Message from the Principal
Week of December 6, 2021
Message from the Principal
Dear Virginia Lake Families,
Happy December! The holidays are a few short weeks away! We want to showcase holidays from around the world that families at Virginia Lake celebrate. Please see the information below if you would like to share your families traditions with our students and staff.
This week, we shared with our students information about our PBIS Fundraiser: Pie a Teacher. PBIS ( Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) is our framework to support students with good choices at school, so students can focus on learning. Our PBIS program integrates lessons, reteaching, and positive incentives for making good choices. Our expectations are that students are respectful, responsible, and safe. Students receive dolphin dollars as a form of recognition for making good choices. They are able to redeem their money for prizes on our Dolphin Cart. We also have school-wide celebrations when we meet our goal of having 95% of our students major-free. All of the proceeds from our fundraiser will go directly back to our PBIS program. Thank you in advance for your support. Our staff is looking forward to the Pie Event!
This week we will recognize students who have gone above and beyond with the expectations at Virginia Lake. Two students in each class will be honored with the "You're a "Fin"-tastic Student" award. Every trimester students will be recognized on the announcements, they will receive a letter for their families, and will participate in a fun activity with this administrative team. We will be making slime together for our celebration. This is a very prestigious award. We are very proud of the students who have earned this honor.
We are seeking out our parent’s feedback again. Our Parent Collaboration Committee has been meeting monthly to improve the climate and culture of Virginia Lake. We analyzed our parent’s feedback and identified action items that have and/or will be implemented. We are seeking your input again, as we want to identify what has been successful from the beginning of the school year, and areas that we need to continue to identify action items for continuous improvement. The survey is below.
Let's make it a great week!
With Kindest Regards,
Patti Van Winkle, Principal
Holiday Traditions at Virginia Lake Showcase
Virginia Lake Holiday Donations Needed
Each year, Virginia Lake offers holiday presents to families who are in need or are going through a rough situation in their lives. This year, in the midst of our pandemic, the need for holiday gifts has increased. We have 108 students in need of gifts for the holidays. We are kindly asking our Virginia Lake families for help.
Virginia Lake staff members and local agencies adopt students annually. Due to our increased need, we are asking families who can help to adopt a student or a family during this holiday season. You will have an opportunity to select from a wish list. We hope to provide each child with at least two gifts.
If you would like to be part of this program and donate gifts and clothes please contact the school social worker, Ms. Majewska at majewskm@ccsd15.net or Mrs. Van Winkle at vanwinkp@ccsd15.net . Families consist of anywhere from 1 child to 5, so please let us know your preference. We will email you the family number, gender and age of the child, and the child's wish list.
We ask that donated gifts are dropped off in our foyer by Wednesday, December 15th. It would be very helpful if the gifts were wrapped. All of the gifts should be labeled with a post-it note that includes the family number, gender, and age of the child. We will distribute the gifts to families from December 20th- December 21st.
Thank you in advance for supporting our Virginia Lake community!
New Office Reception Desk
Virginia Lake Highlights
Window Art
Math
Reading
Family Collaboration Survey- Midyear Check-In
We are seeking your input to follow up on our initial survey from the beginning of the year, to gain valuable insights into how things have been going at Virginia Lake this school year. The initial information that families shared was analyzed and several adjustments have been made at our school. We are asking you to complete this brief follow-up survey. Results from this survey will be analyzed by our Family Collaboration Team. We will work together to improve the climate and culture of our school community to create an optimal learning environment for all of our students.
Parent University
The upcoming Parent Night is Trauma Awareness. Please see the information below. The links are included in our digital document.
Our latest Parent University discusses Cultural Linguistic Responsiveness Teaching. Check out the latest Parent University on our website! https://www.ccsd15.net/site/default.aspx?PageID=9813
Concurrent Learning
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will continue to offer concurrent learning to our in-person students if/when they have been directed to quarantine if they are deemed a close contact to a positive individual or to go into isolation due to testing positive for COVID-19. We will ONLY allow students who have medical documentation or have been directed by the school nurse and approved by the building principal to quarantine or isolate. Students that have been directed to quarantine and approved to participate in concurrent learning for a specified period of time will be given a device and a link to the Google Meet to participate in learning. Students on vacation, out of the country, or home ill with any other illness will NOT be allowed to participate in concurrent learning. They will be marked absent per BOE policy 7:070 ATTENDANCE AND TRUANCY.
Important Dates
Wednesday, December 1-Wednesday December 15- PBIS Pie Fundraiser Money Collection
Thursday, December 9th- School Spelling Bee- 1:30 p.m.
Friday, December 17th- You're Fin-tastic Student of the Trimester Celebration
PBIS Pie Event Raffle
Thursday, December 23- Winter Break Begins
Monday, January 10th- School Resumes
Virginia Lake Elementary School
Email: vanwinkp@ccsd15.net
Website: https://www.ccsd15.net/VL
Location: 925 N Glenn Dr, Palatine, IL, USA
Phone: 847-963-7105