Family Newsletter | February 11, 2026
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Dear HES Families,
The Patriots may not have prevailed in the Super Bowl, but they sure trounced the Seahawks in the HES SOUPER Bowl! Students earned points for bringing in cans of soup and doing acts of kindness. We collected over 500 cans of soup to donate to Loaves and Fishes. Thank you for your generosity and kindness!
Last Friday we celebrated the 100th day of school with parades, projects, and fun!
February vacation is next week! Please be sure to check out all the information below about the Readathon sponsored by the PTO. In addition, once again 5th graders will leave their iPads in school over vacation. After break, we look forward to seeing you at our annual HES Family Game Night!
Have a great week!
Rebecca and Hilary
Dr. Rebecca Katsh-Singer, Principal
Mrs. Hilary Sturgis, Assistant Principal
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Upcoming Dates
Friday, February 13: Husky Headlines, grades 3-5, 8:00 am
Monday, February 16- Friday, February 20: NO SCHOOL
Tuesday, February 24: BeyBlade Club, grades 3-5, 8:15 am
Thursday, February 26: HES Game Night, Cafeteria, 5:00-7:00 pm
Friday, February 27: Yearbook Meeting, grade 5, 8:00 am
Tuesday, March 3: BeyBlade Club, grades 3-5, 8:15 am
Wednesday, March 4: Half Day, Dismissal at 12:15 pm, no PreK
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Spring 2026 MCAS Dates
March 31 and April 1: English Language Arts (grades 3-5)
May 5 and 6: Math (grades 3-5)
May 12 and 13: Science and Technology/Engineering (grade 5 only)
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Attention Grade 4 Families: Nature's Classroom next fall will be October 19-23, 2026. Please contact Marie Phillips with any questions.
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School Announcements
 Valentine's Day falls during school vacation, so students may choose to bring in valentines for their classmates this Friday, 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.
This year we are once again participating in Valentine's for Veterans. The Karson and Kennedy morning show on Mix 104.1 collects Valentine's Day cards to deliver to local veterans, and our students have made some gorgeous valentines! Thank you to speech and language pathologist Lynne Copeland for coordinating this opportunity for our students to support our local veterans!
 The preschool lottery is open through February 25. Click HERE to apply. For more information, please visit our website.
 Fall kindergarten enrollment for children turning 5 on or before August 31, 2026 will begin on February 9. Students must live in Harvard or Devens and submit a proof of residency. Click HERE for additional information and to start online registration.
Please contact Jessica Reynolds at jreynolds@psharvard.org with any questions.
 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!
Harvard Public Schools PTO – Annual Spring Soirée Fundraiser (2026)
Theme: School Spirit!
Get ready for a fun night out with friends, neighbors, and the Harvard school community! The Harvard Public Schools PTO invites you to our Annual Spring Soirée Fundraiser—a high-energy evening celebrating School Spirit while raising critical funds for PTO programs that support our students and teachers all year long.
Wear your favorite school colors, college gear, spirit wear, or your best “school pride” look and join us for a night of food, drinks, and fundraising for a great cause.
Friday, May 29, 2026
5:30-10:30 pm
Craft Food Halls, Boxborough
Each month the Board of Directors for the Harvard Schools Trust (HST) grants funds to the Harvard Public School Community. At our February meeting we voted to fund the following grant:
- Ninth Grade Washington DC trip, student support, requested by Kate Keane. Scholarships for students who would otherwise not be able to attend the class trip to Washington DC.
Our funding comes directly from members and donors. We invite each family in the Harvard Public Schools to become a member and help support enrichment for the young people of Harvard. To become a member, please click here. You can find more information about HST here.
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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
 Registration for Foundational Engineering 2 - Machines & Contraptions (K-2nd)
Registration for Real World Robotics (Grades 3rd-5th)
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.
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Snapology: Planes, Trains & Automobiles: Steam Train focus. School 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. February break 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)
 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
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HILDRETH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Dr. Rebecca Katsh-Singer, Principal
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| 27 Massachusetts Avenue, Harvard MA, 01451 | (978) 456 - 4145 |
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