The Central Scoop
November 2, 2018
From the Principal's Desk...
Dear Parents,
Thank you all for joining us Wednesday for our Halloween parade. It was so much fun seeing all the cute and creative costumes this year. The children really appreciated having you there to observe them and cheer them on as they strutted around the building showing off their costumes.
As a reminder, parent/teacher conferences are next week on November 8th and 9th. If you have any questions regarding your scheduled time, please contact your child's teacher.
Have a wonderful weekend and please don't forget to set your clocks back one hour this weekend!
~ Becky
Rebecca Littmann
Principal
Central Elementary School
New District Assessment Website
District 39 utilizes a variety of assessments that serve different purposes and help guide educational decisions. Please check out our new Assessment Website for details about the District and State assessments administered for each grade.
Student Attendance: Absences and Vacations
Regular, consistent attendance is a prerequisite to successful school life. Children should be absent only in cases of illness or emergency. District 39’s strategic goal of improving positive attendance district-wide began last year and is continuing this year. Positive attendance is defined as being in school for 95% of the time of more, which means missing fewer than 9 days over the course of the school year. Absences due to sporting events, special vacations, etc. should be avoided because they minimize opportunities for instruction. However, if you have an absence planned that can't be avoided, please let us know by calling the nurse on the Attendance Line to report any absences at: 847-512-6150. Please remember that attendance habits begin early and that there is a direct correlation between achievement and attendance. For further information regarding student attendance, please refer to communication from the district office:
Supporting Our Writer's Workshop Model at Home = Last Posting
Last week, our district had the opportunity to come together for a professional development day. We are dedicated to the continued growth and development of our teaching team, and days like last Monday offer time for collaboration and learning that will directly support our students’ learning and skills.
One of the focused training areas was writing instruction. Two years ago, we began using a new instructional resource to support our curriculum, the Lucy Calkins Writing Workshop model. As a result of the workshop model, you may notice some changes in your child’s writing. Thus, I wanted to share some key “takeaways” so that you can support your young writer(s) at home:
Focus on the writing process, not the final product. The goal is to write more because research tells us that increased opportunities for writing improve skills! Focus on your child’s efforts, and on the vivid use of details, and figurative language that your child is using. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes are part of this process, but not the main focus. The goal is to help your child get his/her ideas in writing.
Every piece of writing will not be turned into a polished final product. That’s okay! We hope to gradually increase your child’s comfort and ability to embrace the editing process, and that’s quite an accomplishment!
Children love to write for a specific purpose and for a real audience! If you want to encourage writing at home, try having your child write about a specific experience in a letter to grandma or a blog that other family members can follow. As an extra bonus, it is highly motivating if family members can write back to your young writer.
Storytelling is a big part of writing. Encourage your child to tell you stories, even if they aren’t ready to write them down yet. If your child draws a picture to tell their story, ask him/her to describe it. This is how we all started as writers! Becoming a writer takes time.
The home-school partnership is vital to student academic success. We are excited to share this information with you so that you can support our efforts at school. We are growing inquisitive and articulate writers through the Lucy Calkins Writing Workshop model. It is a writing journey that we are excited to take with each child.
Remember to Lock Bikes = Last Posting
PTA Announcements and Reminders...
* The PTA sends out their own newsletter on Sundays - here are just a few highlights
Gift of Giving Begins Nov. 4
Calling all elves! The Gift of Giving Committee is looking for some spirited Central families to help the holiday season “take flight.”
This November, please consider contributing to Central School's Gift of Giving program, which for the past 10 years has helped two Chicago-based organizations – LYDIA Home and Metropolitan Family Services – provide gifts and funds to families in need during the holidays. A range of donation options is available and both organizations deeply appreciate and need our support.
You can sign-up to donate to LYDIA Home and/or Metropolitan Family Services via SignUpGenius or on the PTA website beginning Nov. 4. You can sign up to donate through Dec. 3 and donations will be collected through Dec. 7.
For more information about the charities, what you can contribute and how it works, please visit the PTA website and click on “Gift of Giving.” Thank you for your consideration!
Amazon Smile - Sign-up, It's EASY!
Don’t forget to sign up for Amazon Smile! Your everyday purchases can help benefit our school.
AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know and love. Same product, same prices, same service - just a special link to help your shopping benefit our school. Please bookmark the link below to make sure your shopping is always contributing. Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases directly to Central School! Just in time for Halloween candy, costume, and fall shopping... Sign up today at https://smile.amazon.com/
From the Nurse's Office
Call Central School "Attendance Line" For Absences: 847-512-6150
Please call the Attendance Line to report absences even if you let the classroom teacher know, because some teachers don't see the email/voicemail until later in the day. Teachers assume you are calling the office. It's important that the school nurse is directly aware of any absences otherwise, your son/daughter may be considered "missing." The school nurse keeps track of all school absences in the building. For safety reasons, we want to make sure all of our students are accounted for and safe.
New Central Health Office Website!!
Here is your go-to site for all of your health related questions including PE/Recess Notes, Health Requirements, Dental Examinations, Allergy and Asthma, Medications, Snacks in Classrooms, Lice, Influenza...and more!
Community Announcements...
- Wilmette Rotary Club is running its annual BIG BOOK DRIVE at all District 39 schools from October 1st through November 15th. Please donate any gently used books.
- Wilmette Park District’s Saturday Basketball registration is open for boys & girls grades 4-8.
- Wilmette Food Pantry is open every Tuesday 10:30-11:30 am at Trinity United Methodist Church.
- Free adult English language classes are available at Highcrest Middle School through November 13.
- Family Action Network (FAN): Click HERE for information about FAN and upcoming speakers.
Join us on Twitter!
Central School is on Twitter!
- We have TWO Twitter accounts. Please "follow" us at Twitter.com! Explore Central 39 (with our actual "handle" as @explorecentral). With this account, we mostly share student activities that are completed in the Learning Commons (but other activities are often included as well). We are also providing this Twitter feed on our Central School homepage.
- There is also a principal page @BeckyLittmann where you can follow a variety of school happenings including all-school events, classroom activities, PTA enrichment, and school goals.
Save the Dates...
11/4 - Daylight Savings Time Ends - set clocks back one hour
11/8, 11/9 - No School - PT Conferences
11/12-11/16 - Book Fair
11/19-11/23 - No School (Thanksgiving Break)
11/28-11/30 - 4th Grade Outdoor Education Trip