Friday Focus 1.12.18
Check out the latest news from South Park School!
South Park School
Parker Penguin says...
SP PTO Spotlight
Greetings South Park Families!
I hope today’s Friday Focus finds you well. To get this newsletter started, I want to remind you that we do not have school on Monday, January 15, in commemoration of Martin Luther King, Jr. day. If you are looking for a worthwhile family activity to do on MLK Day, scroll down to the Give Where You Live article.
Very soon you will be receiving the winter MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) assessments that students in grades K-5 took before winter break. Accompanying your child’s scores is a letter explaining the MAP testing process and report you are receiving. I hope you will take a few moments to read this letter in addition to reviewing your child’s scores.
The “Cliff’s Notes” version of that letter is that MAP testing is designed to monitor a child’s academic progress over the course of time and different grade levels. This is a longitudinal process to chart a student’s growth throughout their time in District 109. That is why we start assessing students in kindergarten and continue through eighth grade. For most of our students we now have MAP data from up to 11 administrations of the test (depending on the grade level). This is enough data to look for trends, but I want to point out that it is normal for students’ scores to rise, plateau, and even drop from one test to the next as children grow and develop at their own pace during these formative elementary school years.
I would suggest that you look at your child’s RIT projection for the end of this school year. This projected score was based on your child’s fall MAP score as compared to thousands of students across the country who share a similar MAP profile. While this is a computer-generated projection, is it one data point to watch each year. Also, please remember that we like to look at a student’s RIT range which includes a standard error of measurement (e.g. 202-205-208). This means that on any given day of taking the MAP, your child could score within the stated range of scores. Thus, a drop in a few points between two tests is not significant, and it should not set off alarms :) Finally, you can look at how your child has been performing against the other students in District 109 and across the United States.
Have a nice weekend.
Yours Truly,
Dave Sherman
The Flu Bug Has Arrived...
A Guide for Parents
The flu (influenza) is an infection of the nose, throat and lungs caused by the influenza virus. Influenza is typically more severe than the common cold. Most people with the flu are sick for about a week. However, the flu can cause serious illness such as pneumonia for some people (young children, pregnant women, older people and those with long term health problems such as diabetes, asthma or heart disease). The typical Flu season runs from December through March.
Incubation period: (the time between exposure to the disease and the appearance of symptoms) from 1 to 4 days – (2 days on average).
Contagious period: (when the disease can be transmitted to another person) Children may be infectious for 7 to 10 days, adults are generally infectious 1 day before and 5 days after symptoms appear.
Signs and symptoms:
The virus causes fever with cough (usually dry), headache, tiredness, weakness or exhaustion, muscle and or body aches. A sore throat with a runny or stuffy nose may also be present.
Treatment:
Antibiotics will not help since this is a virus. Some antiviral drugs are available that can reduce the severity of symptoms, but they would need to be given within 48 hours of symptom onset. These medicines need to be approved by a doctor. It is important to get plenty of rest and drink increased amounts of clear fluids. Never give aspirin or medicine that has aspirin in it to children or teenagers who may have the flu.
How this disease is spread:
The virus is spread person to person by those with flu who sneeze and cough the virus into the air or onto surfaces. Breathing in these droplets or touching contaminated surfaces and then touching your mouth or nose will expose you to the flu.
Control of cases:
Children should be excluded from school when feeling ill and if unable to tolerate general school activities. This will help avoid giving the flu to other children. They should also be feeling well and fever free (without meds) for 24 hours before returning.
General prevention measures:
Getting the yearly flu vaccine is the best way to protect against the flu. There is a nasal spray vaccine (Flumist) which is approved for children over 2 years of age. Teach the importance of proper hand washing and covering your cough. Maintain good health habits, i.e., good nutrition, exercise and plenty of rest as well as limiting the touching of eyes, nose or mouth. Discourage children from sharing eating & drinking utensils.
Parent Help Needed! 2018 Illinois 5 Essentials Parent Survey
We need your help! Our parent response rate on this survey is only 8%. Please take a few minutes to complete it.
The 2018 Illinois Parent Survey opened on Dec. 5, 2017. The survey window will close on Jan. 31, 2018. This survey was created by the University of Chicago to assess the impact schools are having on students' lives. Please take a few minutes to provide some input. Here is the link:
Give Where You Live - January 15, 2018 (MLK Day)
Here is a nice opportunity for families to participate in a philanthropic activity on January 15. District 109 is partnering with the Village of Deerfield for the Give Where You Live - Deerfield service event for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. On Monday, January 15 from noon to 2pm, volunteers of all ages will come to the Deerfield Village Hall to collect and sort items, assemble care packages, write letters, create cards of encouragement, and do other activities to benefit our local food pantries, homeless population, and cancer patients. Mark your calendar and plan to join friends and neighbors in this day of service!
