October 17, 2025
Welcome Hawks!
HMS x WJHS Orchestra!
We đź’™ đź’› our collabs with WJHS! Our students showcased their early work with student to student showcase, Hallo-Strings!
Artists at Work!
🎨 Ms. Serrata pulls all the stops in art class! Students work with such a variety of supplies and mediums.
PTO Hawk Hut Success!
đź›’ Shout-Out to our PTO volunteers for hosting a great Hawk Hut in October! We can't wait for more huts to come!
As we prepare for our early release schedule on Friday, October 31, we wanted our Highcrest Families to have some tips for success.
Q: What are the school day hours that day?
A: The school day will run from 8:37 AM through 11:46 AM.
Q: Can students dress up for Halloween that day?
A: Yes! Students can dress up in school and age-appropriate costumes, but there are some limits to consider.
Q: Are there limits or restrictions for costumes that day?
A: Yes! For the school day, students should not:
- Bring props (weapons, toys, light-sabers) for their costumes
- Wear masks or face paint
- Need to prepare and get dressed in any of the costumes while at school, come prepared
- Wear inflatables as they will be in the deflated state throughout the school day
Additional considerations:
- Students should be comfortable and wear shoes that allow them to navigate the stairs and building.
Candy While at School
We've heard from students that on their way to school, they are stopping with their bikes at a store like a Walgreens and picking up bags of candy, like bags of Jolly Ranchers. Students then pass these out and even attempt to sell them to peers before or after school. We imagine there may even be attempts to sell throughout the school day. Please help us by reminding students that they should not buy or sell materials at school, nor should they share food or candy here at school. We appreciate any reinforcement you can help provide in partnership with our school!
Save the date for the Highcrest Book Fair!
November 4 - 6, 2025
8:20am - 4:15pm
La Cocinita Food Truck at the Fair: November 5 from 5-8 pm
Students will be invited to enter a heroes-themed writing contest via Schoology!
We need volunteers to make the Book Fair a success. Please sign-up for a shift HERE
Collaboration between Highcrest & Northwestern Baseball!
Dear Highcrest Families,
We’re excited to invite you to Highcrest Day at Northwestern Baseball on Sunday, October 19, for an afternoon of fun and community spirit!
- Game Time: 1:00 p.m. – Northwestern vs. University of Chicago
- Special Access: Starting at 12:30 p.m., Highcrest families will enjoy exclusive access to Northwestern’s practice facilities.
Students are encouraged to bring their creativity! They can design signs to cheer on the Wildcats, and the winning sign will earn a baseball signed by the entire Northwestern team.
This event is part of our ongoing partnership with Northwestern University Baseball, now in its second year. Through this collaboration, we aim to strengthen connections between our schools and create meaningful opportunities for students.
In the coming months, Northwestern players will visit homerooms to share tips on:
- Balancing academics with other interests
- Setting and achieving goals
- Managing time effectively
- Succeeding in middle school
We’re thrilled to continue this growing partnership and look forward to more unique experiences ahead. Stay tuned for updates—and we hope to see you at the game!
Go Wildcats! Go Hawks!
The Big Book Drive: Rotary Club
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.