The Central Scoop
January 15, 2021
From the Principal's Desk...
Dear Central Families,
We are pleased to announce D39 Educational Foundation’s The Silver Lining Project: Celebrating the Unexpected & Rewarding moments During Covid-19. We are excited to launch this project in the D39 community and capture the positive moments our students and families have experienced during the past year. This is easy and fun to do as a family! The D39 Education Foundation would like you to share a photograph, drawing, painting, poem or audio file, that expresses your unexpected and rewarding moments during COVID-19. We shared this project with students via Seesaw yesterday. The deadline for submissions is Friday, February 26th. All submissions will be compiled into a bound hardcover book for each school, so your inspiration and our memory of this most unique time of our lives will live on forever.
Families can share artifacts by:
- Uploading an artifact to this Google Form with your gmail account.
- Email the silverliningproject@d39foundation.org. Please include your child's name, grade and school, digital file (10mb limit) and 1-2 sentences why it is your Silver Lining.
Looking ahead to next week, there is no school on Monday in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. If you would like to patricipate in an activity on Monday with your faimily, you can register to attend HEROS: Dr. Martin Luther King Legacy Virtual Workshop held on Sunday, January 17th from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. You can find more information about this experience below under Community Announcements.
With Warm Regards,
~ Becky & Taylor
Updates From District 39
COVID-19 SafeGuard Screening Registration
We strongly encourage all in-person students to register to participate in D39’s SafeGuard Screening program. Please take a moment to complete this COVID-19 Screening Registration Form. Screening testing will help contribute to the health of our schools, our staff, our students, and our communities. For more information, please visit the District 39 COVID-19 testing website.
Reminders for Healthy Habits and School Expectations
The following help keep us healthy and well.
Wear a snugly fitting mask
Practice six-feet distancing
Regular handwashing is important
Daily symptom checks are critical
Review our D39 Response to Illness Booklet
Spring Break
District 39 will be on Spring Break as scheduled from March 29 through April 2. School will resume on Monday, April 5, and the District is currently planning for in-person instruction to resume, as planned, on Monday, April 5th. We will continue to closely monitor updates from the Cook County Department of Public Health and encourage all families to continue to review the CCDPH travel guidance as you plan for any travel. Currently, the CCDPH recommends avoiding all non-essential travel.
Fully Remote Parent Webinar
We will be hosting a parent webinar for parents participating in our Fully Remote Learning Program for second semester on Wednesday, January 20th at 7:00 pm. Please join us for a brief presentation of updates followed by a facilitated town hall format with opportunities to ask questions in real-time. Please register here to join us.
Metrics Team Update
Our District 39 Metrics Reopening Advisory Team hosts regular meetings to study important school-relevant metrics of COVID-19 and the District’s health and safety protocol. This morning, the Metrics Team reviewed the most recent D39 Metrics Dashboard and full report. The Metrics Team discussed COVID-19 screening as well as internal and external metrics. The district has successfully resumed in-person instruction and looks forward to continuing with its regular schedule of in-person opportunities while maintaining its fully remote program for who have selected this programming option. The Metrics Team will transition to bi-monthly meetings moving forward.MAP Testing
All students in grade 2-8 will be taking the NWEA MAP Growth Assessments in the coming weeks. Both in-person and remote learners will be taking the tests online, which will be administered by their teachers. Classroom teachers will be sharing the dates of the assessments with their families.
If you would like to learn more about the assessment, here is a link to NWEA’s Family Toolkit.
Calling All Incoming Kindergarten Families!
Please mark your calendars for kindergarten registration beginning on March 8th.
March 8th: 9am-7pm @ Central School
March 9th: 8am-3pm @ Central School
Below you will also find some information regarding our Kindergarten Enrichment and Enhancement Program or KEEP39. We are anticipating that KEEP39 will be an option for our kindergarten students during the 2021-2022 school year. Decisions regarding KEEP39 will be finalized after the Board of Education meeting on February 22nd. At this time, we are not sure if there will be a lottery for KEEP39 spaces, or if all students will have a space. Please look forward to receiving more information by Friday, February 26th. You can also check on the most updated information on the district's Kindergarten Enrichment website.
We look forward to working with you to register for academic kindergarten and KEEP39 in March!
Check Out Cardio Drumming in KEEP39
Wilmette Warriors - This Week!
In an effort to recognize our outstanding students, each classroom teacher is identifying a student from class for a weekly special recognition. Each week, students will be selected for showing characteristics such as kindness, respect, trust, caring, friendship, courage and community. Selected students will receive a certificate and recognition through a short celebration video that will be shared on Friday afternoons. Please see the video below celebrating our WILMETTE WARRIORS from this week!
Reminders For In-Person Learners
A couple quick notes before students return to in-person instruction next week:
- If you traveled during winter break, there is a mandatory 10 day quarantine which begins the day after you returned home. Contact Nurse Zito with questions at zitoa@wilmette39.org.
- Please remember to send your child daily with a completed COVID certification ticket (and remember to sign the bottom)
- Remember that if anyone in the household is experiencing symptoms, everyone in the household should quarantine at home until a negative PCR test result is received.
