March

• Wed. Mar 23rd: Early Release Day: Dismissal at 2:10 PM
• March 28th-April 1st. SPRING BREAK!

April

• Mon Apr. 4th: School Resumes
• April 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14 - IAR (Illinois Assessment of Readiness)
• Fri. Apr. 15th - No School (School Improvement Day)
• Tue. Apr. 19th: Walburgers St. Charles Dine Out Fundraiser 11am-7pm
• Wed. Apr. 27th Early Release Day 2:10 Dismissal

May

• Mon. May 2nd, 5th Grade Band Concert 6:40 PM Thompson Middle School
• Tue. May 3rd, Beginning Orchestra Concert 5:30 PM North High School
• Tue. May 3rd, Advanced Orchestra Concert 7:00 PM North High School
• Thu. May 5th PTO Meeting 7:00 PM
• Wed. May 11th, Incoming Parent Wredling Middle School 6:30-7:30 PM
• Fri. May 13th, Fifth Grade Band at Cougars Game 5:30 PM.
• Wed. May 18th 5th Grade Choir Concert 6:00 PM
• Wed. May 25th LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!

In planning for the upcoming school year, parents are invited to provide information that will assist us in the class placement process. Since every learner is unique, our goal is to pair each learner with an environment that maximizes his or her potential. Therefore, balancing classrooms based on gender, special needs or talents, learning styles, and personalities are all factored as we compile class lists. As you can imagine, this is a complex process and a very important one.

We welcome any information that you would like to provide about your student in order to assist us in making the best possible placement. Click here to read the full letter and provide feedback to Mr. Jarot.

We’re back!

After taking a break the last few months during winter Mr. Navis and Mr. Smith are excited to take all of the Anderson students back to Tekakwitha for the PE classes! The hike will take place on Wednesday March 23. This experience will show our students the incredible diversity of the plant and wildlife that can be discovered right in our community, especially through the changing of the seasons. Taking a hike through Tekakwitha Woods Forest Preserve will possibly even inspire the exploration of other nearby forest preserves such as, Jon J. Duerr, Leroy Oakes, Johnson Mound and Otter Creek. See below for the dates for the remainder of the school year.

The PE Department is looking for multiple parents, grandparents, guardians to help with each class. Volunteers will need to check in at the main office (if you haven’t volunteered at Anderson this year please bring an ID to be registered into our volunteer database), and then meet with Mr. Navis, Mr. Smith and the classes at the front of the school. It is recommended that you arrive 5-10 minutes early to allow enough time to be checked in.

We now have several hikes of various lengths, ranging from just under 1 mile up to 1.5 miles, starting and ending at Anderson Elementary. The hike length is determined by the grade level, trail conditions, and how much time there is for the hike. The terrain is a mixture of pavement, grass, dirt, woods chips and at times, uneven. It’s likely that there will be some muddy spots out there too! The hike for March will be on Wednesday, March 23. If you are interested in being a volunteer, please take a moment to use our Sign-Up Genius to pick your time! If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Navis and/or Mr. Smith!

Tekakwitha Woods Walk - Volunteer Sign-Up

Future Dates for the Tekakwitha Woods Walk

• April 20, 2022

• May 18, 2022 (TBD)

As part of the District’s equity audit, parent 1-hour focus groups will be held across the District via Zoom during April to allow families to share their thoughts on our District’s strengths, areas of need, and long-term opportunities for providing the best educational experience for all students. Our partners will construct and lead focus groups in the equity audit process- the Consortium for Educational Change (CEC). There will be morning and evening focus groups available for parents. Every school’s goal is to have 15 families agree to participate in a focus group. During the week of March 21, a member of our school staff will begin calling parents from a document with families’ names listed in random order to invite prospective participants to be part of a focus group and at that time will share specific dates and times. All parents are welcome to email your written responses to the focus group questions to CEC should you not be selected to participate in a focus group but desire to share your opinions (A list of the focus group questions and a place for submitting your answers to them will be posted on the District website beginning April 4). We thank you for your commitment to equity in education, and we are excited about this next step in gathering the voices of our District to create a comprehensive plan for moving forward. If you have any questions regarding the focus group process, please contact our Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, Dr. Tracy Taylor, at tracy.taylor@d303.org.

Third, fourth and fifth graders will take three English language arts and three math tests. We only take one test per day. Our teachers build a positive testing environment focused on encouragement and every student doing their best. We encourage students to eat breakfast and get a good night’s sleep so they are at their best for their tests. When each grade level finishes their tests we go outside and celebrate by throwing water balloons at their teacher or principal. :)