The Hawk
Holmes Elementary School - Week Ending 8/26/22
IMPORTANT DATES/THINGS TO REMEMBER
- Curriculum Night - August 30 - details below
- Labor Day - NO SCHOOL - September 5
- 1st Day of Hispanic Heritage Month - September 15
- Rosh Hashanah - NO SCHOOL - September 26
PTO Al Fresco Friday - family meetup on the Holmes playground - September 9 after-school
PTO Holmes Carnival October 1, 4:30-7:00
Curriculum Night
Here are some of the details:
if you have children in more than one-grade level please try to follow this schedule (we know it's not exact)
6:00-6:25 - Attend 1st, 3rd, or 5th if your last name starts with the letters A-M
6:00-6:25 - Attend Kinder, 2nd, 4th if your last name starts with the letters N-Z
and
6:30-7:00 Attend 1st, 3rd, or 5th if your last name starts with the letters N-Z
6:30-7:00 Attend Kinder, 2nd, 4th if your last name starts with the letters A-M
If you have one child at Holmes school regardless of your last name initials, please attend the 6:30-7:00 session.
Grade level teams will meet in the following locations:
Kindergarten: Room 113
1st: South side of MPR
2nd: Library
3rd: Room 118 (art room)
4th: North side of MPR
5th: 121/123
Specials: Room: 107
Related Services: 108
If you need childcare, please let the PTO know by filling out this form. Our PTO will arrange for babysitters and Dr. Zelaya will arrange also have staff members on hand to supervise students in the auditorium. Children will watch a movie while their parents attend curriculum night session(s). Children will need to be elementary school age to be eligible for this babysitting service. Children under 5 will need to be with their parents.
Dogs at School
Please do not bring dogs on school grounds while students are present.
Thank you!
PBIS Rotations
District 97 uses a multitiered, social-emotional-behavioral framework for supporting wellness and responding to behavior called Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS). The PBIS framework places an emphasis on improving outcomes by addressing data, systems, and practices, in a way that is flexible enough to accommodate local and culturally responsive context, needs, and values. Schools continuously improve upon their climate, culture, and supports to be an effective learning environment for all youth and staff.
This past week, students received instruction on what it looks like, sounds like, and feels like to be Respectful, Engaged, and Safe in multiple locations throughout our campus. We will continue to review and practice these expectations weekly to support student understanding of our universal expectations.
Please support our efforts by reviewing these lunchroom (Hawk Cafe) expectations with your student(s).
Fall Benchmark Testing
District 97's Benchmark Assessments give us a starting point for the fall. The assessments allow teachers to better understand students in order to design instruction specifically for them. This deep understanding of our students will help us support them in our Multi-Tiered System of Supports and during WIN Time (What I Need Time). The fall assessments will begin on August 29th.
Your child's teacher can share more specifics. Students will also take benchmark tests in the Winter and Spring so that we can track their growth and progress as well as continue to differentiate their level of support.
Food Allergies/Nut-Safe Schools
Nuts and nut products are not allowed in any District 97 schools during the 2022-23 school year. This includes products that are labeled “processed in a facility that shares equipment with nut products.”
District 97 schools have been nut-safe for the past two years—helping to create safer, more inclusive environments for all of our students. We appreciate your support of this important initiative.
Please visit https://bit.ly/3AyGPpI to access information about the district’s food allergy management program, as well as tips and options for identifying food that is safe for snacks and field trips.
Holmes Snack Policy
Breakfast and Lunch at Holmes
Please see below for important information about District 97’s food service program, including information on the free and reduced meal eligibility and application process, accessing student meal accounts through the “My Mealtime” online portal, and 2022-23 breakfast and lunch menus.
For the past two years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made it possible for school districts to serve all students free breakfast and lunch through waivers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The USDA free meal waiver is now expired and will not be extended for the upcoming school year.
2022-23 Breakfast and Lunch Menus
During the 2022-23 school year, students can:
- Bring a nut-free lunch from home.
- Order school lunch.
- Breakfast Menu
- Hot Lunch Menu (3-Week Cycle)
- Hot Breakfast/Lunch Nutritional Information (coming soon!)
2022-23 Breakfast and Lunch Prices
Breakfast: $1.75 Full Price
$.30 reduced priced
Lunch: $2.80 Full Price
$.40 Reduced Price
Breakfast is daily from 7:15-7:45. Enter the lunchroom through the courtyard on Chicago Ave for breakfast.
Free and Reduced Meal Eligibility and Application
Students may receive meals at a free or reduced cost either by being directly approved by the State of Illinois OR being approved after completing the 2022-23 Free and Reduced Lunch Application. All families who are directly approved by the state will receive an approval letter by email. If you feel your student may qualify for free or reduced-priced meals but are not directly approved, we encourage you to complete the 2022-23 Free and Reduced Lunch Application as soon as possible. There are several options for completing and submitting your application (see below).
2022-23 Free and Reduced Lunch Application (English and Spanish)
Submit Your Application Online
Filling out and submitting a Free and Reduced Meal Application is a quick and easy two-step process when you use Mealtime Apply Online! Click here for step-by-step instructions on how to set up a Mealtime account and complete the online application.
Step 1: Create a profile (you will need your student ID#).
- Visit www.mymealtime.com/apps.
- If you already have a Mealtime account, you can access the application from there—just log in.
Step 2: Start your application.
- Click the "New Application" button.
- From the Mealtime account, click the orange banner or box.
Paper/PDF Applications
For those parents who do not have access to a computer, or those who prefer not to use the online system, paper applications (available in English and Spanish) are available to download from the district website or your student’s school website. You can also ask for one at any of the school offices or at the district office. Only one application per household, per school district is needed. Completed applications can be dropped off at your student’s school or the district office (260 Madison St.), or emailed to the district's food service coordinator, Carla Ellis, at cellis@op97.org. You can also fax the application to 708-524-3019.
Questions
If you have any questions, please reach out to the district's food service coordinator, Carla Ellis, at cellis@op97.org.
Meet our School Nurses
When emailing them, please be sure to email both to ensure continuity of care.
*NEW* Process for Reporting Positive COVID-19 Cases to D97 Schools
If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, they must complete the following steps:
1) In order to notify the school nurse and receive a return-to-school date, families/staff must complete the confidential COVID-19 Positive Case Notification Form as soon as possible following the positive test. Information provided will also be shared with the Oak Park Department of Public Health.
2) Families must continue to report student absences via the school attendance line, and staff must enter their absences in Frontline.
To see the rules for isolation and quarantine, click here. Additional resources are linked below.
Holmes Family Handbook
Community Hawk Nest
Next Al Fresco Friday
Come out and join us for our second Al Fresco Friday, September 9th after school on the playground. Meet others on the Holmes playground anytime from 4-6 pm. A good opportunity to meet new and returning families.
Support the Holmes Community - Get involved with the PTO!
The Holmes PTO supports the school community in many ways - and everyone is a member (If you’re reading this, you’re a part of the PTO!). Sign up here to join the board, lead a committee, or find out when we need volunteers.
Here are some of the activities and events the PTO organizes for the community: Fall Carnival, Pancake Breakfast, Taste of Holmes, Room Parent Coordination, Staff Appreciation Activities, Reading Programs, STEAM Night, EDGE After School, Apollo After School, Trivia Night, Book Fair, Al Fresco Fridays, Dine Outs - and more! Please help us create a supportive, engaged community for Holmes!
PTO Website (under construction)
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
Contact your PTO
Email: pto@holmespto.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HolmesPTO/
Twitter: @HolmesPTO