The Central Scoop
December 7, 2018
From the Principal's Desk...
Dear Parents,
This week in technology class our students participated in "The Hour of Code" as part of Computer Science Education Week. The Hour of Code started in 2013 as a one-hour introduction to computer science. It was designed to demystify "code," to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the field of computer science. It has since become a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science. The goal of the Hour of Code is to teach students that computer science is fun, creative, and accessible to all students. You can find more coding activities to try with your child at home at HourOfCode.com or on Mrs. Wysocke's website.
Have a wonderful weekend,
~ Becky
Rebecca Littmann
Principal
Central Elementary School
2019-2020 Connecting Kids Preschool Openings
Housed within Romona School is the Connecting Kids Preschool Program. The half-day sessions for three, four and five year-old children are specifically designed to prepare children for District 39 kindergarten classrooms. With structured play, planned pre-academic instruction, differentiated learning, and vocabulary development, Connecting Kids provides an excellent foundation for all children. Reserve a spot for your child in next fall's three, four or five year-old classes. Registration opens on December 1, 2018 and closes on January 31, 2019. Registration forms can be found online here. If space is available, registration is ongoing until classes are filled.
Call Amanda Barton, Early Childhood Coordinator, at 847-512-6463, or visit www.wilmette39.org to learn more about this exceptional District 39 program.
Nutrition Survey - Reminder From the District Office
District 39 is committed to providing a school environment that promotes healthy lifestyles, including good nutrition. The school lunch program is intended to serve students well-balanced lunches. Therefore, lunch menus are designed to expose students to foods that will positively impact their lifelong food choices. As part of our strategic plan, a Nutrition Committee has been created this year to review the school lunch program in order to assess and reflect on current practices.
The first step in our review process is to conduct a survey of parents/guardians. Please complete the survey by December 7th (TODAY!) by clicking on the link below. The survey should take approximately 5 minutes.
Student Tardies
Winter is Here! = Final Posting
Our first heavy snowfall came quickly this year! We have thoroughly reviewed recess expectations with all grade levels. It is our priority to keep our kids safe while they continue to have fun. Please remind your child(ren) to bring the following items if they would like to play in the snow during recess:
- Jacket
- Hat
- Gloves
- Snow pants
- Boots
Reminder...Our students are permitted to go outside for recess when the temperature is 5ºF including windchill or warmer. Morning line-up will be outside if the temperature is 10ºF including windchill or warmer.
Educational Foundation Grant = Final Posting
Get ready for The Qball! The District 39 Education Foundation approved a Gripp Grant that will bring five Qball microphones, with JBL flip 4 speakers, to our elementary schools. This microphone ball sends a student’s voice via bluetooth to a speaker that amplifies their comments for all to hear. It can be passed or tossed around a classroom as students share answers to questions, read aloud text, contribute to conversation, and uniquely engage with their peers and teachers. So when your student says “I threw a ball around math class today” or “I used a microphone to read my writing to the class” you will know they used the Qball!
4th Grade & All HMS/WJHS Student Survey = Final Posting
The Illinois 5Essentials Student Survey
The 5Essentials Survey from the state of Illinois provides school districts with detailed data on school culture and climate. Students in grades 4 - 8 will participate in the Illinois 5Essentials Survey during the week of December 10th, 2018. Students’ identities will be completely confidential. Please be aware that you have the right to review a copy of the student questions which can be found on the Illinois 5Essentials website. If you have questions or concerns, please contact 5Essentials Client Services at 1-866-440-1874. Please note - If for any reason you do not want your child to participate, please email your child’s classroom teacher.
PTA Announcements and Reminders...
* The PTA sends out their own newsletter on Sundays - here are just a few highlights
Gift of Giving Deadlines Approaching!
Our sleigh is about to depart for LYDIA Home and Metropolitan Family Services and it is overflowing with donations thanks to the incredible generosity of the Central School community! Thank you so much to all of you who contributed to Gift of Giving this holiday season – your kindness will help brighten the holidays for many, many children, parents, elderly people and other individuals who need assistance at this time of year. If you haven’t already, please drop off your donations at the following locations by Sunday, Dec. 9:
Meghan MacKinnon — 1046 Greenwood Ave.
Jeni Roderick — 731 10th St.
Deb Bernstein — 824 Oakwood Ave.
Rebecca Johnson — 831 Oakwood Ave.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to anyone on the Gift of Giving committee. Thank you again and Happy Holidays!
Amazon Smile - Sign-up, It's EASY!
Don’t forget to sign up for Amazon Smile! Your everyday purchases can help benefit our school.
AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know and love. Same product, same prices, same service - just a special link to help your shopping benefit our school. Please bookmark the link below to make sure your shopping is always contributing. Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases directly to Central School! Just in time for Halloween candy, costume, and fall shopping... Sign up today at https://smile.amazon.com/
From the Nurse's Office
Call Central School "Attendance Line" For Absences: 847-512-6150
Please call the Attendance Line to report absences even if you let the classroom teacher know, because some teachers don't see the email/voicemail until later in the day. Teachers assume you are calling the office. It's important that the school nurse is directly aware of any absences otherwise, your son/daughter may be considered "missing." The school nurse keeps track of all school absences in the building. For safety reasons, we want to make sure all of our students are accounted for and safe.
New Central Health Office Website!!
Here is your go-to site for all of your health related questions including PE/Recess Notes, Health Requirements, Dental Examinations, Allergy and Asthma, Medications, Snacks in Classrooms, Lice, Influenza...and more!
Community Announcements...
- Northwestern’s Center for Talent Development offers Weekend Enrichment Programs for students age 3 through 8th grade.
- Love to sing? Youth Choral Theatre of Chicago offers a free vocal training class with flyer. Vocal classes available for children ages 4-18.
- Loyola Ramblerettes offer 3rd-8th grade girls the opportunity to learn a holiday dance and perform at halftime on December 11th.
- Loyola Ramblerettes host Holiday Dance Session December 11th for 3rd-8th grade girls
- Wilmette Park District’s Saturday Basketball registration is open for boys & girls grades 4-8.
- Wilmette Park District is hosting a Holiday Hustle exercise challenge November 26-December 23. Also the Center Fitness Club schedule and various classes for children ages 3-14 are posted.
- Wilmette Food Pantry is open every Tuesday 10:30-11:30 am at Trinity United Methodist Church.
- Family Action Network (FAN): Click HERE for information about FAN and upcoming speakers.
Join us on Twitter!
Central School is on Twitter!
- We have TWO Twitter accounts. Please "follow" us at Twitter.com! Explore Central 39 (with our actual "handle" as @explorecentral). With this account, we mostly share student activities that are completed in the Learning Commons (but other activities are often included as well). We are also providing this Twitter feed on our Central School homepage.
- There is also a principal page @BeckyLittmann where you can follow a variety of school happenings including all-school events, classroom activities, PTA enrichment, and school goals.
Save the Dates...
12/17 - School Board Meeting
12/21 - Last Day of Fall II After School Clubs
12/24-1/4 - Winter Break, No School
1/7 - School Resumes