Letters from Limestone Walters
Summer 2022
๐๏ธ Important Dates to Remember
June
June 1st: Teacher's InstituteJune 2nd: Summer Office Hours Begin (M-F 8am-1pm)
June 7th: PTO Meeting @7pm
June 12th: June Book Club @6pm (see details below)
June 27th: Board Meeting @6pm
July
July 10th: July Book Club @6pm (see details below)
July 25th: Board Meeting @6pm
July 27th-31st: LW Registration for the 2022-2023 school year
๐ June's Book ๐ฅ๐
Plant, Cook, Eat! A Childrenโs Cookbook by Joe Archer and Caroline Craig is a browsable nonfiction pick that includes lots of information about growing your own food which is a great follow-up to last monthโs book pick. Plus, it includes lots of yummy recipes.
ZOOM Read Aloud Event will be Sunday, June 12th @6pm.
Fill out the form to be emailed the link: LW Book Club ZOOM Event
๐ July's Book ๐ฉโ๐ณ๐ฝ๏ธ
Niki Nakayama: A Chefโs Tale in 13 Bites by Jamie Michalak introduces us a chef who had to overcome many obstacles of achieving her dream. Nakayama had to prove that a woman can be a master chef in a male-dominated field. In 2019, her restaurant was awarded two Michelin stars for excellent food. The book will take you Koreatown, Los Angeles, California to Tokyo, Japan, and make to California again. The book includes a recipe for Wonton Pizzas, a dish Niki made when she was a child.
ZOOM Read Aloud Event will be Sunday, July 10th @6pm.
Fill out the form to be emailed the link: LW Book Club ZOOM Event
๐ซ๐๏ธ 2022-2023 School Calendar
The following Mondays we will not be in session unless an emergency day is used:
- Monday, May 8th
- Monday, May 15th
- Monday, May 22nd
If we do have emergency days we will have session on the above Mondays depending on how many we need. Our other two emergency days will be after Memorial Day, May 30th and 31st.
End of the Year Items
๐๐ INTEREST SURVEY
**If you have already filled this out there is no need to fill it out again. This is only for those that were unable to complete the survey the first time.
Please understand that there are many moving parts when considering such an endeavor. There is no guarantee that this program will be offered next school year. However, we do want to start the process with some information gathering from our families. Please complete the survey below to determine what the next steps, if any, could be.
Before/After Care Interest Survey
Please complete this survey by Friday, June 3, 2022.
๐ It's Not Goodbye, It's a See You Later
- Mrs. O'Malley served as our K-4 paraprofessional by supporting small group instruction in the areas of reading, math, and writing for the last 6 years.
- Mrs. Sparrow served as our K-8 school counselor for the last 3 years.
- Mrs. Alvey served as our speech pathologist for the last 8 years.
- Miss Peterson served as our head cook in the cafeteria for the last 4 years.
- Mrs. Crew also served in our cafeteria for the last 6 year.
- Mr. Thompson served as a paraprofessional this year.
- Miss Carol served as one of our bus drivers for 22 years.
Thank you for everything you did to teach, encourage, and support us. While you will be greatly missed next year we want to wish you well as you start new chapters and/or head into retirement. Once an LW Rocket...Always an LW Rocket!
๐ฅฃ Summer Meals
No Kid Hungryโs summer texting hotline has a new number. You can text FOOD or COMIDA to 304-304 during the summer months to find a site near you with free meals for children 18 and younger. The old texting number, 877-877, is being phased out and currently instructs individuals to text 304-304 instead.
To find free meals, families can also call (800) 359-2163, which is staffed by the Illinois Hunger Coalition. Or they can visit SummerMealsIllinois.org, where you can use the U.S. Department of Agricultureโs Summer Meals Site Finder.
๐ฉบ Sports Physicals
Curriculum Updates
๐ Into Reading K-6
I am pleased to announce the Board of Education approved the purchase for Into Reading which will be our new literacy curriculum for grades K-6 starting in the 2022-2023 school year! Teachers not only had the opportunity to browse sample materials from this curriculum but also see it in action at one of the Limestone area feeder schools. The biggest draws to selecting this curriculum were:
- print and digital elements
- classroom libraries and trade books to immerse students in the joy of reading
- the gradual release of responsibility model that sets students up for mastery of skills
- strong connections between reading and writing instruction
- phonics, spelling, vocabulary, and grammar are immersed throughout
- interactive lessons to engage learners and support self-actualized learning
- notice & note sections/annotations skills that will guide students to become independent readers
- embedded growth mindset strategies and social skills support woven throughout the curriculum
- seamless integration with Google Classroom
- extensive professional development library and coaching to support staff in implementation
Check out a brief explanation of the core beliefs from the company (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) below:
Children are born with a love of learning. When we give them high-quality books that intrigue and challenge, we empower them to pursue their natural curiosity and discover their interests. As students build a strong foundation in reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills, they develop a confidence in themselves that ensures lifelong learners emerge. HMH Into Reading is differentiated by design to offer research-based literacy instruction, support teachers in developing a culture of learning and growth, and help all learners believe in the power of "I can."
Communication with the community is a key piece to implementing new curriculum so be on the look out for information as we gear up for the fall.
๐๐ป World Book Research Database K-8
- Early Learning: PreK-2nd
- Kids: 2nd -4th grade
- Student: 5th-9th grade
- Advanced: 9th+
Access to all of these allow teachers to differentiate based on the individual needs of students as well as support striving and thriving readers.
As with our new literacy curriculum, communication with the community is a key piece to the successful use of this database. One of the biggest ways to support us and your child is to encourage them to start any project with World Book. Be on the look out for more information as we gear up for the fall.
Limestone Walters PTO News
๐ PTO Points
Kona Ice truck that will be there for the families to purchase shaved ice, if they would like to.
As the date gets closer we will share more specifics on our Facebook page and we plan to discuss further at the next PTO meeting June 7th.
๐ญ๐ฅฐ๐ฏ Principal Ponderings
I loved my first year as principal at Limestone Walters and will forever cherish all of the memories made and lessons learned.
Gratitude
I'm grateful for the opportunity I had each day to walk through the doors of LW and be part of a community who welcomed this loud, dramatic, and over excited person to try her best at being your principal!
Goals
-plan for June and July book clubs, begin working on the master schedule, finalize PO's for curriculum purchases, clean up my office, and gear up for a wonderful 2022-2023 school year
~Stefanie Pitzer, Principal
Limestone Walters School District #316
Email: spitzer@limestonewalters.com
Website: https://www.limestonewalters.com/
Location: 8223 West Smithville Road, Peoria, IL, USA
Phone: 309-697-3035
Facebook: facebook.com/LWrockets316
Twitter: @lwrockets