Family Newsletter | March 4, 2026
HES Homepage | School Calendar | AlphaBEST | Who Do I Contact? I Menus I Get to Know Us | Bus Change Form
Dear HES Families,
Everyone had a great time at Game Night last week! It was wonderful to see adults and children playing games, laughing, and eating together. Thank you to the PTO for helping to organize this event.  
Last Friday we held our February school meeting. Fifth graders acted out skits to teach us what it means to "play fair" and we had a blast with our guessing game to learn some fun facts about several staff members. At the end of the meeting we kicked off March Book Madness! During the month of March every class will read 16 picture books in a bracket-style competition. Classes will vote on the winner of each head to head competition of books. Students will be able to follow the competition on our bracket in front of the cafeteria. A huge thank you to the PTO for the grant to purchase multiple copies of each book, Mrs. Q for her support, and Mrs. Cusick for organizing the whole competition!
Have a great week!
Rebecca and Hilary
Dr. Rebecca Katsh-Singer, Principal
Mrs. Hilary Sturgis, Assistant Principal
|
|
|
Upcoming Dates
Tuesday, March 10: BeyBlade Club, grades 3-5, 8:15 am
Friday, March 13: Yearbook Meeting, grade 5, 8:00 am
Friday, March 13: Husky Headlines, grade 3-5, 8:00 am
Monday, March 16: NO SCHOOL -- Professional Development Day
Friday. March 20: Yearbook Meeting, grade 5, 8:00 am
Friday, March 20: Term 2 Report Cards Emailed Home
Tuesday, March 24: Festival of Cultures, 5:30 pm, HES Gym
Tuesday, March 31 & Wednesday, April 1: ELA MCAS, grades 3-5
|
|
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)
|
|
Attention Grade 4 Families: Nature's Classroom next fall will be October 19-23, 2026. Please contact Marie Phillips with any questions.
|
|
|
|
|
School Announcements
As part of our commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion across our district, we continue to prioritize meaningful family and community engagement that promotes the learning and growth of all students and the success of all staff. We are excited to invite you to join us for Harvard’s Festival of Cultures, hosted by the BIPOC Family Advisory Group, on Tuesday, March 24, from 5:30–7:00 PM. This family event celebrates the rich diversity of our community and depends on family participation to make it a success.
 Fall kindergarten enrollment for children turning 5 on or before August 31, 2026 began 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.
BINGO Night is Back! Ready for a night of big wins and community fun?
Join us for the second annual Harvard Community BINGO Night at the Bromfield School!
When: Thursday, March 26th
Time: Doors open at 5:30 PM | Games start at 6:00 PM
Where: The Bromfield School
Incredible Prizes spread over 11 rounds
Grand Prize: Handcrafted fire pit from Beyond Construction ($2,500 value!)
Must-Haves: Nintendo Switch 2, L.L.Bean, Sephora and Burts Bees gift cards
Local Love: Gift cards to Harvard Lanes, Silver Unicorn, Around the Rocks
Flower Farm, Little Bee Bookshop, Bodylines Pilates, Harvard Alpaca Farm, local
eateries and many more
Fuel Your Luck
Enjoy $1 pizza slices, refreshing drinks, and home-baked treats available for purchase
throughout the night.
Get Cards
Pre-order your BINGO cards online by clicking here or bring cash to buy them at the door. All proceeds benefit the Harvard Schools PTO.
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
|
|
|
Community Announcements
 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 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.
|
Fundraiser: Save Our Schools: March for Our Lives presented by area artist Lisa Nelson. Art silent auction in the Fivesparks Loft March 7-21. Charity Fundraiser Reception March 21, 7pm.
10th Annual Bloom N Art Show in partnership with the Garden Club of Harvard, and the HES and TBS art departments. View student artwork paired with amazing floral interpretations. Saturday March 28, 10am-4pm, Sunday March 29, 12-4pm.
 Your Feedback Needed: Take the Commission on Disabilities Survey
In an effort to assess the impact of the improvements and continued challenges to accessibility in town, the Commission on Disabilities is seeking your input by launching this SURVEY. We want to and need to hear from all of you living with and without a disability: students, elders, families, teachers, caregivers, friends, employers, and employees. Please take a few minutes today to share your experiences and thoughts.
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
March display: Ramadan Registration: https://harvardpubliclibrary.libcal.com/calendar?cid=21089
|
Did you know that Comfort Dog Franny is fully funded through donations? Franny apparel is available for purchase for the first time ever!
Franny and Officer Tim are raising funds to help with Franny's care and continued training. A portion of all proceeds from this fundraiser come back to benefit Franny and her comfort dog endeavors.
Click HERE to check out the items available for purchase. Once done, you will be able to choose to pick up your items at J and S Business Solutions on Main Street in Ayer or have them shipped. Thank you for your continued support!  
Pre-register for Comprehensive Curbside Composting with Black Earth Compost
Only a few more pre-registrations are needed for this service to open in Harvard. Black Earth accepts all food scraps including meat, bones, dairy, fish, shells, oils, cooked foods, processed foods, and certified compostable tableware. Many add-on services are available including for yard waste, plastic film, coffee pods, and styrofoam. The cost is $94.99 for curbside pickup every other week for 6 months. A one time cost for your bin and starter bags is $39.50. Please visit www.blackearthcompost.com for more information and to pre-register.
 
|
|
|
|
HILDRETH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Dr. Rebecca Katsh-Singer, Principal
|
|
| 27 Massachusetts Avenue, Harvard MA, 01451 | (978) 456 - 4145 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
