Dear Families,

I wasn't on the scene long at Wasco Elementary before I realized our initials spelled “WE”.

This realization is a leader’s dream, finding a relatable way to communicate our objectives. Building any group’s identity and cohesiveness is dependent on the “we”.

As I have moved forward through the school year, I have joyfully come to know the students, staff, and parents more personally. Some of this knowledge comes through pleasant circumstances, but sometimes we have to resolve conflicts. Our membership and commitment to a large learning community requires either conformity to norms or renegotiation. Educators are trained to welcome the paradigm, as we are in the business of negotiating change- a change in knowledge or in behaviors. Creating this active context in which all participants negotiate solutions and processes is a change from the former model of figurehead education. And this is a huge change from the way school operated when I once sat in the elementary desks. Being one of the oldest members of this community, I’m not sure I enjoy this fact. ;-)

All kidding aside, we design education based on our current scientific research- how do kids learn best? One of those tested theories is modeling. Kids practice and emulate what they see in adults and their peers, and that is why our conflict resolution processes are so important. Our children are going to be met with adversity, small and large. How we train them to meet their challenges is an effective way to prepare them for the future. At school, this adversity can look like reconciling new knowledge with old. It can be working through frustration as you learn something new, or it can be learning to share. The staff has the expertise to guide students during this adversity and uses all programming to support students through this learning.

As part of our whole learning community, one of my roles is building the communication system between all stakeholders, parents, and staff. As we move forward into next year, I will seek to build our relationship. Our communication is not only a process but serves as a collaboration between home and school so we can cooperate in tandem. Therefore, I am inviting you, and asking you, to have a conversation with your child’s teacher or me whenever the need arises. We expect there will be situations when listening, reflecting, and consensus-building occurs. Our hope is to build this together, so we are modeling the type of solution-seeking mindsets we want the children to experience, explore, expect, and execute.

Education is a demanding field, but something that holds my passion. Children and communities hold infinite potential for hope and evolution. Our future is what we create together. Wasco is, literally, WE. The staff of Wasco Elementary is here to be your community school, serving this population of children and families by building a quality educational program. We look forward to achieving that aim with you.

Kind Regards,

Principal Brennan

May 28 Last day of school!

If you need help with your child’s device over the summer, please use this link to find helpful information.

Currently, we have all PTO positions open. The positions can be shared, what about sharing with your friend or spouse? Please contact Principal Brennan if you would like to know more about the possibilities.

PTO Positions

President

Vice President

Secretary

Treasurer

Hello to the Wasco community,

The news is official - I will be moving to a full-time psychologist position in the district starting in the 2021-2022 school year. While I am looking forward to the opportunity of being full-time in one building, I have intensely mixed emotions about the shift. I have worked with many families over my two years, helping to support students through problem-solving, interventions, 504s, and IEPs, and would not trade that time for anything.

(I am sure you will be blessed with a fabulous new psychologist, so please no worries on that front.) I'm so grateful to have been a Wasco Wolf!

Elyse Doll, MA, NCSP, School Psychologist

During the course of this school year, you have heard the terms Morning Meetings, SEL, and ECRA used intermittently to describe different phases of our school programming. Wasco staff uses daily Morning Meetings with students in order to build students' SEL competencies. To measure our effectiveness, staff uses an ECRA screener to monitor progress during each trimester. Below is a summary of the attributes we are influencing by attending to students' Social Emotional skills on a regular basis.

• Intermediate grades grew the most in the domain of Social/Relationships
• Primary grade grew the most in the domain of Responsible Decision making
• Intermediate areas of strength: When I get upset with a friend, I try to picture what he or she is feeling/It's easy for me to make friends/I am nice to others who are different than me
• Primary areas of strength: Before making a choice, I think about all my options/ I know what steps to take to finish things/ I try to think how others are feeling.

Good work teachers!

The Empower program will be provided to all full day students, twice a week for 40 minutes. The district wide program is designed to support and enrich student learning through competency based learning experiences. Our Empower teacher will co-plan with teachers across our building to integrate the education and give students an opportunity to express and demonstrate their learning. When I think of building children’s capacity to think, I want them to have multiple opportunities to draw upon what has been taught. Next year our Empower program facilitates those vital learning connections across content areas. We will be sure to share development along the way!

Dear District 303 Community,

District 303 has contracted with ReferralGPS, an organization that enables families to use a searchable database of local mental health and substance abuse related treatment resources. Referral GPS:

• provides Care Navigation to assist families in researching and obtaining an appointment

• can be accessed by District 303 students, staff and families at no cost

• is completely confidential and securely stored

• is an optional resource that families are not required to access

• is available throughout the summer months and will be utilized by Student Support Teams in the fall

• filters information based on mental health concern, clinician gender/specialty, location, and insurance acceptance

• is available for all types of private and public insurance options including PPO, HMO, Medicaid

• provides options for families who are uninsured or underinsured.

