Emerson's Enquirer
October 24th, 2019
Principal's Corner
Hello Emerson Families,
I cannot believe October has come and gone so quickly. It is crazy to think that our 1st Trimester will be over in November, and we are almost 1⁄3 of the way through the school year.
It was wonderful to see so many families at parent-teacher conferences throughout the past few weeks. Thank you to those who stopped in the office to introduce themselves, to ask questions, or to vocalize concerns. Thank you to our students and parents/guardians for such an amazing start to the school year. I truly hope every child is having an amazing experience here.
Veterans Day Celebration: Last Call!
I would like to remind you that Emerson will be celebrating Veterans Day on Friday, November 8, 2019. We are in the process of creating a video presentation to honor the men and women who have served and are serving our country. We will need these photos/descriptions by October 28, 2019.In order to submit, please use the link here.
Please provide the following information with the photo:
● Name
● Rank
● Branch
● Emerson student with whom they're related
● Where he or she is stationed (active duty) or was last stationed (veteran)
● Why he or she decided to join the service
If you have any questions or are struggling to attach your information to the Google Form, you can email them directly to me at salaimo@d64.org or our Instructional Technology Coach, Beth Rihtar at erihtar@d64.org. You can also call the main office at (847) 318-8110 for further assistance. These videos and photos will only be used for this event.
Our plan is to place this presentation on our website for District 64 and the community to view. If you have a military service family member, we truly hope that you participate in this honorary event. The previous video was a great way to highlight the courageous efforts of your family members. Please help us to make this a truly memorable event.
Early Entrance
If your student needs to arrive at school early for assistance from a teacher, your student needs to email their teacher, print and fill out an early entry pass, and arrive at school at 7:35am.
After-School Support Program (ASSP)
Emerson offers ASSP to all 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students after school from 3-4pm. This program allows students to receive extra support from a certified teacher. This program is
Halloween Hustle 10/26
District 64 and the Elementary Learning Foundation (ELF) is hosting its 3rd annual Halloween Hustle fun run and 5k. This event will take place on Saturday, October 26th at Hodges Park. This family-friendly event is an inter-school competition open to the entire community to see who has the most Halloween Spirit by helping ELF raise money to fund innovative grants that are awarded to District 64 schools. The school with the highest participation percentage will win the highly coveted ELF Trophy. Let's represent Emerson at this awesome event! Mr. Benka and I will be running at this event, and we challenge all Emerson Eagles to join and/or beat us!
Cold Weather
As the cold weather approaches, it is important to ensure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather. The school district’s morning entry procedure has children entering the building early only when the outside temperature goes below 10°F. Students will be expected to remain outside until the regular entry time if the temperature stays above 10°F. Please make sure they are dressed appropriately for the weather.
Report Cards
The end of trimester 1 is November 20th. Report cards will be mailed home on December 6th.
The parent portal will be closed on November 20th at 8am, and it will reopen on December 3rd at 8am.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to a member of our office staff.
Best,
Samantha Alaimo
Principal
#WeAreEmerson
Inspire every child to discover, learn, achieve, and care.
Emerson Behavior Team’s S.O.A.R.S. Update October 2019
Focus: Shows Respect, Offering Empathy and Self-Awareness
Students met in their homerooms on October 4 and 18, and will meet again on October 25 to experience lessons with our Second Step program. Lessons this month focus on helping students develop self-awareness setting goals for improvement, helping them offer empathy by being an advocate for others, and helping them show respect by creating a positive online experience.
Strategies Introduced This Month
Goal Setting: set a goal, set a deadline for meeting that goal, create “If-Then” plans for achieving a specific goal.
Helping Someone Who is Bullied: be nice to the victim, stand up to the bully, tell an adult
Positive Online Experience: consider how your values affect your decisions, use your values to make positive online connections
Overcome Mistakes and Failure: ask for help, use a new strategy, work harder
Connecting With People Who Have Similar Interests: join a club, join a sports team, volunteer for a service activity, join an online group.
November Notes from the Gym…
That’s a wrap with our outdoor units for now. Flag football, lacrosse, and a week of soccer gave our students an opportunity to play with a team and improve upon their basic game playing skills and strategies. Cross-country was more of an individual accomplishment. Students trained to improve their cardiovascular endurance, a health-related fitness component, and understand pacing better. All students participated in one class meet. The goal was for students to complete the .6 mile long course (on the field, sidewalk, and up/down hills) and get the best place possible. In turn, a class average was found determining which class won the meet. Ask your student how he/she finished in their race? Did he/she try their best? Below are the results of the cross-country meet that took place on October 9th.
Our first indoor unit is basketball, a fan favorite of many students. In addition, classes will rotate into the fitness center to learn how to properly use our weight machines and bikes. Students will explore with our Polar heart rate watches to better understand heart rate and how hard they are working. The goal for students is always to work hard and do their personal best. These watches show students exactly that!
Next up, we move into a Tumbling Unit with a sprinkle of teambuilding and fitness. This unit allows students to be creative and improve their flexibility, another health-related fitness component. Students practice tricks such as basic rolls and cartwheels but also balances and jumps. Classes put together individual/group routines to perform for an audience. Students are required to memorize their routines and demonstrate the skills of their choice continuously and with flow.
