Parents and Guardians of Harvard Junior High:
This message is just to inform you all, that Chess Club has been cancelled today Monday September 14, 2026
Sorry for the incontinences. have a nice day!
🐝 Our Students Are Leaders of Today! 🐝
We are proud to celebrate 8th grader, Giovanni, for stepping up as a student voice at The Community Connections Summit at McHenry County College! 🎤✨
Simply asking young people for their opinions isn’t always enough. Students develop a stronger sense of belonging when they know their ideas, experiences, and contributions can help influence meaningful decisions.
Also representing today was class of 2020 Harvard graduate Edith Sanchez, Director of Education and Engagement for NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). We are proud to see one of our former Hornets continuing to make a difference in our community!
We are so proud of Giovanni for sharing his voice and representing our school, and grateful to Edith for representing Harvard and continuing to lead beyond her time as a Hornet. Student voices matter and our Hornets are making a difference! 🐝👏
#HornetPride #StudentVoice #LeadersOfToday #HarvardRising
Our Hornet boys and girls cross country teams hit the course at the Cambridge Lakes Coyote Classic and gave it their all! 💪
🏆 BOYS TAKE 1ST PLACE! 🥇🎉
What an incredible team effort from our boys, bringing home the top spot! Our girls also put in a great race and showed plenty of Hornet Pride from start to finish! 🐝💛🖤
Way to compete, support one another, and represent Harvard Junior High! We are so proud of all our runners! 👏
#HarvardPride #Hornets
The Harvard Junior High School main gym has served Hornets since 1962, and it's about to get a whole new look. Last fall, an inspection by Buildings and Grounds staff found the flooring needed to be replaced, not repaired. The Board of Education approved the project, and crews got to work this summer replacing the floor, bleachers, doors, and paint. The new bleachers also bring the gym up to current ADA accessibility standards. This work will ensure the gym is ready for the next generation of Hornets. Take a look at the progress. The gym reopens for students by the end of October.
After lunch, students can enjoy some downtime with friends by playing board games, cards, and other activities. And sometimes, we get a little creative… like last week's Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament! ✊📄✂️
A little friendly competition, lots of laughs, and plenty of fun—even when Mother Nature says, “No recess outside today!” 😄
Who knew Rock, Paper, Scissors could get so competitive?! 🏆
#HarvardRising #HarvardJrHigh #IndoorRecess
Dear Harvard Junior High School Families,
During the week of 9/07/2026, Harvard Junior High School students and staff will participate in a Fire Evacuation Drill to ensure our students and staff are prepared to respond to an emergency. The goal of the drill is to help students feel safe and as prepared as possible should an emergency arise. The Harvard Fire Department will be on site to assist in this drill. Our safety department continues to work with police and fire across McHenry County to enhance the safety procedures, technology, response, communication, and training for our schools. Safety is a partnership between all involved – parents included.
Each student should understand the importance of drills and the intentions of the alerting devices sound and visuals, please talk to your student ahead of time about the safety protocols. You can view the attached parent guide with information to our 5 safety protocols - Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter.
Calling all chess players—whether you’re a seasoned strategist or just learning the moves! 🎯
Harvard Jr. High Chess Club starts September 14th and meets at 3:00 PM in the Library.
✨ Drop-ins are welcome! Come play a game, learn new strategies, challenge a friend, and have some fun!
📅 Every Monday
⏰ Time: 3:00 PM
📍 Location: HJH Library
♟️ Think ahead. Make your move. Checkmate! 🐝
#HarvardRising #GetInvolved #HJHClubs
Mr. Olivares’ 8th grade Social Studies classes are diving into their first unit on Geography! Students are learning about latitude and longitude and putting their coordinate skills to the test with a fun game of Battleship against their classmates.
Who knew geography could be this competitive?! 😄 Students are practicing their skills, thinking strategically, and having a little fun along the way.
Latitude? Longitude? FIRE! 🎯🚢 Ships down!
#HarvardRising #Geographyisfun #HJH
Calling all creative Hornets! Art Club is the perfect place to get creative, try new projects, and have fun with friends! ✨
📅 Starting: September 10th
🗓️ When: Every other Thursday
⏰ Time: 3:00–4:30 PM
📍 Where: Art Room 126
Grab your creativity and get ready to make something awesome! 🎨✂️🖌️
We can’t wait to see our Hornets in Art Club! 🐝💛🖤
During the week of 8/24/2026, Harvard Junior High School students and staff will participate in a Bus Evacuation Drill to ensure our students and staff are prepared to respond to an emergency. The goal of the drill is to help students feel safe and as prepared as possible should an emergency arise. The Durham Bus Company will be on site to assist in this drill. Our safety department continues to work with police and fire across McHenry County to enhance the safety procedures, technology, response, communication, and training for our schools. Safety is a partnership between all involved – parents included.
Each student should understand the importance of drills and the intentions of the alerting devices sound and visuals, please talk to your student ahead of time about the safety protocols. You can view the attached parent guide with information to our 5 safety protocols - Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter.
Calling all collectors, traders, and card enthusiasts! Our Trading Card Club is a place for students to share their collections, learn about different cards, trade with friends, and connect with others who share their interest.
Whether you're into sports cards, Pokémon, or other trading cards, there's a place for you! 🙌
📚 Learn. 🤝 Trade. 🃏 Collect. 🎉 Have fun!
We can't wait to see what everyone brings to the table!
#HarvardRising #Clubs #GetInvolved
Do you love taking pictures, being creative, or capturing the moments that make this school year special? Then Yearbook Club might be the perfect fit for you!
