Family Newsletter | October 21, 2026
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Dear HES Families,
Our 5th graders are halfway through their five days at Nature's Classroom and are having a fantastic time! Through hands-on activities and outdoor exploration, students are learning about the natural world while practicing teamwork, problem-solving, and independence. A huge thank you to our Nature's Classroom Coordinator Marie Phillips for all her hard work to plan this experience. We are also grateful to our teacher chaperones, Mark Hecox, Emily Fournier, Emma Smith, and Tammy Route, and our parent chaperones, for ensuring our students have a meaningful experience.
 
Meanwhile, our first graders had a wonderful field trip to Carlson's Orchards on Tuesday! Thank you to the first grade team and our parent chaperones for a great time.
On Friday, October 30, we will have a Fall Spirit Day! Students are welcome (but not required) to come to school in costumes, fall colors, of HES-wear. To keep everyone safe, please do not send students to school with costume masks, weapons, or long capes.
Have a great week!
Rebecca and Hilary
Rebecca Katsh-Singer, Ph.D., Principal
Hilary Sturgis, M.Ed., Assistant Principal
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Upcoming Dates
Friday, October 23: Grade 5 Returns from Nature's Classroom
Thursday, October 29: Kindergarten Visit from Harvard Police Department
Friday, October 30: HES Fall Spirit Day
Friday, October 30: Grade 4 Pumpkin Project Presentation
Tuesday, November 3: NO SCHOOL
Wednesday, November 11: NO SCHOOL
Thursday, November 12: Half Day, Dismissal at 12:15 pm; Parent/Caregiver Conferences
Thursday, November 19: Half Day, Dismissal at 12:15 pm; Parent/Caregiver Conferences
Wednesday, November 25-Friday, November 27: NO SCHOOL
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School Announcements
On Tuesday, November 10th at 9:30 am we will hold a short assembly to teach our students about Veterans Day and to honor our Veterans. Parents/relatives of our students and members of our community who have served in the Armed Forces are welcome to join us. Please wear or bring your uniform if possible! To ensure we have enough seating, please fill out this form or inform the HES office by Wednesday, November 4th if you would like to attend.
Additionally, we welcome photos of any service members who are unable to attend or photos in memory of loved ones who have served. Please send photos to jreynolds@psharvard.org with the person's name and 'in memory of' if applicable.
Join the Harvard Schools PTO!
The PTO is a membership-based volunteer organization for HES and TBS. Our primary goals are to raise money to support the student experience, and create programs in support of our teachers, staff, and community, such as Teacher and Staff Appreciation. With the help of critical annual membership donations, we fund over $25K of teacher and staff-requested grants each school year, for stuff like $1K towards field trips for each grade, library books, scholarships, and much more. Please consider joining or renewing your membership today!
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Community Announcements
 October Programs:
FiveSparks Workshops Held at HES:
Art Without Limits, weekly art session. Tuesdays, from Oct. 20, 3:40 to 5 p.m. Held at HES.
Painting Pals, Halloween Painting Activity, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 3:40 to 5 p.m. Held at HES.
Beads and Bling, Mondays, Nov. 2 through 30, 3:40 to 5 p.m. Held at HES.
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 https://harvardpubliclibrary.libcal.com/calendar?cid=21089
Celebrations Around the WorldThe Harvard Public Library and Arm in Arm are currently building a year-long exhibit called "Celebrations Around the World," and we want our displays to reflect the real, vibrant cultures of our neighbors. Do you have a piece of your heritage you’d be willing to lend? We are looking for items that spark curiosity in children, such as:
Traditional Clothing: A child’s festive outfit or a beautiful textile. Kitchen Treasures: Specialized cooking tools or unique spice tins. Sound & Music: Small instruments or traditional noisemakers. Holiday Decor: This past year, we have showcased items used for Chuseok, Day of the Dead, Orthodox Easter, Golden Week, Ramadan, Hanukkah, Carnival. We welcome ideas for other holidays and from additional cultures.
All items will be kept in locked display cases. We are also looking for Cultural Ambassadors who might want to share brief stories about their items. Our displays are presented monthly from October 2026 through May 2027. This is a beautiful way to help local children connect with global traditions through real objects they can see up close.
Want your Cultural Celebration on display? Have something to loan the HPL in support of a scheduled display? Please contact Arm in Arm at arminarm.townofharvard@gmail.com
Click HERE to check out all the events at the Harvard Public Library.
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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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