Cougar Courier
ELM MIDDLE SCHOOL’S WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
January 13, 2023
Principal's Message
Greetings Elm Families,
Happy Friday! We hope everyone had a wonderful week. We dove right into the new year this week at Elm spending time resetting expectations, goal setting and even a mock election in our 8th grade civics classes. Our students continue to amaze me with the way they come everyday dedicated to ensuring that Elm Middle School continues to hold itself to a high standard of excellence.
As we continue on through the year, don't forget to check-in with your students on their academic progress in their courses. Check PowerSchool to see if they have missing assignments or have opportunities to re-take assessments. Additionally, we offer homework club everyday after school for additional academic support to students!
Addtionally, mark your calendars as our second round of Parent Teacher Conferences are scheduled for February 15th and February 16th. These conferences will be in person and scheduling will open on February 1st. More information to come!
As a reminder we have no school on Monday, January 16th in honor of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
Please take a few minutes to read through this week’s Cougar Courier. As always, should you need anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly. Have a nice weekend and welcome back! #TeamElmStrong
Most Sincerely,
Ms. Ashley Groeneveld
Assistant Principal's Corner
This week the administrative team met with each grade level for our "January Reset"; wherein, we revisited academic and behavioral expectations. Our first half of the year was tremendous, and we are so proud of our students' overall performances.
As we continue further into trimester 2, it is critical that students are taking full advantage of the academic supports offered during and after school. It is important to note that 8th graders who received a failing grade in trimester 1 cannot mirror this performance going forward or these students will not be able to participate in end of the year celebrations and the graduation ceremony. Students with multiple failures in Language Arts and/or Math courses will be required to participate in Summer School. Further, 6th and 7th graders who receive 1's throughout their coursework in Language Arts and/or Math will also be invited to participate in Summer School.
Students are being offered a wealth of supports both in class and after school to curtail these instances from occurring. Some upcoming academic supports are as follows: 1) Homework Club (Tuesday-Friday each day) 2) Cougar Connections (Date: 2-6-23 Time: 2:15-3:00 pm); 3) Ketchup Club (support offered during lunch for academic and executive functioning skills).
Please reach out to me directly if you would like your student to participate in these offering in the subsequent weeks. I hope everyone had a restful holiday season; happy new year!
Dean's Den
As we return back from break, we are seeing an uptick of tardy students to school. Please chat with your kiddos about going to bed at an appropriate time, as well as getting back into the swing of things by setting an alarm and being prepared for the school day.
I also wanted to add our Bullying reporting form through our district site. If your child reports to you any bullying towards them, or bullying that they witnessed, this bullying form can be used to report to our school. As always, students can come to an administrator, social worker, counselor, or trusted adult in the building.
Thank you,
Mr. Goodman
Pack The Place
8th Grade Dinner Dance
Dance Letter: English
Dance Letter: Spanish
Dance Letter: Polish
Dance Letter: Ukrainian
Elm Middle School Talent Show
Elm PAT Dine Out
Severe Weather Procedures
Clubs and Extra-Curricular Activities
Box Tops for Education
Join Elm in earning cash for our school by using the Box Tops app. It’s an easy way to make a difference. All you have to do is buy Box Tops participating products (like Cheerios) and scan your grocery receipt. Box Tops are worth 10 cents each, and they add up fast. Twice a year, our school receives a check to help pay for whatever we need - equipment, supplies, or experiences the kids love.
Use this referral code K7Y8751D when you sign up, and you will get 25 Bonus Box Tops when you scan your first receipt now through 05/31/2023, while supplies last! Download the Box Tops for Education app here: https://btfe.smart.link/c2jjdifkw?referral_code=K7Y8751D
Attendance Reminders & Community Resources
If a student is going to be absent from class, a parent or guardian should call our Attendance Clerk at (708) 583-6600 or email elmattendance@epcusd401.org.
When calling, please spell your child’s last name and give their student ID number.
For instruction on how to use PowerSchool for attendance please see the video here!
Take a few minutes and read through this list of Community Resources provided by West 40.
Upcoming Events
January 18th: HS Grades Due
January 19th: Pack the Place
February 2nd: Culver's Dine Out
February 2nd: Spelling Bee
February 15th: Parent Teacher Conferences
February 16th: Parent Teacher Conferences
February 17th: No School
February 20th: No School
Need Help? Contact Us!
Ms. Ashley Groeneveld, Principal: 708-583-6227, groenevelda@epcusd401.org
Mr. Dave Parolin, Assistant Principal: 708-583-6228, parolind@epcusd401.org
Mr. Michael Goodman, Dean of Students:
708-583-6238, goodmanm@epcusd401.orgMain Office: 708-452-3550, elminfo@epcusd401.org
Website: https://www.epcusd401.org/elm
Location: 7607 W Cortland St, Elmwood Park, IL 60707, USA
Phone: 708-452-3550
Twitter: @elm401_cougars