Field Flash
October 8, 2021
Dear Field Parents and Guardians,
We hope that you've had a nice week. As a reminder, we do not have school on Monday. We hope your family enjoys the three-day weekend. As October continues, we have a number of special events on the horizon, including parent-teacher conferences, our Fall Book Fair, and Halloween.
Please click here to learn more about our Halloween festivities.
A few notes about Halloween costumes: it is our strong preference that students bring their costume with them to school that day and independently put on their costume around 2 p.m. While we know some students have gone home in the past for lunch and a costume change, we are really working to limit the number of adults coming to pick up children, as well as limiting the costume wearing from 12:45-2 p.m. due to Specials classes, classroom learning, etc. Thank you for your understanding. We are so excited that we are able to celebrate Halloween in-person this year, and we are looking forward to a wonderfully festive afternoon.
A quick note about morning arrival and dismissal: thank you to the many, many families who park legally in the morning and/or use our "kiss and go" areas. We've had a number of illegally parked cars and landscape vehicles in the area, which makes morning arrival more difficult for our students, families, and our busses. Thank you for helping us with a safe morning arrival and afternoon dismissal.
As a continued reminder, everyone should continue to monitor their health and stay at home if they develop any symptoms. In addition, all unvaccinated family members must remain home if a household member exhibits symptoms and/or is awaiting test results. Please know that COVID-19 symptoms vary widely, especially it seems in children. Our primary focus is to keep students safe and in-person, learning together.
Thank you for your partnership!
A few additional important reminders:
- Arrival: Thank you for continuing to arrive close to 8:40 a.m. We have noticed at some children are arriving closer to 8:25 or 8:30 - please do try to have children arrive no earlier than 8:35 when outdoor supervision begins. Please remind your children that when they arrive to school, their job is to line up outside their door. With the large number of students and parents, it is not a safe time to play football, tag, or other games or activities. Thank you for your help with this.
- Toys/Fidgets: Most of us have quite a few "pop its" or other fidgets in our house these days. Unless your child has an approved accommodation for sensory breaks/needs, please have your child leave these toys at home as they pose a distraction in class, both for the child using the toy and for others in the class. In addition, children should leave other valuables (Pokemon cards, favorite toys) at home, too.
- Parent-Teacher Conferences: we are planning to host in-person parent-teacher conferences, starting next week. Your child's teacher has shared information with you about how to sign up for a conference time slot. We are looking forward to seeing you soon! Please plan to enter through the main office door (masks required) and we'll direct you to the classrooms. Thank you!
- CARES tickets: as part of our building-wise positive behavior system, students can earn CARES tickets. Starting this week, each classroom selects a winning ticket and that student comes down to the office for a small prize. As a building, we are also working towards a building-wide ticket goal to earn a pajama and stuffy day, which is what students voted on last week as the October celebration. We are proud of our students and their excellent respectful and responsible behavior!
I hope that you have a nice weekend!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Courtney Goodman
Principal
Dates to Remember
Monday, October 11th: No School
Tuesday, October 12th: PTO meeting at 7:30pm
Thursday, October 14th: Parent-Teacher Conferences
Thursday, October 14th: Stop by the Book Fair (parents only) when you are here for conferences.
Tuesday, October 19th: Parent-Teacher Conferences
Thursday, October 21st: Parent-Teacher Conferences
Friday, October 29th: Halloween Parade at 2:15pm
Friday, October 29th: Trunk or Treat event for families from 6:30-8:30pm
Field's Green Team Shares Tips for Lunch
Health & Safety Protocols: Quarantine
The new school year is underway! District 64 has implemented health and safety protocols to reduce the transmission of COVID 19. Below is important information to keep in mind should your child be directed to quarantine:
If you have information about a potential COVID exposure, please contact your building nurse.
District 64 is providing access to remote learning in the event that a student is directed to quarantine by the school nurse.
Students who are sick who have not been directed to quarantine by the school nurse will take a typical “sick day” and are not eligible for the remote learning class. Students who are awaiting a COVID test result are not eligible for remote learning.
Remote learning classes are taught via Zoom by District 64 substitute teachers and are made up of students at the same grade level from schools across the district.
It may take 24-48 hours for a student to be placed in a remote learning class.
Your child’s classroom teacher will share information with the substitute about the instruction that will take place during your child’s quarantine. Because students from across the district will participate in the same quarantine class, activities will support grade-level learning standards but will not be the exact activities that your child would be completing in person.
