The Central Scoop
December 15, 2017
From the Principal's Desk...
Dear Parents,
Our new "Sister School" relationship with Kusirye-U School in Tanzania is off to a GREAT start this year. Our first letter exchange included "About Me" letters where students from both schools included general information about what they like to study in school and what what they want to be when they grow up. Our next letters in January will be "About My School." Students will share information about their school days. Our Sister School relationship is a service learning project for all our students K-4 and has been arranged through Opportunity Education. We are not only pen-pals with the school, but we are learning about the culture, weather, and environment in Tanzania. If you would like to know more about our Sister School, please click on the link below. We are also updating our own school website that will include a link with more information about the relationship. This will be available soon.
http://www.opportunityeducation.org/school/view/id/215939
I would also like to take this opportunity to remind everyone about our traffic and carpool line procedures. This has been a tough week in the carpool line due to the cold weather and recent snowfall. As a result, I'm listing our carpool line rules again as reminders for all caregivers (see below). This system works if everyone cooperates. When drivers block traffic, cut in line, double-park, or don’t move up, children are endangered, traffics snarls and tempers fray. Please make the rules a priority and contribute to safe and smooth traffic flow. Please share this information with anyone who picks up your children ~ babysitters, grandparents, neighbors, and friends. I also want to encourage everyone to set your alarm clocks 5-10 minutes earlier now that it's winter to account for bad weather, increased traffic and winter clothing. The additional few minutes each day will help make your morning routine run more smoothly.
Finally, many of you have reached out to let me know you enjoyed the video of Jackie Rhew MA, CADC, LCPC that I included in my newsletter last week. Jackie Rhew is a therapist who works at the Center for Emotional Wellness of the Northwest Suburbs and Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital. Jackie was a featured speaker in the district at the junior high on December 6th. The district office videotaped her presentation titled, Purposeful Parenting for anyone who may have missed it. I'm including it once again (one more time) for you to easily access from my newsletter. The video can be seen (below) and I highly recommend it for all parents.
Sincerely,
- Becky
Rebecca Littmann
Principal
Central Elementary School
School & District Announcements and Reminders...
Traffic Safety - IMPORTANT
As snowfall becomes more of a reality, I would like to remind all parents and guardians of our traffic guidelines:
- Please follow the suggestions of our supervisors in green vests on the curb. They are volunteer staff members who are there to help your child get in and out of your vehicle safely. These adults are also safe people for students to use if they need help finding a caregiver. Please note - these staff members are not traffic safety personnel.
- Please wait to let your children out of your vehicle in front of the school. Letting them out of the car any earlier is dangerous.
Pull your vehicle up as far as possible in the line (even across the driveway to the black top), but leave room to pull out so you don't need to back up to get around the car in front of you.
Keep pulling up as cars exit the line to keep it moving.
Stay in your car at all times. Please don't leave your car or park it in the carpool line. This is very dangerous for you and for those trying to maneuver around your car. If you must walk your child to the door, please park your car across the street or a block away so you can walk your child safely to school.
Use the crosswalk on Central Avenue. We have a wonderful crossing guard on Central Ave. His name is Dudley and he is hired by the Wilmette Police Department. Please make sure that your entire family uses the crosswalk on Central Avenue. Dudley will ensure that you get across the street safely.
Also, please be mindful of our crossing guard, Dudley. It is his responsibility to ensure drivers are following the rules of the road. He will call the police, if necessary to ensure everyone's safety.
A Note From the Nurse - Are you going on vacation early??
While we prefer that your children are at school all week next week, we understand that you may be leaving a little early for vacation due to previous vacation plans. If you already have dates planned in advance, you can call the safe phone ahead of time to report absences. The safe phone is available 24/7 at 847-512-6150. You should also be notifying the classroom teacher of any planned absences.
Learning Commons
Needed for the Makerspace: We need paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls, and gift wrap rolls to use in a Winter STEM event next week. Thank you for recycling these products at Central! Just drop them off in the Learning Commons.
Recess - Winter is Here!
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
Cold Weather Procedures (When we keep the children inside for recess)
The district policy is for schools to hold indoor recess when the temperature is below 5 degrees, including windchill.
Board of Education Meeting
The monthly Board of Education meeting is Monday, December 18th at 7:00 PM at the MEC. Below are a couple of topics that may be of interest. If you can’t make the meeting, you can view it live or later, either on the District website or on Channel 6. Highlights of the meeting will be emailed and posted online within a day or two.
- Public hearing on the 2017 Levy
- Five-year financial projections
- 2018-19 Draft School Calendar
- Student Fees
Lost and Found - Last Posting
Parents please check the school's "Lost and Found" for any missing items. Any items left behind by winter break will be donated to charity.
Band and Orchestra Survey - Last Posting
An email went out yesterday with the D39 Band and Orchestra parent survey. Your feedback is important! Take the D39 Band and Orchestra survey HERE.
Call Central School "Safe Phone" For Absences: 847-512-6150
Please call the "SAFE" (absence) phone to report absences even if you let the classroom teacher knows, 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.
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 professional development, student activities, parent involvement, and school goals.
Green Team Announcement
Are you decorating for the holidays? Have you found any old or broken holiday lights? Are you looking for a way to get rid of them in an environmentally friendly way? Well great news! The Green Team (and Central’s Environmental Awareness Committee) is teaming up with the Village of Wilmette and SWANCC to keep all those lights and wires out of our landfills! Just bring your lights to Central School and drop them into the boxes located in the front lobby. We’ll be collecting lights until Friday January 19th. So easy and no guilt! What a great way to stay green this holiday season - Happy Holidays from the Green Team!
In case you missed it.....here is the video from....."How To Raise Resilient Children" with Jackie Rhew
PTA Announcements and Reminders...
* The PTA sends out their own newsletter on Sundays - here are just a few highlights
Thank You from the Gift of Giving Committee
The sleigh has landed! All gift and gift cards were delivered to LYDIA Home and Metropolitan Family Services on December 11th and both organizations were incredibly grateful for Central School's generosity. We received many smiles, hugs and words of appreciation from their employees for helping their families and children have a happier holiday season this year.
Thanks to our school’s wonderful generosity, nearly 80 families contributed over $10,000 in gift cards and gifts to more than 200 children and families supported by LYDIA Home and Metropolitan Families Services. Also, thank you to the families who donated to LYDIA Home through their Amazon Wish List — you helped furnish where LYDIA’s foster kids live as well as provide them with daily essentials. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much — The Gift of Giving Committee
Central School Garden
Please help the garden grow as Central looks forward to celebrating its 20th Anniversary next year! The PTA is excited about improvements to enhance learning and further ways to enjoy outdoor space. Please consider donating, we appreciate your support!
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090e4daeab28a2fa7-support
Community Announcements...
- Wilmette Park District hosts after school clubs for students at Central, Harper, McKenzie January 9 - March 23.
MasterChef Junior is hosting open casting calls in Chicago on January 13th for children ages 8-13.
Family Action Network (FAN)
Click HERE for information about FAN and upcoming speakers.
Additional information on community events can be found here http://www.wilmette39.org/news/community_events
Park District After-School Clubs
Attached you will find registration and class information for the winter session of Central After School Clubs through the Wilmette Park District.
Upcoming Events...
- 12/18 - Board of Education Meeting @7pm
- 12/25-1/5 - No School, Winter Break (school resumes Monday, Jan 8th)