Hawk Talk
Honoring Arbor Day
Half Day School students helped plant trees at the Vernon Area Public Library with the Village of Lincolnshire to celebrate Arbor Day's 150th year. Students helped plant two Illinois-native red oak trees at the library. Please visit the school's Facebook page or Google Doc folder for pictures of the activity.
Student Biologists Study Crayfish
During a recent third-grade science unit, students acted as biologists while they closely observed the structures and behaviors of crayfish. As they observed the different behavioral and structural adaptations, students determined how these adaptations would help a crayfish survive in their natural environment. The students analyzed how the crayfish responded to changes in their environment as well as any territorial behavior.
“Learning about crayfish is definitely one of the highlights of third-grade!” said Teacher Katie McCraren.
“My favorite part was touching them and observing their structures,” said Alexis Tandio, a student in Amy Grayes’ class.
Please visit the school's Facebook page or the Google Doc folder to see pictures of the activities.
Upcoming Events
Follow the Half Day calendar for upcoming events. Don't miss out. Follow along on our interactive calendar where you can pick and choose what to note and search for items you don't see. Below are some of the highlights:
- April 30: LFF Brick Ceremony, 9 a.m., at Daniel Wright
- April 30: Deadline to give input on classroom placement
- May 2: Fifth-graders visit Daniel Wright during the school day and parents meet with principal at Daniel Wright at 6:30 p.m.
- May 2-6: Teacher Appreciation Week
- May 3, 11:59 p.m.: Limited summer school registration will close
- May 5: In school World's Fair for third-graders
- May 11-12: Half Day Musical
Fifth-Grade Parent Meeting Monday
Monday, May 2 at 6:30 p.m. in the Daniel Wright cafeteria, the junior high administrators will host an in-person, informational meeting for the parents of incoming sixth-graders.
Fifth-grade students will be bused to Daniel Wright with their classmates earlier in the day on May 2 for an informational meeting and tour of the building. Therefore, students do not have to attend the evening event. The parent meeting will be recorded for our parents who are not able to attend the evening event.
Please note that the transition to middle school brings about changes in how students’ schedules are developed. Daniel Wright staff continually communicates with the fifth-grade teachers to understand the individual needs of each student. However, we do not provide a platform for parents to make specific requests regarding scheduling decisions and teacher selections. We realize that a different process is in place at Half Day School but due to the transition to an academic schedule with 10 periods per day, this is not a practice implemented during schedule development at DW.
Parent Input Deadline Approaching
Classroom placement is an important process for our students. Our teachers and staff invest significant time and effort to ensure the creation of healthy learning groups and environments. It is important to develop balanced classrooms by considering students’ gender, academic, social, and emotional needs. We strive to create an optimal learning environment for students in each of our teachers classrooms.
If you wish to share more specific information about your child's placement, please indicate your thoughts on this Optional Parent Input Form.
Please complete the form no later than midnight on April 30, 2022.
The input you provide will be reviewed and considered as we begin planning for your child for the 2022-2023 school year. While specific teacher requests cannot be accommodated, your insight is valued as we take many variables into consideration.
Please note, the input you share is not private between the principal and parent and will be shared during the placement process. Please complete a form for each of your children, if desired.
We look forward to providing your child with continued learning excellence! Thank you for taking time to share your thoughts with our staff.
May Lunch Menu
The May lunch menu is now available for Half Day School.
District 103 News
Conference Survey Results
A recent survey of parents and teachers resulted in almost 85 percent of parents and 98 percent of teachers supporting the option of offering remote/virtual parent teacher conferences in the future. Administration realizes that some parents would like the option of in-person parent teacher conferences. The administration will work on how best to accommodate both in-person and virtual conferences in the future.
Summer School Registration Closes Tuesday
District 103’s summer school registration is open temporarily. Please review the updated and limited class descriptions and summer school schedule prior to registering.
- Limited registration will close Tuesday, May 3, at 11:59 p.m.
Your students’ ID number is needed for registration (Can be found on the Unified Classroom parent portal).
Students must enroll in classes for the grade level in which they are currently enrolled.
Board of Education Meeting
The regular Board of Education meeting will occur at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 3. The notice and agenda can be found on the District 103 Board meeting website page. D103 board meetings will be held in-person and live-streamed each month on our YouTube Channel. Members of the community should attend the meeting at 111 Barclay Boulevard, Lincolnshire if they would like to make a public comment. The public can also contact the Board at board@d103.org.
Partnerships
Brick Legacy Fundraiser Ceremony
The D103 Learning Fund Foundation is honoring its donors with a Brick Legacy ceremony at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 30, at Daniel Wright. The donors' names are listed at the bottom of the foundation website. Visit Daniel Wright to see the many bricks inscribed with D103 family members' names. Please visit the LFF website to place your order.
The Learning Fund Foundation has been an active supporter of our D103 school district for many years providing STEM programming, classroom audio systems, and the establishment of the Dawn Anderson Scholarship awarded to a Daniel Wright graduate.
Volunteers Needed for 5K
Over 530 students, parents, and staff have registered for the Saturday, May 21, D103 PTO 5K Run/Walk. Sign up today and join in the fun morning activity with friends, neighbors, and classmates. Volunteers are needed. Run the race and volunteer for a good cause.
Community News
Homers for Heroes
Stevenson High School is honoring the military with an appreciation day on Saturday, May 7, on its baseball/softball fields, One Stevenson Dr., Lincolnshire. Family fun activities include hotdogs and burgers, a bouncy house, games, and more from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Please visit the SHS athletic event schedule for details.
Youth Soccer
Please visit the Chicago Rush North's website for youth soccer opportunities.
Summer Gifted Program
Register now for the Center for Gifted summer classes that will be held in schools nearby.
Half Day Information
- Principal Jill Mau
- Assistant Principal Laura Delagrange