Norton Creek Elementary

SCHOOL DAILY SCHEDULES

Kindergarten

AM Session-

8:00am -10:15am

PM-Session -

11:25am-1:40pm

1st thru 5th Grades-

8:00am-1:40pm

Our School Office is open from 7:30am until 3:30pm on school days.

Please call the school attendance line if your student will be absent at 331-228-2700. Please spell your students first and last name or their student id number when you leave a message. If you are emailing the teacher please also email nortoncreekdismissal@d303.org indicate students first and last name.

SELF CERTIFICATION FORM

Please certify each child online every morning prior to 7:30am by filling out out the online form. Please know that you do not need to print out the "PASS" it generates. Once certified online sign the luggage tag on the students backpack for that day. Students without online certification are checked and parents called before they can enter the building. Thank you very much for your cooperation and understanding.

FROM THE PRINCIPAL...TONY WHITE

As we head into Thanksgiving, I think it's important to remember that everyday can be Thanksgiving (just like Mother's Day!). Researchers the world over remind us using data, observations, and their analysis the importance of gratitude. Not to skip holidays, but I'm reminded of Ebenezer Scrooge and The Cratchit Family. Scrooge could not understand how a family living on the brink of poverty could be so happy, and it was because they realized they didn't need "stuff" to be happy. They realized that with each other, they were the richest people on earth. The relationships, the memories, the kindness, and more gave them plenty for which to be thankful and joyful.

So, how do you do that? In 2020, social media tends to serve as a constant reminder that this has been a year of plagues and misery. And, certainly, it has had its share of sadness. But, here is where the choice comes in to play. We choose gratitude just as we choose to dwell on disappointment. Each time we choose gratitude and think about how much joy our children bring to our lives, how much we love our family members and friends, that our job may not be the reason we were put on this earth but it puts food on our tables and a roof over our heads...choosing to put the spotlight on those thoughts brings a smile to our faces. When we have smiles on our faces and joy in our hearts, that spreads to everyone we meet.

When you are in "grateful mode," never forget the power you have to bring light to other people's lives. Look at our Eagles. We worried how they would adapt to socially distanced recess, lunch, and PE...wearing masks to school...having to wash their hands throughout the day...learning remotely...and they are all absolutely soaring. They are grateful and joyful and are excellent examples for us to follow.

I hope you enjoyed our Veterans Day video celebration yesterday. If everyday should be Thanksgiving, everyday should also be Veterans Day. In fact, I think those two days can go hand-in-hand. Remember to thank a veteran everyday for the incredible choice he or she made to join the armed forces and stand up for the rights of people everywhere.

Have a wonderful weekend, Norton Creek, with your favorite people!

Picture Day December 3rd!

Norton Creek picture day will be held on December 3rd. In person students will take pictures during the school day. This year Color Portraits is offering only prepay picture packages. Payment must be made prior to or on picture day. Please click on the link below to see instructions on how to order and prepay for your students pictures.

Note: Remote students will participate after the school day has ended from 2:00-3:30pm. Please enter the side of the building by the West Chicago Lot and enter through door 34. Only the student will be able to enter the building. A schedule with your child's class time will be sent out at a later date.

Prearranged Abscence

Students must apply for the privilege of using prearranged absence days through the principal’s office. This completed form must be turned in at least (2) school days prior to the requested absence. The building principal or designee has the authority to grant up to (5) days of excused absence per year for the following types of absences:

Participation in regional and/or national contests or awards

Family vacation—qualified by the phrase “accompanied by parent”

Special religious events

Please see form below. The form can also be found on the school website under Forms.

Please Help Student Council Provide Thanksgiving Meals!

The Norton Creek Student Council is once again collecting for the Salvation Army to raise money in order to provide a Thanksgiving meal for local neighbors who are hungry, homeless, unemployed, elderly, or who have simply run out of luck. Last year we raised $926.91. We would love to see if we can beat that number this year. Our student council has decorated empty water jugs and made them look like turkeys. A turkey will be placed in each classroom on Monday, November 2nd. Start sending in your change or dollar bills if you would like to contribute!!! Thank you!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION!

Norton Creek Families please email nortoncreekdismissal@d303.org with any information that needs to shared with the office staff. Some examples of this would be a change to dismissal, absence for the day, or if you need to have anything sent to the school such as a doctors note, etc. Please indicate your students first and last name and teacher. You can always call the office directly as well.

nortoncreekdismissal@d303.org

Thank you for your assistance.

PTO'S E-NEWS THIS WEEK!

WELLNESS CLUB nortoncreekwellnessclub@gmail.com

Fitness trackers are available for pick-up THIS Friday! Please check your emails from Coach Laura for pick-up times.

