Sheridan Newsletter - 4.12.24
April 12, 2024
A Message from the Principal
Dear Sheridan Families,
Our week started with amazing energy on Monday as our Sharks and staff were all pumped up for the Solar Eclipse. Our science teacher, Deena Puglisi, did a wonderful job explaining the phenomenon to the students. We hope you also got a glimpse of the eclipse – it was pretty cool to see, even with partial coverage. APT captured photos of the students outside, so our Sharks can remember this event for years to come! Our first grade students had great weather for their field trips to Lake Forest Open Lands this week for their exploration of “Patterns in Nature.” They found patterns in turtle shells, branching in various forms, and even patterns on skunk tails! We are especially proud of our third and fourth graders for working so hard on their IAR Testing this week. Taking standardized tests requires quick recall, focus and perseverance – they did great! Lastly, we loved celebrating Mrs. Newtown on Wednesday evening with a special read aloud! Thank you to all who participated in making our “Mrs. Newtown’s Bookworms” bulletin board, as well (featured above).
Celebration: I want to take a moment and celebrate one of our very own! Jenny Dunn was nominated by a parent for ISBE’s Those Who Excel & Teacher of the Year Awards and has been awarded the Award of Meritorious Services in the Teacher category of Those Who Excel. This award is given to educators who have shaped their school community for the better and frequently employ their talents and passions, but also strive to be of service in all aspects of their profession. Please join me in my congratulations!
Save the Dates:
Family Sharing Night on April 25th ~ EC @ 5:00-5:45pm; K-4 @ 5:45-6:30pm
Spring Sing on May 3rd ~ Grades 2 & 4 and Orchestra @ 10:00am; Grade K & 1 @ 1:30pm
From Your Librarian: This week we focused on poetry for Poetry Month! Each morning a poem was displayed in the hallway, along with the poetry book, when kids entered school...and what joy listening to them read the poems! Today was Mathematickles! - math and poetry!
Thank you to all who joined, and attempted to join (sorry about the technical issues) the virtual read aloud! I get so much joy reading to families! It was a wonderful tradition we started a few years ago, and I hope it continues. Thank you, APT, for always supporting the library and Amy Lamberti for spending her evenings with us. Author Jory John never disappoints! In fact, by 8:15 the morning after the read aloud, almost all of his books were checked out!
A reminder, as the year is coming to an end, to be looking for library books to be returned! The last book checkout will be the week of April 22nd in hopes that I will be able to spend time getting all checked out books back and returned to circulation to be ready for next year!
Garden Club News: Spring has sprung and it’s time to start thinking about the gardens at Sheridan. The Sheridan Garden Club would love to have any interested Sharks stay after school on April 23 or 24 to help us make lollipops out of lavender, basil and thyme seeds. Please click the link below to sign your Shark up to make seed lollipops. And if any parents are available to volunteer either day, we’d love to see you there! To make seed lollipops SIGN UP HERE
District 67 Garden Clubs will be Cultivating Imaginations at the Upcoming Seedling Sale….
On April 23 and 24, Sharks will not only be making a seed lollipop to take home, but also for the Sheridan Garden Club to sell at the upcoming first-ever Cultivating Imaginations Seedling Sale, hosted by all District 67 Garden Clubs in Market Square on May 4th, from 10 am to noon. For more information about the upcoming sale in Market Square, click here.
We need help making dog treats for sale on May 4th: Along with the seed lollipops, the Sheridan Garden Club would like to offer homemade dog treats for sale on May 4th. If you’re able to make dog treats for the sale, please see the attached simple recipe and instructions for storing, and dropping off the dog treats.
Thank you so much for all of your help and support! All proceeds from the Cultivating Imaginations Seedling Sale will go directly to support District 67 Garden Clubs.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Susan
4th Grade Families: Deer Path Middle School Parent Input Form
Dear Families of Incoming 4th Graders,
If you would like to share information that may help us at DPM with scheduling your incoming 4th grader, we ask that you submit your information to the parent input form. When creating classes, many things are taken into consideration, including the individual learning styles and personalities of each student. We strive to have a well-balanced, academically heterogeneous group of students with a full range of learner abilities in every classroom. If you would like to share information about some unique aspect of your child's learning style and/or any specific academic and/or social concerns that should be considered, information should be submitted by Friday, April 19.
