Arctic Blast
January 10th, 2023
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A Message From Our Principals
Dear families,
It has been a joy to be back with the students this week. As we head into the new year, we are screening students to review our goals and set new goals. We are excited to report we have started screening and are seeing the wonderful progress our students are making.
We look forward to our author visit with Jasmine Warga on January 24th. Students will have presentations with her throughout the day. At 6:00, Jasmine Warga will give a presentation at Glacier Ridge Reads and our fifth graders will share a variety of their creations. A huge thank you to the PTA for supporting this event!
-Dr. Gruper and Mrs. Reinhardt
MTSS
Our academic screening for winter started last week. We will conclude screening this week. During the last week in January, our staff will meet to discuss student progress.
PBIS - Postive Behavior Intervention and Supports
Data is such an important part of our PBIS processes and procedures. We have shared the digging into behavioral data to guide us in decision making. Our PBIS teams reflect on data continuously throughout the school year. We look at the type of behaviors we are seeing, the frequency, the location, and other factors. When we analyze this data we are looking to find patterns. These patterns show us where we need to grow and what we need to work on with students. Our most recent PBIS data shows us that we have a very low number of major and minor behavior referrals. This great data shows us that PBIS practices at Glacier Ridge are working very well!
- Rewards and Acknowledgement: The Glacier Ridge Staff has been exceptional about ensuring that expectations are being met and students are being acknowledged for following those expectations while being good role models. Our dedication to enforcing the rules and rewarding good behavior is showing in our data.
- PBIS at Home: Click here to read an article from PBIS rewards to see how you can incorporate some aspects of PBIS at home with your children.
Second Step
All students at Glacier Ridge are engaging in lessons around how to manage their emotions within the Second Step curriculum. Lessons are individualized based on students' levels of understanding and relevant for each grade level based on social emotional development. Parents, ask your child what they have learned about empathy and kindness in their last few lessons to hear an update!
New Visitor Protocol (effective January 11, 2023)
The safety of our students and staff remains a top priority for District 47. As a result of a safety audit done by an outside consultant in August, District 47 is implementing an additional safety measure related to visitor management effective immediately. All visitors and volunteers (including those who’ve had their ID scanned in Raptor) will be required to bring their drivers license or state ID when visiting a school building. In addition, individuals will be required to leave their ID with the main office in exchange for a visitor lanyard. When leaving the building, visitors must return to the main office to drop off their lanyard and pick up their ID. This added layer of security ensures that visitor lanyards are kept in the building and do not get circulated in the community and also ensures everyone in the building is accounted for in the case of an emergency. Should you have any questions or concerns about this additional security measure, please contact Gary Snep, Director of School Safety, at gsnep@d47.org. Thank you for helping to keep our schools safe!
Polar Bear Players
The cast members received their January Schedules and scripts this week. If you need an extra copy click here. Please look over the schedule with your child so they know what rehearsals they need to be at. Also, be on the lookout for a Seesaw Beauty and the Beast class to be set up, this will be how we communicate during our play season. Ms. Anderson is working on the Crew Schedule, more information to come. For any Polar Bear Players questions email Miss Wyman ewyman@d47.org
- SAVE THE DATE: For all cast and crew parents- Wednesday, January 11th at 6 pm there will be an important parent meeting to talk about volunteer opportunities and get updates on our show.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Watch for more information to come on these upcoming events:
- January 9th - PTA Meeting 6:30 pm via Zoom
- January 11th - Parent Meeting for Polar Bear Players Cast and Crew (5th grade only)
- January 13th - Teacher Institute Day, No School
- January 16th - No school in honor of Martin Luther King Day
- January 17th - District 47 Board Meeting 7:00 pm - CORE Center
- January 24th- Glacier Ridge Reads 6:00-7:30
- January 25th - PTA Butter Braid Fundraiser Ends
Community Service Club
Thank you to all the students who participated in our first Community Service Club Event in December! Not only did students make warm hats and scarves for community members who will need them this winter they also did an amazing job of working together across grade levels to help strengthen our Glacier Ridge student community!
In January, our Community Service Event will be all about our Community of Readers. On Thursday, January 19th from 3:30 - 5:00, any K-5 student that would like to participate will be helping us update the Little Free Libraries both inside and outside of our building to ensure that anyone in our community that would like a free book to read has access to one. We will also be starting a digital/virtual bookshelf of stories read by students that other students can listen to and read along. If your child is interested in joining us, please fill out this Google Form to let us know they will be there.
