Carpenter Courier
September 26, 2019
Principal's Corner
Dear Parents and Guardians,
As always, time seems to be moving so quickly. It’s been a busy September with assessments, Safety Week, Parent Night, the Board of Education Meeting at Carpenter, and other PTO events. Our students have settled in nicely. Ms. Creehan and I were so excited to be able to share all of the new recess students with the students that they have for both lunch and their grade level recess times. Each grade level now has a color-coded bag with playground balls, soccer balls, basketballs, footballs, and a soft bat and ball. We also introduced new 6, 7, 8, 9, and 16-foot jump ropes to the lunchroom recess. It is so much fun seeing over 400 students playing outside so well and getting along. We had a talk with all of the grade levels about being responsible with the equipment, so each and every day, they put everything away and take care of everything. We talked about being fortunate and the need to take care of the things that we have.
This month will be busy as usual, with many different activities. Our annual Track-a-Thon will be taking place on October 4th (Raindate October 11). We will be celebrating and recognizing Red Ribbon Week starting October 21st. Our 5th Graders will be attending their overnight Camp Duncan trip on Monday, October 21st. We will be finishing the month with Halloween events and parties and more information will be coming separately about those activities.
UNDERSTANDING OCTOBER
Our monthly theme is month is Understanding October. Throughout our spiraling Second Step Curriculum, our students will have lessons on understanding and respecting differences. Starting in Kindergarten and 1st grade, they begin to identify the same versus different. In 2nd grade, they learn about respecting different preferences. In 3rd grade, they learn about accepting differences and understanding perspectives. In 4th grade, students learn about accepting similarities and differences and understanding different perspectives. Lastly, in 5th grade, they'll learn to take different perspectives, accept differences, and disagree respectfully. It is important that we promote that we are all different. We all have different strengths and areas for growth. We talk to our children about how understanding each other is important everywhere, in the classroom, on the playground, and in the lunchroom. Fair doesn't always mean equal. Our children have different academic, social, emotional, and behavioral needs and at Carpenter and in District 64, we strive to give all of the children what they need, and it looks different. In this month of October, we'll utilize the theme of Understanding October in teachable moments to help reinforce this concept. Please join us in having conversations with your children at home about being accepting and understanding of other's differences and BE KIND as we've learned in September.
This month also is National Bullying Prevention Month. Please check out Mrs. Campbell's Social Worker Tip of the Month below for additional information. We feel that our work and theme of Understanding October aligns perfectly with the goal. This month, Mrs. Campbell will have a Social Emotional Learning Week (SEL) and go in to do lessons with each homeroom on bullying and associated topics. Our student council will also help provide visual reminders for the hallways and common areas as well.
Lastly, I need your help! I would like to strongly encourage as many people as possible to sign up for the ELF Halloween Hustle which is on Saturday, October 26th. I have to admit, that at the Board Meeting on Monday, September 23rd, I verbally challenged all of the other schools to a participation contest. I basically told everyone that we would be keeping the participation trophy that we earned last year. Last year was a lot of fun. We paraded to Hodges Park from Carpenter and came together. If anyone has any ideas for a thematic costume for our school community, let me know. I thought at the very least, we could all go in Carpenter red, face paint, etc. Email me with any thoughts and I’ll send out email blasts for those participating. Let’s get it as close to 100% as we can. We’ve benefited tremendously from the efforts of ELF over the years, so I would like to help to continue to support their work as they support ours. Plus, it’s fun, it’s exercise, and a great community outing.
See below for the powerpoint Ms. Creehan and I used at the Board Meeting at Carpenter last Monday. Remember, if you are a Twitter user, follow our Carpenter Wow moments at #CAWow. Also, sign-up for text messages from the school. We'll be starting texting messages next month.
Sincerely,
Mr. Brett Balduf, Principal
Carpenter Elementary School
CONFERENCE SIGN-UP INFORMATION
Please note that our conference nights are really designed for one conference time per family. If there are significant challenges, please reach out to your child's teacher. Also note that there is a lot of coordination that takes place through multiple people for these conferences. For example, if we'd like an interventionist or related service provider to attend certain meetings, we need to have the schedules completed ahead of time. Therefore, we are going to "close" conference sign-ups after Friday, November 1st so that we can organize everyone's schedules and create master lists. We do not have the ability to do this on-line in Sign-up Genius, so I'm asking for your help. If you need to cancel/try to re-schedule a conference, I ask that you email the teacher within a reasonable time period and not use the sign-up genius link to alter the schedule. I'll remind you of this in next month's Courier as well.
Please take the time to schedule a conference with your teacher within the first few days that you have an opportunity. I will remind everyone in next month's Courier, but the teachers will not be sending out individual reminders.
Look for the sign-up next week. If you have any questions, let me know or if it is individualized, you can reach out to your child's teacher.
