The Central Scoop
March 2, 2018
From the Principal's Desk...
Dear Parents,
Our halls are filled with music at Central School! Our second grade students are busy preparing for their annual music show that will take place this Thursday, March 8th at 2:20pm in the auditorium. The title of the show this year is “Spring, Spring, Spring." All parents and caregivers are welcome to attend.
For all our other students, please join us for "Parents Visit Music Class Week." We invite you to visit your child's music class the week of March 19th-22nd. Our music classes are 30 minutes and we would love to show you what we have been learning! (Please note that 2nd Grade music classes will not participate due to their performance for parents on March 8th). Please click on the link to find the assigned day and time of your child’s class. All of music classes are taught by Mrs. Jeanne Gierke in the Music Room #104. Of course, please check-in the office when you first arrive.
https://sites.google.com/a/wilmette39.org/central-music/parents-visit-music-class
Please see below for other important announcements and have a wonderful weekend!
- Becky
Rebecca Littmann
Principal
Central Elementary School
School & District Announcements and Reminders...
New Garden Fence!
Thanks to the PTA, Central School will be getting a new fence around the garden and kindergarten playground. Installation of the new fence could happen as early as this coming week. The contractors promised to do their best to minimize the impact the installation will have on our families. We will post signs and use cones to mark the areas. However, it's important that families keep a safe distance from the workers during installation before and after school. Thank you for your flexibility during this time. We are so incredibly grateful to our PTA for the new fence!!
Summer Enrichment Program
Don't miss out on Summer Enrichment Classes! There is still time to register. Registration will be open until March 9, 2018. Visit www.wilmette39.org for more information.
New Trier Township Innovation & Tech Expo
The New Trier Innovation & Tech Expo is a free event for parents to attend and hear about how technology is being used throughout the township. All New Trier Township schools will be participating in this joint mini-conference taking place Saturday, April 28, 2018. It will be held at New Trier Winnetka Campus, 385 Winnetka Avenue, Winnetka, IL, from 8:30am to 12pm.
Parent Input for Class Placement - LAST posting!
We are approaching the time of the year when we begin to consider student placement for next school year. Starting immediately after spring break, we review each child’s individual learning needs with the corresponding team of teachers. The team of teachers includes your child’s classroom teacher, the “specials” teachers, as well as the special education staff. In addition, we consider other factors such as gender balance, learning styles, academic needs, social/emotional needs, and overall make-up of a class. As you can imagine, a lot of thought is put into classroom placement. We consider each child individually and place him/her with an appropriate classroom mix, as well as a good student/teacher combination.
We feel confident in our ability to appropriately place your child successfully, however, if you feel that extraordinary factors exist that the school should be aware of, please complete the attached PDF form by March 23rd (before spring break). Forms submitted after March 23rd will not be given special consideration. Placement forms should be given to the secretaries in the office or placed in the principal's mailbox. Finally, we approach each year with a fresh start. Parent input letters from previous years are not considered. If you have a specific concern, it needs to be reiterated each year. If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Please know that we will work diligently to ensure the most appropriate placement for every student.
Call Central School "Safe Phone" For Absences: 847-512-6150
Please call the "SAFE" (absence) phone to report absences even if you let the classroom teacher knows, 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.
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 professional development, student activities, parent involvement, and school goals.
PTA Announcements and Reminders...
* The PTA sends out their own newsletter on Sundays - here are just a few highlights
Next PTA Meeting 3/7 @7pm: Parenting In the Digital Age!
Parenting today requires knowledge that was not needed previously. Our kids are growing up with different social rules than what we bound by. Please join us for a presentation on topics that will help you as parents navigate common challenges. These are some of the topics that will be discussed. After the presentation will be an opportunity to ask questions.
- Creating boundaries with mobile devices
- Potentially dangerous apps
- Social networks
- Privacy
- Inappropriate content
- Cyberbullying
Community Announcements...
Wilmette Children’s Theatre presents Legally Blonde Jr. The Musical opening March 9th. Tickets on sale now for $10.
Wilmette Public Library’s "One Book, Everybody Reads" featuring Amor Towles discussing his best-selling novel A Gentleman in Moscow at WJHS Auditorium April 22nd at 3:00 pm
- Grab your magic carpet and join us for a journey to the Arabian desert as 57 actors and techies bring the family favorite, Aladdin, Jr., to life on stage! (see flier)
- Valley Lodge in Wilmette will donate 15% of all identified sales to District 39’s Angel Fund. Dine in or take out on March 8th 11:00 am - Midnight. Please show flyer to participate.
- Attend the Illinois Baseball Academy and Chicago Cubs Jon Lester’s NVRQT "Never Quit” charity event at the Wilmette Movie Theatre on March 3rd for a special viewing of The Sandlot. Amazing raffle prizes offered to support the fight against pediatric cancer.
- Going Green Matters 2018 will be held March 11th 12:00 - 4:00 pm at Michigan Shores Club.
Wilmette Baseball Spring House League registration is open.
- Little Legends Soccer Academy offers soccer training for boys & girls ages 2-8.
- Wilmette Park District hosts after school clubs for students at Central, Harper, McKenzie through March 23.
Additional information on community events can be found here http://www.wilmette39.org/news/community_events
Family Action Network (FAN)
Click HERE for information about FAN and upcoming speakers.
Upcoming Events...
- 3/7 - Evening PTA Meeting @7pm at Central School (but note the content will be offered at Harper School on 3/21 at 9am)
- 3/9 - Sleep Under (must be signed-up through PTA)
- 3/19 - Board of Education Meeting @7pm
- 3/21 - Open House @ 6:30pm
- 3/26-3/30 - No School, Spring Break