The Wonderful World of Woodbury
December 2019
And now a word from our Principal...
Hello, Woodbury Families!
Is December really here? While I don't particularly love the cold that comes with it I do love this time of year- the magic of the holidays, time with family and friends, the warm lights that adorn our home. It's also a time of year where we start to see a surge of growth in our youngest students. I remember teaching first grade after having taught 3rd grade for so many years - walking in as what seemed like tiny kinders, many who could read some, but not much...and then just like that their little light bulbs began going off like crazy... I remember feeling like a proud mama!
December is a busy month. We will be participating in #woodburygivesback, the student's will put on their play that they have been working so hard on, Franklin Mall Project is in full swing, the Holiday Bookfair begins on December 6th, students will go to the Sports Dome for PE, as well as other various activities and events in our classrooms.
This first week of the December also brings us a new addition to our staff. As many of you know, Mr. Steve Kurtz, who has served our school community for over 33 years will be here for his last week before his retirement on December 5th. We look forward honor him on Tuesday, December 3rd with a reception in his honor. Please be sure to come by and wish him well if you are able. We know that this is bittersweet for Steve and we are all sad to see him go, but also know that the time ahead is very much deserved and know that he will fill it with the things he loves to do and joyous time with family and friends. He has served our community well. This week he will be training a new, and pretty special to him, custodian as well. Please help us welcome, Jordon Kurtz, our new custodian to the Woodbury Family. We are so excited to have Jordan join our staff and know that Mr. Kurtz is so proud of his son. We also couldn't ask for a better trainer! ;)
Wishing you all a holiday filled with joy and love and thank you for being partners with us in your child's education.
Best,
Mrs. Kern
1st Trimester Attendance Celebration
Thank you for your support in getting your child to school. Success begins by showing up and our day is made when our students are here! We do not expect perfection and have expressed that with our students because, well, life happens! So, we took it upon ourselves to celebrate both perfect and nearly perfect attendance and the students loved it!
Mrs. Kern had a LOT of certificates to hand out! We were able to celebrate 144 of our students for 1st Trimester perfect (0 days absent) and nearly perfect attendance (2 or less days).
One of our school goals is to support our families with school attendance, build understanding of the impact of missed days , and provide support and guidance when needed. If you are struggling to get your child to school or need other supports, please don't hesitate to reach out. We are available to try to provide guidance with any health concerns, child care woes, or other struggles that may be taking place.
We are proud of our first trimester data which includes the following school wide totals!
1st Trimester (56 Days) SCHOOL TOTALS (177 students):
Perfect: 61/177: 34%
Nearly Perfect: 83/177: 47%
Totals: 144/177: 81% missed 2 or less days
Franklin Mall Christmas Project
The Sandwich Lions Club is collecting non-perishable food, canned goods, boxed food items, paper products, etc. (no glass containers please) for the Franklin Mall Project. Items will be collected until Tuesday, December 13th. For every 3 items donated, a raffle ticket can be earned to receive a $10 gift certificate to our upcoming holiday book fair.
Thank you for your support!
City of Sandwich Approves Truancy Ordinance
We all know optimal learning takes place when students attend school on a regular basis. When students are not in school on a regular basis and the absences are unexcused, the DeKalb County Regional Office of Education intervenes. To assist with their intervention, the City of Sandwich has approved a truancy ordinance reinforcing the importance of students attending school on a daily basis. Click here to read the truancy ordinance.
Text Message Notifications
Parents & Guardians,
Sandwich CUSD #430 is preparing to rollout SMS or text messaging notification for reminders, emergency and other notifications. Prior to using this method of communication, the district will be sending an email to parents containing instructions for sending an Opt-In text message to a Group code.
The Opt-In must be done from the mobile device that is to receive these messages in order to begin receiving them. Also, the number for this mobile device must be included in your child’s parent profile in the Tyler Parent portal. Please contact your child’s attendance center for updating this information.
Sandwich CUSD #430
District Dashboard
The Sandwich CUSD 430 district dashboard has been launched and can be found here, linked to the district website. While the dashboard includes data the ISBE report card generally includes, the dashboard highlights in greater depth the many types of positive programs and services offered throughout the district.
The dashboard addresses five main indicators:
1) Overall School Achievements and Accomplishments (this indicator highlights success stories from each attendance center such as learning environment activities, academic growth and extra-curricular activities);
2) Student Success (this indicator highlights success stories such as AP course work, Career & Technical Education, student growth performance and academic achievement results);
3) Learning Environment (this indicator highlights success stories such as our AdvancED model of school improvement, professional development experiences, our wellness, technology & safety initiatives and extra-curricular involvement);
4) Finance and Operations (this indicator highlights information such as Evidence Based Funding revenue, expenditure costs, total fund balance); and
5) District Characteristics (this indicator highlights information such as enrollment data, attendance, and mobility).
Friendly Reminders
Volunteers
Arrival & Pick Up
Cold Weather
- 60 degrees and warmer: Short sleeves are okay
- 50-60 degrees: Child must wear long sleeves
- 40-50 degrees: Child must wear a jacket/sweatshirt
- 30-40 degrees: Child must wear a winter jacket, hat and mittens
- Below 30 and if snowy: Full set of snow gear (winter jacket, snow pants, hat, mittens, and boots)
Every child is different. If your child tends to be cold they may need a thicker jacket at 45 degrees than other children need. If your child runs on the warm side they may need less layers. Make sure you use these guidelines as a minimum, adding layers if your child needs them.
Sandwich School District 430 Employment
Substitute Bus Driver Positions Open
- Flexible Hours - as a sub you only accept times you want
- Most Substitute driving in afternoon
- Schedule corresponds to Sandwich Schools
- In House / Paid Training to obtain School Bus Drivers License
- Pay $17.80 / hr
- Opportunity to move to Regular Route with higher pay and hours
Substitute Bus Aid Positions Open
- Same flexibility and schedule
- No certification required
- Pay $11.59 / hr
Contact Dale Hamilton Transportation Director 815-786-4739
Reminder's from the School Nurse
Flu season is here! Protect yourself and your family this season with an annual flu vaccine for everyone who is 6 months and older. Seasonal flu activity can begin as early as October and last as late as May. Visit www.flu.gov or check out this Parent's Guide for more information.
HEALTHY SLEEP FOR THE HOLIDAYZZZZ
The holidays can be a busy and exciting time, filled with schedule changes, travel, and special events. Make the most of the season by staying well-rested with these science-based sleep tips:
Kids 12 and under need at least 9 hours of sleep each night.
Try to keep a consistent sleep schedule by having your family go to bed and get up at the same times every day, even on holiday breaks.
If you are planning to travel to a time zone that is East of yours, have your family go to bed AND wake up a little earlier than usual, as this will help your internal sleep clocks adjust to different bed/wake times while on vacation. If you are traveling West, go to sleep and wake up a little later than usual.
Avoid caffeine after lunchtime and large meals right before bed, as consuming those can disrupt sleep.
If you want to nap over the holiday break, aim for a 20-minute nap, which experts say is the best time length to wake up feeling refreshed and ready to go. Turn down the temperature, even though it may be cold outside. We sleep better when the room is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit (65-70 degrees for babies and toddlers).
Make sure to stay active over the holidays, as physical activity during the day can facilitate better sleep at night.
For more sleep resources like this one, visit http://www.Healthiergeneration.org/smartersleep
Woodbury Elementary School
Email: jkern@sandwich430.org
Website: https://ww.sandwich430.org/
Location: 322 E 3rd St, Sandwich, Illinois, USA
Phone: 815-786-6316
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wwwoodburyschool/
Twitter: @Woodbury430