🗓️ First Meeting: Wednesday, August 26
📍 Room 104
⏰ 2:50–3:30 PM
🏐⚽🏃 In a fall sport? You can still join! Just stop by Mr. Nicky’s room to learn more.
Come be part of the team that helps capture the memories of an amazing school year! 🐝📚📸
Harvard CUSD 50 will administer district-wide benchmark assessments from Monday, Aug. 24, through Friday, Sept. 11.
These assessments give teachers and families a clear picture of each student's academic growth throughout the year, helping educators tailor instruction to meet every child's needs.
Students will complete assessments on their Chromebooks based on their grade level:
Kindergarten - 1st Grade: MAP Reading Fluency and MAP Math Growth
2nd Grade - 5th Grade: MAP Reading Growth and MAP Math Growth
6th Grade - 8th Grade: NWEA MAP Reading Growth and i-Ready Inform Mathematics
Please note that students will not be testing every day during this time. Schools will schedule specific days and times for students to complete assessments within the Aug. 24-Sept. 11 window.
Families will receive letters with more details about each assessment and what results mean for their student's learning. Find those letters below:
K-5 NWEA MAP Parent Letter - https://aptg.co/gnRXPm
6-8 NWEA MAP/iReady Parent Letter - https://aptg.co/XRph9D
Questions about benchmark testing? Contact your child's school office.
https://forms.gle/Y97riFVrqouh7drs8
Únete al Club de Minecraft de Harvard Junior High a partir del 14 de septiembre. El club está abierto tanto a estudiantes como al personal. Para expresar tu interés, por favor completa el formulario correspondiente utilizando el código QR que aparece en el folleto. Si ya has completado el formulario, recibirás un correo electrónico con más información próximamente.
Our Student Council members are more than just leaders—they’re the students helping make our school community fun, welcoming, and connected! 💛🖤
From planning school dances and assemblies to organizing spirit days, working the concession stand, and coming up with new ways to bring Hornets together, our Student Council students are busy behind the scenes making school events happen!
If you want to be part of this group, please come to a meeting and make Harvard Junior High a better place for everyone. 🐝👏
When: Tuesdays 3-4:30pm in Room 116.
Student voice + student leadership = a stronger Hornet community! 💛🖤
#HornetPride #HarvardRising
As part of our commitment to keeping families informed about their child’s learning and progress, we want to share information about an upcoming assessment your child will take at school.
During the weeks of August 24 - September 11, students in grades 6-8 will participate in two assessments on their Chromebooks:
NWEA MAP Reading Growth
i-Ready Inform Mathematics
These assessments help teachers better understand what students know, identify areas of strength and growth, and determine what students are ready to learn next. Results are used alongside classroom learning and other information to help teachers plan instruction, provide appropriate support, and set learning goals with students.
MAP Reading Growth measures students’ reading achievement and growth over time. The assessment adapts to each student’s responses. When a student answers correctly, questions may become more challenging; when a student has difficulty, questions adjust accordingly. This provides teachers with a more individualized picture of each student’s current reading skills and instructional needs.
i-Ready Inform Mathematics is also an adaptive assessment. Questions adjust based on each student’s responses to help identify mathematical strengths and areas where additional instruction or support may be beneficial. Students may encounter questions that feel challenging or cover content they have not yet learned. This is expected and helps the assessment determine what each student is ready to learn next.
Most importantly, these assessment results are one data point teachers use to understand and support your child as a learner. Following each testing window, families will receive information about their child’s performance and growth. We encourage you to connect with your child’s teacher if you have questions about the results or your child’s learning.
We value our partnership with families and look forward to keeping you informed throughout the school year as we work together to support your child’s growth and success.
For additional information, families may visit the NWEA Family Toolkit at NWEA.org/familytoolkit or the i-Ready Family Center at login.i-ready.com/central/family.
Sincerely,
Patrick Podgorski
We are excited to have you join us and support our Harvard Hornets at our home games! 🐝🏐🏈⚽🏃
To ensure the safety and security of all students and guests, all Harvard Junior High students attending home games are required to:
- 🪪Bring their school ID.
- 👨👩👧👦Be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian for the duration of the game.
Students will not be permitted to attend home games without a student ID and a parent or legal guardian present.
Thank you for your cooperation and for helping us create a safe and positive environment for everyone. We look forward to seeing our Hornet families in the stands cheering on our athletes!
Go Hornets! 🐝💛🖤
This year, our Hornets are enjoying 40-minute lunches! 🎉 That extra time gives students the opportunity to finish their meals and then choose how they want to spend the rest of their lunch period.
⚽ Head outside for a game of soccer, volleyball, or football
🏐 Enjoy the fresh air and hang out with friends at the picnic tables
🃏 Stay inside for card games, board games, or a good conversation with friends
Our longer lunch periods are about more than just eating—they give students time to move, connect, relax, and build friendships during the school day. We love seeing our Hornets make the most of this extra time together! 🐝
#HarvardRising #HarvardJrHigh #JrHornetsRising
During the week of 8/17/2026, Harvard Junior High School students and staff will participate in a Secure Drill to ensure our students and staff are prepared to respond to an emergency. The goal of the drill is to help students feel safe and as prepared as possible should an emergency arise. The Police Department will be on site to assist in this drill. Our safety department continues to work with police and fire across McHenry County to enhance the safety procedures, technology, response, communication, and training for our schools. Safety is a partnership between all involved – parents included.
Each student should understand the importance of drills and the intentions of the alerting devices sound and visuals, please talk to your student ahead of time about the safety protocols. You can view the attached parent guide with information to our 5 safety protocols - Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter.