To search for treatment resources or connect with a Care Navigator anonymously, families may access ReferralGPS by utilizing this link: https://referralgps.com//find-help/D303

Warmest regards,

Stephanie Brennan

I cannot believe it is the end of the school year already. It's been one crazy year with this pandemic plaguing us. I want to thank each and every one of you for being understanding and patient with the policies D303 followed to help keep Wasco students and staff safe and healthy.

I wish you all a wonderful, restful, fun, and hopefully a 'normal' summer.

Kindly,

Nurse Tina

Our room parents were contacted last week in preparation for end of year parties. The room parents work with the classroom teachers to identify ways to help organize these fun events for students. If you have questions about how to get involved, the office can help you connect with your room parent.

Parties will be held with students and teachers- following the current safety protocols. Just like the Winter party, the party components are to be decided by the grade level teachers so that all parties at the grade level are equitable. The teachers work with the parent volunteers to organize the activities. If party supplies are provided by volunteers, they must be delivered to school three days before the event. There can be no exceptions. If snacks are provided, they must be individually wrapped, and they will be eaten outside of the school building.

We are excited to invite our fifth grade parents to our annual tradition, the 5th Grade Clap Out. During the 5th Grade Clap Out, 5th grade parents stand in designated areas outside on the last day of school while Wasco Elementary “Claps Out” the 5th grade students in a celebration of their transition to Middle School. As part of the celebration, 5th grade students and their parents are invited to wear a Thompson Middle School T-Shirt. This celebration will occur at 1:30 on May 28 (students exit at 1:40).

The 2021-2022 pre-order school supplies are currently available to purchase through June 27, 2021 with School Tool Box. Visit their website at www.SchoolToolBox.com or click on the link below for more information.

School Supply Ordering Information Flyer 21-22

I am a big proponent of public libraries. I frequently use all libraries, Batavia, Geneva, and St. Charles and I find each has its unique spin on programs and resources. Library use is so important to me, and my fellow teachers, that I did some research for you. Here is some important information for you to know:

1. When filling out the D303 electronic registration form for 2021-2022, the form will ask you if you are interested in a library card for your child. When you answer yes to this question, the student's name gets put on an approved list at the library. The next step is to contact the St. Charles Library at 630-584-0076 to make sure your child's name is on the list. Then they will give you more information on when/how to pick up a card. If it's not on the list, please contact the D303 Administration office at 331-228-2000. They can put your child on the approved list.

2. A St. Charles Library card provides you access to ALL the area libraries.

St. Charles Library cards can also be used at Geneva and Batavia Public Libraries. If you are interested in participating in one of their programs, contact that library to see if there are any restrictions.

Geneva Public Library 227 S. 7th Street 630-232-0780

Batavia Public Library 10 S. Batavia Avenue 630-879-1393

Note about the St Charles Library: The temporary site at the former Haines Middle School will close on Monday, May 17, 2021, as the library transitions to the newly renovated facility at 1 S. 6th Avenue in downtown St. Charles. The renovated library will open sometime in early July.

If you encounter any difficulties, please contact me. I will be here all summer long to assist.

Parents, we are beginning planning for the next school year. We invite your participation. You are welcome to share your thoughts about your student. Please follow the link below for directions.

Your child will be sent home with their device over the summer and you may want to use some educational resources to supplement their digital diet. For this purpose I recommend the D303 Remote Learning Resources webpage. The resources are sorted by grade and topics. You will find exploratory offerings such as virtual field trips and coding. Please find the link below to the district's parent university site that has the recordings. If you look at December 14th, you will see Games, Podcasts and Reading: Winter Break(out) Activities. That Parent University talks about BreakoutEdu, Podcasts, and the Literacy portion of the website. It is also linked at the bottom in Resources.

Students can have access to RAZ Kids over the summer. Please have your child log into the device and follow the directions found in the link below.

Summer Camps at Thompson Middle School

Thompson will be holding sports camps this summer for all grade levels. We will have basketball, volleyball, football, cross country, and cheer camps. Sign up using PushCoin and email Mr. Wilke with questions.

Thompson will be hosting summer strings camps! All string players are encouraged to join us for summer music-making and fun! You will meet new friends, play games, and learn new songs to get better at your instrument. Sign up using PushCoin and email Mrs. Wifler with questions.

Fourth Grade Families- Now is the time to enroll your child in band and summer band class!

