Emerson's Enquirer
August 29th, 2019
Principal's Corner
Dear Emerson Families,
I would like to officially welcome everyone to the 2019-2020 school year here at Emerson Middle School. We look forward to working with each and every Emerson family this year!
First Day of School
Our entire staff was ecstatic for the arrival of students on Monday, and the first day of school was full of positive energy. Students and staff filled the hallways with warm welcomes and smiles.
On the first day of school Emerson followed an augmented schedule in order to spend more time with their team. Students spent this time organizing materials, understanding team expectations, and reviewing Emerson’s SOARS behavior matrix. They were also assigned their lockers, organized their assignment notebooks, and received their Chromebooks.
At the end of the day the entire school gathered in the gymnasium for our annual Welcome Back Assembly. During this event, students were introduced to our entire staff and were more formally introduced to Emerson’s SOARS behavior expectations through a video. We also welcomed a guest speaker, Mr. Jim Basketball Jones. To view all of the learning and laughter, please view pictures from the assembly here.
New Staff
I am thrilled to introduce 10 new staff members at Emerson:
Mrs. Kristyn Bair: Special Education Coordinator
Mr. Stephen Majewski: Associate Principal
Mr. Brandon Perl: 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Art
Mr. Justin Gustafson: 6th Grade Resource
Mr. Jimmy Kapolnek: Teacher Assistant
Mrs. Nicole Leavitt: Teacher Assistant
Ms. Zara Radkov: Teacher Assistant
Mrs. Amy Goss: Nurse
Ms. Barbara Glass: Social Worker
Ms. Amanda Hernandez: Spanish
Please join me in welcoming them to Emerson and District 64.
MAP Testing
Please be aware that we will be MAP testing on Thursday, September 5th and Tuesday, September 10th directly after homeroom in the morning.
In order to prepare your child for this assessment please make sure each student does the following:
Eats a healthy breakfast
Charges their chromebook
Gets a good night’s rest
Arrives to school on time for homeroom
Safety Reporting Tool
During the 2018-2019 school year, our 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students took the Safe & Civil Schools survey. This data told our school staff that students were not comfortable reporting unsafe behaviors that they witnessed during school. In order to provide students with more support, our staff created a Safety Reporting Tool for all Emerson Students to use. This tool can be found on the student portal. Please know this tool can be filled out anonymously, but we are encouraging students to state their name in case we need to follow-up with them at a later date. This tool is monitored by all Emerson administrators.
Visiting Emerson
Just a friendly reminder, all visitors to Emerson must have a valid state ID or driver’s license. These will be swiped and run through the Raptor identification system. This process only takes a short time to complete. Once you have clearance, a visitor pass will be printed and attached to a lanyard that you will be required to wear throughout the building. The office will hold your ID until you return to the office and return the lanyard that was given to you. We request that you please be patient with staff as we proceed with this district-mandated safety procedure.
Procedures for dropping off items for students
If you need to drop off items for your child at school, please bring the item(s) directly to the main office with your child’s name clearly written on the item. Your child will need to check in the office during passing periods to pick up these items. The office secretaries will not be calling into classrooms for students to pick up their items that you have dropped off. The constant interruptions have been taking away from classroom instruction.
Family Movie Night
Save the Date! On September 12th, the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and the Quality Improvement Team (QIT) of Emerson Middle School will be holding a Family Movie Night.
This outdoor event will begin at 6pm, with the movie starting at 7pm. Families are welcome to bring blankets or chairs for their viewing pleasure.
Concession stands, featuring pizza from Kiddie Kingdom, Dairy Queen Blizzards, Doc Popcorn, candy and drinks will be available for purchase.
All family and friends are welcome to attend this event! We hope to see you there!
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to the office staff.
Best,
Samantha Alaimo, Principal
Emerson Middle School
Inspire every child to discover, learn, achieve, and care.
Emerson Band Performing!
