We still have a few remaining items on our Giving Tree in the lobby filled with holiday wishes and needs for some of our Aspen families.  We would love to clear the tree of all mittens and stars (gift cards) if possible.  Thank you to all of you who have already supported our families by filling a wish from the tree.  Your support is the very reason Aspen School is so awesome.

Our school is getting ready to kick-off KIDS HEART CHALLENGE!  This service-learning program from the American Heart Association (formerly Jump Rope For Heart) teaches your student how to care for their hearts both physically and emotionally and teaches the importance of giving back by raising lifesaving donations to fight the nation’s #1 killer, heart disease!

Before we kick off the Kids Heart Challenge at school on December 16th, we encourage you register with your student to take a challenge to stay healthy this year. The three challenges are:

Move More
Be Kind
Be Ready

You can register for the Kids Heart Challenge and take the challenge using this link:  http://www2.heart.org/goto/hawthornaspen

During the kick-off we will talk with our students about the work the AHA does and challenge students to start living a healthy lifestyle with the help of our friends, the HEART HEROES!

Meet the new Heart Heroes and learn their heart healthy messages here: Kids Heart Challenge – Heart Hero Characters Introduction

ANY student who takes the KIDS HEART CHALLENGE online will earn a FREE glow-in-the-dark wristband to wear proudly! Once your student collects a donation (optional) they will start earning their own Heart Heroes and a backpack clip for them to hang on!  ALL of our Heart Heroes (and the wristband!) will COME TO LIFE and share their heart healthy messages with your student! To bring characters to life you must use the FREE mobile app: Kids Heart Challenge

If that wasn’t exciting enough, we are offering a special incentive to students who start collecting donations early!

Students who collect $150 by our kickoff date, December 16th using their online fundraising page (or the KHC App!) will earn an exclusive Slow-Rising Heart Hero!

Here are four easy steps to get your student’s online fundraising page set up and start collecting lifesaving donations:

1.Go to your school’s fundraising page:

http://www2.heart.org/goto/hawthornaspen

2. Click on the Sign Up button

3. Create a username and password and then fill out the registration form to take the challenge

4. Share your personal fundraising link with friends and family right away.

AND/OR Download the FREE mobile app Kids Heart Challenge and register your student that way

Thank you for joining us as we challenge each other to keep our heart healthy and raise money for kids with special hearts.

Our annual Giving Tree is now up in our lobby with mittens filled with holiday wishes and needs.  If you are able to help one of our own Aspen families make this season special, please stop by and take a mitten off the tree and fill a wish or a need.  We appreciate your support and wish you all a wonderful holiday season.

Our third grade students will be experiencing hands on learning related to the city of Chicago and its history when they visit the Chicago History Museum on Wednesday, December 11.  Students will be able to interact with artifacts, documents, works of art, learning stations, and more and will begin to develop an understanding of the past and how it informs our present.