In order to help me plan for the 2021-2022 school year, please try to enroll your child in band by Wednesday, May 26th.

We do accept summer and fall sign-ups, but enrolling before this school year ends ensures that your child will have a spot in our summer camp, and a rental instrument lined up for them. If you sign up now but then realize over the summer that your child can not commit to band, just email me- we will be able to take your child off the band list.

ENROLL NOW! For band!

ENROLL for Summer Band Class

Summer band is a great way to get a head start on learning a band instrument-sign up soon!

Marianne Rice marianne.rice@d303.org

6th Grade Band is open to ALL incoming 6th Graders for the 2021-22 school year! This year 5th graders were not allowed to play wind instruments, but things are back to normal for next year! Students can choose from flute, oboe, clarinet, alto sax, french horn, trumpet, trombone, baritone, tuba or percussion. And don't worry -- ALL 6th graders will be at the beginner level on their wind instruments -- you will not be behind!

There will be a Parent Info Zoom Meeting on May 17 at 6:30 PM. Here is the link:

Monday May 17 6:30PM Thompson Band Information Meeting

It will be hosted by the Thompson Band teachers, Mr. Blank and Mr. Anderson.

And here are links to the Band Website and the Registration Form:

Thompson 6th Grade Band Website

6th Grade Band Registration Form

You may also email Mr. Blank at Thompson at john.blank@d303.org

Orchestra is FUN! All current 2nd and 3rd grade students are eligible to join the Orchestra next school year. The study of music is much more than simply learning to play an instrument. Music benefits young people in many areas of their lives. Communication and social skills are strengthened, and creative and analytical skills are nurtured. Learning to play an instrument and participating in an ensemble are valuable experiences for all students.

The instruments of the Orchestra are the violin, viola, cello, and string bass. For more information, please review the D303 Orchestra Website. Please attend one of our Orchestra Townhall information meetings on May 13 or 18 at 7:00pm. Questions? Contact one of our Orchestra teachers: Christopher Pettit at christopher.pettit@d303.org; or Jorge Brito at jorge.brito@d303.org

New Orchestra Parent Information Meeting - Virtual

Thursday, May 13, 7:00 PM Link: May 13, 7:00PM New Orchestra Parent Meeting

Tuesday, May 18, 7:00 PM Link: May 18, 7:00PM New Orchestra Parent Meeting

Based on current guidelines, we fully anticipate being able to offer choir to incoming 5th grade students next school year! In choir, students learn proper vocal technique, sing in multiple vocal parts, work as a team, make new friends, and sing fun music! Rehearsals will take place before school one morning per week. Keep an eye out for registration in the fall and in the meantime, watch this video for a glimpse at this great opportunity!

Choir Video

Mrs. Therrien, our Music Teacher, has been including an SEL song of the month at the end of some of her music classes. If you are interested in listening with your children, you are welcome to use the links below. These songs are offered through one of our curricular resources, Quaver, and if you visit their youtube channel (QuaverED) you'll find many SEL songs appropriate to share with our learners.

March: Enojo No Tiene el Control and I Believe in You

April: Unico (English version: You-Nique)

May: Count on Me

Families, while many of us appreciate pets, unfortunately on school campus we need to be considerate of all, including those with allergies. We also recognize that not all students know how to safely approach unfamiliar animals. For these reasons, and perhaps others, we ask that you do not bring pets to our campus during school hours.

We are in the process of registering students for kindergarten- be sure to tell your friends!

The District 303 Kindergarten enrollment process for the 2021-2022 school year will be virtual! Between January 19 and March 12, families will be able to enroll their kindergarten-age children by visiting the Kindergarten Registration & Information page of the District 303 website. On the site you will find:

• The New Student Intake Form (coming January 19, 2021)

• The Kindergarten Step-by-Step Guide for registration

• Health and Dental exams and immunization information

• Contact information for all elementary schools

• Information about Full Day and Half Day Kindergarten

Students will need to have a balance on their accounts to cover the items they wish to purchase from the Ala Cart menu. Our school has water bottle fillers throughout the building and students are welcome to refill their bottle at any time. As a reminder, all school lunches come with a milk. If you would like to check the balance on your account, the link for Push Coin is below.

Our school community both staff and students, self-certifies their health electronically before entering the building using the D303 Self Certification system. As a reminder, please sign the backpack tag and complete the online Self Certification daily. It would be very helpful if you could complete this certification before your child arrives at school. Please contact the office if you have any questions.

Our school library is here to provide reading materials for your child. We have three ways to access fiction and nonfiction books: Print books for In-Person Learners, Digital/eBooks for In Persona and Remote learners, and Book Pickup for Remote learners. Please use this link below to access the pathway you choose. Happy reading!

