Friday Focus
March 17, 2023
In This Issue...
- A Message from Marcie
Heads Up! Sign-up for the South Park Spectacular is Coming on Thursday, 3/23
- Illinois Assessment of Readiness (3rd-5th Grade Families)
- DPS109 Parent/Guardian Series
- Other Important Info...
Don't miss the PTO Spotlight:
- 2022-23 Yearbooks on Sale
- Spring Enrichment Registration Information
- And much more...
A Message from Marcie 👩🏻‍💻
Thanks for a great week, South Park!
We want to thank all of the families who came out to the West Side Classic this week. The West Side Classic was started about five years ago by the Wilmot Philanthropy Club ("Team Give") as a philanthropy event to raise money for local charities. Historically, Wilmot Elementary School played a volleyball game against Caruso Middle School, but this year, South Park was invited to join the fun. From watching our teachers take the court, to watching our students and families cheer from the stands, we loved every second and look forward to participating for years to come.
This year, the West Side Classic raised money for Paws for Patrick, an organization that honors the memory of Patrick Roemer by providing support to young people with mental illness through the use of emotional support animals (ESAs) and therapy animals. In the spirit of giving, our word of the week was "philanthropy." We are proud to be part of such a generous, philanthropic community and appreciate all of the support from our South Park families.
We wish everyone a wonderful weekend!
-Marcie
Heads Up! Sign-up for the South Park Spectacular is Coming on Thursday, 3/23
The South Park Spectacular (formerly known as Student Showcase Night) will take place on Thursday, April 20th between 5:00-7:00 p.m. This is a night that families won't want to miss!
Next week, on Thursday, March 23rd at 5:00 p.m., we will send a standalone email so that families can sign-up for a 15-minute time slot in their child's classroom. This ensures that classrooms are not overcrowded, giving students full access to the activities and their teacher during their visit. Additional details about the South Park Spectacular will be shared next Thursday.
Illinois Assessment of Readiness (Grades 3-5)
Dear 3rd-5th Grade Parents and Guardians,
Students across the district in grades 3 through 8 will be participating in the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) in English/Language Arts & Mathematics between April 3rd and April 24th.
This state assessment helps us understand how students are growing academically year to year, while also providing an achievement comparison to grade-level peers across the state. By measuring both mastery of the Illinois Learning Standards and the College and Career Ready benchmarks of the PSAT and SAT, the IAR is also designed to help prepare students for success in high school and beyond. The overall performance of each school, by grade, also impacts our designation, which is reported on the Illinois School Report Card.
Please find the testing schedule for South Park below:
Tuesday, April 11: ELA and Math Units 1- Grades 3-5
Wednesday, April 12: Math Unit 2- Grades 3-5
Thursday, April 13: Math Unit 3- Grades 3-5; ELA Unit 2- Grades 4-5
Friday, April 14: ELA Unit 2- Grade 3
If you have questions about the Illinois Assessment of Readiness, please let me know. As always, we encourage our students to do their best and appreciate your continued partnership.
-Marcie
From the District
District 109 Parent Series
District 109 is excited to announce that, in partnership with PPS109 and Dr. Doug Bolton, we will be hosting a series of virtual parent/guardian/community workshops this Spring. We will be kicking off this series on Thursday, April 6 at 7:00 pm, with a one-hour Zoom webinar focusing on: “Parents and Guardians as Partners in Collaboration.” Additional topics for the subsequent events will include:
Understanding Development (4/13)
Addressing The Greatest Worries of Parents & Guardians (4/27)
Understanding Children’s Hardest Moments (5/4)
The Basics of Childhood Resilience (5/11)
Collaborative Problem Solving (5/18)
Please click here to access the zoom link for all of the upcoming events. Each webinar will begin at 7 p.m. No sign-up is required ahead of time, and the sessions will be recorded and distributed for anyone that cannot attend.
Other News
Other Important Information ⚠️
- All visitors to South Park School MUST bring a valid driver's license or state ID card to the main office before entering into the building. Beginning this year, we will collect IDs during your visit and return it to you as you leave.
- If your child is going to be absent from school, you need to call or email us by 9:00 that morning. ** Call 847-945-5895, ext. 2103 and leave a message OR ** Email Nurse Nora Moskos.
- When parking in our Birchwood parking lot, please remember that our preschoolers are dropped off and picked up by the west end (closest to the school). Sometimes, their parents' cars can block a parked car from exiting for a few minutes. To avoid that, we suggest that you park closer to Birchwood Avenue.
- Please follow our morning procedures, and drop your children off at their regular grade level doors. If you choose to drive through the front circle at arrival, kindly stay in your car when you drop off to help us reduce morning congestion.
- Drop-off is between 8:35-8:45 a.m. Students who arrive after 8:45 a.m. will need to enter through the front door of the school, as all other doors will be locked.
- Dismissal for all Kindy and 1st-grade walkers and car riders will take place at their grade level door. Parents who park in the front circle should wait until 3:10 p.m. to do so.
- Dismissal is at 3:25 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. We dismiss at 2:25 on Wednesdays.
- Our practice is to let kids go outside if the temperature/wind chill is 10 degrees or warmer and it is not raining or snowing too hard.
Important Dates đź“…
Monday, March 13 & Wednesday, March 15
- 5th Grade Illinois Science Assessment
- Spring Break - No School
- Illinois Assessment of Readiness - Grades 3-5
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Thursday, April 20- South Park Showcase 5:00-7:00
UPCOMING MUSIC CONCERTS:
- Kindergarten - Wednesday, April 26 @ 6:30