Family Newsletter 2-4-26

School Announcements

Valentine's Day this year falls during school vacation, so students may choose to bring in valentines for their classmates on February 13. Please be sure that there is a valentine for every child in the class. Valentines may not include food or candy of any kind.



The preschool lottery is now open. Click HERE to apply. For more information, please visit our website.  


To contribute through UNIPAY: https://unipaygold.unibank.com/transactionInfo.aspx?CustomerID=380&TransID=28879


The Harvard PTO is partnering with the Worcester Railers Hockey Team for a Take Over Night! Get your discounted tickets today! www.gofevo.com/event/harvardps
The 2026 HES PTO Readathon is just around the corner!! Please join us in celebrating reading and enrichment over Winter Break. Last February, 170 students of Hildreth Elementary read 99,552 minutes during the 10 days of the 2025 Readathon! This could be the year they break 100,000 minutes!!

This optional activity takes place from Friday, Feb 13th through Sunday, Feb 22nd. All students are welcome to participate in the Readathon for certificates and a variety of other possible prizes (classroom visits from Officer Tim and Franny the Comfort Dog, gift certificates from LittleBee Bookshop, water bottle stickers, etc.). In addition to enrichment and supporting their literacy, the Readathon also helps support PTO grants through fundraising. These funds then return to the students to help support field trips, programs, and special requests.

For more information, please refer to the Readathon webpage or reach out to us directly at HESreads@gmail.com. 

Happy Reading!!
Danielle Miller and Jyothi Adicherla
HES PTO Readathon Co-Chairs

Click HERE to sign up to provide treats to the HES educators! 

Community Announcements Superstar Productions is excited to announce their spring musical, Alice in Wonderland Jr! Fall down the rabbit hole with Alice as she navigates the curious world of Wonderland on a journey of self-discovery. Alice in Wonderland Jr. features Disney favorites such as “The Golden Afternoon,” “The Unbirthday Song,” and “Painting the Roses Red” along with brand-new songs, including music from the 2010 live-action film.  Auditions take place Thursday March 5th. Rehearsals take place March through May, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30-5:30pm. Performances are May 8th and 9th.  Registration will open Monday, January 26 at 7:30 pm. The registration form will be posted on Superstar’s Website (superstarproductions.org) under the registration tab.  Registration fee: $445 Please email superstarproductionsma@gmail.com with any further questions Come explore the beautiful land surrounding Hildreth Elementary School this Winter and Spring, in this fun, hands-on, outdoor nature class! Students will learn about the seasonal changes in our woods as they explore the plants and animals around our school. We will meet Mondays directly after school, and classes will be small and will be held outdoors rain or shine.  Each session is five weeks long and the program fee is $85, with scholarships available. Registrations will be taken in the order we receive them.  Session 4:  March 2 - 30                           3:30-5:00 pm Session 5:  April 6 - May 11                       3:30-5:00 pm FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER: Email Heather at handsonnature@gmail.com.  Hands on Nature is a 501(c)(3) outdoor educational organization based in Berlin MA and information about our organization can be found on our website www.handsonnature.org. This program is not a Hildreth Elementary School sponsored event and is the sole responsibility of Hands on Nature. Snapology: Planes, Trains & Automobiles: Steam Train focus. HES half-day program. Wednesday, Feb. 4, 12:30 to 4 p.m. Snapology:  Mini-Figure Mania & Amusement Park Engineering. February break program. Monday, Feb. 16 through Friday, Feb. 20. Session options include Morning (9 a.m. to 12 p.m.), Afternoon (12:30-3:30 p.m.), or Full Day (9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.). Felting and Crafting: Little Pet Shop. School vacation 2-day program. Tuesday, Feb. 17 and Wednesday, Feb. 18. Session options include Morning (10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.), Afternoon (1 to 3 p.m.), or Full Day (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) Fivesparks class at HES! Canvas & Cocoa, 6 Tuesday sessions February 24-March 31.  2nd-5th graders. 4:15-5:30pm.  Harvard Youth Baseball & Softball Registration for softball, baseball & T-ball for Spring 2026 is open! We offer teams for boys and girls ages 4-12, no experience necessary. Please register at https://go.teamsnap.com/forms/503543 Free, optional winter clinics begin the week of January 19 at AtBats (235 Summer Rd, Boxboro):  Softball - Tuesdays 5-630PM 10U/12U Baseball - Thursdays 5-6PM Minors (U10), 6-7PM Majors (U12) Contact harvardyouthbaseball@gmail.com with any questions. PLAY BALL! Spring 2026 HSC Soccer Sign Up for Pre-K through High School! The Harvard Soccer Club's mission is to promote and enhance the game of soccer for the enjoyment of the youth and residents of the town of Harvard and Devens. We have multiple In-Town and Travel programs spanning Pre-K to High School. For In-Town, we have a Co-Ed U6 league that practices and plays on Saturday. We also have separate Boys U8 and Girls U8 programs with one practice per week plus games on Saturday. For Travel, we have separate Boys and Girls teams and Grade 3/4, Grade 5/6, Grade 7/8, high school, and PG teams across a range of skill levels. Two practices plus one Saturday game per week is typical. Represent your town with friends in the Nashoba Valley Youth Soccer League! If your child is just starting soccer or looking to grow their skills competitively, we have the programs to help! Normal price registration continues through the end of February. Please go to harvardsoccer.org to sign up. Celebrations Around the World Exhibit Arm in Arm, in partnership with the Children’s Room in the Harvard Public Library, present the Celebrations Around the World exhibit. Every month through May a holiday celebration will be honored in the display case in the Children’s Room. Want your Cultural Celebration on display? Have something to loan the HPL in support of a scheduled display? Please see Children’s Librarian or contact Arm in Arm at arminarm.townofharvard@gmail.com January display:  Carneval (Carnival), Italian holy festival, January 31- February 17 Registration Link:https://harvardpubliclibrary.libcal.com/calendar?cid=21089 Registration: https://harvardpubliclibrary.libcal.com/calendar?cid=21089

What do you do with a broken toaster, scissors that no longer cut, or a sweater with moth holes? Toss them? No way! HCIC is organizing the town’s first ever Repair Café at the Harvard Senior Center/COA, 16 Lancaster County Road, on Saturday, February 7th, from 1:00-3:00 pm. Volunteer repair experts will be available to make repairs free of charge for small electrical appliances, clothing, furniture, toys, and many other broken items. Visitors are asked to bring an item from home, plus one or two spares. If time permits, our repair experts will try to fix them all. Repairs of broken items will reduce the volumes of waste that fill our landfills, will save money, and will build community with neighbors helping neighbors. For more information or to pre-register (highly encouraged!), please visit https://harvardmaclimateinitiative.org.

Town Charter at Ten Years: Share Your Thoughts and Feedback

Adopted in 2018, the Harvard Town Charter sets how town government is organized, who holds decision-making authority, and the town’s broad powers to manage its affairs, including finances. Every ten years, the Town reviews the Charter to see what’s working well and what might need to change.

A nine-member Charter Review Committee has been appointed to lead this review. The committee will hold its first public forum on Tuesday, February 10 at 7:00 PM via Zoom to hear from the community. All residents are encouraged to attend and share their thoughts.

The meeting agenda and zoom link can be found here;  https://www.harvard-ma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_02102026-1284The Town Charter can be found on the town website here:  https://ecode360.com/33302294 

Can’t make the meeting? Email your feedback to charterreview01451@gmail.com. Committee meetings will continue, and all residents are welcome to attend and speak during public comment. Dates will be posted on the Town website once scheduled.