- IDPH recently updated their COVID decision tree.
- Please note that the shortened 7 day quarantine with a negative PCR test does not apply to students.
- Cook County DPH determines the length of student quarantines based on individual cases.
- Please remember to send your students to school with a well-fitting and clean mask (and at least two extras in their backpack) daily. Any worn masks should be washed before they are used on another day.
- Reminder that masks with valves and gaiters are not allowed.
- If a mask is not staying up on your child’s face and they constantly need to adjust it or it isn’t covering their nose, it should not be used.
- Students are also encouraged to bring personal sanitizer bottles for their desks/spaces. While there is plenty of hand sanitizer throughout the school, we are finding that children like to have their own personal bottles nearby for easy and quick access.
Fox Fitness Fanatics Club - A Note From Ms Peth!
The Fox Fitness Fanatics have accumulated 61,620 activity minutes since October 7th.
- Students receive a certificate and a token for various activity levels completed. These activity levels will be in 500 minute increments.
- Students who accumulate more than 1000 activity minutes will be listed in the scoop.
- Any activity minutes entered after 3p.m. on Thursday will be included the following week.
- Check out the chart below to see how active our Central community has been so far.
- I have already issued 109 Fox Fitness Fanatics certificates.
- The Fox Fitness Fanatics Club will be coming to an end. The last day to submit activity minutes will be Friday, February, 26, 2021.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Ms. Peth at pethk@wilmette39.org.
Just Keep Moving!
Student Green Team Announcment
Message From The PE Department
Please make sure that your child has their winter jacket, hat, gloves, boots and even snow pants for PE this winter. We plan on being outside every day for PE unless the weather is extremely cold or rainy. We do allow the kids to take a mask break, if they choose, during their outdoor PE time as long they continue to maintain their social distancing during our various activities.
Monthly Birthday Bash with the Principals
Here is the Zoom link:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86424245957?pwd=UWJyYllIWC9pQzA4S1FTaXlpSGh3Zz09
Meeting ID: 864 2424 5957
Passcode: Foxes
Early Bird Before School Care At Central
Did you know that the Before School Child Care Early Birds Program is now available on a DROP-IN basis? Once you’ve registered your student, you may drop-in whenever you need the service. We open at 6:45 a.m. every in-person school day. Invoices and charges are processed weekly; pay only for the days used.
- We offer an adult to student ratio of 1 to 5
- Enrollment is capped at 15 children per school
- Personal craft supply baskets are provided for each child
- Masks, social distancing and hand hygiene are practiced
- Safety, creativity and fun activities are encouraged!
Register and pay online through the District’s web store
Additional information is available on the website. Please contact Mary Ann Esler eslerm@wilmette39.org if you have any questions.
Spring Bus Registration
For any students that did not ride the bus in the Fall, bus registration for the Spring is now open. There are limited spots, so please contact me, transportation@wilmette39.org to see if we can accommodate your child. If we can, a link will be sent to you for payment.
The Spring semester fee is $191.50 for one-way service, and $337.50 for round trip service.
PTA Announcements & Reminders
🦊Central Foxes, this week let’s come together and support Napolita Pizza! 🍕Between the hours of 5 and 8 pm on Wednesday, January 21st, you can place your order at (224)215-0305 or at napolitapizza.com. Don’t forget to mention “Central” when you order. Many thanks for supporting our amazing local restaurants during these times❤️
Community Announcements...
- Register to attend HEROS Dr. Martin Luther King Legacy Virtual Workshop held on Sunday, January 17th from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
- The Volunteer Center is offering various opportunities to learn and serve on Martin Luther King holiday. See website for details.
- Trevian Girls Softball Association is adding players to their girls 8-12 year old spring and summer team. TGSA is taking extreme safety measures, we use an very large space, people spaced at least 30 feet, masks mandatory, etc. Visit the website and contact Kelsey Farmer (kfarmer@trevians.org) for information.
- Wilmette Baseball Association’s 2021 Spring House League registration is now open for Kdg. through 8th graders.
- Wilmette Historical Museum is offering two fun virtual events. Virtual Wilmette Bingo will be held on February 21st. Reserve your Bingo board by February 19th. Color a Vintage Valentine and spread some virtual love.
- Cub Scouts Pack 1 Welcomes all McKenzie students! Contact wilmettepackone@gmail.com to sign up.
- Covid Catch Up Tutors offers free virtual tutoring by qualified high school students for Pre-K through High School grade levels.
- Wilmette Food Pantry is open every Tuesday 10:30-11:30 am at Trinity United Methodist Church.
From the Nurse's Office
Call Central School "Attendance Line" For Absences: 847-512-6150
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!
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...
1/18: No School, MLK Day
1/20: PTA's Dine with Central: Napolita
1/25 - 2nd Semester Begins
1/26: General PTA Meeting @9:15 (Zoom)
1/28: PTA's Dine with Central: Fuel
1/21: Birthday Bash with the Principals! 🎉