benefit children hospitalized at North Shore Evanston Hospital. New, unwrapped toys can be dropped off at the Wilmette Fire Department located at 1304 Lake Avenue through December 20th.
DCFS Foster Child Gift Drive: Families wishing to participate in a gift drive for foster children this December should contact Amy Bowen or Dana Drummer. See flyer for details.
The Volunteer Center is offering many volunteer service opportunities. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Event will be held on Monday, January 17, 2022. Participate in a variety of service projects in support of over a dozen area nonprofits. Good for all ages and abilities.
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.
THANK YOU!
Thank you to the generous Highcrest community for donating to the Holiday Gift Fund! Gift cards were delivered today to all staff members today. Thank you for contributing and showing them how much we appreciate all of their hard work. We hope you have safe and happy holidays!
Appreciation Certificates Available
Looking for a holiday gift 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.
Highcrest Spiritwear Makes the PERFECT Holiday Gift for your Hawk!
Show your Hawks pride with a variety of spiritwear options! Please contact Jen at spiritwear@highcrestpto.org to get your holiday orders in!
⏰ After School Clubs at Highcrest:
MARK YOUR CALENDARS… CLICK HERE to register!
The Highcrest PTO has worked with several vendors to offer a variety of fun and educational clubs. Registration for Winter Session for the following clubs will open on the Highcrest PTO site on Monday, December 6th at 9am:
• Aces Debate Club
• Chess-Ed
• High Five Junior Choir Club
• Skyline Theater
• Yearbook
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.
Order your 2021-22 HMS Yearbook!
CLICK HERE to order today!
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.