News from Sundling Junior High
January 31, 2022
Letter from the Principal
Although the cold temperatures, blustery winds, and snow of the winter months are upon us, things remain warm inside the walls of Sundling Junior High. The students recently wrapped up the first half of the school year and are preparing to set goals and buckle down for a successful second half of learning. Our teachers took time to review both school and classroom expectations when we returned from Winter Break, helping to support a positive tone and set up a successful 2nd Semeter, as we move forward. Thanks to the many students involved in creating scripts and videos for their peers!
We have shared in many successes since the start of the school year, and have many things to be proud of and thankful for as we look back at the first five months of school. There is still much work ahead as we push toward June, and the end of the school year. No matter the conditions, season, or month of school, the staff and administration at Sundling are committed to providing a safe and comfortable learning environment that will challenge and motivate our students to reach their full potential. This environment is created to help support their academics, and also their social and emotional well-being.
I hope that you stay warm during these winter months. Please be sure to ask your child what he/she is learning each day, and don’t accept, “I don’t know” or “nothing” as an answer!! Our journey as “Partners in Learning” continues…
Thank you for the continued support of our school and staff.
As always, take care and stay well,
Jason Dietz
Principal
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @SundlingJH and Instagram @wrsjhpaladins
Changes to Sundling JH Schedule- 2/23/22
The district has shared, that due to a bus driver shortage, we are moving to an adjusted time schedule on February 23, 2022.
Here are the details you need to know:
Remember the below times BEGIN ON FEBRUARY 23!
- Doors open at 7:20 am. Arrival supervision begins at 7:20 am, so please do not drop children off before that time unless they have an activity or scheduled appointment with a teacher.
- Breakfast will be available in the cafeteria for students at 7:20 am. We encourage all students to eat a healthy breakfast, as lunch times are pushed back an additional 15 minutes.
- Instruction begins at 7:35 am with the start of 1st Period.
Here is a copy of the new schedule as a reference: WRS Bell Schedule- Beginning 2/23/2022
- Dismissal M - Th: 2:15 pm
- Dismissal Fridays: 1:25 pm
Please reach out to Mr. Dietz or Mr. Rice if you have any questions. Again, these changes will begin on Wednesday, February 23, 2022.
Drop Off & Pick Up Procedures- Reminder
Parents who transport their students to school are asked to enter the traffic circle on the south side of the school or use the parking spots located along Smith St. directly in front of the building. Please be sure to drop off your child at curbside, ensuring that they do not have to cross through moving cars. For safety reasons, the north lot in front of the school is reserved for bus loading and unloading, bike riders and parking for staff and visitors!
Students may not enter the building prior to the 7:35 AM (7:20am after 2/23/22) bell unless they are participating in jazz band or choral rehearsals, working in the Learning Resource Center (LRC), attending breakfast, have a prior written pass from a teacher, or are directed to do so by a staff member due to inclement weather. Students may not wander or loiter the hallways prior to the beginning of the school day.
5Essentials Survey
Beginning February 3, students and teachers in District 15 and across Illinois are asked to participate in the annual statewide Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of your child’s school. As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness in a survey about your child’s school.
The Illinois 5Essentials Survey gathers data related to five indicators that can be targeted to improve important student outcomes, including attendance and state test score gains. The 5Essentials Survey asks questions about:
· Effective Leaders
· Collaborative Teachers
· Involved Families
· Supportive Environments
· Ambitious Instruction
All District 15 teachers and 4th through 8th grade students will be asked to take this survey. 5Essentials Reports will be generated for schools if at least 50% of the teachers and students complete the survey. If at least 20 percent of parents from your child’s school complete this survey, a parent supplement will also be generated for the school and is an important source of information from parents.
Your identity and survey responses are completely confidential. The school does not have access to individual survey responses and cannot connect any survey responses to you or your child.
In District 15 the Illinois 5Essentials Survey for students and teachers will be conducted from February 3 to March 5, 2021 You may take the survey between these dates by visiting http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/ and selecting the appropriate survey to begin.
The student survey window is from February 3 to March 5, and the survey will be taken during their History classes. Student participants will be required to log-in using their state student ID and birth date in order to complete the survey.
Students’ identities will be completely confidential. Teachers or administrators will never see individual responses to survey questions and will only receive aggregated information, such as the total percentage of students who agree homework assignments help them learn the course material. Please be aware that under the Protection of Pupil Rights Act. 20 U.S.C. Section 1232(c) (1) (A), you have the right to review a copy of the questions asked of your student(s). Survey questions can be found on the Illinois 5Essentials https://www.5-essentials.org/ (https://www.5-essentials.org/).
