HIGHCREST HEADLINES
August 25, 2023
A Message from the Administrative Team
Thank you for all of your patience as we have managed the heat wave in our schools over the past couple of days. While not a traditional start to the school year, we have been able to ease into our routines, and the students are feeling increasingly confident as they make their way to their classes and learn more about their peers and teachers. Regardless of the weather, it has been wonderful to see the building coming alive with the sights and sounds of school this week!
We hope you received the email regarding the student handbook yesterday. The handbook is linked below for your reference, and should be reviewed at home together as a family. Please sign the last page with your child, and turn it in to your child's homeroom teacher.
We are grateful to the PTO iGNITE fund for sponsoring Lloyd Bachrach and his Yes You Can! assembly for our fifth graders to kick off the school year. Mr. Bachrach's message of persistence and positivity will be sure to get us all started in a positive direction. Ask your child about this exciting event that happened today!
6th Grade:
Yesterday, students received their iPads after watching a distribution video to remind them of expectations when using their school devices. At that time, they were also given a copy of the Mobile Learning Contract. Parents and students must initial, sign, and return the last page to their homeroom teachers. Please remind students to come to school with their devices fully charged every day. In the upcoming days, students will be participating in additional iPad Bootcamp activities.
5th Grade:
On Friday, 5th grade students received their iPads and attended an iPad orientation session. On Monday, students will participate in iPad Bootcamp and devices will be sent home that evening along with the Mobile Learning Contract. Please be on the lookout for an email from Maayan Sloan, the 5th Grade Tech Integration Specialist, for more information on Monday
We wish you a wonderful weekend, and look forward to seeing you Monday!
Kelly, Linda, and Susie
5th GRADE CONNECTIONS
ALL FIFTH GRADERS WILL NEED TO BRING A LUNCH ON FRIDAY 9/1 for the Connections day. Please plan accordingly!
HMS STUDENT HANDBOOK
HIGHCREST FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL
HOMEWORK CLUB
CURRICULUM NIGHT
Curriculum Night is an event for parents to visit the school, learn about classes, and meet their child's teachers. This year we will have a schedule where parents visit each class on their child's schedule. Schedule overviews are posted below. On your child's Curriculum Night, there will be a schedule and map created for you in your child's homeroom. All you need to know is their homeroom teacher's name, and we will take care of the rest! See more information below.
5TH GRADE CURRICULUM NIGHT: THURSDAY, August 31, 2023 from 6:00 - 8:15 PM *
6TH GRADE CURRICULUM NIGHT: TUESDAY, September 5, 2023 from 6:00 - 8:15 PM *
*PLEASE NOTE that 6:00 - 6:15 is and informational session for those participating or interested in participating in Band, Orchestra, or Choir this year.
BAND, ORCHESTRA, CHOIR
5th Grade Band, Choir, and Orchestra Enrollment
5th grade students have the amazing opportunity to join a music ensemble this year! Students will be learning more about the ensembles from the band, choir, and orchestra teachers next week during the music presentations during school. Parents can attend a presentation during 5th Grade Curriculum Night (Thursday, August 31) at 6:00 PM in the HMS Auditorium for more information. You can click the link below to complete the online music enrollment form:LATE BUS
The bus picks up at Wilmette Junior High at about 4:40 and comes to HMS at 4:45 PM to bring students home. The students choose the bus for their area of Wilmette, share their address with the bus driver, who will then get them within a few blocks of their house.
The Late Bus will start its service on THURSDAY, AUGUST 24.
DISTRICT 39 UPDATES
Thank you for your flexibility and support as we navigated the heat and the opening of the 2023-24 academic year. It was so nice to see smiles on the faces of our students and staff this week as we raised the curtain on another school year. We hope that it is a wonderful year for all, filled with joy, progress, and growth.
Student Attendance is Critical to School Success
We believe that students are most successful in achieving their personal and academic goals when they are present in school. Research supports this too! A successful school experience starts by supporting students in coming to school regularly and on time. This fall, we will be reminding families of the importance of attendance and families will receive increased communication from the school as absenteeism increases. Attendance can be viewed by parents at any time by logging on to the PowerSchool Parent Portal and clicking ‘attendance history’. If you have specific questions about attendance records in PowerSchool, please reach out to your child’s school office. Additional information regarding student attendance and a variety of other important topics is available within the District 39 Parent Handbook.
Parent Education Events
We are proud to host a variety of Parent Education Events for our D39 families throughout the school year. We have compiled a fantastic lineup for our series this year and these sessions will be filled with great tips, guidance and support for our parents! Make plans now to join us for our next event titled “Supporting your Neurodivergent Learner: Strategies for Success” on Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 11 am. This presentation will be hosted at Central School and parents can join us via Zoom or in-person at Central. Our first Parent Education event of the year, “Feeling Safe in District 39 Schools,” is available for your review via the recorded or slide deck presentation. Please check out our Parent Education page for our full schedule of Parent Ed events and registration links.
