Cherokee Newsletter 11.4.22

November 4, 2022

Dear Cherokee Families,

It has been a busy week of learning and fun!! We had our Halloween parade and parties, an all school assembly to learn about our focus for November on being Good Citizens, and lots of wonderful learning going on in the classrooms! In addition, we learned about the Mexican celebration known as “Dia de los Muertos” or “Day of the Dead.”

Thank you for coming to our parade and celebrating as a community! Have a great weekend!

~Dr. Cavanaugh

A couple of highlights for special attention:

• Review the reminders about the following items:

• No School on November 8th and 11th

• Veteran’s Day Assembly

• Sign up for Family Reading Night

• Monday, November 7th School-wide PJ Day for meeting goal of Respectful behavior

• Review the Nurse’s Note about RSV

• Learn about the Stop-Think-Plan conflict resolution strategy

Veteran’s Day Assembly

Cherokee families, we will be celebrating Veterans Day this year with an all school assembly on Thursday, November 10th at 2:00 pm. Families are welcome to attend and please bring your Veterans! We will be putting together a slideshow of veterans, currently serving and retired, who are family members or friends of our Cherokee community. Even if you have submitted a photo in the past, please use this link to create a slide for your veteran(s). We would love to honor them during our assembly! Please complete a slide by Monday, November 7th.

Family Reading Night

Family Reading Night is an annual statewide event held in November to encourage families to spend quality time reading together. The theme this year is "Read Beyond the Beaten Path" encourages readers of all ages to explore the world through reading and get out into the great outdoors! This year’s Family Reading Night will be November 17, 2022, from 7:00-7:30 pm. We will be doing a virtual family reading night where families can join teachers on Google Links and listen as a family to stories being read by Cherokee staff. Please RSVP on this form if your family will be joining us for a fun night of reading! A Google Meet link will be sent out based on the grade level of your children as we get closer to the event.

Nurse’s Note

Most of you are no doubt aware of the unusually high incidence of RSV cases. That, in combination with COVID and the Flu season provides a triple threat to the health of our school and community. Please see the LCHD Information about RSV and remember that basic daily health habits are important in preventing the spread of many communicable diseases. Children and adults who have symptoms of illness should:

1. Stay home until free of fever, vomiting or diarrhea for at least 24 hours

2. Wash hands frequently

3. Clean frequently touched surfaces often.

4. Avoid close contact with others.

Together we can help keep our school and community as safe as possible.

Thanks!

Judy

Winter MAP Testing

District 67 students in grades 2-8 will take the NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) during November 28-December 9. MAP is a Common Core-aligned, adaptive, computer-based assessment. This nationally normed assessment is designed to measure growth over time in the areas of reading and math. The district utilizes the achievement and growth data from MAP to inform instructional planning for individuals and groups of students; and measure growth from year-to-year.

Stop-Think-Plan

During the month of November we will be focusing on being Good Citizens. Part of being good citizens is being respectful of everyone no matter who they are and working through conflicts. We have taught the students the Stop-Think-Plan strategy as a way to resolve conflicts. We encourage the students to use this strategy whether they are in the classroom, on the playground or in the community! Thank you for your support in all we do to teach our students to be good citizens!

ComEd’s bridge contractor notified the City that Deerpath Road only needs to be closed for one weekend (instead of two) in order for ComEd to install the new bike path bridge. Deerpath Road will remain open this weekend and will not be closing on Friday at 9 am as originally planned.

In addition to ComEd, IDOT is completing work along the Deerpath Road corridor over the next few weeks. Here's what to expect:

• Deerpath Road Final Resurfacing and Striping: Planned for the Week of Nov. 7
  IDOT’s contractor plans to finish resurfacing Deerpath Road during the week of November 7. The final steps (priming the pavement, placing asphalt, and striping the roadway) are expected to take several days. Expect intermittent lane closures and traffic delays during this work. Dates are weather dependent and subject to change.

• One Lane of Traffic on Deerpath Road: Planned for One Day the Week of Nov. 7
  Deerpath Road will have intermittent lane closures between Ahwahnee Lane and Route 41 with flaggers directing traffic. One lane of traffic will remain open at all times. These intermittent closures are necessary for ComEd’s contractor to pour the bridge’s concrete support walls. While the exact date depends on weather, this work is expected to occur the week of Nov. 7 and will take one day.

