October 31, 2025

Hello Hawk Families,

What an incredible week we had, and what a fun way to end our celebrations with Halloween festivities throughout the school! Special shoutout to all those who have donated to our iGNITE fund. This allowed us to bring in two incredible student assemblies today! Check out the photos above to get a glimpse of the day!

In this week's newsletter, we focus on:

• Upcoming Events
• Notable Notes: Change in menu on Monday
• HMS PTO Updates
• D39 Updates
• Community News
• Hawk Handbook Highlights

We hope that you all have an amazing weekend ahead!

Go Hawks!

Anthony, Linda, + Susie

• October 30 - Credentials emailed to families for parent teacher conferences
• November 3 - Sign Ups for Parent Teacher Conferences begins
• November 4 - 6 - PTO Sponsored Book Fair; see PTO updates for more details
• November 5 - Progress Reports accessible through Power School.
• November 17 - Conference sign-ups close at 11:55 pm
• November 19 - 21 - HMS Conferences
• November 24 - 28 - Fall Break; No School

As we get all of our systems back up and running from the partial power outage on Thursday, an exhaust fan in our school kitchen needs repair. This means on Monday, we will be serving the following:

• Turkey Sandwich on French bread with Chips

We anticipate being up and running by Tuesday, but we will keep you informed should the menu change again.

Here is a timeline for your consideration for Parent Teacher Conferences:

• October 30 - Credentials emailed to families for parent-teacher conferences
• November 3 - Sign-ups for Parent Teacher Conferences begin
• November 17 - Conference sign-ups close at 11:55 pm
• November 19 - 21 - HMS Conferences

The Wilmette Wrestling Team will hold open gym practices on Mondays and Thursdays after school from 4 to 5 p.m. in November. Everyone is welcome to come and give wrestling a try. They will meet in Gym A at HMS. Their first practice will be on Monday, November 3rd. You can find more information on their website: wilmettewrestling.com

Friday was a fun day at Highcrest for our kids! Thanks to the contributions to the iGNITE fund, this is what your kids experienced at school:

5th Graders met Matt Wilhelm, BMX biking legend and all-around stunt superstar. Experienced jaw-dropping tricks and some inspiring life lessons — all from a guy who can do a backflip better than most of us can do a somersault.

6th Graders spent time with Joey FineRhyme, the “Climate Raptivist” who turns science, sustainability, and wordplay into one epic performance. Perhaps your students came home trying to rhyme “compost” with “almost.”

All of this awesomeness is possible thanks to the generosity of our Highcrest families. You can still contribute and help keep these and other programs (such as field trips) rolling. .

To contribute, please visit the iGNITE STORE. (Log in required). Not sure if you have already donated? You can check all your previous orders in My Account.

We need volunteers! Please sign-up for a shift HERE

Date: November 4 - 6, 2025

Time: 8:20am - 4:15pm

Special Event: Family Night on Nov 5, 5-8pm with La Cocinita Food

Calling all moms - on Nov 13, join us for the Mom’s Comedy Night Out!

When: Thursday, Nov 13 7:30pm (door opens at 6:30)

Where: Women’s Club of Wilmette (930 Greenleaf Ave, Wilmette)

Tickets are on sale HERE (Log in is required for purchase): https://www.highcrestpto.org/form/m/360419

Support Highcrest’s dedicated staff throughout the year! The PTO stocks the staff lounge with snacks and drinks throughout the year. Each House takes a turn purchasing requested items from the sign-up or donating to fund purchases.

This month (November), it is Grade 6/House 2 turn: Jansyn Gust Dubs Espinoza

Please visit the SUG to contribute items or visit HERE to donate.

We are thrilled to announce our fundraising partnership with Minted this holiday season. Please support the Highcrest PTO by using our unique promo code FUNDRAISEHIGHCREST to purchase your holiday cards and gifts from Minted this year. You’ll receive 20% off your order and 10% of each purchase will be donated back to us at the end of the year. Happy holidays!

