West Elementary School

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Starting today (January 24, 2023) parents, students (4th-12th grades) and educators across Illinois will have an opportunity to participate in the statewide Illinois 5Essentials Survey. On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be administered online by UChicago Impact. The survey gathers data related to five indicators that can predict important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of your child’s school. The 5Essentials survey window will be open from January 24, 2023 to March 31, 2023.

• Parent Survey

• The 5Essentials parent survey is intended to help school districts understand the conditions at each school and guide improvement. Parent identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will not be connected to their student(s). If at least 20 percent of families complete the survey, a parent supplement report will be generated for the district. To take the survey, visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/ and select the appropriate survey to begin. Families can submit one survey for each child.

• Student Survey

• District 47 4th-8th graders will take the survey at school. 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 do not 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. If you do not want your child to take the survey, please fill out the opt-out form and have your child to return this sheet to their homeroom teacher by Friday, January 27, 2023. Thank you for your cooperation.

For more information about the Illinois 5Essentials Survey, or to view previous years’ Reports, please visit https://www.5-essentials.org/illinois. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact 5Essentials Client Services at 1-866-440-1874 or impact-surveys@uchicago.edu.

The 2023-2024 district calendar is now available and on our website in English and Spanish: https://www.d47.org/Page/1557.

If you have a 3rd or 5th grade student they took the Otis-Lennon School Ability Tests (OLSAT) in October. The OLSAT test for 3rd grade consists of two sections, which combined take approximately 40 minutes to complete. The OLSAT for 5th grade students consists of one 40-minute assessment. The OLSAT is an online group administered assessment that measures the cognitive abilities related to a student’s ability to learn in school. The test is designed to assess high order reasoning skills involving analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of information across content areas. By assessing a student’s abstract thinking and reasoning abilities, the OLSAT supplies educators with information that traditional achievement tests do not necessarily provide. The OLSAT scores are also utilized by the Extended Curriculum program as part of the District’s identification process. The OLSAT yields both a verbal and nonverbal score. These scores are presented in three ways: raw score, school ability index (SAI), and percentile rank. Information about how to interpret your child’s score will be part of the report you receive. We appreciate your support of our academic programs and your partnership in facilitating your child’s learning.

OLSAT Reports for 3rd and 5th grade students will be coming home on Thursday, January 26th.

• 1/27 - PBIS: Art/Creative Day
• 2/14 - Valentine's Day Classroom Parties 2:30-3:30 PM
• 2/15 - Chipotle Food Fundraiser 4-8 PM
• 2/20 - NO SCHOOL - Presidents' Day
• 2/21 - WPO Meeting 7 PM
• 2/22 - Early Release at 2 PM

McHenry County College will host the annual People in Need Forum on Saturday, January 28, 2023 from 8am to 1pm. This year the event will feature a youth track and sessions targeted to middle and high school parents on bullying, teen dating and domestic violence, and QPR for youth. Free registration is available at www.mchenry.edu/PIN.

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.

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!

Since we still have outdoor recess when it's snowing out, please consider creating a "Winter Kit" for your child to keep in their locker. Suggested items include spare clothes (pants, shirt, socks, underwear, mittens), chapstick and a small bottle of lotion. Your child's name should be written on the bag. This will eliminate the need for calls home and will help keep students dry once the wet winter weather begins!

All students must have working headphones to be kept at school. During the year, headphones can break or stop working and should be replaced once your student informs you that they need a new pair. Thank you!

Yearbooks start at just $19.50 and all orders must be placed online. The books will be sent right to your home, so please make sure your home address is complete and correct when ordering. Click here to order your yearbook now!

• 2/21 - WPO Meeting at 7 PM: Please join the WPO (West Parent Organization) on Tuesday, February 21st at 7 pm. We will discuss our upcoming Spring events, and ways to get involved in the new year. The meeting is in the West LMC. Childcare is provided, and we raffle-off prizes.

• 2/15 - Chipotle Fundraiser: Enjoy dinner out at Chipotle in Crystal Lake from 4-8 pm. 33% of the sales will go to the WPO. Click here for the flyer.

• 2/14 - Valentine Class Parties: Please consider volunteering for the last class party of the year! Many classes are in need of one or more volunteers. (Please note: If you see the "Party Planner" slot is available, the other volunteers can assist with all planning.) Room Parties: Valentine Party Volunteers (signupgenius.com)
  
• 3/4- West Family Fun Fair: The WPO is excited to bring back the Fun Fair. The event is made for the whole family to enjoy, and includes games, activities, food & drink, and raffles. We are looking for committee heads for every part of the fun! If you are interested in helping with a committee, contact Jessica Feinberg, Fun Fair Chair, at jessica.feinbergl@gmail.com.
• 4th/5th Grade Dance & 5th Grade Celebration Committees: Volunteers are needed for the 4th/5th Grade Dance (April) and 5th Grade end-of-year celebrations (May). If you are interested in helping with these events, please contact Erin Stebleton at emsklm31@yahoo.com.

Want to stay in the know? Be sure to join us on:

• Facebook: West Elementary Parents Group