Board of Education Meetings
Our Board of Education will come together for its first regular meeting of the 2023-24 school year on Monday, Aug. 28 at 7 pm at the Mikaelian Education Center. The evening will start with a Budget Hearing before transitioning to its traditional business meeting. The Board will hear presentations on FY24 budgets for both D39 and WCSEA (Wilmette Community Special Education Association) and will also hear updates on Summer 2023 construction projects and Summer 2024 construction planning. Materials for the meetings will be posted here on the Friday prior to the meeting.
Looking For Fulfilling Work? Join Our District 39 Team!
District 39 is looking for caring and qualified individuals to join our D39 team! We are accepting applications for substitute teachers, substitute nurses, substitute cooks, and paraprofessionals! If you are interested, or know of someone who may be interested in working as part of a dynamic team in a vibrant and welcoming setting, please visit our D39 employment webpage.
Follow District 39 On Social Media!
Make sure to follow our District 39 social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram for fun and engaging content and events from around the District!
COMMUNITY NEWS
Link: https://wilmette39.ss9.sharpschool.com/cms/one.aspx?portalId=360930&pageId=993841
Destination Imagination (DI) is open for registration. DI is a STEAM problem-solving competition for kids K-12. The teams of 4-66 kids have parent coaches and compete at a tournament. The teams create a skit with specific creative and technical components and also practice building and acting instant challenges. More information including info sessions and the sign-up form at Wilmette DI here
Central Elementary School Cub Scout Pack 5: Attention Kdg - 4th graders! Join the Rocket Launch event Sunday, September 10 at 4:00 pm at Central School field to learn about Cub Scouts and help build and launch a rocket. Upcoming events include First Cub Scout meeting - Tuesday, September 19 at 7:00 pm; Saturday/Sunday September 30 - October 1 - cub Scout Campout.Contact Pack 5 leadership with any questions: cubscoutpack5wilmette@gmail.com
Looking to start the school year out with service? Attend a "Sip and Sort" on September 13th at 6pm where you can sort baby and toddler items that will go to families in need while socializing with other North Shore families. Children ages 6+ welcome! Event registration here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sip-sort-with-share-our-spare-tickets-628547371107 More info about the organization, Share Our Spare, here: https://shareourspare.org/ Please contact Lauren Swift at laurenswift10@gmail.com with any questions.
- August 27th from 12 pm – 2 pm – Kids Connect at Central Elementary Playground
- September 10th from 3 pm – 5 pm – Kids Connect at Central Elementary Playground
- September 13th from 6 pm to 8 pm – Ice Cream Social for Parents only at Mikaelian Education Center
See more events in our newsletter PASS39 2023 Welcome Back Letter.
The Wilmette Stars Special Olympics Team will have its first basketball skills practice on Tuesday, October 10 from 4:00 - 4:45 pm at McKenzie Elementary School. Practices will be held on Tuesdays through the second week of December. Students in grades 3-8 with an intellectual disability are eligible to participate at no cost. All athletes receie a uniform. The program is registered with Special Olympics of Illinois. Contact Joe Taylor at taylorjo@wilmette39.org or 224-220-4736 for more information.
Special Gifts Theatre presents High School Musical Jr. September 2023 - March 2024. This program is for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities ranging in age from 10-22 years. The musical theatre program held at The Skokie School in Winnetka on Mondays 4:15-5:30 pm has openings for students and peer mentors. See flyer for details.
GOODFEST~RIBFEST at St. John’s Wilmette: Backyard BBQ’s Ribfest will be held Saturday, September 23 from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. Goodfest featuring local bands will entertain from 5:00 - 10:00 pm. Portions of the proceeds go to Family Promise North Shore.
Wilmette Historical Museum presents Auto Historica XIX: Muscle Memories Sunday, September 24 12:00 - 3:00 pm 609 Ridge Road.
New Trier Township offers a Food Pantry 10am - 4pm weekdays for families that live/work in the township. NT Township also offers Emergency Financial Assistance, Legal Aid Clinic, property tax assistance, social service referrals and other available resources. Go to www.newtriertownship.com for more information.
Wilmette Food Pantry is open every Tuesday 10:00-11:00 am at Trinity United Methodist Church.
Get Involved at HMS!
The Highcrest PTO is an 80+ person volunteer organization that links together parents, teachers, and students to further enrich HMS experiences for our kids. We facilitate events like 5th Grade Connections, Freaky Friday and the Beach Bash; Parent Speaker Series (in place of General PTO Meetings), After School Clubs (i.e. Skyline Theater, High-Five Choir/Debate/Chess/Yearbook), Fall Book Fair, Enrichment, Make a Difference Day, Environmental Awareness, and School Store.
But we need your help to get it all done! We have many different volunteer roles listed here: PTO OPENINGS
More sign-up opportunities are coming for Freaky Friday and other events. Watch future Headlines for sign ups!
Please email Jennifer at president@highcrestpto.org for more information on getting involved.