Book Checkout procedures

The informative video below will walk you through steps to access your child's progress on our most recent iReady test. You will be able to view the diagnostic scale score information and a record of your child's independent iReady practice.

i-Ready Family Video

Starting November 10th, Organic Life will be offering breakfast at all Elementary Schools. Breakfast meals are free for all students just like the lunches.

Students will have the option to order breakfast in the morning as they already do for lunch. Organic Life will prep the breakfast bags and deliver them to the classrooms by 1:20pm each day for students. This helps to support students eating a breakfast before coming to school the next day.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact our office.

As you know, we are using the Second Step program in your child’s classroom. The Second Step program teaches children important skills for getting along with others and doing well in school. It also helps our school be a safe,

respectful place where everyone can learn.

To further help our school be a safe and respectful place, we are also using the Second Step Bullying Prevention Unit. In these upcoming lessons, your child will learn specific skills to help stop bullying. Students will learn how to:

• Recognize when bullying is happening

• Report bullying to a caring adult

• Refuse to let bullying happen to themselves or others

• Be a bystander who stands up and is part of the solution to bullying

For bullying prevention to work, everyone needs to be involved. Get involved in making our school a safe and respectful place by letting us know if you hear about bullying at our school. Make sure your child knows to tell you or someone at school if he or she is being bullied. And give your child the clear message that it is never okay to bully others.

Rebecca Schroeder, Wasco School Social Worker

Last spring, Mrs. Misner, our Wasco Physical Education teacher, was awarded two grants from the Greater St. Charles Education Foundation. The Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting excellence in education within Community Unit School District 303. The group provides grants to teachers and several scholarships each year to our St. Charles High School students. Mrs. Misner received a grant for $274.98 for a Gopher Ignition Pro Interval Trainer that will be temporarily mounted on the wall in the gym. The timer can also be placed on a table so it is moveable. This will provide a great visual for station work and fitness training.

A second grant was written by Mrs. Misner for $990.31 on behalf of the D303 Elementary Physical Education team for new bowling equipment. The bowling equipment travels to each school throughout the year with all of our elementary students using it. The purchase was for 3 new bowling lanes including a rubber bowling ball and 10 pins and 6 new lightweight bowling balls for our primary and students with special needs to use.

Mrs. Misner would like to express her gratitude to the Greater St. Charles Education Foundation for their continued support of education and students in D303. If you are interested in learning more about the Foundation or would like to make a donation, the website is http://stced.org/

Parents we really appreciate your attention to safety you are when you arrive on campus. As inclement weather approaches, we are working to make sure we move traffic as smoothly as possible. Here are some suggestions:

• Please pull up AS FAR AS POSSIBLE in available space, without occupying the crosswalks (marked with white stripes). This will enable us to place more students in cars.

• Please be aware of loading quickly so that we can exit cars in the pickup line as quickly as possible.

• Take care to limit social interactions while driving. During arrival and dismissal, there is a lot of activity and we want to ensure all adults are watchful for moving students.

• Encourage your child to watch for your vehicle.

If your child is absent from school, your child's teacher will provide the necessary classwork, just as has happened in the past. Teachers can send home online resources as well as provide you with the learning objectives for each content area. Please reach out to your child's teacher when you need information about their lessons.

Parents and other visitors to a school campus are expected to be wearing a mask when at the school. Our school community goal is to be as safe as possible and following the precautions such as wearing a mask when sharing space with others or when we are unable to keep our distance is a community practice that decreases the spread of germs. Your help modeling mask-wearing and spacing from others demonstrates our commitment to the health of one another.

We realize there is much information to digest, especially if you are a parent new to Wasco. Please use this link to access a plethora of information about the daily operation of our school. We hope this guide answers all of your questions. When in doubt, please reach out to our office. We are happy to help! Even if you are a returning family, you might want to keep the link handy.

Transportation route information is accessible to families using this link: Bus Routes. You will need your HAC number to access the information. Transportation route information will not be sent home through the mail and can only be accessed online. Please note that for the first two weeks of the school year, the district will not make adjustments to the transportation routes. Our transportation department will collect suggestions about the routes and make adjustments where necessary after the first two weeks of classes.

Since March, District 303 has collaborated with our food service vendors to provide grab and go meals for students to enjoy at home. We want to make you aware of the procedures for making sure that students continue to receive meals, whether they are learning in-person or remotely.

Families who choose to purchase meals for their children will have their PushCoin accounts debited, unless eligible for free lunch. For more information about eligibility for free and reduced lunch, please contact Patricia Townsend at 331.228.6529.