August (Back to School) 2026-2027
From the Desk of the Principal
As we prepare for the 2026-2027 school year, I am filled with excitement for all of the learning, growth, and memorable moments that lie ahead. There is something special about the start of a new school year and I am looking forward to another outstanding year at Harter Middle School.
Our talented and dedicated staff is eager to welcome students back into our classrooms and create engaging, meaningful, and fun learning experiences that inspire curiosity and help every student reach their full potential.
As a parent, your partnership is one of the most important factors in your child's success. Thank you for the trust you place in us each day. By working together, students, staff, and families can ensure every student at Harter has an exceptional middle school experience.
This newsletter contains important information to help your child and family prepare for the first day of school and make the transition as smooth as possible. Please take a few moments to review the information carefully.
On behalf of the entire Harter Middle School staff, welcome back! We can't wait to see our returning students and meet those who are joining our Harter family for the first time. Here's to an incredible 2026-2027 school year!
Proud to be a Knight!
Brian Faulkner, Principal
Important Dates & Information to Start the School Year
***Schedules, locker assignments, and bus route information will be available in Infinite Campus on July 31st.
***Please note that schedule requests or schedule changes cannot be accommodated. The scheduling process takes time and involves numerous variables and our team has worked hard to provide each student an individualized schedule based on student need and data.
Jump Start to Middle School for 6th Graders (August 3rd - 7th - 8:00-10:00 a.m.)
- Due to the requirements for staffing Jump Start, we are not taking walk-ins and a 6th grade student must be registered to attend.
- Jump Start is a full week program that prepares 6th grade students for their middle school transition. Our students will get to know the building, learn their daily schedule, practice opening their locker, make new friends, and better understand a typical day as an KHMS student.
- Students should be dropped off and picked up at door 20 (student entrance).
- More specific information will be sent to the parents that have registered their child for Jump Start.
Jump Start for New 7th & 8th Grade Students (Thursday, August 6th - 10:30-11:30 a.m.)
- All new 7th and 8th grade students are invited to our New Student Jump Start that starts at 10:30 a.m. and concludes at 11:30 a.m.
- Students should enter door 20 and head to the cafeteria. Students can be picked up at door 20 at 11:30 a.m.
Open House (Thursday, August 6th - 9:00-11:00 a.m. & 4:00-7:00 p.m.)
- Open House provides our students an opportunity to self-tour the building, locate their classes, find and practice opening their locker, and put away school materials in their locker.
- Please have Infinite Campus available on your phone or print your child's schedule and locker information before coming in. We will not have a table with schedules or locker information.
- There are no formal presentations as this is simply an opportunity for students/parents to come into the building before the school year starts and be prepared for the first day of school. This is not a drop your child off event and we expect parents to be with their child.
- Our Health Office staff will be here for Open House. Please feel free to use this time to drop off physicals, immunization paperwork, medications, and other health related items.
First Day of School
- Our first day of school is Wednesday, August 12th. Our school day is 7:25 a.m. - 2:40 p.m. You can view our daily schedule here.
Picture Day (Thursday, August 20th)
- More information regarding pictures will be emailed soon. For now, please mark your calendars.
Finding Your Child's Schedule & Other Information
Schedule - Bus Information - PE Uniform & Lock - Food Service
- Linked here is the Campus Parent Portal informational doc. It contains all the information you would ever need when navigating Infinite Campus
- On Friday, July 31st, you should see your child's schedule when you login to Infinite Campus
- Linked here is specific information on purchasing PE items, which will then be handed out the first few days of school during PE class
- Linked here is specific information on the Food Service feature in Infinite Campus (view food account, add money, etc.)
Schedules
Schedules will be available through Infinite Campus beginning July 31st. We often receive requests for certain teams or teachers. While we would love to honor requests, we simply can't. Scheduling is a complicated process with numerous variables. Changing one schedule will create other changes to other schedules and there is a large trickle effect with any changes. We carefully plan and create schedules and a lot of work goes into the scheduling process. Students can sometimes feel anxiety over their schedule (not knowing anyone, not having a certain friend on their team, etc.), but the beauty of middle school is making new friends and learning how to navigate the ups and downs of adolescence. We also have times for students to be together when they are not on the same team (i.e., lunch, PE, exploratory classes, music). Our staff does a fabulous job of helping students get to know one-another through team building activities.
School Supply Lists
Grades 6-8 lists can be found by clicking here.
KHMS is using www.schooltoolbox.com for a one-stop shopping experience for school supplies. You can order your child's school supplies and they will be shipped directly to your house. Please note that there is not an option to purchase the KIPLA school supplies through School Tool Box.
- Go to www.schooltoolbox.com
- Enter school name: Kaneland Harter Middle School
- Select your student's grade level
6th Grade Health Requirements
In order to begin their middle school career, all 6th grade students will need to have their health requirements submitted to our Nurse's office, which requires a physical and dental examination. Below are links to the forms.
To view more detailed information regarding health services, please use this link.
PE Uniforms
PE uniforms can be bought online through Infinite Campus (use this doc for assistance). Students/parents will need to purchase a shirt and a lock (school issued lock). Uniforms and locks will be distributed the first few days of school in your child's PE class. If your child already has both items, there is no need to purchase new ones.
Lunch Guidelines - Bringing in Lunch For Your Child
Parents are permitted to bring outside lunches for their child ONLY, not for other students. This rule is strictly enforced due to food allergies and the potential disruption it will cause in our cafeteria. Even if you know the other students (even with parent permission), we will still prohibit anyone bringing in lunch for any child other than their own.
We also do not allow students to bring in treats for other students to be shared for the same reasons as above. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Lunch Account
Students can purchase a lunch or bring in their own lunch each day. If your child plans on purchasing lunch, please see the below information.
