Franklin Falcon Flyer
Feb. 28, 2019
IAR schedule - help your child be ready
Dear Parents/Guardians:
The Illinois Assessment of Readiness Test, an assessment for all students in Illinois, will be administered in District 64 from March 11-22.
The best preparation for the IAR has been the quality instruction our teachers have provided this school year. However, there are things you can also do to promote your child’s success:
Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep and eats a healthy breakfast before each day of testing.
Provide your child with words of encouragement. While we don’t want our students to feel anxious about any assessment, we do want them to do their best.
Please send earbuds/headphones to school by Wednesday, March 6. We will be using these for the English Language Arts test and Math test. These items will be kept at school and returned at the end of testing.
The IAR is an online assessment and students will be using their Chromebooks to complete these tests. Please make sure your child brings his or her Chromebook to school each day, fully charged.
Below is our school’s schedule for test administration:
March 11 Math Unit 1
10:00 5th grade
9:45 3rd grade (Brown, Majeski, Rasmussen)
10:00 Sutter
12:45 4th grade
March 12 Math Unit 2
9:00 4th grade
10:00 5th grade
9:45 3rd grade(Brown, Majeski, Sutter)
10:00 Rasmussen
Math Unit 3
12:45 3/4/5 grades
March 13 Make Ups for Math
March 14 ELA 1
9:00 Rasmussen/Brown
10:00-Majeski/Sutter
9:00- 4th Grade
10:00 - 5th grade
March 15 ELA 2
9:00 4th grade
10:00 3rd grade
10:00 5th grade
March 18 ELA 3
9:00 3rd grade (Brown, Majeski, Rasmussen)
10:00 Sutter
12:45 4th grade
12:45 5th grade
March 19 Make ups
March 20 Make ups
March 21 Make ups
March 22 Make ups
If you would like to learn more about the IAR tests, English Language Arts sample tests, Math sample tests, and additional resources are available for your convenience. Although the name of this assessment has changed this year, the testing resources provided by the Illinois State Board of Education are the same as last year’s PARCC resources.
Thank you for your support in helping your child be prepared for upcoming testing.
Sincerely,
Dr. Claire Kowalczyk
Class Placement Requests for 2019-20 School Year
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Shortly the staff and I will begin the process of student sectioning for the 2019-2020 school year. Students will be assigned to heterogeneous classroom groups. Our sectioning process includes input from classroom teachers, the support services team, special area teachers, and administration.
The classroom teachers have worked with the children throughout the year and understand each child’s educational needs. They are included in the sectioning process but I will have the final word on placement so please direct all of your questions/concerns to me. Collectively as a team, we consider and balance many factors including but not limited to:
Individual’s learning style Teacher’s teaching style
Student combinations Pupil services needs
Support service needs Class size
Social/Emotional needs Academic characteristics
Gender balance
Our placement process is a team effort that is completed with great care and consideration. We want all of our children to be successful, and we take this process very seriously. Factoring in the above multiple variables can often be a delicate balancing act for each classroom at each grade level. You may want to share information or specific needs that may help us in the sectioning process. This should be put in writing with reasons outlined and related to the balance factors listed above. Please submit your letter to the principal’s office by April 13, 2018.
We ask that you do not make requests for placement into a specific classroom to be with friends or request a specific teacher for your child. Such requests will not be considered, as this opportunity cannot be made available to all children. Each child has unique characteristics and needs as a learner and as a developing child. The perfect match for your older child may not be such a good fit for your next one. We trust that you will rely on our professional judgment as we group the children with the idea of creating the best learning environment for everyone.
I close my letter with a sincere thank you to each of you for your cooperation, support, and understanding. We look forward to working with you throughout the remainder of the school year.
Sincerely,
Dr. Claire Kowalczyk
Principal
Student Absences
Per Illinois School Code and District 64 attendance guidelines, we communicate with parents regarding student absences and tardies to promote timely arrival and good attendance. When your child accumulates absences equal to 5% of enrollment days, you will receive a letter from our school. While illness and extenuating circumstances are valid reasons for an absence, we ask that you closely monitor your child’s attendance as lost instructional time can have a significant impact on your child’s learning.
As you may know, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) now calculates summative designations for each school and reports this information on our Illinois School Report Card (illinoisreportcard.com). Attendance is one factor that determines our school’s rating. Students who are absent more than 10% of the school year (18 days total, including excused and unexcused absences) are reported to ISBE as “chronically absent.” Students who accumulate 9 unexcused absences over the course of the school year are identified as “chronically truant” by ISBE.
The District 64 Handbook defines a valid cause for absence as “illness, observance of a religious holiday, death in the immediate family, family emergency, other situations beyond the control of the student, other circumstances that cause reasonable concern to the parent/guardian for the student’s safety or health, or other reason as approved by the Superintendent or designee.” Absences due to vacations, attendance at a cultural or sporting event, or participation in a team sport, acting, or fine arts performance are not considered valid causes for an excused absence from school.
Please contact our nurse, the school social worker, your child’s teacher, or me if there is anything we can do to assist you with your child’s school attendance.
Channels of Challenge Eligibility Process
Healthy Living Month Digital Pledge Card
District 64 students in grades K-5 through the support of their school PTO’s will again have the opportunity to participate in Healthy Living Month in April. Each week, students will pledge their participation in activities to promote these themes: Health and Nutrition Week (April 1 - 5); Neat to Use Your Feet Week (April 8 - 12); Go Green Week (April 15 - 19); and Screen-Free Week (April 22 - 26). Pledge cards to track a student’s activities are being provided in digital form. Watch for more information in the April school newsletters!
Records Day Reminder
Monday, March 4 will be a regular day of school - Although District 64 sets aside four emergency days within the school calendar on an annual basis, if more than two are used prior to February 1, the March records planning day, which is attended by staff only, becomes a day of student attendance. Due to the multiple inclement weather days used in January, District 64 schools will have a regular day of school for students and staff on Monday, March 4.
No change at present for Wednesday, June 5 records planning day - At present, the records planning day scheduled for June 5 will be observed. This means that students will not attend school on that day; only staff will be in attendance. This may change, however, should more emergency days be used in the coming months.
IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES
Fri. March 2 - World of Wonder Registration Begins
Fri. March 1 - 3:30 Night of the Stars Try OutsMon March 4 - STUDENTS COME TO SCHOOL TODAY
Fri March 8 - Night of the Stars Rehearsal 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Sun March 10 - DAYLIGHT savings time
Mon March 11 - Report Cards Go Home
March 11 - IAR testing begins
Tues March 12 - D64 Orchestra Solo and Ensemble Night
Thurs March 14 - PTA meeting
Fri March 15 - 6:30 Night of the Stars Performance
March 25 - April 1 Spring Break
Tues April 2 - STUDENTS RETURN to school
Fri April 5 - 6:30 - 7:30 K-2 Social in Gym