Dear Sheridan Families,
There is something magical about children leading other children. The confidence on display, receptivity to ideas, and connection during an activity or presentation take on a special quality when adults take a step back and let the kids take the reins. We’ve had several opportunities to experience this magic this week, starting with the joy of seeing former Sheridan students showcase their Mandarin learning in celebration of Lunar New Year. The group from DPM performed a traditional lion parade through our hallway, complete with drums and twirling flags – it was quite a spectacle! The student-to-student connection continued with our Shark House family event, which is part of our Social-Emotional Learning initiative. Once again, our fourth grade Student Council took the lead, coaching the younger students on how to show their spark while interacting with each other… then our mixed-grade Shark families played games together to practice. We love these sweet moments of connection and togetherness – they go far to build our community here at Sheridan.
Thank you to all of the parents who attended this week’s SPARK Reader information sessions. What a great turnout! We are excited about this new opportunity to have parents read SEL-focused books and participate in class discussions on topics such as Being an Upstander vs. Bystander, Being Kind to Others, and Healthy Conflict vs Bullying. This program kicks off February 10. If you are still interested in getting involved, please reach out to me at smilsk@lfschools.net.
COVID-19 Notifications
The district will no longer send notifications about positive COVID-19 cases to staff or parents/guardians. The number of cases will be monitored, and procedures adjusted as needed.
Spring Break 2023 Calendar Reminder - March 27-31
You may recall that last year Districts 65, 67, and 115 assessed parent, guardian, and staff interest in moving Spring Break 2023 (previously scheduled for March 20-24) later by one week. The survey was done in response to community feedback that our Districts had fallen out of sync with the dates of Spring Break in most of our neighboring communities. Survey results for staff and families in Districts 65, 67, and 115 indicated a preference for moving Spring Break one week later this year.
With this in mind, each District’s Board of Education approved moving Spring Break 2023 to March 27-31. Students missing school before or after this window in March will be considered absent. We realize some families have made travel arrangements for the earlier week that they cannot change. We will try to work with those families. Parents and guardians whose children will be out the week before our scheduled Spring Break are asked to reach out directly to their students' homeroom teacher to make a plan for the week of school they will miss.
Attendance matters. Even when an absence is excused, it is still legally considered an absence by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). To move our ISBE summative designation from Commendable to Exemplary, we must continue to focus on academics - and make sure absenteeism stays low. Attendance directly before and after Spring Break is strongly encouraged.
Thank you,
Susan