- We have hot lunch and ala carte items available for purchase. The student hot lunch costs $3.60 and ala carte items range in price depending on what is being purchased.
- Money can be put on your child's lunch account. Money or checks can be taken at the register, but no change will be given back. Change will be applied to your child's account. Credit cards/debit cards will not be taken at the register.
- Deposits through Infinite Campus are credited to a student's account immediately, which means no student should have a negative balance. If a student has a negative balance, they will be provided the hot lunch of the day. No child will be denied a lunch, but please note that their account will be charged for the meal.
- Each transaction of purchased food will show up almost immediately on your account. We will deny a student ala carte items if funds are not available or if they have hit their daily/weekly limit. If you would like to set a limit on what your student can charge, please contact Gigi Statler. Once these limits are set, they will not be removed without notification from parent or guardian.
- Contact Gigi Statler (10629@kaneland.org) with any questions.
PTO
Our PTO is always looking for volunteers. Information on how you can support our PTO will be housed at tables during our Open House. Make sure you stop by and check out all the wonderful things the PTO does for the students and staff at Harter. You can also find more information on their website (khmspto.org)
Extra-Curricular Offerings at Harter
At Harter, we offer numerous extra-curricular offerings and they are listed below. Other offerings may be added during the school year based on interest. Please note that some athletic teams and after-school offerings require a student to tryout or audition to make the team/activity. All athletics/activities that require a tryout or audition have an asterisk next to it.
Athletics
- Cross Country (grades 6-8) - August (Registration Information)
- * Girls Volleyball (grades 7 & 8) - August (Tryout Information)
- Boys & Girls Golf (grades 6-8) - Fall
- * Boys Basketball (grades 7 & 8) - October
- Wrestling (grades 6-8) - October
- * Girls Basketball (grades 7 & 8) - January
- Bowling (grades 6-8) - Winter
- Track & Field (grades 6-8) - March
More information regarding sports at Harter can be found on our athletic website. For all athletic teams, students are required to have a current physical on file to tryout or be a part of a team. Physicals are considered valid for 13 months. Physician's offices fill up quick and it is encouraged to get your child's physical done well before the first day of tryouts or practice.
Activities
- * School Play (grades 6-8) - Fall
- * School Musical (grades 6-8) - Spring
- * Jazz Band (grades 7 & 8) - All Year
- * Jazz Lab Band (6th grade) - All Year
- * KnightShift Acapella Choir (grades 6-8) - All Year
- Art Club (grades 6-8) - All Year
- Snowflake (grades 6-8) All Year
- Knight Writers School Newspaper (grades 6-8) - All Year
- Student Council (grades 6-8) - All Year
- Yearbook (grades 6-8) - All Year
*Audition Required
With any after school athletic team or activity, announcements will be made during the school day and we will also post the information online.
Parent Drop-off/Pick-up Procedures
If you are a returning parent, drop-off and pick-up procedures have not changed. Morning drop-off occurs in the front circle (door 1) and the afternoon pickup will occur in the south lot by door 20.
Please make sure you read our procedures (click here) to familiarize yourself with our process.
School Expectations
Attendance - Start of the School Day
Please note that students are marked as tardy to school if they arrive after 7:25 a.m. We want all students to start school on time. Consequences may be issued for excessive tardiness.
Cell Phone Expectations
Harter Middle School is implementing new expectations regarding cell phones/wireless devices. Students will not be allowed to use their cell phones/wireless devices from 7:25 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. To read more about Harter's new cell phone expectations, please click here.
Dress Code
The Kaneland dress code has been updated for the 26-27 school year to outline expectations for student dress during the school day. These updates include specific examples and visual guides to help families and students understand the standard across all buildings. The student handbook has been updated and all families are encouraged to review it prior to the start of the school year. Click here for a summary of the updates.
Behavior Expectations
Our staff and students will extensively review our school expectations in all areas of Harter at the beginning of the year and throughout the year. We want to prepare our students for success and teaching our expectations explicitly will help our students. We know the more structure we provide, the more our students will thrive.
Chromebook Expectations
Students are given new chromebooks every 4 years. During these 4 years, we are hopeful that students treat their chromebooks with care. We highly encourage parents to purchase insurance for their child's chromebook. Please note the following regarding insurance requirements:
- A student must have a protective cover for their chromebook (provided by Kaneland 302) in order to be covered by insurance. If a student breaks their chromebook and they do not have a cover on it, insurance will not cover the damages.
- A student is allowed a maximum of 2 screen replacements per year. Any additional screen repairs will not be covered by insurance.
- Keyboard or key replacement will not be covered by insurance if the keyboard frame has been removed (tampered with the device).
- A student must explain how the incident/damage occurred.
- Damage must be accidental in nature in order to be covered by insurance
- Examples of damage that will not be covered may be, but not limited to:
- "I'm not sure how it happened"
- "It was fine last hour but then I opened it and the screen was cracked"
- "My friend borrowed it and broke it"
- Slamming the cover shut
- Inserting foreign objects into ports
Our staff will review how to care for chromebooks at the beginning of the year.
8th Grade Career Day Volunteers Needed
Harter's 8th Grade Career Day is looking for speakers. The event will be held on Tuesday, November 10th, 2026. Please click here for more information.
New Staff
Please help us welcome our new staff to Harter Middle School. We are excited for our new staff to contribute to and enhance our tradition of excellence.
- Matthew Davis - Paraprofessional
- Gloria Gonzalez - Social Worker
- Kala Nauman - 7 Silver ELA/Science
- Ray Nielsen - English Learner Teacher
- Lauren Reed Betkis - STEAM
- Amy Romero - 6 Silver Special Education
Proud to be a Knight!!!
