Norton Creek Elementary
Thursday Tidbits - March 26, 2020
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
2ND TRIMESTER REPORT CARDS now available on HAC
EMERGENCY SCHOOL CLOSING PER STATE OF ILLINOIS
APRIL 1ST Six Flags Great America Reading logs must be entered online (see PTO information below)
APRIL 7TH AT 8:00 A.M. WINDOW OPENS FOR INTRA-DISTRICT TRANSFER REQUEST (see information below)
APRIL 6TH Fifth Grade Celebration payment due (see PTO information below)
APRIL 10TH Yearbook orders are due (see PTO information below)
FROM THE PRINCIPAL...TONY WHITE
Is the glass half-empty or is it half-full? Those are the two ways to look at any situation, and I tend to be a half-full kind of guy. When we look at how people have responded to COVID-19, I believe there are far more stories out there of people in our community and across the country and globe helping people in their own small ways than there are of people hoarding supplies and ignoring social distancing guidelines. When we think of people that change the world, we often go directly to people who seemingly do spectacular things, and if something isn't spectacular, it's easy to overlook. I believe that when we all do our small parts, that's how we change the world. For instance, there was a story of a man who works with computers and had some older laptops running Windows 10 that he just gave away to families in need of technology to stay in touch with family and friends in quarantine. He won't make the news, but he certainly changed their lives for the better. These are the types of stories I'll remember from this unprecedented time, and I encourage us to share them. As we look at our glasses as half-full, let's remember that we have an opportunity to connect with our families in ways sometimes our schedules at our respective offices don't always allow. But, we (myself and our teachers included) have to remember when it's time to power down and actually be with our families or to take a moment for ourselves too. E-learning and work from home will always be there. E-learning is not mandatory, and therefore, not as urgent as the things our bosses need by noon; however, nothing is ever as important as the people closest to us.
I wish you all a restful, safe, and fun spring break, Norton Creek, and please, scroll down for some important information to keep in mind during the COVID-19 outbreak related to resources in Kane County but also some deadlines within D303.
Intra-District Transfer Requests must be submitted online no sooner than 8:00 a.m. on April 7th
For the 2020-21 school year ALL elementary students have been assigned to their attendance area school by the District. This includes elementary students currently attending a school on an intra-district transfer. An Intra-District Transfer Request must be submitted online no sooner than 8:00 a.m. on April 7, 2020 and no later than 4:00 p.m. on April 20. A link to the request form will be posted on the District 303 web page (district.d303.org) by 8:00 a.m. on April 7.
If you are requesting a transfer for more than one child, a separate request must be submitted for each. Due to fluctuating class sizes at schools and each grade level, siblings are not guaranteed placement. If granted, transportation is the responsibility of the parents.
If you have questions about the process, please call the District office at 331.228.2000.
D303 MEALS FOR STUDENTS
District 303 is providing meals for any student who needs it between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m Monday-Friday at Thompson Middle School, 705 W. Main Street. Anyone who needs breakfast and lunch may pick up a “grab and go” bag with up to two days of food at a time.
PTO NEWS...
PTO UPDATES (K-5) nortoncreekptopresident@gmail.com
Please stay tuned to the PTO WEBSITE, THIS WEEK AT THE CREEK and NORTON CREEK ENEWS for updates regarding PTO events and activities. We will do our best to reschedule PTO activities that have been postponed.
SIX FLAGS GREAT AMERICA READ TO SUCCEED (K-5) hajifarooq@gmail.com
Students may earn tickets to Six Flags Great America just by reading six hours for fun! Reading logs must be entered online HERE no later than April 1. Use code R1FRY.
YEARBOOK ORDERS AND CUSTOM PAGES (K-5) ncyearbook.shelly@gmail.com
Don’t miss out! Yearbook orders are due April 10. If you've already ordered a yearbook, you have the option to customize two pages to capture your student’s school memories. Custom pages must be completed by April 1. Order yearbooks and customize pages HERE.
FIFTH GRADE CELEBRATION (5) danidemoon@comcast.net, vardalos6@gmail.com
The 5th Grade Celebration is scheduled for May 15. Payment is due April 6. See the details HERE.
PTO COMMITTEE POSITIONS OPEN FOR 2020-21 (K-5) nortoncreekptopresident@gmail.com, nortoncreekptovicepresident@gmail.com
The office of PTO Secretary is open for the next school year! There are also several committee chair positions available. This is a great way to serve your school and no experience is needed! Check out all the open positions HERE. If you have questions or would like to discuss any of the PTO opportunities, please email Maggie Carlson, PTO President, or Susan Brewster/Jen Zitella, PTO co-Vice Presidents at the email addresses above. Thank you, everyone, for continuing to support Norton Creek!
CHECK OUT THE NORTON CREEK PTO WEBSITE FOR THE LATEST PTO INFORMATION!
FRAUD ALERT: USDA Warns of Scams Targeting SNAP Recipients
FRAUD ALERT: USDA Warns of Scams Targeting SNAP Recipients
(Washington, D.C., March 24, 2020) – Be on the lookout for potential scammers using the COVID-19 situation to steal personal information, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) warned Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants today. USDA is issuing this warning after receiving reports of several possible SNAP fraud attempts.
