Wildcat Chat
Washington School: September Issue 2018
Letter from Mrs. Daly
Dear Washington Families,
As we begin our second week of school, I want to thank you all for your patience and understanding during the first several days of school as we tried to make the arrival and dismissal procedures at Washington smooth and safe for children. Please make sure you follow the parking signs around the school.
Attached you will find a calendar of events for the month of September and October. Our school website has detailed information for you as well.
I am anticipating another amazing school year! Parents and staff who collaboratively work together each day for the students are key to a successful school year! I know you will find the setting at Washington conducive to learning. Each teacher is extremely committed to assisting all children in developing a positive attitude toward education and making our school an even better place for our students to learn and grow.
Our first PTO will be held on Tuesday, September 11th. PTO meetings will be held the second Tuesday of every month. Please join our new PTO Presidents Jen Huber and Kari Hoerr and the entire PTO Board in our school library at 7pm. At this meeting, Dr. Laurie Heniz and Mrs. Luann Kolstad will be joining us at this first meeting.
Here are a few things that parents should know:
If someone other than yourself is picking up your child after school, please send a note to school with your child so that your child’s teacher is aware that your child is going home with someone other than yourself for that day. That person must be added onto your emergency contact list if that person is going to pick your child up regularly.
The release of Students: Definite procedures are followed to assure the safety of children who are released during the day.
1. Written parental permission should be sent to the teacher stating the requested time of release. Please note the following: If any person other than the parent or guardian is to pick up a child, the school must have a statement from the parent specifying the necessary information.
2. If a student needs to be dismissed early for medical or emergency reasons, the parent or guardian must come to the office and sign out the child. All children must be signed out in the office. Children will remain with the teacher until notified by the office personnel.
Medical Records: All medical records must be in the school office. All immunizations must be up to date. Students without these state-required records will not be permitted to attend school after 10/15/18.
Birthday Party Invitations: Birthday party invitations should not be distributed in school unless ALL children from that particular class are invited. Consideration of and sensitivity to the feelings of all students is an important aspect of education at Washington Elementary School.
Student Absences: Parents are asked to call the school to notify us of a child’s absence and the reason for that absence. Students with excessive “unexcused” absences will result in a letter and a possible meeting. Please see the Parent/Student Handbook about the district’s homework policy.
Forgotten Things/Homework: Students are not permitted to use the telephone unless an emergency exists or a forgotten lunch. Students cannot phone home for forgotten gym clothes, musical instrument, or homework. Let’s work together to teach our students to responsible and take ownership of their homework, as well as other supplies that need to be brought to school.
Visitors: Parents/Guardians are always welcome at Washington Elementary School. All adult or student visitors must come to the office before going to any classroom. Visitor name tags, provided by the office, are to be worn by all visitors in the building and the visitor must sign in. All visitors need to present their ID once entering the building. As visitors leave the building, they must stop by the office and sign out.
Student Handbooks: Please make sure to review the information with your child. It is very important they are aware of the rules and expectations of Washington School and of District 64.
Thank you for your cooperation with the above matters. I look forward to a wonderful and productive school year here at Washington.
Warmly,
Mrs. Daly
Washington Principal
Family Math Night on September 21st with Greg Tang
2 good 2 miss! Our first-ever Family Math Night on September 21st
Washington School is excited to host our first-ever Family Math Night from 6-7 p.m. on Friday, September 21st, in our Washington gym thanks to a generous grant from the D64 Elementary Learning Foundation and our PTO. Noted math teaching expert Greg Tang, Jr. will be at our school that day to work with our first through fifth-grade teachers and classrooms and will be extending his visit to also include a special evening event for families featuring many fun and effective math games.
Over the course of the evening, students and their parent will rotate through five different math stations – targeting number sense, facts and procedural fluency, and reasoning skills – using Mr. Tang’s games to get excited about math. Best of all, these math evenings bring families together, and allow students and parents to think about numbers – and math – in new and better ways!
Due to space limitations and the nature of the presentation, we request that each family bring only one adult to accompany your student in grades 1-5.
Learn more about Mr. Tang “through the numbers” --
Mr. Tang is on a mission to share his love of math with students, teachers, and parents! Through his company Creative Smarts Inc, since 2001 he has done over 3,000 conferences, workshops and author visits throughout the U.S. and overseas, taught more than 500,000 children and adults, and accumulated more than 1,000,000 frequent flier miles on 4 different airlines!
No Dogs on School Grounds
It is great to see so many families are walking to school. However, we ask that you leave your dogs at home. Even the most gentle and friendly dog can become overwhelmed with 650 plus excited students around. Also, we have many students and adults who are allergic to dogs or terrified of dogs. We love dogs, but ask you to please not bring them to school, as it is district policy not to have them on school grounds. The sidewalks in the front and sides of the building are occupied with children before and after school, so I ask that we all respect these rules regarding dogs. Thank you!
Voice Volume Expectations at Washington
Washington Voice Volume continues into the 2018-19 school year! Teachers and students will be following the ROARS expected behaviors which include voice volume levels for each location of the school. Following our expected voice volumes will assist with providing uninterrupted learning throughout the building and will ensure safety for all students in case of an emergency.
Look for the Washington Voice Volume charts throughout the school!
ROARS stickers for positive behavior. Students can earn ROARS stickers when demonstrating our Washington ROARS expected behaviors. Students can wear their ROARS sticker proudly throughout the day and can take it home to celebrate with families. Each sticker enters your name into a drawing for a prize from the office at the end of the week. Students can receive these stickers from any staff member at any time, so they know to always be demonstrating their Washington ROARS. The classroom with each grade level with the most stickers will get Baby Roary in their classroom for the month.
Message from our new Social Worker
Welcome to the 2018-19 school year! I cannot believe it is here already! I hope that you all had a very warm, wonderful, and relaxing summer; filled with fun and great memories. I simply wanted to take a little time to introduce myself as one of the newest additions to Washington school.
My name is Julie Cullotta and I am Washington’s new school social worker. I am beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to get to know and work with all of your children throughout the year. I have heard nothing but great things about Washington, the students, the families and the surrounding community. I am excited and eager to experience it myself.
A little bit about me; I grew up not too far from Park Ridge, in Des Plaines, and attended a fellow District 207 high school; Maine West; from which I graduated in 2012. From there, I received my undergraduate degree in Sociology and Religion from Augustana College, and recently graduated with my Masters of Social Work from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
When I’m not busy being a social worker I find myself listening to a little too much country music, running, and spending as much time outdoors as possible. I love Harry Potter, Northwestern football and Augie basketball; March Madness being my favorite season.
Aside from that, my passion lies in working with children. I am a strong proponent of honesty, kindness, and inclusion; promoting these at a young age. I intend to support your children in any way they may need in order to help them become the most successful student they can be. In addition, I hope to assist in creating a positive overall school environment at Washington. I love being a present presence. I plan to spend time in the classrooms as much as possible, as I feel I learn best from seeing the students in their most prominent setting. It also gives me the chance to connect with all students, including those who I may not see as regularly.
In brief, I am here for you and your child. Please contact me if you ever have any questions, concerns, or ideas. I would be more than happy to talk with you or set up a meeting. I look forward to getting to know all of you and your children this year!
Mrs. Daly helping students find their teachers
3rd Graders in Mrs. Born's class ready for school
Students socialize and wait to meet their new teachers
Follow Mrs. Daly on Twitter
District Mission Statement
Washington School
Email: sdaly@d64.org
Website: http://www.d64.org/wes/
Phone: 847-318-4360
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Washington-Elementary-School-Park-Ridge-Niles-1390702047844919/?fref=ts
Twitter: @dalytalk