Madison Memos
The Madison School Newsletter / October 19, 2018
Madison School
Email: memos@madisonschoolpta.org
Website: http://www.cusd200.org
Location: 1620 Mayo Ave. , Wheaton
Phone: 682-2095
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/653462651407851/
PTA supports Jefferson Early Learning Center referendum question
The D200 Working Together Campaign is supporting the November 6 ballot referendum question regarding the Jefferson Early Childhood Center. They are asking permission to build a new early childhood center without levying a separate, special property tax to finance the costs.
Jefferson is an early childhood center that provides critical interventions for the 3-5 year olds in District 200. State and federal mandates require the district to begin providing services to children who are identified with a special need or disability on their 3rd birthday. The current building does not meet ADA requirements and is not suitable for our youngest learners, many of whom have special needs.
Please visit their Facebook page and website for more information about how the new Early Childhood Learning Center will benefit our community with no increase of taxes.
To raise money for another mailing to the community, the D200 Working Together Committee is hosting a wine social fundraiser. You must buy your tickets and they are limited! Door price includes heavy appetizers and four wine tasting tickets. A generous portion of entry and wine purchases will be returned to the committee. Please RSVP.
If you would like a yard sign, they are available for pick up at 211 S. Wheaton on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. from now until the election. If that time does not work, you can also email Michele Triscik (former Madison parent) at mtriscik@prodigy.net and she will be happy to get you a sign for your yard.
It's not to late to attend Trivia Night
Can't commit to a late night out? Stop in for drinks and silent auction between 6-7:30 p.m.
Hope to see you all there!
Order Butter Braid
PACE screening to begin in February
Elementary testing for the Program of Accelerated Curriculum and Enrichment (PACE)
Grades 2-5 will begin in February.
All Second Graders will be screened for PACE in February 2019 using the Cognitive Abilities Test. More information will follow in January 2019. Parents of second graders who are eligible for further PACE testing based on the Cognitive Abilities Test and/or local assessments will be notified at the end of February. Testing will qualify students for the following 2019-2020 classes:
3rd Grade PACE Mathematics
3rd Grade PACE Reading
In March 2019, the PACE Office will host testing for currently enrolled 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students. Students in Grades 3-5 may be recommended for testing by their teacher and/or parent. The deadline for a parent to request PACE Testing is Friday, January 11, 2019. This testing, which will include the CogAT 7 and subtests from the Iowa Assessments. Testing will qualify elementary students for participation in one of the following 2019-2020 classes:
4th and 5th grade PACE Mathematics
4th and 5th grade PACE Reading
6th grade Fast Paced Mathematics
6th grade Fast Paced Language Arts
Please Note – Students currently in PACE Program Classes do not need to re-test for 2019-2020
Students currently attending a private school and/or home schooled, but reside in the
District 200 Attendance Area, are also eligible for PACE Program Testing.
Testing will take place at each elementary school around the first or second week of March, and will be scheduled around mandatory PARCC testing. Parents who register their students by the Friday, January 11, 2019 deadline will be notified by mail about specific testing dates & times prior to testing.
Parent Testing Referral Forms can be found on the District 200 website www.cusd200.org under Departments > Student Learning > Gifted Education > Parent Referral Forms
Please contact the District 200 PACE Office at (630) 682-2024 or email PACE@cusd200.org with any questions.
WWSN PTA invites you to join
Dear Parents, Caregivers, Friends, Community Members, Teachers & Staff of our Special Needs Students:
We enthusiastically invite you to join the Wheaton Warrenville Special Needs PTA (WWSN PTA). Partnerships between parents, educators, community members, and children enhance children’s success. We know that children learn more and have better lives when everyone in the school and community work together to share thoughts and information and work on projects to benefit children. For the 2018-2019 school year, WWSN PTA has the following events:
- Erica Ekstrom; our new Executive Director of Special Education, spoke at our first meeting in September
- Dr. Chris Silagi, new Assistant Superintendent for Student Services, will be speaking on Social Thinking and 504's at our October 25 meeting
- Stem Expo - November 9 at 6:30 p.m.. WWSNPTA members can gain early access at 5:30 p.m. before the crowds arrive.
- Cosley Zoo Christmas Tree Decorating - December 1 at 9 a.m.
- Springing into Sports & Fun events for the entire family - May 4, 2019
- Special Needs Resource & Information Event - March 2019
- Staff Grant(s) & Student Scholarship(s) benefiting the special education students
- Previous Grant and Scholarship Awardees share experiences in our final meeting of the 2018-19 school year.