“While many organizations are seeking to help communities respond to COVID-19, SNAP participants should be suspicious of any unknown individual or organization that requests their confidential information,” said Brandon Lipps, Deputy Under Secretary for USDA’s Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, which administers the SNAP program at the federal level. “This is a difficult time for us all, and we certainly don't want to see bad actors taking advantage of those in need.”
Examples of confidential information include social security number, bank information, or a participant’s SNAP EBT card or PIN number. In one potential scam, a website asked SNAP recipients to enter their personal and bank account information to qualify for COVID-related monetary assistance.
If SNAP participants are unsure if a request for information is legitimate, USDA advises they contact their local SNAP office. If they do not know their local SNAP office, participants should contact their state agency. State contact information is available at https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/state-directory.
To stay on top of potential scams, please visit USDA’s SNAP scam alert webpage at https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/scam-alerts.
If you believe you are the victim of identity theft, contact your local police department regarding procedures for filing a report. You may also file a consumer complaint online with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://www.ftc.gov. FTC is the federal agency responsible for protecting consumers from identity theft scams.
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers 15 nutrition assistance programs that leverage American’s agricultural abundance to ensure children and low-income individuals and families have nutritious food to eat. FNS also co-develops the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which provide science-based nutrition recommendations and serve as the cornerstone of federal nutrition policy.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.
ALERTA DE FRAUDE: El Departamento de Agricultura Advierte de las Estafas Dirigidas a los Receptores de SNAP
ALERTA DE FRAUDE: El Departamento de Agricultura Advierte de las Estafas Dirigidas a los Receptores de SNAP
(Washington, D.C., 24 de marzo de 2020) – Manténgase alerta a los posibles estafadores que están usando la situación actual del COVID-19 para robar la información personal, advierte el departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA) a los participantes del Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP). USDA está emitiendo esta advertencia tras recibir reportes de varios posibles intentos de fraude de SNAP.
“Aunque muchas organizaciones están buscando ayudar a las comunidades a responder al COVID-19, los participantes de SNAP deberían sospechar de cualquier individuo u organización desconocidos que les pidan su información confidencial,” dijo Brandon Lipps, Subsecretario Adjunto de Alimentación, Nutrición y Servicios al Consumidor del USDA, que administra el programa SNAP a nivel federal. “Este es un tiempo difícil para todos y ciertamente no queremos ver a malos actores tomando ventaja de aquellos necesitados.”
Ejemplos de información confidencial incluyen el número de seguro social, información del banco, o una tarjeta de SNAP EBT o número de PIN del participante. En un fraude potencial, un sitio web le pidió al receptor de SNAP que pusiera su información personal y cuenta de banco para calificar para una asistencia monetaria relacionada al COVID-19.
Si los participantes de SNAP no están seguros si la petición de información es legítima, USDA aconseja que contacten a su oficina local de SNAP. Si no saben cuál es su oficina local de SNAP, los participantes deberían contactar a su agencia estatal. La información de contacto del estado está disponible en https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/state-directory.
Para estar al tanto de las posibles estafas, por favor visite la página web de alerta de estafas SNAP del USDA en https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/scam-alerts.
Si cree que es la victima de robo de identidad, contacte con su departamento de policía local sobre los procedimientos para presentar una denuncia. También puede presentar una queja del consumidor en línea con la comisión federal de comercio (FTC) en https://www.ftc.gov. FTC es la agencia federal responsable de proteger a los consumidores de estafas de robo de identidad.
El Servicio de Alimentación y Nutrición (FNS) del USDA administra 15 programas de asistencia nutricional que aprovechan la abundancia agrícola de los Estados Unidos para asegurar que los niños y las personas y familias de bajos ingresos tengan alimentos nutritivos para comer. El FNS también co-desarrolla las Guías Alimentarias para los estadounidenses, que proporcionan recomendaciones de nutrición con base científica y sirven como la piedra angular de la política federal de nutrición.
SNAP INFORMATION
These are unprecedented times, and it's inspiring to see communities rising to the challenge. However, not everyone has the resources to "shelter in place" especially the millions of people in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Living paycheck to paycheck is hard when millions of businesses around the nation are closing down indefinitely, and hourly workers (including those dependent upon tips) are the hardest hit. In particular, families with kids whose primary meals happen at school are especially vulnerable when those schools shut down.
With this in mind, Expensify.org is going to temporarily redirect all of its charitable funds to Expensify.org/hunger. With its ability to reimburse volunteers directly in real-time, Expensify.org is uniquely positioned to help families in need immediately. Until today, this fund was focused on paying off kids' "lunch debts" , but with schools closed around the nation, that isn't the top priority. Instead, we're devoting everything to a new program: matching SNAP grocery purchases up to $50 per family. It works like this:
- Purchase food as normal with your SNAP card
- Download Expensify on iOS or Android, for free
- Join the Expensify.org/hunger policy
- SmartScan the receipt, which will tell us how much you paid and show that it was paid for with an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card
- Submit it to volunteer@expensify.org
- Set up your bank account to receive the funds
- So long as we have funds available, we will reimburse up to $50 per family (one time), the very next day.
David
President of Expensify.org
Sent by: Expensify, Inc. - 548 Market St #61434 - San Francisco, CA 94103 KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION INFORMATION | If you need to register your student for Kindergarten for the 2020-2021 school year, click HERE for registration paperwork/information. Please call the office at 331-228-2700 regarding an appointment to register your student. |