In February, A Community of Kindness will be the theme for our event. On Tuesday, February 7th from 3:30 - 5:00, our K-5 students will be painting rocks with messages of kindness to distribute in our community to remind everyone about the importance of being kind to others. We will also be doing a project that will share that message with our school community in a special way. The form for that event will come out in a later Arctic Blast but you can add the date to your calendar now.
2023-24 Online Kindergarten Registration
District 47 online kindergarten registration for the 2023-24 school year will begin February 6, 2023. At that time, families can register their incoming kindergartener by completing the steps on the District 47 website at www.d47.org/kindergarten. Early registration helps with adequate staffing, home school placement, and appropriate class size. See below for additional information.
A child must turn 5 years old on or before September 1, 2023 to be eligible for kindergarten. Information about early entrance to kindergarten is posted on the D47 website.
Families interested in District 47’s dual language program for their incoming kindergartener MUST attend an informational meeting in February 2023 if they do not already have a sibling enrolled in the program. Meetings will be held in-person and via Zoom on 2/2 at 9:15 a.m.; 2/7 at 5:30 p.m.; and 2/15 at 6 p.m. For more information, visit the D47 website at www.d47.org/duallanguage.
Current Wehde students eligible for kindergarten will follow a separate process for kindergarten registration and will receive an email the second week of January.
Fees and student physical/immunization forms are not due at the time of registration.
Virtual Parenting Series
All District 47 families are invited to attend the second of a four-part virtual parenting series with Jackie Rhew on Thursday, January 19, 2023 @ 7pm via Zoom. Rhew is a clinical consultant, author/speaker, and co-founder of the Center for Emotional Wellness in Crystal Lake and Arlington Heights. In this presentation, Rhew will discuss strategies for providing critical social and emotional support for children and teens, including how to build their self-confidence and empathy for others. Parents will learn how to help their child(ren) manage their feelings, problem solve, and engage in their education. She’ll also cover key strategies for parents to help foster engagement, model healthy coping skills and develop a deeper connection with their child. Translation will be available in multiple languages via captioning in Zoom. See below for a link to join the meeting and to enable captions for language translation. January 2023 Virtual Parenting Flyer
Join the meeting via Zoom at:
https://d47.zoom.us/j/87342475555?pwd=cUJNdGxUOXpZQnZBMUttMUdlc2xxdz09
Borrowed Clothing
If your student has borrowed clothing from the health office please wash the item and return it as soon as possible so that it may be available for another student to borrow. Thank you.
Morning Arrival
To assist with the traffic in the morning, it would be extremely helpful for car riders to be dropped off between 8:30 and 8:45.
Guidelines for Absences
Cold and Winter Weather Preparedness
During these very cold days please be sure your child comes to school dressed with warm clothing, hats, gloves, scarves, boots, etc. Although it might not be warm enough to go outside every day, whenever we can, we do get the children outside for some fresh air. The District policies on cold weather are as follows: 15 degrees or warmer – unlimited time outdoors; 0 – 15 degrees - 20 minutes outdoors; Below 0 - remain indoors
An extra pair of socks to keep in cubbies and lockers is also a great idea for those extra wet snowy days.
Families Communicating Immediate Needs
We want to remind families that teachers, staff, and principals prioritize teaching, learning and engaging with students during the school day. They are not expected to monitor their email while school is in session. Please allow 24 to 48 hours for an email response. If your concern is urgent, please contact the school’s main office. Thank you!
Visitors Entering the School
Upcoming Events
- Our January 9th PTA meeting will be via Zoom. Please join us using this link at 6:30.
- Our annual Fun Fair is Saturday, February 11th from 11:00-2:00. Please click here to sign up to volunteer. Click here to view the flyer!
Don't Forget
- The Butter Braid & Cookie Dough fundraiser is our favorite! Order forms were sent home last week and are due back along with payment on January 25th. Pick up is February 3rd. Click here for additional details.
- If you would like to donate for the Fun Fair Cake Walk you may sign up in a paper form attached here or online using a Google form linked here. Thank you!
Like Us, Follow Us, Join Us!
Want to stay in the know? Be sure to join us on:
- Facebook: Glacier Ridge Elementary Parents Group
For any questions please email us at glacierridgepta@gmail.com