If you do not want your son or daughter to participate, fill out the the following LINK.
For more information about the Illinois 5Essentials Survey, please visit https://www.isbe.net/Pages/5Essentials-Survey.aspx.
8th Grade Graduation Pictures- 2/3/2022
8th Grade Graduation Pictures will be taken at Sundling JH on Thursday, February 3, 2022 during the morning hours.
8th grade students will be called down to take pictures alphabetically by last name during the morning hours. Students will take pictures in a provided graduation gown and in dress clothing.
A few weeks following picture day, proofs will be sent to the school, and then sent home with your child for review. Parents can review pictures and purchase photos on mylifetouch.com at that time.
If a student misses the February 3rd Picture Day, or parents are not happy with the original proofs, Picture Retakes will occur at Sundling JH on Thursday, March 10th.
Illinois Youth Survey Parent Notification Letter - 8th Grade Only!
During the month of February (week of February 14th during Science classes) your child (8th grade) is being asked to participate in a voluntary survey called the Illinois Youth Survey, the purpose of which is to better understand Illinois youth risk and protective behaviors as they relate to students and their success. Participation will involve completing a survey (with no names or identification numbers) that will be confidentially administered by a classroom teacher, counselor, or community member who has received training on administering this survey. Your child’s participation will last no more than one class period (40-45 minutes). Risks related to participating are minimal, but some questions ask about sensitive topics and personal behavior that might make some students feel uncomfortable. Examples of potentially sensitive topics include questions about substance use, bullying, dating violence, school climate, and screen time. The benefits related to this research include improving your community’s ability to develop programs and strategies to prevent youth problem behaviors and enhance youth development.
The alternative to participating in the survey is an alternate activity such as quiet reading in the classroom.
Principal Investigator Name and Title: Doug Smith, PhD, Director
Department and Institution: Center for Prevention Research and Development / University of Illinois
Contact Information: 217-333-3231
Sponsor: Illinois Department of Human Services
Why is your child being asked?
Your child’s school district is working with Center for Prevention Research and Development at the University of Illinois to conduct the Illinois Youth Survey. Your child has been asked to participate because he or she is a student in an elementary, middle, or high school located in the state of Illinois. Approximately 230,000 student participants will take this survey at Illinois schools in the spring of 2022. Your child’s participation is voluntary. Your and your child’s decision whether or not to participate will not affect your or your child’s current or future dealings with your child’s school or with the University of Illinois. If you decide your child can participate, you or your child are free to withdraw at any time without affecting those relationships.
What procedures are involved?
The study involves completing a survey (with no names or identification numbers) that will be confidentially administered by a classroom teacher, counselor, or community member who has received training on survey administration. This survey will be take place in a regular classroom at your child’s school and will be administered either online or on paper. Your child’s participation will last no more than one class period (40-45 minutes).
What are the potential risks and discomforts?
Some questions ask about sensitive topics and personal behavior that might make respondents feel uncomfortable. Participants don’t have to answer any questions they don’t want to and may stop responding at any time.
Are there benefits to participating in the research?
The results of this survey may improve your school’s or community’s ability to develop programs and strategies to prevent youth problem behaviors and enhance youth development.
What other options are there?
You have the option to refuse your child’s participation in the survey. If you do not want your child to participate, he or she will be asked to participate in an alternate activity such as quiet reading in the classroom while the survey is taking place.
Will my child’s study-related information be kept confidential?
We will use all reasonable efforts to keep your child’s personal information confidential, but we cannot guarantee absolute confidentiality. When this research is discussed or published, no one will know that your child took part in the survey. But, when required by law or university policy, information may be seen or copied by a) The Institutional Review Board that approves research studies; b) The Office for Protection of Research Subjects and other university departments that oversee human subjects research; or c) University and state auditors responsible for oversight of research.
Will we be reimbursed for any expenses or paid for participation in this research?
You will not be offered payment for your child’s participation in this study.
Can my child withdraw or be removed from the study?
If you allow your child to participate, you are free to change your mind and stop participation at any time. Your child can also choose to not participate or to stop participating in the survey.
Will data collected from my child be used for any other research?
