The Hawk
Holmes Elementary School Weekly Update - February 2, 2018
IMPORTANT DATES/THINGS TO REMEMBER
· Parent Teacher Conferences – February 8 & 9 – 11:00 am dismissal
· President’s Day – No school – February 19
Conferences
We look forward to seeing our families next week for parent/teacher conferences. If you have not secured a time, please reach out to your child’s teacher to schedule your conference.
Food Allergy Reminders
Every food allergy-related reaction has the potential to develop into a life-threatening situation within a matter of minutes, and can be triggered by consuming a small amount of food or touching a substance containing food allergens.
A friendly reminder that in order to ensure the health and safety of our students at Holmes School:
· All classroom snacks (other than fruits and vegetables) must have a label listing all ingredients so we can ensure they meet our District 97 guidelines. Nuts and nut products are not allowed in any classroom: this includes products that are labeled "processed in a facility that shared equipment with nut products."
· Nuts and nut products are not allowed in designated nut safe spaces, which include the allergen-free table in the lunchroom.
• We encourage nut-free products on field trips.
• There is NO food sharing between students at any time during school.
• There is NO eating or drinking on school buses.
• There is NO eating in outside play areas.
In addition, please ensure your child is bringing a healthy snack to school along with a water bottle. Health snack choices include fresh fruit and vegetables, dried fruits and vegetables, pretzels, goldfish crackers, rice cakes, wheat thins, packaged popcorn, and lean meats.
The staff at Holmes School appreciates your partnership in promoting the health and safety of our children.
PBIS Updates
Our school staff continues to teach our PBIS expectations to Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Safe. Please continue to reinforce these expectations with your child when talking about their school day.
Hawks Nest
Students enjoyed meeting with their Hawks Nest groups on January 31st.
After a review and practice of Hallway/Stairwell behavior expectations, students hung pieces of our “empathy road” on the first and second floors. Students also participated in a peace circle to share their experience with a strong emotion. Lastly, students were guided through a discussion about choices and consequences based upon a video by Kid President. Click here for the link to the video.
Being Safe
When dropping off or picking up students, please observe all street parking signage.
We ask you not to park in areas where signage reads NO PARKING HERE TO CORNER. Parking in these prohibited areas obstruct crosswalks and blocks the view of turning vehicles.
With the shift of our student pick-up, we have noticed families and students crossing the street in the cul-de-sac. Please be reminded that we have several buses that pick-up students in our cul-de-sac and we request all families use sidewalks and not cross in areas not designated with crosswalks. Please be sure to help us maintain a safe school.
Additionally, please be sure to respect our neighbors when you drive to drop off children. Be sure you are parking in legal parking places and not block our neighbor’s driveways.
Don’t Be Late - Win Something Great
Thank you for your efforts to get your children to school by 8:00am.
There are still too many students arriving after 8:00am, which can be disruptive to the morning routine of our classrooms. Let’s be on time for school.
The names of students who weren’t tardy in January were entered into a drawing for gift cards from local businesses. Twelve students enjoyed being acknowledged for being on time by having their names drawn on January 31st.
Second Step - Child Protection Units.
Our district’s vision is to create a positive learning environment, for all District 97 students, that is equitable, inclusive, and focused on the whole child. One of our universal goals is for students to feel safe and have a sense of belonging. This year, we are using the Second Step program in your child’s classroom to support this goal.
The Second Step program teaches children important social/emotional skills, such as getting along with others, solving problems, and managing emotions. The program also helps our schools to be safe and supportive places where everyone can learn. The Second Step program also provides instructional materials that are aligned with Erin’s Law, an Illinois state law that requires all public schools to implement a prevention-oriented child sexual abuse program. For more information on Erin’s Law, please go to http://erinslaw.org/about/what-is-erins-law/.
At Holmes, the first of five Second Step Child Protection Units will be taught on February 14th.
Teachers will use the Second Step Child Protection Units in grades K-5 as an instructional resource to teach students the following skills in five developmentally appropriate lessons:
Personal Safety: Students will learn important safety rules and ways to stay safe. They will also learn ways to help them decide if something is safe or not.
Touching Safety: Students will learn about safe, unsafe, and unwanted touches, and rules about touching private body parts.
Assertiveness: These lessons will also give students a chance to practice asking an adult for help, telling an adult about an unsafe situation, and being assertive to get out of unsafe situations.
To keep your child safe and protected, everyone at school needs to be involved. All of our staff members will receive special training on how to:
● Recognize and report suspected child sexual abuse
● Respond to and support children who have been abused or who are facing
other challenges
● Use strategies that promote a safe and supportive school climate
For more information on the Second Step Child Protection Unit resources, please go to www.SecondStep.org and log in with the activation key for your child’s grade level:
Kindergarten: CPUK FAMI LYGK
1st grade: CPU1 FAMI LYG1
2nd grade: CPU2 FAMI LYG2
3rd grade: CPU3 FAMI LYG3
4th grade: CPU4 FAMI LYG4
5th grade: CPU5 FAMI LYG5
The Board acknowledges that parents/caregivers are the primary educators for their children on sensitive matters such as this. If you have any questions about Erin’s Law and/or Second Step’s Child Protection Units, or if you do not want your child to participate in these lessons, please contact Maria Pascarella, Social Worker, at mpascarella@op97.org. Thank you for helping us make our schools supportive places, where students feel safe and a sense of belonging.
Weather Reminders and Physical Activity
Book Study
Celebrate Holmes Staff
Families, have you noticed a Holmes teacher or staff member who deserves a compliment or a thank you? Has this person made a difference for your child? Please share the reason in a brief email to me (czelaya@op97.org) so that we may recognize and thank them!
A FEW NOTES FROM YOUR PTO…
⭐ Diversity Update
· We’re continuing our focus on reading and will kick off February with our Annual Book Fair. Stop by, take a look, or send your son or daughter with money to purchase a book on their own. The book fair runs February 6th through February 9th from 8am-6pm and Friday until noon. We could use your help managing the week — volunteer!
· Reminder that our monthly morning PTO Community meeting is this coming Wednesday, February 7th at 8:15 am. Math is the topic of discussion so join our teachers and LINK to your child’s learning!
Agenda here
· It’s time for our Annual Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, February 10th! Click here to get all the details. This year we’re offering a fast pass opportunity to order and pay for your breakfast in advance and beat the lines! We’ll also have a silent auction for a chance for your child to be Principal for a Day!! We still need volunteers so join us and flip a few pancakes, serve breakfast or fry bacon - it’s fun! Volunteer here!
· The expansion is coming, the expansion is coming and we need your help! Due to the construction, our classrooms are moving, so in preparation, we need a sizeable number of large boxes from now through the end of the school year. Please save your Amazon boxes or any others that you have and bring them into the school office! If you have lots, contact Mrs. Krikau at lkrikau@op97.org to arrange drop off.
Dr. Christine Zelaya
Email: czelaya@op97.org
Website: http://www.op97.org/holmes/
Location: 508 N Kenilworth Ave, Oak Park, IL, United States
Phone: 708-524-3100
Facebook: facebook.com/christine.zelaya.96
Twitter: @ChristineZelaya