The Weekly
Elizabeth Ide Elementary School
A Message from Your Principal, Mrs. Katie Johnson
Dear Families,
In addition to the various meals being provided by our PTO's of Team 66, we encourage our families and students to take a moment to express our gratitude for the incredible work our bus drivers do each day to ensure the safe transportation to and from school for our students. They play a vital role in our school community, and their dedication and commitment deserve recognition.
Our bus drivers are the first and last school staff members that many of our students interact with each day. They create a positive and welcoming environment on the bus, ensuring that our students feel safe, comfortable, and ready to start their day. They navigate through traffic, varying weather conditions, and other challenges to transport your children to and from school, always with a smile on their faces.
October 16-20th we celebrate Bus Driver Appreciation Week. This is an opportunity for our staff, students, and families to express their gratitude and recognize the important role our bus drivers play in our school community.
Here are a few ideas on how you may contribute to help make this week special:
Thank You Cards: Encourage your child to create a personalized thank you card for their bus driver. They can express their appreciation and share a specific moment or experience that made a difference to them.
Social Media Shoutouts: Share your appreciation for our bus drivers on social media platforms using the hashtag #schoolbusdriverappreciation #ccsd66. Let's spread the love and make sure our bus drivers know how valued they are!
Small Gifts: Check out the 2023-2024 Bus Driver Favorites - a small token of appreciation can go a long way!
We believe that recognizing the hard work of our bus drivers will not only make them feel appreciated but also inspire them to continue providing exceptional service to our students. Let's come together as a school community to show our gratitude and make Bus Driver Appreciation Week a memorable event.
Thank you for your support and for joining us in celebrating our amazing bus drivers.
Respectfully,
Katie Johnson
Principal
Welcome to the Ide Family!
Please join me in welcoming the following new members to our staff:
Christine Stortz, Lunchroom Supervisor
Christine is a parent of four children in District 66, and has been volunteering in our lunchroom on a consistent basis. She has since proven to be a reliable volunteer in our lunchroom. Christine has seen the scope of the work and has consistently shown that she is observant and responds appropriately to student behaviors in a positive manner. We are excited to have her officially on our team!
Eugenia Castaneda (Pronounced: Ah-oo-Hen-Ya), Custodian
Ms. Castaneda joins our team with a background in custodial experience and we are delighted to have her. She will be doing a split schedule in the evenings between PV and IDE. We are thrilled to have her joining our Custodial Team.
Fun-Filled October 31st Parade and Parties
COSTUMES: K-2 students may wear a costume or fall themed outfit to school on October 31st. Please note the following: Costumes may not depict any form of violence or gore that may scare other children. Toy weapons or weapon look-alikes are not allowed at school. Masks can be worn during the parade, but must not impede the student’s vision.
PARADE: We are thrilled to invite our families and community to our school-wide parade. Weather permitting, the parade will be outside starting at 8:20am. Families and community members may line-up anywhere along the route (see image below), but please leave sidewalks clear for our students. While families and community members are encouraged to walk, if able, we are also working on possible options for overflow parking. Details will be communicated prior to the event. A revised plan will be communicated if weather does not permit.
CLASSROOM PARTIES: K-2 classroom parties will be hosted by PTO room parents from 9:15-10:15am. There will not be any food provided to students to consume during the party.
STEM Pumpkin Donations
Our STEM Coach, Ashley Sanchez, has coordinated with our teachers to create fun-filled learning experiences that may include estimating the number of seeds, grouping and counting them, making observations (and if different parts sink or float), "pump-canoes", and making storybook pumpkins to be displayed during our parade on October 31st.
To make this happen, we need your support. We're looking for donations of pumpkins of all sizes to support these learning experiences. If you are willing and able to donate a pumpkin, please sign up using the link below. We request that we have all donations by the morning of Friday, October 20th.
We appreciate your support and willingness to contribute these exciting experiences for our students.
Veterans Day
Veterans Day is a special day to honor and thank the brave men and women who have served in the United States Military. We are committed to teaching our students about the importance of Veterans Day and the sacrifices that veterans, and their families, have made for our country. We will be sharing more information in the upcoming weeks about our Veterans Day assembly, which will be held on Friday, November 10th. In addition to the assembly, we will also be doing a variety of Veterans Day activities in the classroom. These activities will help students learn more about the different branches of the military, the history of Veterans Day, and the importance of thanking veterans for their services. Do you know a Veteran in your family or our community? If so, your child is encouraged to print out THIS FORM and return it to their classroom teacher or the main office by Friday, November 3rd. If you would like us to send a hard copy of this form home with your child, please email our Administrative Assistant, Stephanie Sorn. Please be sure to include all information on the form and a picture of the Veteran.
Upcoming Events at Elizabeth Ide Elementary School
PTO Message
We will be CELEBRATING our AMAZING Bus Drivers during District 66’s Bus Driver Appreciation Week from 10/16 to 10/20.
We compiled a list of all their “favorite things”. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RODGo3J4yl-fRXMxStSV431QPYD_6FsO/view?usp=drive_link
The PTO’s of Team 66 have a fun filled week planned for our Bus Drivers!
Spooktacular - Trunk or Treat!
It is that SPOOKTACULAR time of year! IDE & Prairieview PTO’s are teaming up again for a hauntingly good time at our SOLD OUT TRUNK or TREAT!
When: Friday, 10/20
Time: 6:00-7:30pm
Where: Prairieview Parking Lot
NEW THIS YEAR - PUNCH CARDS - SOLD OUT! Each Trunk or Treater will have a punch card. When a child visits a trunk, the trunk will punch their card and then give them their treat. At the end of the line, each child can enter their punch card in a raffle for a chance for a prize. We hope this method prevents children from visiting trunks multiple times.
TRUNK sign up: Sign up here to DECORATE your TRUNK and hand out treats/prizes: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4FACAA2AA4FD0-44470550-beatrunk#/
CANDY Donation sign up: If you can drop off the CANDY at either IDE or PV's front offices from now until 10/18- it would be greatly appreciated. Please nothing: loose, opened, expired, or used. Thank you! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45A5A62AA7FEC16-44478847-trunk
Volunteer sign up: We are looking for Volunteers to help support our Event. Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45A5A62AA7FEC16-44478454-trunk
Next PTO Meeting: October 4th at 5pm
Our Next PTO Meeting is on October 4th at 5pm and it will be virtual. If you are interested in attending please sign up here: https://pto-meetings-virutal.cheddarup.com.
Thanksgiving Pie Fundraiser
Skip the crazy line at Bakers Square - and grab a fresh baked pie from Fasano Pie Company! The ordering window will be open thru October 31st… select from Dutch Apple, Pumpkin, Cherry, Pecan and Chocolate Cream!
All pies will be baked fresh to order by Fasano Pie Company and be available for a curbside pickup at Lakeview on Wednesday, November 22 - just in time for your Thanksgiving gatherings! You will be all set for your holiday dessert - or buy extra to freeze and enjoy later! Not a pie fan? Consider donating one to our local Police and Fire Department.
Take a look and make your selections here: https://thanksgiving-pie-fundraiser-team66.cheddarup.com
Picture Make-Up/Retake Day
Technology Support
If you or your child needs help with any CCSD66 related technology (iPads, Chromebooks, CCSD66 email etc) please use this link: CCSD66 Remote Tech Support Request to submit a request, and a member of the technology department will get in contact with you ASAP. All requests are handled in the order that they are received.