Please note that specific teacher requests will not be considered. Thank you for trusting our professional judgment as we work to create a wonderful learning experience for each and every student here at Deer Path. We look forward to welcoming your child to DPM in the Fall!
Thank you!
Deer Path Middle School Administration
First Year Impact of Amplify Shared at All-District APT Meeting
District 67's Director of Teaching and Learning, Vail V. Kieser, along with District Literacy Coach, Denise Galatsianos, and ELA Department Chair and Instructional Coach, Michael Barry, joined APT representatives and community members to present on the first year of implementation with Amplify CKLA and ELA at the All-District APT Meeting on April 11.
Sharing stories from the year, this new resource has had a positive impact on student learning. Informal feedback, gathered from multiple perspectives, will allow us to be intentional with our support moving forward.
We are so proud of our students for rising to the challenge and tremendously grateful for our teachers for embracing this change and making it a very meaningful year for students. Thank you to the community for your continued interest in supporting our students!
As a reminder, if you have not had a chance to review the parent presentations from the fall, be sure to check out our Teaching and Learning page with links to the videos!
APT News and Events
Thank you to everyone who joined us for Mrs. Newtown’s Virtual Read on Wednesday! What a wonderful way to celebrate her dedication to District 67 schools and helping our children find joy in reading.
2024-25 APT Committee/Room Parent Interest Survey
If you are interested in volunteering for the APT next year or being a Room Parent, let us know by filling out the APT Intentions Survey! Take a look at the different ways you can help and the time commitment in the survey.
April 17 Sheridan APT Meeting 9:00 am
This is the last meeting of the school year and my last formal meeting as President! Everyone is welcome, and if you are not on the APT Board but curious of how to get involved, please join us! We hope to see you in person, but if you need to join the meeting online you can do so here.Staff Appreciation Week, May 6 - 10
Staff Appreciation Week is coming up! There will be plenty of opportunities for parents to help, and more information will be available in the next couple of weeks. The APT also hosts a staff raffle for each day of the week! If you have an item or gift card you’d like to donate to the raffle, please reach out to me at esminnick@yahoo.com. Thank you!
Exploration Day Volunteers Needed, May 10
The APT Exploration Day committee has been hard at work planning a fun afternoon with opportunities for students to work with parents and community members in interactive, hands-on sessions to inspire Sheridan students' creativity, passions, curiosity, and talents. Please join us by volunteering or dropping off items on May 10th. Spots are almost full! Volunteer here:
Time for school supply box ordering for K-4 next year! The deadline to order is July 1st. Do it now before you forget! Make sure you order for the grade your child will be in next school year:
April dates:
Wednesday, April 17th - Sheridan APT Meeting, 9:00 am
April 23 or 24 - Make Seed Lollipops with Sheridan Garden Club: https://signup.com/go/vjstEQx
Thursday, April 25 - Family Share Night
Tuesday, April 30 from 3:15 pm - 3:45 pm - Kindergarten Tour & Playdate for new families
April 29 - May 3 - Spring Food Drive
May dates for your calendar, more info to come!
Friday, May 3 - Spring Sing
May 6 - 10 - Staff Appreciation Week
Friday, May 10 - Exploration Day, in the afternoon
Thursday, May 16, 7:15 am - 7:45 am - Donuts with Grown Ups, on the Playground. A new event for Sheridan students and a special grown up. Watch your email for an Evite!
Wednesday, May 29, 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm - 4th Grade District Family Social, Everett Park
Thursday, May 30 - Field Day, in the afternoon
Wednesday, June 5 - 10:00 am - 4th Grade Assembly
Keep up-to-date on all these year-end activities: Visit Sheridan's APT Facebook page HERE or on Instagram you can follow us @SheridanAPT67.
Have a great weekend!
Elyse Butler
2022-24 Sheridan APT President
Spirit News and Events
Spirit of 67 Grant Day
Thursday, April 18, is Grant Day! The Spirit of 67 Grant Committee will present this year's grant winners at each District 67 school. Check back next week when we announce our 2024/25 grant recipients.
Spirit Grants in Action
Thanks to a Founders Grant awarded last year, 8th Grade Media Arts students at Deerpath Middle School had the opportunity, with the guidance of DPM alum Charlie Alves, currently working with the Chicago Bulls, to create the visuals projected on the scoreboard and LED ribbons during the Luvabulls dance performance at a Bulls home game. Throughout the creative process, the students honed their skills using Adobe Premiere to create video effects and graphics.
