West Elementary School
November 22, 2022
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Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving Break!
This Thanksgiving season, we would like to share our gratitude and thank our West families for being such an important part of our school community. We are truly fortunate to have all of our families partner with us to support and advocate for our students. It is due to this partnership that “West is the Best” and for that we are forever grateful. On behalf of West Elementary staff, we would like to wish you all a safe and happy Thanksgiving. We will see everyone back at West on November 28th.
-Mrs. Klinsky and Mrs. Cruz
West's Giving Tree
A Salvation Army Angel Tree has been placed in our school lobby, providing a way to help give a gift to a child living in our community this holiday season. Tags can be selected off of the tree now through December 14th. Each tag provides an opportunity to select a special gift to purchase for a child who might not otherwise receive a gift this holiday season. Unwrapped gifts are returned to school with the tag attached by Wednesday, December 14th. Thank you for helping to support West School’s Giving Tree this year, spreading joy and happiness this holiday season.
Thank You - Scholastic Book Fair
Thank you to all of our wonderful students, parents, grandparents, teachers, and WPO volunteers that helped make our Scholastic Book Fair a big success! Profits from your purchases were used to buy new books and resources for our school library. In addition, you helped build classroom libraries through our "Classroom Wish List" program. We were also able to purchase Birthday Books for every West student.
I would like to say a very special thank you to the amazing Book Fair Co-Chairs: Stephanie McHugh, Courtenay Sterzik, & Caitlain Frank. We couldn’t have done this without your organization, creativity, and energy. Awesome job, ladies! Thanks again for your support and sharing your love of reading with the children in our community! #Westisbest
Thank You - Community Harvest Food Drive
Thank you students, parents and staff for the generosity and the out pouring of non perishable items for the Annual Community Harvest Food Drive that will be distributed to the Crystal Lake Food Pantry. This year we collected 391 items! This will definitely help a lot of families during the holidays.
Thank You - Wildcat Council
A BIG thank you to the Wildcat Council for all their hard work! Thank you for getting the word out to all our students and staff to donate non perishable items to the Crystal Lake Food Pantry!
Lost and Found
We have a lot of coats, sweatshirts, hats, gloves, water bottles, etc. in our lost and found. We will leave the table of items in the front lobby until Wednesday, November 30th. After that date, we will pack everything up and donate it. Thank you!
West Happenings: November/December
- 11/21 & 22 - Parent/Teacher Conferences - NO SCHOOL
- 11/23 -11/25 - Thanksgiving Break - NO SCHOOL
- 11/28 - SKATE NIGHT IS BACK!! Xtreme Wheels 6-8 PM
- 12/1 - Band Concert at 7 PM
- 12/8 - 4th Grade Musical at 7 PM
- 12/9 - PBIS - Pajama Day
- 12/13 - Portillo's Food Fundraiser 3-6 pm
- 12/16 - Winter Classroom Parties from 2:30-3:30 PM
- 12/19 - 1/2 - Winter Break - NO SCHOOL
- 1/3 - Classes Resume
Skate Night is Back!
Please join your classmates for a fun night at Xtreme Wheels in Crystal Lake on 11/28 from 6-8 pm. Admission is $3 and skate rental is $5. Proceeds from this event help support Mileage Club.
4th and 5th Grade Music Performance Dates
Music performance dates for the 2022-23 school year are listed below. These are grade-level performances that include all students in the grades listed. Please add the information to your calendar if it applies. More information will be sent to families as each performance approaches.
4th grade students will present a winter musical on Thursday, December 8 at 7:00 PM.
5th grade students will present a musical on Friday, March 17 at 7:00 PM.
For 4th and 5th grade students who are interested in singing in the West Chorus, rehearsals will begin in January, and our performance will take place on Thursday, April 27 at 7:00 PM.
Virtual Parenting Series: Screen Time and Use of Technology: Parenting in a Digital Era
District 47 will be hosting a four-part virtual parenting series for D47 parents and guardians starting Wednesday, December 7 at 7 p.m. This interactive presentation will take a look at the influence of technology on children's development, as well as ways we can empower our children to find balance while navigating the digital world. Parents will learn strategies to build closer connections with their children and help set healthy boundaries around their use of technology. Click the flyer for more information about this and future virtual parenting sessions. Translation will be available. Note: The Zoom link for the 12/7 session will be posted by December 1, 2022 on the district website calendar.
Progress Reports
On, Friday, November 18th, Progress Reports will be available in ParentVue. An email notification (Eng/Span) will be sent to all parents when progress reports are posted. Please take a look at your student's progress report before your Parent/Teacher Conference.