• Full Deerpath Road Closure: Planned for Friday, Nov. 18 at 7 pm through Monday, Nov. 21 at 5 am
  Deerpath Road will be completely closed between Ahwahnee Lane and Route 41 for the new bridge deck to be lifted and placed on the support walls. Deerpath Road will remain open to local traffic from Green Bay Road to Ahwahnee Lane. Drivers are encouraged to use Green Bay Road south to Westleigh Road to access both Route 41 and Waukegan Road.

District 67 Principals Renee Fitzsimmons, Kate Cavanaugh, and Susan Milsk invite you to join them for an online conversation on Wednesday, November 9, 2022, 7:00 PM, that will focus on student behavior.

Please join us on November 9 at 7:00 PM using this livestream link.

Topics discussed will include:

• Bullying - what it is, and what it isn’t

• Proactive measures to prevent negative behavior

• Reactive measures to negative behavior; how to respond/consequences

• Board policy and research on school discipline

• Answers to questions submitted by our parents/guardians

Please submit your questions using this form by noon on Tuesday, November 8.

Learn more about a possible April 2023 referendum to address the highest-priority LFHS facility needs including roofing, HVAC systems, windows, plumbing, lighting, safety and security, and student learning spaces. We value your input!

Please use this form if you would like to submit your questions in advance. The form will close on Friday, November 11 at 4:00 PM.

If you are not able to attend in-person, the event will be livestreamed and can be viewed using this link.

To celebrate World Kindness Week, Quest is treating every student to a complimentary Sugar Cookie during their lunch period. Being kind is oh so sweet!

Thank you for helping make the HUGS Food Drive a success! Thank you to Cherokee’s’ APT Community Service Coordinators - Linda Hall and Alex Cherry!

Turkey "Feathers of Gratitude” - Reminder: due Wednesday Nov. 9th

We are continuing our tradition of having the students create their "Feathers of Gratitude" which will be up on the bulletin board in school the month of November. Print the feather template and assist your kiddos as needed with writing or drawing their thoughts on what they are thankful for on their feather(s). They can then decorate them, sign them, cut them out, and bring them back to school by Wednesday, November 9th.

Upcoming Events:

• Wednesday, November 16th - 9:30am - November APT Meeting in the IRC lab - ALL parents welcome
• Thursday, November 17th - APT Cherokee Staffgiving Luncheon - Our SEL Coordinators, Annie O’Connor and Kristen Miles, are organizing a Thanksgiving-themed luncheon for our staff. APT is covering the cost of sliced turkey but we are in need of volunteers for side dishes and desserts. Please see the sign-up below - thank you! https://signup.com/go/brCQKNG
• Friday, November 18th - Donuts with Grownups - 7:15-7:45AM - One special grown-up per family, please. Thank you to our amazing Donuts Coordinators - Carly Harvey, Julie Wade & Kelly Tracy. We need volunteers for set-up, clean-up and to help run the event. Please see the sign-up below - thanks! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C4AACAD2DA3F94-donuts
• Tuesday, November 29th from 7pm-8pm - Community Safety Series in DPM gym: Active Shooter Protocols and Preparation, presented by the Lake Forest Police Dept.

Have a great weekend!

Gillian Goodfriend

Cherokee APT President 2022-2024

(773) 294-8131

gilliangoodfriend@yahoo.com

AmazonSmile is an easy way for you to support your kids and the Spirit of 67 Foundation at no cost to you!

Simply go to smile.amazon.com on your web browser or app and select the Spirit of 67 Foundation as your charity. AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases back to the Spirit of 67. Just think - all your holiday shopping will also be giving back to our schools!

Thank you for your support!

Visit the Green Backpack or the front page of your school website to view the latest programs offered in our community.

CROYA’s annual Poinsettia Fundraiser is in full swing! All orders are due November 16th! Pickup is on Friday, December 2, and Saturday, December 3. Order form: https://croya.com/wp2015/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/CRO-Poinsettia-Order-Form-2022.pdf

The Lake Forest Civic Orchestra is offering solo performance opportunities to 3 high school students this season - including the October concert, which featured LFHS student Aidan Watts. For the November 13 concert, the featured soloist will be Vernon Hills senior John Lee, and on March 12, the concert will feature Ruth Kim, a senior from Stevenson. Tickets for these performances can be purchased here.