# Digital Citizenship Week
The Emerson tech team celebrated Digital Citizenship Week October 14 through the18th by sharing tips and information with students and staff on ways that you can soar as an Emerson Eagle *and* be a great global digital citizen. We wanted to share these with you as well -- you can use them as a conversation starter, and talk about what it means to be a great digital citizen-- at home, work, and at school. #DigitalCitizenshipWeek
Hundreds will "Hustle" at annual ELF benefit. . .still time to join!
The District 64 Elementary Learning Foundation (ELF) expects a big crowd at its third annual Halloween Hustle on Saturday, Oct. 26. The family-friendly 5k run/walk begins at 8 a.m. at Hodges Park. "Day-of" registration will open at 6:30 a.m. See more details here!
Schools are actively competing to see who will have the highest participation percentage in the event and a friendly rivalry between schools continues to drive registration. The winning school is awarded the coveted ELF trophy for 2019.
Interest in the logo contest was high with about 100 student entries. The winning design came from second-grader Declan Kerrigan of Field School. His design of pumpkins running in the race will be featured on the bibs and t-shirts.
Starting and ending in beautiful Hodges Park, the loop will allow for a 5k Run or Walk, as well as a shorter 3k distance. The event is stroller-friendly for those too little to run. There is even a Tiny Tike Trot loop around Hodges Park for participants aged 5 and under! Participants are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes!
The event is the largest fundraiser for ELF and funds raised go directly to teachers and schools to support innovation grants .
Food basket fundraiser to benefit D64 families
The Park Ridge Kiwanis Club has again taken up the challenge to provide holiday food baskets to School District 64 families in need. But this year the Club will do it without a fundraising event at a local restaurant.
Instead, the Kiwanis will focus on accepting donations online to help more than 100 families in District 64 that fall below the poverty level. The website link is expected to be ready in early November and be open until early December. The link will be promoted in District 64’s weekly e-News.
In the meantime, cash donations will be accepted through the mail at Kiwanis Holiday Food Basket Fundraiser c/o Frank Kaminiski, 200 S. Vine, Park Ridge, IL 60068.
Thank a Principal on Principal Appreciation Day
District 64 is joining with other schools across Illinois on Friday, Oct. 25 to celebrate Principal Appreciation Day as a part of the nationwide Principal Appreciation Month.
We are asking all members of our school communities to thank their principals for their hard work and commitment to educational excellence.
While this honor happens each year at this time, we should remember that our principals earn our respect and appreciation each and every day. These school leaders face many challenges day-in and day-out, yet they continue to set the tone for educational excellence. Their positive attitude inspires our teachers and lifts students to greater success and their work with families and the community helps build successful learning environments for all students. Principals remain a key aspect of the many positive achievements happening daily in District 64.
Please take this time to thank our District 64 principals for their leadership and dedication through social media (#ThankAPrincipal), with a phone call, email or greeting card. View the District 64 staff directory to contact your school’s principal.
Students to honor School Board Members at November meeting
District 64 invites all members of our community to join us in thanking the members of our Board of Education for their contributions to public education on School Board Members Day officially celebrated across Illinois on Friday, November 15.
Lincoln Middle School students will have the honor of presenting certificates of appreciation to our Board at its regular meeting on Monday, November 11.
Our Board includes: Rick Biagi, President; Tom Sotos, Vice President; Carol Sales, Secretary; and members Fred Sanchez, Larry Ryles, Dr. Denise Pearl and Rebecca Little. Contact Board members personally via email through our website or #ThankABoardMember on social media! A roster of former Board members back to 1968 also is available here.
The 2019 statewide theme – Transform Vision into Reality – highlights board members’ critical role in creating lasting education opportunities that reflect the desires of the Park Ridge community.
District 64 encourages all local residents to take this once-a-year opportunity to thank these seven community volunteers for their oversight of the education of about 4,600 students supported by the work of more than 600 staff members.
School Closing Guidelines
As the seasons change… keep school closing guidelines in mind
District 64's guidelines focus on wind chill and use the National Weather Service distinctions between an advisory and a warning (among other factors) when considering whether schools will be closed. As always, our first priority is the safety of students and staff when making decisions on when schools are closed. Make sure you know about our School Closing Guidelines before the bad weather hits! Here's to a safe winter ahead!
A note from District 64 School Health Services
To all District 64 Families:
Autumn days predictably bring cooler weather, changing colors and of course, cold and flu season. Since influenza viruses vary from year to year, it may be difficult to predict the flu season's beginning and peak. Flu activity in the U.S. peaks between December and February, but can begin as early as October and continue to occur as late as May.
Current recommendations state that everyone 6 months of age and older, especially those at high risk, receives influenza vaccination annually. To prepare your family for the 2019-20 Influenza Season, please visit the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for basic flu facts, prevention tips, and treatment information by clicking here.
For Your Good Health,
Margaret Temari, RN, MEd.
Certified School Nurse & Facilitator, School Health Services
See what’s going on in our community!
Park Ridge-Niles Community
From the library to the park district, our communities of Park Ridge-Niles have lots to offer. For information on all the latest happenings, be sure to check the Community Info & Events webpage.
New District Transportation Email Address
The district has a new transportation email address (transportation@d64.org). This email is to be used for all busing related questions.
The link below will navigate you to the district bus information page.