Elmwood Express
October 21, 2022
Parents and Family Members,
What an amazing week it has been at Elmwood Elementary! We had our first spirit week and the kids participation was great and we had a lot of fun. The teachers also were able to partake in some of the dress up days! We have a few more exciting events in October coming so please be sure to check out the items below.
We are excited to open up our new media center this week! The kids today got a sneak peek as they walked by the room! We will be able to utilize several office spaces, a breakout room, and the large media center for our kids. Parents will be able to visit and tour during Parent/Teacher conferences on Nov. 2nd and 3rd. We will also be having our Fall Book Fair in the new media center during conferences from 3:15pm-6:30pm. The students will be able to shop during the day with their class! We will be looking for volunteers to assist so be on the look out for more information.
Finally - the weather is starting to turn colder and I wanted to remind parents of our cold weather procedure. Students will go outside for recess if the temperature is over 20 degrees, so please be sure to dress your child appropriately for the weather. If you lost a coat or sweater, the lost and found will be open at conferences. Any unclaimed items will be donated.
As always, please let us know if you need anything!
Mr. Lerner and Mrs. Hagins
Upcoming Events
This Week on Twitter....
Check us out on Twitter to see all the latest pictures and updates on the all fun and learning at Elmwood School! Here are some highlights from the week!
School Pictures
School pictures are now available for sale by visiting jostenspix.com. If you need help with ordering you can call 877-515-1447. You may need your child's ID number to find their picture, this can be found via the Powerschool App. To be able to receive your pictures the fastest, please use the email address you entered at your primary email in Powerschool.
If your child was not here for Picture Day, you do not need to do anything, and we will take their picture on November 1st.
If you would like your child to retake their photo, please log on to Jostenpix.com and select "Sign Up for Retakes" which is on the navy blue banner at the top. Please complete this step by October 30th. All retakes will be November 1st.
Halloween
Our annual Halloween Parade will be on Monday, October 31st at 1:15 PM. Please read the following guidelines to ensure a safe and fun celebration for all.
Students in K-4 may wear their costumes to school. 5th grade students are asked to bring their costumes to school and will change into them prior to the parade.
Please have your child wear a costume that they can put on independently, and one that they are able to participate in their regular school day wearing. Your child needs to be able to independently use the restroom in their costume.
Costumes must be reasonable. NO MASKS are permitted to be worn. Please do not let your child bring a mask to school. No replica weapons are permitted. No inflatable costumes. All student's clothing needs to conform to the rules listed in the school handbook. Costumes may not be excessively gruesome or frightening. Please avoid painting your child's entire face. School administration will require your child to change if their costume is not appropriate or does not fit in the guidelines.
If your classroom is doing Halloween treats, the classroom teachers will let you know. We kindly request individually wrapped, store bought treats. Please do not bring candy with nuts. Students will bring all treats home.
All students will participate in the parade unless a parent requests that their child not take part in the parade. Please contact Mr. Lerner if you wish for alternate arrangements to be made for your child.
Parents wishing to view the parade:
Students will parade on the sidewalks around the school. The parade will begin at 1:15pm. We will walk through the school first and then out Door 1. We will walk down 76th Avenue toward Belden, down Belden, and back up 75th court onto the playground and back into the building through Door 8. No child can be dismissed from the parade route and only students and staff are permitted back inside of the building.
In the event of rain, the parade will be cancelled. If it is cold, please be sure your child has appropriate clothing.
For the safety of your children, please do not wear any Halloween mask or any other type of costume that will prohibit us from identifying our parents.
Holidays at the HIP
Your child’s teacher will be distributing holiday cardboard stockings provided by Harlem and Irving Mall. If you wish to participate, decorate the cardboard stocking and return to school by Thursday, November 3rd. Due to the time constraints of Harlem and Irving Mall, no late submissions can be accepted. Participation is optional.
Students can drop off stockings outside of the school office anytime before November 3rd.
All stockings turned in will be hung up at Harlem Irving Mall during the holiday season and will not be returned to the school. Our stockings will be hung up together in the mall, so if you go shopping this holiday season, be sure to stop and see our work!
Attendance
Please be on time to school everyday! Once your child arrives to school, they still need to unpack their backpack, take off their coats and get into their classroom. Classes begin going into their classrooms at 8:35. Arriving late interrupts not only your child's learning, but also the rest of the class.
Regular school attendance is mandatory in the State of Illinois. Students who miss more than 1% but less than 5% of the prior 180 regular school days without valid cause are considered truant. Students who miss 5% or more of the prior 180 regular school days without valid cause are considered chronic truants. Students who are chronic truants will be offered interventions and resources aimed at improving a student’s attendance. If chronic truancy persists after interventions and other resources are made available, the school and district will take further action, including:
● Parent Contact (may include phone call, letter, and/or home visit)
● Conference with student and parent
● Referral to the West 40 Truancy Outreach Advocate
● Reporting to officials under the Juvenile Court Act
● Appropriate school discipline
For more information, please read our handbook by clicking here.
If your child is absent, you must contact the school by 9 AM. You may report an absence using your PowerSchool App or send and email to ewattendance@epcusd401.org. Please include your child's name, ID number and the reason for the absence.
As always, if there is something that is preventing you from getting your child to school on time each day, please contact our front office. We will do our best in supporting you and your child.
Parent Teacher Conferences
Elmwood School's Fall 2022 Parent-Teacher Conferences will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 2, and Thursday, Nov. 3.
This year, conferences will be held in person. To schedule meeting times, we will be using the same registration system (PowerPTC) as last year's conferences. For Fall Conferences, all parents are asked to schedule a meeting with their child's teacher.
Registration is now live and available for you to book times.
Please see these instructions for scheduling your conference(s).
You will need PowerSchool to use the PowerPTC registration system. If you do not yet have access to PowerSchool, please reach out to your building’s secretaries and they will be happy to assist.
We look forward to seeing you!
Attention 5th Grade Parents!
Spirit Week
Check out some of the great photos we received from Spirit Week! Go Panthers!