House Parent Volunteers Needed
The PTO is recruiting House Parents! House Parents will work with the House's 4 teachers and the PTO to organize needed volunteers for school activities and communicate to parents of other students in the House as needed. If you are interested in being a House Parent for your Highcrest student's House, please complete THIS FORM by September 1. We will use a lottery system and randomly select a parent for each House from the submitted forms. Thank you!
Stock the Teacher’s Lounge
Help to stock the Teacher's Lounge with snacks and drinks to thank our wonderful teachers for all that they do! Please use the signup genius HERE to help stock the lounge!
Membership Toolkit Directory Information
On Monday, 8/21, you received an email from Membership Toolkit Directory that outlined how to join the PTO/get access to the school directory (including class lists). In this app, you are also able to contribute to iGNITE (our main fundraiser), purchase Birthday Books and contribute to the Teacher's Holiday Gift Fund, which is a one-time gift given before winter break. If you haven’t received this important email, please contact directory@highcrestpto.org or click here.
Volunteer Opportunities
There are so many ways to get involved at Highcrest! See links below to sign-up:
School Store - Hawk Hut sign-ups are available on Wednesdays during lunch
Lunch Duty - Volunteer to help with lunch on Tuesdays, Thursdays or Fridays
PTO Positions - There’s lots of ways to get involved! Click to see open positions.
Order Your Yearbook!
Yearbooks are available to order now. Click HERE to order your 2023-2024 HMS yearbook!
Fall After School Clubs
Chess-Ed
Chess-Ed provides unique, exciting, and dynamic chess instruction which lifts each student to a new level of expertise. Each week, students will enjoy an engaging lesson with supervised time to play classmates. Students will grow their knowledge of the game from basics through opening theory, middle game tactics and end game combinations. Students’ vocabulary and math skills will continue to advance. Studies confirm students who play chess do better academically. Playing chess increases IQ performance, improves memory, uses analytical and critical thinking skills, teaches problem solving, responsibility, sportsmanship, social skills and more. The chess program is open to all students in all grades and of all playing levels.
Club dates/times: THURSDAYS 3:45-4:45, Fall Session: 9/21, 9/28, 10/5, 10/12, 10/19, 10/26, 11/2, 11/9, (No School-11/16- PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES), (No class 11/23 Thanksgiving), 11/30, 12/7, and 12/14
Club fee: $198 through 9/7, $208 (9/8-9/15), $228 (9/16-10/5)
High Five Junior Choir
The Wilmette High Five Junior Choir provides an empowering learning environment in which students of all abilities come together to create and experience music, build friendships, and raise awareness against stereotypes of individuals with disabilities. This club was designed after the High-5 Choir offered at New Trier High School. The Wilmette High Five Junior Choir aims to share the love of music with peers regardless of abilities, share our voices through music, and have a lot of fun!
• Club dates/times: Thursdays 3:45-4:45 pm on the following dates: 10/5, 10/12, 10/19, 10/26, 11/2, 11/9, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 1/11, 1/18. An afternoon concert will be held on 1/25. There will also be an evening choir concert in tandem with HMS & WJHS choirs in December, date TBA
• Club fee: $125
• Registration opens 8/30 at 9:30am
Skyline Studios: Matilda Jr
Packed with high-energy dance numbers, catchy songs and unforgettable characters, Matilda is a magical musical theater experience. Children and adults alike will be thrilled and delighted by the story of the special little girl with an extraordinary imagination.
Skyline's Broadway Performers is a no-cut program designed for middle school actors. Performers will be challenged by a professional teaching artist, and level up by learning advanced performance skills such as solo vocal technique, sophisticated character development, complex blocking, and challenging musical theater choreography.
• Club dates/times: Wednesdays 3:45-5:45; 9/27-12/10 (no class 11/22), show is 12/20
• Club Fee: $370
• Registration opens 8/30 at 9:30am
Yearbook Club
Do you want to learn how to produce and promote our HMS Yearbook? Do you enjoy photography? Do you enjoy being part of a team? Then come be a part of the team that will organize photos for our annual yearbook and create videos for broadcast, promoting the sale of yearbooks.
• Club dates/times: Tuesdays at 8am, 10/10-12/19 (no meeting on 11/21)
• Club fee: $120
• Registration opens 8/30 at 9:30am
Aces Debate Club
Learn research, writing, and oral argumentation. Programs for beginning and experienced debaters, 5th thru 8th grade! All programs consist of weekly class sessions held at HMS for 60 minutes with supplemental debate activities. All programs conclude with a 2-hour session to give students an opportunity to demonstrate their new skills in full debates.
• Club dates/times: Thursdays 3:45-4:45pm (Intermediate/Advanced Debate), Fridays 3:45-4:45pm (Intro to Debate)
• Club fee: $275
HMS Spiritwear
Your Highcrest PTO is thrilled to announce our new spirit wear partnership with humanKIND, locally owned by a D39 Alum! Order featured items OR create your own! Local pickup available at no additional cost. Check it out by scanning the QR code below or click here.