Your child’s de-identified information could be used for future research without additional informed consent. Who should I contact if I have questions? If you have questions about the survey process at your child’s school, please contact the school office. If you wish to look over the survey questionnaire, it is available for review in your child’s school office or online at https://iys.cprd.illinois.edu/about/content. If you have questions about the study, or if you have concerns or complaints about the research, contact Doug Smith, PhD, Director of the Center for Prevention Research and Development at 888-333-5612 (toll-free) or smithdc@illinois.edu.
What are my child’s rights as a research subject?
If you have questions about your child’s rights as a participant in this study, contact the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Office for the Protection of Research Subjects at 217-333-2670 or irb@illinois.edu.
What if I do not want my child to participate?
If you do not want your child to participate in the survey, please click on the following LINK and complete the questions. Your decision to refuse permission will not in any way influence your future relationship with your child’s school. The Illinois Youth Survey coordinator at your child’s school will ensure that your child does not participate. You do not have to complete this form if you are allowing your child to participate.
JH Student Vaccination Card
As a reminder, and if you have not already done so, we ask that parents/guardians of junior high students provide a copy of their child’s COVID-19 vaccination card to the school. District 15 will treat these documents in accordance with Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) statutory and regulatory requirements.
Why is knowing a child’s vaccination status important? Knowing which students are vaccinated and which are not will help expedite contact tracing this school year. The district will continue to conduct contact tracing when COVID-19 cases arise in our schools. If your child has been identified as a close contact, parents will be asked for proof of vaccination, if you’ve not already provided it to the school.
At this time, students who are identified as a close contact to a confirmed positive case AND who are not fully vaccinated, will be quarantined for 10 days unless otherwise specified by the Cook County Department of Health. Fully vaccinated students are not required to quarantine as a close contact and will not experience an in-person learning disruption.
If you choose to verify your child’s vaccination status, you should drop off a copy of the vaccination card at the school Monday-Friday between the hours of 7:00am-3:30pm.
You can also email a copy of the vaccination card to our school nurse, Lupe Lara, larag@ccsd15.net The nurse will accept documentation of COVID-19 vaccine status anytime throughout the school year. This copy will be kept in your student’s medical file in the nurse’s office.
If you have lost or misplaced your child’s vaccination card, parents can authorize the release of such proof for themselves or their children by completing a request for immunization records from I-CARE (Illinois Comprehensive Automated Immunization Registry Exchange).
WRS Little Library
We want to continue to encourage our students to read while at home, and provide opportunities to get copies of today's top books and authors!
Important Dates- February '22
February 3- 8th Grade Graduation Pictures
February 9- D15 Board of Education Meeting 7:00 PM
February 11- WRS Music Department Photos
February 16- WRS PTA Meeting 7:00PM
February 17- Illinois Youth Survey (8th Grade Students)
February 21- No School- Presidents Day
February 22- No School (students)- Teacher Plan Day
D 15 MPAC Virtual Event- February 7th
The Multilingual Parent Advisory Committee (MPAC) will be hosting a virtual information session on Monday, February, 7, from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. The topic for the event will be “Understanding and Supporting Academic Language.”
District 15 Job Fair
Dates:
Monday, March 7, 2022
Location:
Palatine Library
700 N. North Court
Palatine, IL 60067
Time:
12:00pm-3:00pm
We are looking for the following positions:
Bus Drivers - no experience necessary; paid training; free benefits (employee only); pension; paid holidays
Substitute Teachers and Substitute Program Assistants - set your own schedule!
Full time Program Assistants
Office and Library Clericals
Maintenance/Laborers/Custodians
And more!
Please contact Chanell Lopez at lopezc@ccsd15.net or Lori Thum at thuml@ccsd15.net with any questions
WRS PTA Membership
Sign up online at: https://sundlingpta.new.memberhub.store/store (There is a MemberHub service change of 75¢ (Individual) and 92¢ (Household) to join online.) -OR-
Return the form (attached to the email) to the school office in an envelope marked “PTA MEMBERSHIP” along with exact cash or check (payable to: “Sundling PTA”) Sundling Jr. High will be open during school hours or you can mail to:
Sundling Jr. High 1100 N. Smith Rd. Palatine, IL 60067
Membership Questions can be directed to Karen Salata and Amy Stojkovich at SundlingPTAMembership@gmail.com.
Walter R. Sundling Junior High School
Email: dietzj@ccsd15.net
Website: www.ccsd15.net/WRS
Location: 1100 North Smith Street, Palatine, IL, USA
Phone: 847-963-3700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jason.dietz.1217
Twitter: @SundlingJH