November 14, 2025

Save the date for a fun night with your friends at Centennial Ice Rink on December 19! Tickets will go on sale December 5, and spots are limited so mark your calendar!

'Tis the giving season! There's nobody more deserving than our incredibly hard-working HMS teachers and staff.

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.

Next month (December), Grade 6/ House 3: Flitz Heyde Eakley Facchini.

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!

Introducing New Check-In Feature for Building Visitors

As a way to streamline the check-in process for visitors to our buildings, District 39 and Raptor, our current visitor management platform, are proud to offer the Raptor Safe mobile app. Visitors who use the app can pre-verify their identity, allowing them to conveniently sign-in with a QR code at one of the Raptor kiosks in our buildings and immediately proceed to the front desk to be verified by our office team and receive their visitor's pass. A person’s individual QR code automatically refreshes and is verified by our office team to ensure security and prevent misuse.

The Raptor Safe app is available in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store and is free to download. Please visit Raptor’s website for more information on the Raptor Safe app.

Reminder: District 39 Procedures Regarding Outside Visitors

As always, 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 are not open to the public. We have designated specific areas as private and restricted during the school day (including 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. Below are some 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)

This Wednesday, at its monthly meeting, the Village of Wilmette’s Board of Trustees approved a new ordinance prohibiting the use of Village property for the staging, detention, processing, and operations of federal agents. This ordinance brings the Village’s practices and procedures into alignment with those already in place at our D39 schools. We are grateful for our close partnership with the Village and Police Department in helping to maintain the safety of our communities.

District 39 Angel Fund

The District 39 Angel Fund is a donation-based community fund which helps D39 families in financial need cover school and activity fees, including extracurricular activities such as athletics, band/orchestra, and student activities. The fund is supported entirely through contributions of families, residents, and community businesses. Your contribution can make a real difference!

Donations to the Angel Fund are tax-deductible and can be made online via RevTrak. Contributions of any dollar amount are appreciated and 100% of all donations go towards District 39 families in need. Please visit our Angel Fund webpage for more information.

Sign Up Now for Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences

If you have not already, families are encouraged to sign up for our fall parent/teacher conferences.

Conferences will take place Nov. 19-21, immediately preceding Fall Break (Thanksgiving week) and will be held virtually through the Meet the Teacher platform (in-person appointments are available by request). The registration window to reserve your time will close on Monday night (Nov. 17) at 11:59 pm.

Nominations Are Now Open for the District 39 Educational Foundation’s Innovative Educators Award!

Nominations are still being accepted for the D39 Educational Foundation’s Innovative Educators Award! The Innovative Educators award will recognize teachers who demonstrate excellence in innovative teaching and learning practices in their classrooms and who model the characteristics of the D39 Educational Foundation’s mission.

Parents/Guardians can nominate educators online through this brief Google nomination form. The nomination window will remain open until early December and all nominated educators will receive recognition from the Educational Foundation. Winners of the award, which carries a cash prize, will be announced to our community in February. Please contact Beth Karnes, Chair of the D39 Educational Foundation, with any questions.

Upcoming YouTube Restriction on District Devices

District 39 continues to focus on intentional use of technology in support of teaching and learning.

Beginning after Winter Break, our D39 network will restrict open access to YouTube for students on district-issued devices. In the event that YouTube access is required for an active learning lesson inside our classrooms, our educators will share a specific link through Edpuzzle, a trusted third-party app that is accessible by our students. Additionally, access to YouTube on your child’s district device will be restricted outside of our network through Securly Home.

Parent Education Events