By becoming a member of WWSNPTA, you can become an important part of helping to ensure that these plans become a reality. Anyone who has an interest in the welfare of children with special needs can be a member, including parents, families, teachers, community members, school administrators, social workers, therapists, students, friends, etc. We also welcome your new ideas for the benefit of our children.
Please join with us to make a difference in the education, health, and welfare of our children. Our $12 yearly Family/ Community Membership fee ($6 Teacher/Staff Membership) supports us reaching our budget goals for our Student Scholarship(s) and Teacher/Staff Grant(s) in April. Last year we were able to support our community in this matter with $250 for Grants and $250 for Student Scholarships. Years previously we were able to award $500 in the Teacher/ Staff Grant. Go online to https://wwsnpta.memberhub.store
Attend the PTA Parent Workshop
PTA Parent Workshop: Protecting Children in a Hyper Digital Age
Monday, Nov. 5, 6:30 - 8 p.m.
Madison Gymnasium/MPR
Free/Suggested Donation $5
Liz Repking , Cyber Safety Consulting Founder, will be presenting and leading a discussion about the dangers facing kids in the digital age and offering tangible solutions for these issues. Liz has presented for District 200 in the past and is well versed in the topic. She is locally based in Glen Ellyn but travels around the country educating parents and children about cyber safety.
Topics that will be covered include online bullying, popular apps and how to use them safely, cell phone monitoring, gaming issues, and building healthy technology in the home.
Even if your kids aren’t using technology currently, chances are before long they will be and Liz has excellent tips about being proactive and planning ahead before your kids are one step ahead of you. This workshop will be useful to parents of kids of all ages, whether they are currently using technology or about to come of age where technology will soon be part of their world.
That same day students in grades 3rd -5th will also be getting a cyber presentation during the school day, so it’s an excellent time to be able to talk to your kids about what you both learn.
To learn more, contact Lisa Thomas at president@madisonschoolpta.org or check out the Cyber Safety Consulting website at http://www.cybersafetyconsulting.com
Support the playground fund
Want to support the playground fundraising campaign? The Madison Playground Committee has developed many ways in which you can help.
Sponsorship
Sponsorship opportunities for the new Madison Playground are available at the $500, $1000, $2500 and $5000 level. This is a great opportunity for local businesses or neighborhoods to donate and gain recognition for their support of this great effort. Information and sponsorship levels are available online. Contact Mary Henderson or Beth Tatro with any questions or leads on possible sponsorships.
Party Night with Mr. Cortesi
All Madison kids in grade K-5 are invited for a fun evening of gym games and activities on Friday, Oct. 19 from 6-7:30 p.m. This evening of fun will be hosted by our own P.E. teacher, Mr. Cortesi, to support the new Madison Playground. Parents are welcome to stay for a family night of games or can drop off kids. Cost is $15 per child and 100% of proceeds go to the playground. Registration forms will coming home in folders, or you can print this flyer and send in with payment. Walk-ins with cash or check are welcome. Questions? Contact Mary Henderson.
Additional ways to support the Madison playground fundraising
- Book any commissionable travel with Kari at Marvelous Mouse Travels through December 31, 2018 and Kari will make a donation. Contact Kari Becker at 708-712-5961 or Kari.becker@marvelousmousetravels.com
- Sign-up for swim lessons at Aqua Tots in Wheaton by January 15, 2019, and they will donate the $25 registration fee to the fund for ever family who registers. Please show this flyer when you register.
- Contact Samantha Campen to host an in-house Norwex demo party between October and December 2018, and 25% of the party commissions will be donated to the fund.
Madison playground fundraising update
The average life of playground equipment is 15 years. The current back playground at Madison was installed in the late 1990s and is nearly 20 years old. To maintain a safe, healthy environment for the neighborhood, students and future Madison families, it’s time to build a new playground.
We are well on our way to achieving our goal of $86,000 for equipment, installation and the ground surface. Thanks to the generosity of our families and corporate partners, as of October 17, 2018, we are 72% to our goal, with over $53,000 already raised, and the $10,000 demo and mulch cost being covered by District 200. Below is an outline of the planned project costs:
A few ways to get involved:
· Donate directly via Go Fund Me (https://bit.ly/2nEn75u) or provide a check made out to Madison Elementary PTA. Sponsorships are available (on Madison’s website)! Madison Elementary PTA is a 501(c)(3) organization and all donations are tax-deductible.
· Sponsor an event or see if your firm has a matching donation program! Let us know if you are a business owner or work at a company that will be willing to help
· Share and help fundraise! Help us spread the word about existing fundraisers, such as Trivia Night or Dining for Dollars
Contact Julie Ippolito, Mary Henderson or Beth Tatro with any questions.