Two finalists, Tess Lohmueller and Tavin Woo (pictured below), had their visuals on display at Tuesday's game, along with excerpts from other students' final work. As part of the project, Media Arts students were invited to the game to enjoy the whole experience. Students were treated to a tour of the building and the audiovisual control room and hung in press boxes during the game. Overall, this unique experience offered an authentic behind-the-scenes look at what goes on at the games. What an exciting opportunity for all involved!
Check out the finalists videos below!
Tess Lohmueller and Tavin Woo
Benny the Bull Visiting Our DPM students!
Student-Made Graphics on the Jumbotron
DPM Students at the Bulls Game
Mark Your Calendar…
It shall be the mission of the Spirit of 67 Foundation to raise funds and acquire resources to provide enriching, educational and cultural experiences for the students, parents, faculty and staff of Lake Forest School District 67 that might not otherwise be provided.
Lake Forest High School News
There's a lot of information coming in from Lake Forest High School to you, and we want you to be informed on upcoming events, the referendum and more. Take a look at what's featured and click the button below for more information!
- Please join the Girls Varsity Lacrosse team for FUTURE SCOUT NIGHT!
- Buy Tickets for the Spring Musical: Mean Girls
- LFHS Alumni Announces Employment and Mentoring Opportunities
- LFHS Foundation Spring Luncheon
Join Dr.Montgomery and Author Ellen Galinsky for an Online FAN Event!
Many assumptions about adolescents are just plain wrong, argues Ellen Galinsky, president of the Families and Work Institute and former chief science officer at the Bezos Family Foundation and one of the foremost child development experts in the world. In The Breakthrough Years: A New Scientific Framework for Raising Thriving Teens, she challenges and debunks the many myths, misunderstandings, and stereotypes about adolescents while weaving research-tested ways to influence them for success during these impressionable and transformative years.
Galinsky will be in conversation with Matthew Montgomery, Ph.D., superintendent of Lake Forest School Districts 67 and 115 in Illinois. A proponent of lifelong learning, Dr. Montgomery is also the Lead Superintendent for Cohort and Partner Connections with the School Superintendents Association (AASA), co-chairs the AASA STEM Leadership Consortium.
Register below to join us on Zoom on April 16, 2024, at 7:00 pm!
Spring Community Coffee with Dr. Montgomery + D67 and D115 Board Presidents
We are excited to announce another Community Coffee for Districts 67 & 115 at the Gorton Center on April 24, at 6:30 pm! These events will provide an opportunity for the community to connect and engage informally with members of our school board and administration. This event is open to all with the goal of building connections and fostering a stronger, more informed community.
Date: April 24, 2024
Time: 6:30 pm
Location: Gorton Center, 400 E Illinois Rd, Lake Forest, IL, 60045
Watch Our New Episode of Under the Hard Hat!
We want all taxpayers to have access to clear and timely information about our progress with the restoration and improvement projects funded by the 2023 referendum. Construction begins this summer. In this episode hosted by LFHS Student Reporter Katie May Newman, we share information about Bid Packages.
Walk Your Wheels Uptown in the Central Business District
As the weather warms up, please remember to walk e-scooters and bikes on sidewalks uptown in the Central Business District. Last year, Lake Forest City Council approved an ordinance prohibiting the use of recreational powered devices (electric scooters, electric bikes, etc.) on sidewalks in the Central Business District. Riders must dismount and walk their devices within the Central Business District boundaries to avoid a fine of up to $300 per offense.
Police officers will begin issuing citations in April, so it’s a good time to familiarize yourself with the Central Business District boundaries to avoid a fine. Learn more.
Community Events
Lake County Health Department: Schedule your Vaccines and Physicals Now!
You can schedule appointments in advance!
Register for this summer now!
Gorton Center Event: Stress Better
April 15 & 22, 2024, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Gorton Center Event: Illusionist Jason Bishop
April 19, 2024, 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Celebrate the Earth with Lake Forest Open Lands!
April 20, 2024, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Deerpath Community Park Showcase
May 4, 2024, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
1360 N. Sheridan Rd.
Lake Forest, IL 60045