Munhall Bulletin
April 17, 2020
Munhall Elementary School
Email: heather.miller@d303.org
Website: http://munhall.d303.org/
Location: 1400 South 13th Avenue
Phone: 331-228-2600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Munhall-Elementary-1459358344296891/
Twitter: @MunhallD303
Principal Note
Hello Munhall Families,
Happy snowy Friday! I want to thank all of the parents who submitted their thoughts via the parent survey sent out on Monday. There were over 200 responders! I plan on taking the information gleaned to our Building Instructional Leadership Team, so we can plan our next steps. We certainly want to be responsive to our students and families. Again, I so appreciate your patience and grace during this time, as I hope you are receiving the same from the Munhall staff.
Remote Learning Planning Days (Fridays)—NO NEW Assignments from the Classroom Teacher
Just like last week, today is a Remote Learning Planning Day for teachers, so no new assignments will be provided to students. However, students are welcome to go to the following site for optional enhancement activities: D303 Optional Enhancement Activities. Please note, at the top of this site, the district is including a new Social Emotional lesson that students and families can complete each week. I hope our students find this useful.
2020-2021 Class Placement—Parent Feedback:
In planning for the upcoming school year, parents are invited to provide information that will assist us in the class placement process. Since every learner is unique, our goal is to pair each learner with an environment that maximizes his or her potential. Therefore, balancing classrooms based on gender, special needs or talents, learning styles, and personalities are all factored as we compile class lists. As you can imagine, this is a complex process and a very important one.
We welcome any information that you would like to provide about your student in order to assist us in
making the best possible placement. Because of the many factors considered when putting a class roster together, requests for specific teachers will not be accepted. Clearly defining the needs of your child will be most helpful in making a good classroom assignment.
If you have information that will assist us in making a placement for your child, please forward that
information to me in writing. You may wish to include the following types of information:
Your child’s talents and needs
The type of classroom environment that has been or will be most beneficial for your child
Your child’s personality and learning style
Letters must be received by May 15th, 2020 to receive consideration. Letters can be submitted through
US mail to 1400 South 13th Avenue, St. Charles, IL, 60174, or through an email attachment at Jarrod.Buxton@d303.org.
Thank you for your assistance in this important matter. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at 331-228-6637.
Student Survey on Remote Learning and SEL:
D303 is partnering with Northern Illinois University to gain insights from students (grade 4 and up) related to remote learning (this is very different to the survey I put out on Monday). This jointly created survey will be sent to students on Tuesday, April 21. All aspects of student information will remain confidential. If you would like additional information on the survey, please contact David Chiszar, Executive Director Assessment & Accountability (david.chiszar@d303.org), or Patti Palagi, Director of Instructional Interventions (patti.palagi@d303.org). The survey will capture student insights connected to remote learning, social-emotional well being, and coping strategies/supports accessed during this unique time. NIU has established a partnership with D303 through their federal Project Prevent and Address Bullying grant. We are excited to gain additional insights into students' perceptions of remote learning in order to assist us in directing our academic and social-emotional programming.
SEL Lessons:
We hope parents/guardians and students engaged in last week's SEL lesson focused on the use of positive self-talk. As we continue to adjust to remote learning and community health expectations, we realize adults and children alike are experiencing a sense of loss. Our efforts to support student growth and development include both academics and social emotional learning (SEL) standards. Both are critical to a child’s success and during times of stress, recognizing feelings and having strategies to deal with those feelings are essential. Each week, parents/guardians and students will be provided SEL information and lessons aligned with the five core competencies. This information will come to you through your principal's weekly newsletter. This week’s competency is:
Self-management: The ability to regulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations. This includes managing stress, controlling impulses, motivating oneself, and setting and working toward achieving personal and academic goals.
We are asking students to identify and use strategies to manage emotions. Video clips and text is embedded to foster conversation. The challenges and uncertainty facing families and children are impactful on overall mental health and well being. We are hopeful the resources shared will be a support to parents/guardians and children. If you have any questions on the information provided or are seeking additional support for yourself or child, please contact Patti Palagi, Director Instructional Interventions (patti.palagi@d303.org or 331-228-6457).
Intra-District Transfer Waivers
This message is a reminder to elementary school families that the Intra-District transfer window for the 2020-21 school year opened on April 7 at 8:00 a.m. For the 2020-21 school year ALL elementary students have been assigned to their attendance area school by the District. This includes elementary students currently attending a school on an intra-district transfer.
To access the form directly, please click on the link entitled Intra-District Transfer Information. Request are due at 4:00 on Monday. If you are requesting a transfer for more than one child, a separate request must be submitted for each. Due to fluctuating class sizes at schools and each grade level, siblings are not guaranteed placement. If granted, transportation is the responsibility of the parents. If you have questions about the process, please call the District office at 331.228.2000.
I wish all of you a restful and healthy weekend! Take care of each other…
Jarrod Buxton, Principal