"The Emerson Band will be performing the Star Spangled Banner
at Impact Field in Rosemont for the Chicago DOGS baseball game
on Sat., Aug. 31st at 7:05pm.
Come out for a fun family night and support the band!"
Saturday, Aug 31, 2019, 07:00 PM
Impact Field, Balmoral Avenue, Rosemont, IL, USA
August/September Notes from the Gym…
Next, students will move right into fall fitness testing. District 64 utilizes the FitnessGram program which is a widely used fitness tool that is supported by the Cooper Institute. During Fitness Testing, students are encouraged to give their best effort while performing assessments aimed at the four Health Related Components of Fitness (muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance). The Push Up Test is used to assess muscular strength, muscular endurance is measured by performing the Curl Up Test, the Sit and Reach Test assesses flexibility, and the 20 meter PACER test is used to keep tabs on cardiovascular endurance. For more information about these assessments, visit our PE webpage…
https://sites.google.com/a/d64.org/emerson-middle-school---physical-education-department/
In the preceding weeks, students will have an opportunity to participate in Ultimate Frisbee, Lacrosse and Flag Football. During this time, Cross Country training days/meets will be incorporated as well. Students train on Wednesdays building up their cardiovascular endurance and practicing pacing techniques. All students then participate in two cross-class meets. The goal is for students to complete the mile long course (which is in the field, on the sidewalk, and up/down hills) and get the best place possible. In turn, a class average is found determining which class won the meet. In addition, students will have the opportunity to choose their level of play--competitive or recreational--for these units. By giving students choice in levels, it maximizes their participation, keeps them engaged, and ensures safety for all.
Please note...students are encouraged to have their uniforms and gym shoes on a daily basis. It’s a great idea to wash uniforms over the weekend and bring them back on Mondays. Students missing their uniform or gym shoes will lose their daily points for preparation and possibly participation. If a new uniform needs to be purchased, students can do so, in the gym, by bringing cash or a check made out to Emerson Middle School. A new t-shirt is $6 and likewise for shorts. In addition, students are to have deodorant in their locker and a sweatshirt, especially as the cooler weather starts to roll in.
Lastly, there are many opportunities for students to get involved here at Emerson. During the fall, there is the Emerson Cross-Country team, 7th and 8th grade Girls Basketball and Intramurals. Intramurals are always held right after school from 3:00-4:00pm and open to all Emerson students. The after school activity bus will be running for students to take home at 4:00pm. For more information regarding dates and activities please click the link below.
IMPORTANT HEALTH REMINDER FOR PARENTS OF CURRENT 6th GRADE STUDENTS
Deadline for Health documents for entering 6TH GRADE
If you have not already done so, this is a reminder that October 15, 2019, is the State of Illinois and District 64 deadline for submitting proof of health requirements (physical examination and documentation of immunizations) for entry into 6th grade. Failure to comply with the October 15th deadline will result in your child’s exclusion from school beginning on October 16th.
If you have questions or concerns regarding these requirements, please contact your school’s Building Nurse directly.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Margaret Temari, RN, M.Ed., PEL-CSN
Facilitator, School Health Services
Parents: Are you interested in learning more about Section 504 for students with physical or mental impairments?
Let’s get 2019-20 off to a SAFE START
BACK TO SCHOOL HEALTH REMINDERS
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.
Halloween Hustle
District 64 ELF proudly presents the 3rd annual...
Halloween Hustle
Saturday, October 26, 2019 Hodges Park | 8:00 am.
Design your own logo and enter to win an entry into the run! The logo will be come the official logo of this year’s race.
Join us as the community of eight District 64 schools come together to race through the streets of Park Ridge. The school with the most participation wins the highly coveted
ELF trophy.
To enter, drop off your design by September 28th to your LRC or email to district64elf@gmail.com
Name: _________________________________
School: ________________________________
email: _________________________________
Register today at www.district64elf.org
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.