Monroe Memo 5/2/2021
Mrs. Reingruber's Weekly Update
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Principal's Post
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" - Benjamin Franklin
As I progress in my reading of "GPS: Good Parenting Strategies - The No-Guilt Survival Guide for Parenting During the Pandemic and Beyond", I continue to think ahead to the remainder of the school year, the summer, and to the start of next school year. The time we invest in establishing the predictable pattern of a structured routine on the front end can help mitigate any potential stress in the future.
The author suggests creating and sharing a regular plan with your family that addresses three key questions:
- What is the plan?
- What is my role?
- Where can I turn for help?
Once a plan has been established, the author encourages everyone in the family to define and understand their role - this helps create structure and promotes clarity. When everyone has a solid understanding of their role in the structure, we gain the feeling of safety. This helps provide for a successful foundation for your structure.
When thinking of feelings of safety, the author references the S.A.F.E. acronym to help promote social and emotional safety:
- S = Shared Meaning - the author provides THIS WORKSHEET to help families explore shared meaningfulness
- A = Acceptance - of ourselves and our children. "Comparison is the thief of joy" - Teddy Roosevelt
- F = Follow-Through - prioritizing commitments helps us from making unattainable promises. The author provides THIS REFERENCE to help families sort their priorities.
- E = Engagement - While the days may seem long at times, the years are short! I often scroll back through the photos in my phone and think - where has the time gone? Engagement is the final piece of creating a socially and emotionally safe environment, and this comes through making meaningful connections. The author provides THIS RESOURCE to help families make direct connections to the dreams of our family members.
Next week, I will be reflecting on the idea of co-creating universal rules and developing consistent routines, which have undoubtedly been impacted by the pandemic. The author provides some theories behind a staged progression to re-establishing safe and healthy routines with our families.
Your partner in education,
Kristin Reingruber
Staff appreciation week at Monroe School
Upcoming Events
WEEKLY LUNCH TIMES
1st-3rd - 10:58-11:48
4th-5th - 11:27-12:17
During the month of May, we will be honoring Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
Monday, May 3rd - FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM DAY
- 1st grade MAP testing
- 10:00am: 3rd-5th Deron Hicks virtual author visit for ALL in-person and remote students. Remote teachers have been provided with a link to send to their students to join individually.
Tuesday, May 4th - CRAZY HAIR AND MISMATCHED CLOTHING DAY
- Remote MAP testing (see below for details)
Wednesday, May 5th - COLLEGE DAY
Thursday, May 6th - PAJAMA DAY
- Remote MAP testing (see below for details)
Friday, May 7th - MONROE SPIRIT WEAR DAY
- Surveillance testing submission date
Monday, May 10th
- Board of Education Meeting - 7pm @ HMS Cafetorium VIEW LIVESTREAM
Remote MAP testing assignments
May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
Thank you to all of the families who helped contribute to this effort - I am grateful for your partnership!
Lunch Reminders
After a few weeks of adapting to our new lunch schedule and monitoring our safety protocols, we no longer are encouraging families to pack student lunches in fully disposable containers. Please feel free to pack your child's lunch in a waste-frere manner, using reusable lunch containers, reusable metal water bottles, and reusable silverware. These small steps are a great way for our students to learn more about their impact on our world.
Fifth Grade Families - Save the date!
2021-2022 Registration
Registration for the 2021-22 school year is now open! All current students (those entering kindergarten through 8th grade for the 2021-22 school year) need to complete the District registration and fee payment process to enroll.
Action Required: Steps to Complete Registration
- Log In: Click here to log in to Skyward Family Access Portal. Only the primary guardian will have access to D181 online registration.
- Registration Steps: For step-by-step instructions, click here: Registration Steps
- SchoolPay Fees: All D181 schools use SchoolPay for processing fees. For instructions on how to use SchoolPay, please click here.
- PTO Registration: Are you registered with your school’s PTO? After registration and fee payment is complete, you can complete PTO tasks including ordering supply kits, registering for the PTO directory, and signing up to volunteer. Note: If you already registered with your school's PTO for 2021-22, there is no need to re-register.
- Final Submission - REQUIRED: Once you have completed PTO information, return to Skyward Family Access and complete the final submission on your registration application.
Please note that the registration process is not complete until you return to Skyward and click the “Submit D181 2020-21 Online Registration” button.
Notice: Fee payments are expected at the time of registration. If you have unpaid fees from the 2020-21 school year, these will need to be paid in full along with the 2021-22 fees.
Free School Lunches: Your child may be entitled to free school lunches. According to the Illinois School Code, every public school must have a free lunch program that provides free lunches (and breakfasts if a school offers breakfast) to students eligible to receive free meals. The application for the free lunch program is available in Skyward Family Access. Click here for directions on how to apply to determine if you qualify.
If you have any questions about D181 registration, please email nskrip@d181.org.
D181 Summer School
Summer School classes will be held daily, Monday through Friday, in person at Hinsdale Middle School.
If offered, live streaming is available to current D181 students only. Most classes are in-person only and do not offer live streaming.
Click here to view the D181 summer school catalog
Registration should be completed via the Skyward Family Access page
All District 181 students and interested age-appropriate students outside the D181 community are invited to enroll in the 2021 Summer Learning Program. Registration opens Tuesday, April 13, to all D181 residents. Registration will not be processed until payment is received. Registration ends June 4, 2021. Students are not considered registered for the Summer Learning Program until class payment is received in full.
Please note, there is limited seating in classes due to social distancing requirements. Classes will close once they reach full capacity. Please register early!
Monroe School Mustangs
Email: kreingruber@d181.org
Website: https://www.d181.org/monroe
Location: 210 North Madison, Hinsdale, IL
Phone: (630) 861-4200
Twitter: @monroelearns