EAGLES EAT OUT elisa.ignash@gmail.com

Save your cooking skills for Thanksgiving and grab a tasty sandwich at Jersey Mike’s St. Charles location between November 18 through November 22!! Leave your receipt in the box on the counter and Norton Creek will receive 15% back. See attached flyer for details.

CARING EAGLES - BIG HEARTS OF FOX VALLEY (K-5) jennifer.zitella@yahoo.com

Would you like to help Big Hearts of Fox Valley with their Christmas Sponsorship program? This program has been running since 2014 to help the underprivileged children in School District 303 receive gifts from wish lists that each child personally creates. The Caring Eagles will be collecting rolls of wrapping paper and clear tape to help bundle their gifts through Friday, November 20th. Due to Covid-19, all wrapping donations must be new. A beautifully decorated donation bin will be in the front foyer at school! Let’s help make some holiday magic for as many kids as we can!

Stay tuned for, "Where has the Eagle Landed..."

A virtual and in-person student contest to find our mascot when the weather turns cooler! TBA at our PTO mtg. on Zoom next week, we cannot wait!

WE WANT YOU!!! at the NEXT PTO MEETING

Please join us for our next PTO meeting next Wednesday, November 18 at 7PM. The meeting will be held via Zoom! The link, ID and password for the meeting are included on the agenda! Meeting Agenda.

Message from Health Office to Families

Health Office Contact Information

If a family needs to contact the school nurse with a doctor's note to return to school or has a question, please contact us at:

Brittany Jensen (Certified School Nurse) - Brittany.Jensen@d303.org

Cathy Leone (RISE RN) - cathy.leone@d303.org

Sumana Parveen (RN) - sumana.parveen@d303.org

Virginia Wicinski (RN) - virginia.wicinski@d303.org

Policy Regarding if a Member of a Student's Household is symptomatic without diagnostic testing or clinical evaluation.

If an individual in a student's home is experiencing COVID like symptoms and has not received a COVID test or has not been evaluated by a health care provider then household members (any person living in the home e.g. siblings that attend any D303 school, parents) are to quarantine.

COVID-like symptoms include: Fever (100.4° F or higher), new onset of moderate to severe headache, shortness of breath, new cough, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain from an unknown cause, new congestion/runny nose, new loss of sense of taste or smell, nausea, fatigue from unknown cause, muscle or body aches. Medical Evaluation and Testing are Strongly Recommended for ALL persons with COVID-Like Symptoms.

Students will be able to return to school when:

If a COVID test is completed for the family member and test results are negative, the students in the family may return to school.
If the symptomatic family member is evaluated by his/her doctor and an alternative diagnosis is given to the family member, the students in the family may return to school.
If no COVID testing or no evaluation by a healthcare provider of the symptomatic family member, the family member will need to stay home 10 calendar days from onset of symptoms and ALL children in the family will need to stay home 14 calendar days from the onset of symptoms.
If the symptomatic family member tests positive for COVID-19, the symptomatic family will stay home for 10 calendar days and need a release from isolation letter from the health department. All children in the family will need to stay home for 14 days and will need a release from quarantine letter from their local health department.

If a family needs a release letter from the local health department, here are the contact numbers for the health department. The department you contact will depend on where you live.

Kane County: 630 -208-3801

Dupage County :(630) 682-7400

Illinois Department of Health Definition of Close Contact

Who is a close contact?

A close contact is anyone (with or without a face covering) who was within 6 feet of a confirmed case of COVID-19 (with or without a face covering), for at least 15 minutes throughout the course of a day. The period of close contact begins 2 calendar days before the onset of symptoms (for a symptomatic person)
or 2 calendar days before the positive sample was obtained (for an asymptomatic person). If the case was symptomatic (e.g., coughing, sneezing), persons with briefer periods of exposure may also be considered contacts. Close contacts to a confirmed case of COVID-19 are required to remain in quarantine at home for 14 calendar days starting from the last day of contact with the confirmed case.

KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS CAN ORDER TAKE HOME MEALS

District 303 is now offering the opportunity for kindergarten students to order a meal that can be taken home after school. Students will choose items from a menu that will be ordered by their classroom teacher. The meals will be brought to the classroom 15 minutes prior to dismissal. Meals that students select are free of charge as part of the Federal Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) that has been extended through December 31, 2020.

Los estudiantes de kindergarten ahora tienen acceso a comidas preparadas para llevar

El Distrito 303 ahora les ofrece a los estudiantes de kindergarten la oportunidad de ordenar una comida que puede llevarse a casa después de la escuela. Los estudiantes pueden elegir de un menú y su maestro(a) tomará la orden. Las comidas se llevarán a los salones 15 minutos antes de la hora de salida de clases. Las comidas que los estudiantes seleccionan son gratuitas como parte del Programa Federal de Servicios Alimenticios del Verano (SFSP por sus siglas en inglés) que se ha extendido hasta el 31 de diciembre del 2020.