Munhall Bulletin
January 17, 2020
Munhall Elementary School
Email: heather.miller@d303.org
Website: http://munhall.d303.org/
Location: 1400 South 13th Avenue
Phone: 331-228-2600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Munhall-Elementary-1459358344296891/
Twitter: @MunhallD303
From the Principal
Winter Concerts
I want to congratulate our students for their wonderful orchestra and choir concerts this week. Our students have certainly worked hard over the past several months, and it showed! I also want to thank Mrs. Borkowski and Mrs. Hammons for their leadership.
School Volunteers
In an effort to ensure safety for all students and staff, D303 is putting in additional layers of security regarding volunteers. Moving forward, volunteers will need to submit a form to the main office, which will be used to determine if additional information is required. Some volunteers, based on the nature of their role and access to students, will be asked to go through an additional screening phase, which involves fingerprinting. As a general rule, volunteers for After School Enrichment, field trips, and those who have access to students, not be under direct guidance or supervision of certified staff will be asked to go through this additional security measure. Volunteer roles such as AVIC, library support, classroom parties, mystery readers, etc. will not need to additional measure. More information will follow to those who regularly and routinely volunteer. Thank you for understanding as we take an additional step to ensure the safety of our students.
Middle School Course Descriptions and Exploratory Options
This week all 5th grade students should have come home with an informational packet from Wredling or Thompson Middle School. The packet includes information about middle school course offerings and descriptions of the exploratory options. Please complete the form and return to Munhall by January 27th. The middle schools have created a brief video for families to view for more information about the packet. The video is linked below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcmtovIY0OE&feature=youtu.be
NO School Monday
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we will not have school on Monday, January 20th. Enjoy the three-day weekend.
Have a great weekend!
Jarrod Buxton, Principal
Nurse Notes
Dear Parents,
The peak of the cold and flu season is upon us! Recently, the Nurses at Munhall Elementary have been caring for a number of students experiencing fevers and other cold like symptoms. We are also aware that some students are absent from school because they have been diagnosed with the flu and other influenza-like symptoms. During the months of October through April, each school in District 303 tracks influenza activity in cooperation with the Kane County Health Department. We consult with their staff to determine whether influenza activity in a school warrants additional follow up, and at this time, there is no additional interventions needed. Preventative measures remain the most effective way to reduce the spread of influenza.
Students who present to the Health Office with a fever or are feeling poorly are sent home. To prevent widespread flu in the school, we recommend that your child stay home from school if experiencing flu or cold symptoms. To decide whether or not to send your child to school, please consider the following guidelines:
Consider keeping your child at home for an extra day of rest and observation if he or she has any of the following symptoms:
Very stuffy or runny nose and/or cough
Mild sore throat (no fever, no known exposure to strep)
Headache
Mild stomach ache
Definitely keep your child at home for treatment and observation if he or she has any of these symptoms:
Fever (greater than 100 degrees)
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Chills
General malaise or feelings of fatigue
Frequent congested (wet) or croupy cough
Lots of nasal congestion with frequent blowing of nose
To help prevent the flu and other illnesses, teach your children good hygiene habits:
Wash hands frequently
Do not touch eyes, nose or mouth
Cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, use a paper tissue, throw it away and then wash hands
Avoid close contact with people who are ill
Colds are the most contagious during the first 48 hours. A child who has a fever should remain at home until "fever free" for a minimum of 24 hours without the aid of fever reducing medication. A child who has started antibiotics needs to be on the medication for 24 hours before considered non-contagious and able to return to school. Keeping your ill child at home will minimize the spread of infections and viruses in the classroom.
Thank you in advance for helping make this year at school as healthy as possible.
St. Charles Education Foundation Gala
Dear Munhall Families,
My name is Jennifer Phillips and I am working on behalf of Munhall PTO to put together a raffle basket for the St. Charles Education Foundation Gala being held February 22nd at the St. Charles Country Club. It's an adults only event raising funds to support The Foundation which is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting excellence in education within Community Unit School District 303. You can learn more about The Foundation and the Gala on their website at http://stced.org. The auction is available on-line and does not require attendance at the event to bid on items.
The theme of our basket is "Cricut Crafter" and I am reaching out to see if any Munhall parents would be willing to make a donation towards this basket. If you are interested in donating the needed items, please use this link and select an item(s) you are willing to donate. All donations need to be collected by 1.31.20 and I will work with you to make an arrangement for a drop off or pick up. Thank you!
Thank you,
Jen