Students should access the Zoom link to their Quarantine Class through Seesaw or Schoology.
If you experience a tech challenge, please contact your school office and ask to speak with the Building Technologist.
Lunch & Recess - Weather Information
We wanted to share additional information about our lunch & recess plans, as well as how and when we make our decisions about lunch and recess.
Our primary plan is to eat lunch outside and have recess outside. On our warmer days (like we've been having), the District uses the National Weather Service Heat Index Chart. When we consider the air temperature and humidity, we will plan to be outside for the full lunch and recess time when those measures place us in the yellow zone (caution). When we are in the light orange (extreme caution), we will eat inside and have recess outside.
Because weather changes so quickly in our area, we make our final lunch and recess decisions by 11:00 a.m. If you would like to know our decision, please call the main office after 11:00 a.m.
As the weather cools off, we'll share additional information about air temperature and wind chill.
As a reminder, when we eat outside, students are seated on towels. When we eat inside, they are seated at a table in an assigned seat in either the north gym, south gym, or MPR.
Children are also permitted to leave school for the lunch recess hour. Parents need to come to the main office and sign out their child(ren). Students would remain home for the full hour of lunch/recess, which runs from 11:40 until 12:35 (Wednesdays from 11:15-12:10).
Join the Field PTO!
The annual PTO membership drive is underway. Join the PTO for your chance* to win some cool prizes and support programs and activities for students and teachers:
- Reserved parking spot in the teacher/administrator parking lot for morning and afternoon pickup (four winners: one winner for morning drop-off and one winner for afternoon pickup during January, and the same for February)
- “Virtual” Coffee with Principal Goodman and Assistant Principal Donnelly (one parent per grade level selected, six winners)
- Complimentary copy of the School Yearbook (one winner)
- $25 Amazon gift card (two winners)
And be sure to check out the Field PTO Webpage for information about the programs the PTO supports.
*No separate entry is needed. All PTO members who joined for the 2021-2022 school year are automatically entered into the drawing that will be held October 8, 2021.
Trunk or Treat!
The Field PTO is hosting an extra spooky Trunk or Treat this year, our first to be held at night! Sign up to decorate the trunk of your car and pass out candy to costumed Field families.
The event will be Friday, Oct. 29th from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm in the staff parking lot. Don't stress about a theme - the kids are in it for the candy - but there are prizes for the best decorated cars.
If you want to be involved but don't want to decorate a car, you can take a shift at the check-in table to hand out punch cards.
We are really hoping to make this a big, pandemic-safe way for the Field community to celebrate Halloween this year, so please volunteer to make sure it happens! Sign up here.
Field Follies
Dear Field Parents and Guardians –
Later in this school year we are hoping to hold the 34th annual Field Follies program, likely in April/May. Field Follies is a kid-written and kid-performed play organized and managed by parent volunteers. Even though we plan to hold the program later in the school year, and given the complicated and continued current environment, we are asking for a commitment from parents and kids now. We need this information so that the planning process can begin to best determine how we can make this show the best possible experience with safety and everyone’s health, top of mind. If your child is interested in helping to write the script or act in the play, to please complete the survey by October 8.
https://forms.gle/Njvkt2fUD54cjCzw5
Thank you,
Field Follies Producers
Ana Budisin & Rachel Nash
Park Ridge Environmental Clean-Up
The Field School Green team in collaboration with Go Green Park Ridge invites you to join us for another "Every Day is Earth Day" clean-up event. The Field group will meet Saturday, October 16th from 1-3pm at the John Traeger Family Picnic Area (2311 W. Touhy between Talcott & Dee). If you can attend, please email Nicole at nyburmi@gmail.com. We hope to see you there!
In conjunction with the Park Ridge Wilderness Scouts & Princesses Federation, we are also inviting all clean-up participants to bring ONE non-perishable food item to the clean-up.
For more information, click here.
Let's all work together to make Park Ridge even more of...A Wonderful Place!
See what’s going on in our community!
From the library to the park district, our communities of Park Ridge-Niles have lots to offer, even virtually. For information on all the latest happenings, be sure to check the Community Info & Events webpage.
Eugene Field Elementary School
Website: www.d64.org/fie
Location: 707 N Wisner St, Park Ridge, IL, United States
Phone: 847-318-4385
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fieldparkridgeniles/?fref=ts
Twitter: @fieldd64