Track-a-Thon Run Times -Friday, October 4th
9:10-9:40 .3rd Grade
10:00-10:30 Kindergarten AM & 2nd Grade
10:50-11:30 . 4th Grade
11:40-12:40 . Lunch
1:00-1:30 . Kindergarten PM & 1st Grade
1:50-2:35 . 5th Grade
2:35-3:10 . 5th grade drone footage/photo on the track
You are welcome to come cheer on your students during this time. Please remember that only students should be walking/running during this time. Also, please do not bring any of your family pets during this time. :)
ELF Halloween Hustle
ELF, the Park Ridge Elementary Learning Foundation, will host its third annual Halloween Hustle 5k Run and Walk in Hodges Park at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 26. This family-friendly fun run will help ELF raise money to fund innovative grants that are awarded to District 64 schools.
While the race won’t be timed, it includes an inter-school competition component. Runners can align themselves with a specific school when they register; the school with the highest participation percentage will win the highly coveted ELF Trophy to proudly display for an entire year. So be sure to affiliate yourself with your school of choice.
And, because it is a Halloween-related event, runners are encouraged to wear costumes for the event. There’s something for everyone – The event is stroller-friendly for those too little to run. The littlest runners will have a loop around Hodges Park allowing kids from 1-5 to race against each other and pick up a medal for their efforts. There will also be a modified 3K route for those who aren’t quite up to a 5K distance yet.
ELF needs parents, teachers and families to come and cheer on the runners and to help with the "day of" event logistics. If you’re interested in volunteering, sign up here. For sponsorship opportunities, click here. Registration is available now on the Halloween Hustle website.
1st Graders Design Obstacle Course
Multiple Games Being Played
Jump Ropes and Lego Building
D64 Note from School Health Services
A note from District 64 School Health Services
To all District 64 Families:
Autumn days predictably bring cooler weather, changing colors and of course, cold and flu season. Since influenza viruses vary from year to year, it may be difficult to predict the flu season's beginning and peak. Flu activity in the U.S. peaks between December and February, but can begin as early as October and continue to occur as late as May.
Current recommendations state that everyone 6 months of age and older, especially those at high risk, receives influenza vaccination annually. To prepare your family for the 2019-20 Influenza Season, please visit the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for basic flu facts, prevention tips, and treatment information by clicking here.
For Your Good Health,
Margaret Temari, RN, MEd.
Certified School Nurse & Facilitator, School Health Services
D64 Health Reminder
IMPORTANT HEALTH REMINDER FOR PARENTS OF CURRENT KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS
Deadline for Health documents for entering Kindergarten
This message is being sent to all families of kindergarten students. If you have submitted documentation of requirements, please disregard this email.
If you have not already done so, this is a reminder that October 15, 2019, is the State of Illinois and District 64 deadline for submitting proof of health requirements for entry into kindergarten. Failure to comply with the October 15th deadline will result in your child’s exclusion from school beginning on October 16, 2019.
In addition, students entering kindergarten must also undergo a complete vision examination performed by a physician or licensed optometrist. A Snellen chart vision check completed in a pediatrician’s office does not meet the requirement for a “complete eye examination.” The completed report must be submitted by October 15, 2019. Failure to present proof by this date requires written proof of an appointment for a scheduled eye examination within the next 60 days following October 15th.
If you have questions or concerns regarding these requirements, please contact your school’s Building Nurse directly:
Carpenter School ldaehler@d64.org
Field School slavelle@d64.org
Franklin School qkarstens@d64.org
Roosevelt School plubash@d64.org
Washington School dtully@d64.org
Thank you for your cooperation.
Margaret Temari, RN, M.Ed., PEL-CSN
Facilitator, School Health Services
D64 Early Childhood Diagnostic Team
BOOK BUDDIES IN THE LRC
Digital Citizenship Lessons in the LRC this week!
We are planning to cover some of the new Digital Citizenship lessons available through Common Sense Media in the LRC during the weeks of September 23 and September 30. Below is a list of the lessons we will be covering by grade level.
K
Pause for People
Safety in My Online Neighborhood
1
Pause and Think Online
Internet Traffic Light
2
We the Digital Citizens
Device Free Moments
3
Your Rings of Responsibility
This is Me
4
My Media Choices
Private and Personal Information
5
Finding My Media Balance
You Won’t Believe This!
Carpenter Chess Club Information
REGISTER NOW FOR THE FALL CHESS PROGRAM!
Registration for the Fall Chess Program at Carpenter is underway! The 8-week program runs from 10/17/19 to 12/19/19 and takes place on Thursdays from 11:40 a.m. to 12:35 p.m. (during lunch). The program is open to Carpenter students in all grades and of all chess abilities. Professional instruction will include the basics for novice players and build with opening theory, middle game planning, and end game combinations for continuing students. Playing chess improves memory, uses analytical and critical thinking skills, teaches problem solving, responsibility, sportsmanship, social skills and more! The benefits of chess last a lifetime!
To register, please go to www.carpenterchess.eventbee.com. DISCOUNTED Registration Fee applies through 10/3/19 so register NOW! For more information about the program, please refer to the program flyer. Chess-Ed is looking forward to seeing your CHESS ENTHUSIAST this Fall!