• WED, OCT 5: Learn & Share at the St. Charles Public Library, 10 - 11:15 AM

St. Charles Early Learning Partnership

• THU, OCT 6 & FRI, OCT 7: No School (Parent-Teacher Conferences)
• FRI, OCT 7: Free Dental Clinic at Tri City Health Partnership, 9 AM - 12 PM
• MON, OCT 10: No School (Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day Holiday )
• WED, OCT 26: Early Release Day

AM classes DISMISS EARLY at 11:05 am

If your child rides the bus home from our morning session, drop off at your home or child care will be 25 minutes early.

PM classes START EARLY at 12:05 pm DISMISS EARLY at 2:10 pm

If your child rides the bus to school for our afternoon session, pick up will be 25 minutes early from your home or child care and the bus at the end of the day from Fox Ridge will drop off 50 minutes earlier.

Visit Tri City Health Partnership at 314 Walnut St, St Charles Friday between 9 and noon.

Dear Fox Ridge Early Childhood Families,

This letter is to inform you about Erin’s Law (Illinois Public Act 097-1147), an Illinois law passed in February, 2011 that requires public schools to provide child sexual abuse prevention education for all children in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grades. Named after sexual abuse survivor Erin Merryn, Erin’s Law will be implemented again this year in all District 303 Schools. Please note that Erin’s Law is not connected to The Keeping Youth Safe & Healthy Act (Senate Bill 818).

Between now and the end of the school year, several lessons will be facilitated by Melissa Plodzien, school social worker, and Serena Concha/Brooke Butcher, school psychologist, along with the classroom teacher utilizing the Second Step Child Protection Unit . This age-appropriate instruction will help students recognize unsafe situations, keep themselves safe, and learn how to respond to unsafe situations. Common themes across all grade levels include:

• Identifying safe touch versus unsafe or unwanted touch

• The Safety Rule About Touching (The Touching Rule): Private areas are not for others to touch, except to keep a child clean and healthy

• Steps to Stay Safe

• Understanding the difference between good and bad secret

For more information about Erin’s Law, please visit the links below.

For more information about the Second Step Child Protection Unit Scope and Sequence for grades pre-kindergarten-5th, please view the link below.

If you have any questions, please contact your building principal Jennifer Mursu at jennifer.mursu@d303.org or by phone at 331-228-2400.

Thank you for your support,

Jennifer Mursu

Director of Early Childhood

• You are the expert on your child. Share your insights about their interests, strengths, and needs with their teachers to help them best connect with your child.

• Start the school year by asking your child’s teacher what’s expected of your child this year and how you can help at home.

• Teachers say the best way to know how your child is progressing is to be in regular touch with the teacher. Keep the communication going throughout the school year. (Hint: you don’t have to wait until parent/teacher conferences or report card time).

• Nearly 9 in 10 parents believe their child is at or above grade level. However, according to national data, just over 1/3 of our students are at grade level. By looking at multiple measures-- including grades, classwork, your own observations, and teacher feedback-- you can get a more complete picture of your child’s progress.

• Making connections between school and home is critical to a child’s success academically and socially. When parents are involved in their children’s education, their children are likely to do better in school and demonstrate more positive behavior.