Village of Wilmette Communication to Residents and District 39 Procedures Regarding Outside Visitors

We recognize that there is anxiety within our learning community regarding activity from outside agencies in Wilmette. As the Village shared in an email communication to residents on Wednesday, it is committed to fostering and promoting an inclusive community where all feel safe and welcome. The Village also provided some details regarding current protocol for the Wilmette Police Department in response to potential immigration enforcement activities. Below are links to resources that you might find helpful:

• Illinois Immigration Hub

• Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

• National Immigrant Justice Center

• Know Your Rights (printable card)

District 39 shares this commitment and reaffirms that it is our duty and highest priority to maintain our schools as safe places for students, staff, and families. During the school day, our schools have limited and restricted public access. We have designated specific areas as private and restricted during the school day (including any areas beyond our controlled front foyers as well as our playgrounds), which is applied to all visitors to our schools. Our protocols for visitors and for granting entry to our schools apply to all guests and help us to maintain safety and security for all.

We will continue to stay connected with the Village and will keep you updated in the event of any changes to Village policy that would affect our current procedures. Thank you for your partnership as we all work together to keep our learning community safe.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Our fall parent-teacher conferences will take place Nov. 19-21, immediately preceding Fall Break (Thanksgiving week). Conferences will be held virtually through the Meet the Teacher platform, with in-person appointments available by request. You should have received an email yesterday (Oct. 30) from District 39 with sign-in information, including login credentials. Sign-up for conferences will open on Monday (Nov. 3).

Board of Education

The Board of Education gathered on Monday evening for its monthly business meeting. During the meeting, the Board was presented with the Spring 2025 IAR Report (Illinois Assessment of Readiness) and Fall Enrollment Report and approved both the District’s e-learning plan, which must be renewed every three years per ISBE (Illinois State Board of Education) regulations, and the estimated 2025 tax levy. Additionally, the Board. Agendas and materials for all Board of Education meetings are posted online the Friday prior to the meeting.

Parent Education Events

Please mark your calendar for our next D39 Parent Education event, a presentation and meet-and-greet with acclaimed children’s book author Derrick Barnes, which is set for next Tuesday, Nov. 4. This will be an in-person only event at 7 pm in the Romona Elementary School auditorium. No registration is required and children are welcome to attend. Please visit our D39 Parent Education webpage for our full 2025-26 schedule as well as recordings from previous events.

District 39 Educational Foundation Bingo Night!

Join the fun at the D39 Educational Foundation’s Annual Bingo Night on Friday, Nov. 14 from 6-8 pm at the Highcrest cafeteria! Excitement is in the air as the cards are covered and everyone is on the edge of their seats ready to yell, “Bingo!” Winners select prizes from a table full of games, toys, and gift cards. This fundraiser is fun for the whole family. Visit the D39 Ed Foundation website for more information and to purchase your tickets.

The Wilmette Rotary plans to resume our Big Book Drive this fall, October 1 through November 14, 2025. They request donations of gently used books (excluding textbooks, old atlases, encyclopedias, and dictionaries) for our Book Drive in the fall. Check out the Big Book Drive page for more details.

Donations can be made to the HMS Book Drive Box beginning October 1. Our Bin(s) will be located in our main lobby for students to drop them off until November 14.

Ahead of the school year, it may be helpful to take a moment to review the following handbooks:

• HMS Student Handbook
• D39 Parent + Family Handbook
• D39 Mobile Learning Handbook

In particular, we emphasize taking time to review the following from the HMS Student Handbook:

• HAWKS Expectations
• Smartwatches + Personal Devices
• D39 Disciplinary Measures + Restorative Practices
• HMS Health & Safety

As a homework assignment, we request that students sign and return the letter of agreement and D39 Mobile Learning Contract. We appreciate your family reviewing these with your child this school year.

Hawk Headlines will be sent weekly on Fridays!

Next Edition Scheduled for Friday, November 7, 2025