Huge thanks to our current corporate partners and sponsors:
Bauer Dentistry and Orthodontics Walmart (Grant) Wheaton Bank & Trust
SPONSORS:
Blue ($1000): Anonymous Madison Family
White Level Sponsorship ($500): Gone Away Court/Surrey Neighborhood, Jet Restoration and MCM International
Make a difference
Madison Elementary School will participate once again in Make A Difference Day, which is a community wide event that takes place on Saturday, Oct. 27.
Help us "Stuff A Truck" with the People's Resource Center to reach their goal of collecting 40,000 pounds of food for their food pantry. We will be collecting healthy, non-perishable/non-glass food items to donate. Fill a plastic or paper bag and drop off at the school office between Oct 15-19. On October 26 the 5th grade students will help "Stuff A Truck" with our donations. Questions? Please contact Amy Angolkar at madisoncares@madisonschoolpta.org
Make A Difference Day Events in Wheaton
Saturday, Oct. 27 Food For Fines: The Wheaton Public Library will forgive a portion of your overdue book fines. Just bring in a food donation to the library and feel doubly good.
Thursday, Oct 11. and Thursday, Oct. 25 Food For Films: Get ready to have fun and feed the hungry. Bring in a food donation to Studio Movie Grill and get a free ticket for any movie on that day.
Recycle your markers and crayons at Madison
The Conservation Committee students began a project to collect old dried up markers and crayons to be recycled and repurposed; thus saving them from a landfill. The markers can be any brand and are shipped free of charge back to the Crayola Company as part of their Color Cycle program where they are turned into clean fuel. The crayons will be collected and taken to SCARCE, a local organization that melts old crayons and turns them into new crayons for special needs students. There is a box in each classroom and in the office. Crayons and markers can be brought in from home. Thanks to Madison parent Kate Clarke for spearheading this awesome program and offering to collect and ship the markers.
To read more about Color Cycle or SCARCE click these links:
Order the Madison yearbook
Orders can now be placed for the 2018-2019 Madison Paw Prints. A yearbook costs $17 and will be delivered to the student before the end of the school year. For those new to the school, Madison Elementary School yearbooks cannot be ordered on ParentVue or Synergy as with the middle school and high school yearbooks. Our yearbook is 52 full color pages that include many of the wonderful activities and events that happen during the school year.
Please click here to order and pay with a credit card or check. The passcode is 1014308585474714.
Please consider joining the Yearbook Committee. There are many opportunities to help from taking photos of special events, to creating actual yearbook pages using TreeRing, to helping with orders and more. If you have any questions, please contact Dawn Draus and Megan Savitt at yearbook@madisonschoolpta.org
2018 - 2019 Reflections Participants Wanted
Calling all artists, musicians, dancers, filmmakers, photographers and writers! The PTA Reflections Program is now underway. This year’s theme is “Heroes Around Me”. Use your imagination to creatively express this theme through artwork, writing, dance, film, photography and/or music.
You can find the entry form and rules for each specific category at the following site: https://illinoispta.org/reflections/
Please submit all completed projects (with entry form) by Wednesday, Oct. 24 to the main office. If you have any questions, contact Christina Hull at christina.hull@cusd200.org
Check Lost and Found
Volunteer in the LLC
Our Library Learning Center (LLC) is in need of your support. We are seeking volunteers in both the morning (9:15 a.m.-12 p.m.) and afternoon (1 - 3:30 p.m.) sessions. Mrs. Graham, our LLC Director, couldn't have the program she has today without your help. Your time is appreciated no matter how often you can volunteer, be it every week, every other week, or once a month. Volunteering in the library is a special way parents and grandparents can share in their child's school day. Some of the LLC volunteering activities include shelving, checking materials in and out, preparing displays and bulletin boards, and assisting students and faculty. If you are interested in volunteering in the Madison library, please contact Kathryn Medanic at llcvolunteers@madisonschoolpta.org
Save General Mills box tops
Please save General Mills box tops and turn them in to the LLC. Madison can earn ten cents for every General Mills box top received. Thank you to Cecilia Horjes for heading up this effort. We purchased many copies of award books for the library. Thank you for your support.
Save the dates
Click on the calendar on the Madison section of www.cusd200.org to view upcoming dates. See below for some highlights:
Oct. 20: Trivia Night
Oct. 15-31: Chili's Dining for Dollars
Nov. 5: Parenting Workshop
Nov. 9: Institute Day - No School
Nov. 12: PTA Meeting @ 7 p.m.
Nov. 16: Multicultural Day
Nov. 19-23: Thanksgiving Recess
View the 2018-2019 school calendar here.