Cold and Flu (Influenza) Season is Here; Helpful Hints from the Health Office
Here are some guidelines to help with your decision on whether or not to send your child to school. Please be advised that if your child has any of the symptoms listed below he/she should not attend school:
- Fever > 100.4 2. Rash of unknown cause
- Sore throat with fever 4. Nausea and vomiting
- Occasional diarrhea (2 or more in a 24 hr period of time)
If your child has recently been ill, please be aware of the following guidelines before having your child return to school:
- Should be feeling fit for 24 hours before returning to school, athletic or social activities.
- Should be free of a temperature for at least 24 hours without the use of over the counter fever reducing medication.
- Should be free of vomiting and diarrhea for at least 24 hours.
- Should be taking an antibiotic for at least 24 hours before returning to school.
- Should be on prescription antibiotic eye drops for conjunctivitis for 24 hours before returning to school.
To help keep your child(ren) healthy, make sure they have plenty of rest and a good nutritious diet. Make sure they are dressed properly when playing outside. Please notify the school if your child has been diagnosed with strep throat, chickenpox, scarlet fever, etc.
The single most important thing you can do to keep your child free of illness is to teach him/her the proper way to wash hands. Make sure he/she uses soap and rubs his/her hands together for 15 seconds. Then rinse hands in running warm water and dry them thoroughly. Hand sanitizer is only to be used if traditional soap and water is not available. Feel free to reach out to Mrs. Keegan at Ajkeegan@d47.org or 815-788-5555 with any questions regarding your student(s) illness.
Winter Weather Reminder
As we transition from fall to winter, we encourage families to consider the impact of a school closure due to inclement weather. It is our goal to keep schools open when possible to ensure we meet the needs of all students and, most importantly, to avoid a disruption to teaching and learning. Please note: There will be no remote learning if school is closed due to weather conditions. Instead, the day would be made up at the end of the year in one of the five scheduled emergency days on the school calendar. If the decision is made to close school, families will be notified via phone call, text and email before 5 a.m. the day of the closing. The announcement will also be posted on the district’s website and social media channels. No communication means school will remain open. Please be sure to keep your contact information and emergency contacts up-to-date in ParentVue. Should you have changes, please contact the school.
Winter Guidelines for Outside Student Activities
During the cold winter weather, be sure that your child comes to school with appropriate winter coats, hats, gloves, etc. Students go outside daily for lunch recess and need to be dressed for the weather. The guidelines established by District 47 during cold weather are as follows:
Temperature/Wind Chill - Maximum Time Outside
- 15 degrees or warmer - Unlimited
- 0 to 15 degrees - 20 minutes
- Below 0 degrees - Students remain indoors
Order Your 2022-23 West Yearbook!
Yearbooks start at just $19.50 and all orders must be placed online. The books will be sent right to your home, so please make sure your home address is complete and correct when ordering. Click here to order your yearbook now!
Volunteers Needed
Below are some of the things that we will need volunteers for. Look for info in your email or our Parents group on Facebook or you can contact us at westparentorganization@gmail.com.
Wee Deliver:
Students write letters that need to be delivered to other classrooms. Help students run a school mail service!
Book Mobile:
Help organize books on our mobile book cart and travel to different classrooms to help children pick out a book.
Tap Room:
Help fulfill teacher requests for laminating, copying, sharpening pencils, and other tasks to help prepare for their classroom activities.
Classroom Party Volunteer Spots are NOW Open!
Click on this link and choose between Winter or Valentine's Day to volunteer. Please read the descriptions for Party Planner/Party Volunteer and the Party Packet before signing up. Reminder: In order for all to have a chance to help with parties, we kindly ask you sign up for one party slot per classroom. As we get closer to an event and a class is still in need of volunteers, we will communicate the opportunity to sign up for an additional party. In addition, please fill out this volunteer procedure form.
2023-2024 Kindergarten Registration
Online registration opens on Monday, February 6, 2023. We will be posting information for the 2023-2024 Kindergarten registration on the district website in December. Questions should be directed to Aaron Knoth.
Elevate Staff Recognition Program
District 47's Elevate program recognizes District 47 employees who uphold and exemplify the district’s mission, vision and core values and who are making a difference in the lives of our students, schools and community. Any District 47 staff member is eligible for recognition and anyone (students, staff, parents and community members) can submit a nomination. Visit the D47 website at www.d47.org/elevate to learn more!
ParentVue
IMPORTANT: Parents, if you have not logged into ParentVue this year or have forgotten your password, please try to log in to ensure you have access. If you have forgotten your password, click the Forgot Password button. You may also contact the school main office or email hd@d47.org for assistance.