The holiday season is quickly approaching! One day the students are dressed in their Halloween costumes, and it seems the next day our minds turn towards Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season! We have plenty to be thankful for this year. We are thankful to the families that attended parent teacher conferences. It was well attended and we appreciate your cooperation! We are also thankful for those who volunteered and made our Book Fair and our Halloween activities special for the children. Volunteering is a fun way to get involved at school. Look out for more opportunities to join in on the fun!

Also, please see my note below regarding our upcoming lock down/active shooter drill. This will be held on Thursday, November 10th and is mandated in the state of Illinois. We are thankful for our local Elmwood Park Police Department for assisting us and always working hard to keep our students safe.

Finally, with the holidays approaching, we know this time of year can be filled with joy and with hardship. If you are experiencing a hardship and need assistance this season, please reach out to Mrs. Carin or Mrs. Hagins. We have a number of resources that we can use to help you and your families this season.

As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Sincerely,

Mr. Lerner

November 4th, 2022

Each year, schools in Illinois are required by the State of Illinois to conduct a variety of safety drills. Students will practice each of the following drills every school year: bus evacuation, shelter in place (ex. tornado), evacuation (ex. fire), and active intruder (hard lockdown). On Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 9 AM, in collaboration with the Elmwood Park Police Department, Elmwood School will have our Hard Lockdown Drill. The purpose of this drill is to practice our district emergency procedure as well as work with the Elmwood Park Police in the rare event that an active threat is present in or near the building.

Our staff prepares students for these drills in an age appropriate manner in advance so they are familiar with our procedures prior to the drill. During the drill, students will be allowed to ask questions related to the drill. This will be a ‘walkthrough drill’ as opposed to a ‘simulated drill’ so we are sensitive to the needs of our staff and students. This drill will not include simulations that mimic an active shooter event.

In accordance with Illinois State Law, Lockdown Drills are legally mandated as is the opportunity to opt your child out of the drill. Parents/Guardians who choose to opt their student out of this drill should contact the main office at the number provided below. These students will be provided an alternative space for the duration of the drill.

If you would like to opt your child out of the Emergency Lockdown Drill, please contact our main office at 708.452.3558 or email Mrs. Hagins at haginss@epcusd401.org.

Please note, like with many of our safety procedures, no one is permitted to enter or leave the building during the drill. Thursday’s drill is scheduled for approximately 9:00am. Please refrain from coming to the building during this time.

Sincerely

Mr. Matthew Lerner

Principal

Principal

Congratulations to Finn, Janett, Krystyna & Evan. They were named our fifth grade students of the month for October. We are proud of them- keep up the good work!

The Spirit Wear store is now open for the 2022-2023 school year! New items for each school and logos have been created under both stores for the EP401 brand. Certain items will be created and sold for a limited time only. Get it now or it goes back in the 'vault'. The Spirit Store will close November 28th at midnight. Items will delivered to our schools in December.

American Custom Store Link

Elmwood Park Limited Run Link

If you aren't following us on Twitter, check out some of what you may have missed. Be sure to follow us to get daily videos and pictures of everything going on at Elmwood School!

Our next school store is approaching the week of Nov. 14th. We are looking for parent volunteers who want to help! Please see the attached sign up genius as well as take a look at the items we are selling this month!