Viking Newsletter
Jim Calabrese, Superintendent, Taft SD 90
April 14, 2024
Viking of the Week
This week we are please to share that Lauren Gracilla has been nominated as our Viking of the Week! Lauren was nominated by her 2nd Grade teacher because she is doing such a great job in and outside of the classroom. Please read what Mrs. Malak had to say about Lauren.
Lauren is a wonderful example of what a Taft student should strive to be. She is always Respectful, Responsible, and Ready-to-Learn. Each day, Lauren arrives at school with a positive attitude and an eagerness to learn whatever the day's lessons are. Even though she is only 8 years old, she shows her maturity in the way that she always listens to directions, and helps out others. She enjoys playing with her friends, both leading them in games to play and knowing when to be a great teammate too. Keep up the great work Lauren. It's great to have you as a Viking!!!
We are excited for Lauren and all of the great things she is doing at Taft. We know she will continue to be a superstar which is why we are so proud to nominate her as our Viking of the Week!
PTA MOD Pizza Fundraiser - TODAY!!!
2024-2025 Registration is OPEN!
Registration for the 2024-2025 school year is now open. Please register as quickly as possible to help us plan for class sections for next year. Please use the button below to access the online registration.
Lunch Menu
Please see the May lunch order below. Orders are due by April 17, 2024.
Slammers Game
The Taft Choir will be singing the National Anthem at the Joliet Slammers game on Saturday, May 11, 2024. Please use the link to purchase tickets and help support our students. A portion of all ticket sales will help support the Taft Foundation.
Upcoming Foundation Events
The Taft Foundation has several upcoming events for our community. Your attendance at these events helps the Foundation provide so many fantastic things for our school. So far this year the Taft Foundation has donated over $40,000 towards our new playground that will be installed over the summer, paid for a pilot Art program with the hopes of incorporating it into our school for students in first through fourth grade next year, helped support our TPAA basketball program, helped support Bragi's Players Theater Program, and so much more.
April Look Ahead Calendar
Attached is the April look ahead calendar for your review. As hard as we try there are times when we need to update the calendar for various purposes. We will continue to keep this calendar in the newsletter and will provide an updated calendar if needed.
2023-2024 School Calendar
Please see the attached below for the 2024-2025 School Calendar.
Party/Snack Reminders
Food allergies are common today for many school-age children in the United States. With this in mind, we want to ensure a safe and healthy environment in our classrooms for all of our students. The following are basic guidelines that must be followed when sending edible food items to the school for distribution to the classroom. Be aware that there are other allergies in our school besides nut allergies that could impact your snack choice. It would be best if you called the school prior to bringing in any snacks and reviewing with the school nurse so we can work as a team to ensure the class will be safe with the snack you choose.
All food must be made and /or manufactured in the United States or Canada.
All food must be peanut nut/tree nut free and manufactured on a dedicated peanut/tree nut-free line.
Homemade food items are NOT allowed.
You may bring bakery goods that are sealed and clearly labeled. Berkot's, Walmart, and Jewel carry clearly labeled nut-free cupcakes. Be sure to ask an employee for assistance if you have any questions about a product.
No treat bags unless you choose to fill bags with NON-FOOD items.
You may refer to the website https://snacksafely.com/guide/peanut-treenut-free/ to find appropriate snacks that may be acceptable for your child’s classroom.
All food /snacks and treats going to the classroom for any celebration ( i.e. birthdays and holidays) must be checked by the School Nurse before going to the classroom AND be individually wrapped AND in their original packaging.
For class parties, food items must be brought in at least 24 hours in advance to ensure adequate time to check all items before going to the classroom.
Please contact Nurse McGraw if you have any questions or concerns. You may contact her at (815)552-2529.
Health Examinations
All students entering early childhood-including speech services, kindergarten, and 6th grade are required to have a current physical examination completed on the approved Illinois Department of Public Health Form.. A sports physical does not meet the requirement. The parent portion on the upper backside of the form must be completed and signed. Required physical exam with updated immunizations must be turned in by October 15,2023 to avoid exclusion from school.
Preschool
Complete Preschool Physical Examination
No additional immunization requirement if up-to-date.
Kindergarten
Complete Kindergarten Physical Examination and all required immunizations including:
Two doses of MMR Vaccine
Four doses of Polio Vaccine
Four doses of DPT/DTaP Vaccine
Three doses of Hepatitis B
Two doses of Varicella Vaccine (chicken pox)
Complete Kindergarten Eye Examination - Must be turned in prior to October 15 of the current school year.
Complete Kindergarten Dental Examination - Must be turned in prior to May 15 of the current school year.
6th Grade
Complete 6th grade Physical Examination and all required immunizations including:
One dose of Tdap Vaccine
One dose of Meningococcal Vaccine (meningitis) after the 11th birthday
Two doses of Varicella Vaccine (chicken pox)
Three doses of Hepatitis B at the required intervals
Complete 6th grade Dental Examination - Must be turned in prior to May 15 of the current school year.
Students entering an Illinois school from out of state or out of the country for the first time at any grade level must also provide the physical exam form. The exam must be completed no earlier than a year (365 days) prior to the start of attendance at an Illinois school.
Drop Off/Pick Up Procedures
Staff will be outside each morning beginning at 8:10 AM to begin supervising students. Before 8:10 AM, there will not be any supervision for students so we ask that parents please do not drop off your students before that. There is no parking in the drop-off lanes on 16th and 17th Streets. Parents who wish to park or wait with their children are expected to use the spaces on Washington Street. The drop-off lanes on 16th and 17th Streets are designed for parents to drive up and drop students off and proceed forward. Parents should simply wait in line until they get close to the school and then drop off students. Jumping the line to save a few seconds is dangerous and breaks down the process for everyone and will take longer in the end.
Pick-up time generally follows the same procedures except parents will typically begin lining up prior to school letting out. During pickup time it is acceptable for parents to wait in their cars for their students however parents should not park, and leave their cars in the pickup lane unattended. As the line moves we ask that parents pull as far forward as possible to ensure the traffic flows and to allow more students to enter their cars. Please note that with the upgraded curves on the 16th Street side that there is a change in the traffic pattern.
3rd & 4th Grade - Line up and dismissed from Door 7 on 17th Street
5th - 8th Grade - Line up and dismissed from Door 2 on 16th Street
Round-up your Change at Walmart to Benefit Taft Foundation
StopIT
Taft is proud to have the “Stop It” program up and running for the 2021-2022 school year. Stop it is an online program that students can use to report bullying or any unsafe behavior while remaining anonymous. These reports come through to the Superintendent, Principal, and Social Worker via text so we can address the situation right away. This provides the student with an opportunity to share their concerns if they feel they cannot speak immediately to an adult.
We continue to teach our students to advocate for themselves in situations where they feel they can speak to a situation on their own. The students are reminded there are different approaches to stop bullying or unsafe situations outside of reporting things anonymously. Students are encouraged to share concerns with friends, staff, and family to learn to advocate for themselves. However, we understand that there are some situations where students may feel safer reporting discreetly.
If you have any questions regarding the Stop It program, please contact Mr. Davini or Mr. Calabrese.
Taft School District 90
Email: j.calabrese@taftsd90.org
Website: www.taft90.org
Location: 1605 South Washington Street, Lockport, IL, USA
Phone: (815)838-0434
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taft.vikings
Twitter: @jjcalabrese