- Caruso: warm hats
- Shepard: socks
- Kipling: gloves
- South Park: power bars/granola bars
- Walden & Wilmot: $5.00 gift cards (for Walgreens, CVS, Jewel, McDonalds, Dunkin, Subway, etc.).
You can drop the items off in the bin at school any time before January 11, or at the bins marked "Give Where You Live" located in Village Hall and the Police Department (850 Waukegan Road).
We have a box by the main office to collect power bars and granola bars. Thank You!
Great America Read to Succeed
Think Summer!
Each year South Park School participates in the Great America Read to Succeed program. If students read on their own for 600 or more minutes between now and February 22, they will receive a free ticket to Great America!
Information and tally form were given to the students last week. I also have linked it HERE. Tally Sheet reading logs will be due Thursday, February 22, 2018.
PLEASE NOTE: Executive Functioning Parent Workshop
Learn practical strategies to help your children improve their organization, study skills, homework management, time management, and other areas of executive functioning.
Thursday, Jan 18, 2018, 07:00 PM
Walden School on Essex Court
Kindergarten & New 1st Grade Student Registration for 2018-2019
Please share this information with friends and neighbors with incoming kindergarten and new first grade students!
Online registration for incoming kindergarten and new first grade students for the 2018-2019 school year is open! You do not have to re-register current students in grades K-7 for next year; registration is only for students who will be new to District 109 in the 2018-2019 school year (and Helping Hands students moving to kindergarten).
You can register children for kindergarten who will be five years old on or before September 1, 2018.
1. Complete online registration:
- If you are a current District 109 parent, log into your Family Access account and click the New Student Online Registration button on the left navigation bar.
- If you are new to District 109, click this link to begin the registration process.
3. Plan to attend a Drop In/Drop Off session at the District Center (517 Deerfield Road, by the Little Red Schoolhouse) to review documentation and verify residency:
- Friday, February 2, 2018 from 7:30am – 1:00pm
- Thursday, February 8, 2017 from 1:00pm - 7:00pm
Full-day kindergarten will be offered for 2018-2019. Parents also will have the option to send their kindergarten child for half of the school day. The Board of Education has not yet approved the amount that will be charged for full-day kindergarten for 2018-2019, but they have discussed eliminating the fee. The District will communicate the tuition information as soon as it is approved by the Board.
If you have questions about registration, please contact Audrey Beresid at aberesid@dps109.org.
South Park Singers
Attention all 2nd-5th grade students! South Park School has a choral group called the South Park Singers. We are looking for girls and boys who would like to a part of this terrific group led by Mrs. Bahnick.
Rehearsals will take place once a week before school (8:00-8:30) and/or after school (3:30 - 4:00) on a rotating basis. Singers can choose one or both times to join the rehearsals based on their schedules.
This is a free program for all 2nd-5th graders who like to sing! Look for more information after winter break. If you have any questions, contact Mrs. Bahnick pbahnick@dps109.org.
Odds and Ends...
- Please follow our morning procedures, and drop your children off at their regular doors.
- Please make sure that your children come to school with warm clothing for outdoor play. We go out for recess if the temperature (including wind chill) is 10 degrees or higher.
- Also, for safety reasons, the kids need gym shoes for PE class. Playing basketball in Uggs is not a great idea! Please ensure that they have gym shoes in school.
- 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 Ms. Brennan, our nurse, at nbrennan@dps109.org
Calendar
Early Release Wednesdays:
January 10, 17, 24, 31
February 7, 14, 21, 28
Upcoming Events:
NO SCHOOL Monday, January 15, MLK Day
Spelling Bees:
Grades 1, 2 & 3 - Tuesday, January 23, 2018 (1st @ 1:10, 2nd @ 1:50, 3rd @ 2:30)
Grades 4 & 5 - NOTE DATE CHANGE: Thursday, January 25, 2018 (4th @ 9:10, 5th @ 9:50, Final @ 10:30)
Family BINGO Night - Sunday, January 28, 4:00 - 5:30 pm. All SP families are invited.
PTO Meeting - Wednesday, February 7, 7:30
Speech Tournament: Grades 3, 4, & 5 Saturday, February 24, 2018
South Park Speech Tournament Family Night: Thursday, February 15th, 2018. More information has been sent home with students. Registration and scripts are now available. Mr. DelGrosso is the SP staff sponsor for this activity. You can contact him at sdelgrosso@dps109.org.
South Park Elementary School
South Park School’s mission is…
“To educate the whole child and ensure student growth.”
South Park School’s vision is…
“To develop a collaborative learning community and a positive school climate in which students and staff will feel safe to grow academically, socially, and emotionally, and where innovation is encouraged and proliferated.”
Email: dsherman@dps109.org
Website: http://southpark.dps109.org/
Location: 1421 Hackberry Road, Deerfield, IL, United States
Phone: (847) 945-5895
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SouthParkSchoolDeerfield
Twitter: @dbsherman