The Central Scoop
November 17, 2017
From the Principal's Desk...
Dear Parents,
This week we celebrated Children's Book Week at Central. We had a week-long celebration of children's books with a variety of activities for all of our students. Highlights from this week included a visit by author Candace Fleming, guest readers from the community, STEM challenges, and literature activities. Our Reading Marathon today with the "campfire" theme was a nice culminating event that included guest readers who enjoyed books with children in the Learning Commons.
Today we also had a school spirit "PJ Day" that was celebrated by both students and adults. As part of this celebration, each person at school wore a feather to represent something he/she is thankful for in honor of Thanksgiving.
Congratulations to both Julie Mirabelli and Kathleen Peth who were just awarded a D39 Gripp Grant from the Educational Foundation. Thank you to the D39 Educational Foundation for awarding a grant to Julie Mirabelli and Kathleen Peth so that students could receive and use Kid Power Bands!
Lastly, please remember there is no school next week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. I hope you enjoy a fabulous Thanksgiving with family and friends.
Warmly,
- Becky
Rebecca Littmann
Principal
Central Elementary School
STEM Challenge: Ball Run
STEM Challenge: Simple Machines
STEM Challenge: Simple Machines
Julie Mirabelli and Kathleen Peth are honored to receive a GRIPP Grant from the Educational Foundation. Active Bodies = Active Minds.
School & District Announcements and Reminders...
Carpool Line Safety Reminders - Last Posting
As the weather gets colder, our carpool line gets longer. I thought this would be a good time for safety reminders. Please adhere to our safety procedures below. Also, please make sure your caregivers are aware of the procedures as well.
- Please follow the suggestions of our supervisors in green vests on the curb. They are volunteer staff members who are there to help your child get in and out of your vehicle safely. These adults are also safe people for students to use if they need help finding a caregiver. Please note - these staff members are not traffic safety personnel.
- Please wait to let your children out of your vehicle in front of the school. Letting them out of the car any earlier is dangerous.
Pull your vehicle up as far as possible in the line (even across the driveway to the black top), but leave room to pull out so you don't need to back up to get around the car in front of you.
Keep pulling up as cars exit the line to keep it moving.
Stay in your car at all times. Please don't leave your car or park it in the carpool line. This is very dangerous for you and for those trying to maneuver around your car. If you must walk your child to the door, please park your car across the street or a block away so you can walk your child safely to school.
Use the crosswalk on Central Avenue. We have a wonderful crossing guard on Central Ave. His name is Dudley and he is hired by the Wilmette Police Department. Please make sure that your entire family uses the crosswalk on Central Avenue. Dudley will ensure that you get across the street safely.
Also, please be mindful of our crossing guard, Dudley. It is his responsibility to ensure drivers are following the rules of the road. He will call the police, if necessary to ensure everyone's safety.
Call Central School "Safe Phone" For Absences: 847-512-6150
Please call the "SAFE" (absence) phone to report absences even if you let the classroom teacher knows, because some teachers don't see the email/voicemail until later in the day. Teachers assume you are calling the office. It's important that the school nurse is directly aware of any absences otherwise, your son/daughter may be considered "missing." The school nurse keeps track of all school absences in the building. For safety reasons, we want to make sure all of our students are accounted for and safe.
Central School is on Twitter!
- We have TWO Twitter accounts. Please "follow" us at Twitter.com! Explore Central 39 (with our actual "handle" as @explorecentral). With this account, we mostly share student activities that are completed in the Learning Commons (but other activities are often included as well). We are also providing this Twitter feed on our Central School homepage.
- There is also a principal page @BeckyLittmann where you can follow a variety of school happenings including professional development, student activities, parent involvement, and school goals.
Green Team Announcement
Are you decorating for the holidays? Have you found any old or broken holiday lights? Are you looking for a way to get rid of them in an environmentally friendly way? Well great news! The Green Team (and Central’s Environmental Awareness Committee) is teaming up with the Village of Wilmette and SWANCC to keep all those lights and wires out of our landfills! Just bring your lights to Central School and drop them into the boxes located in the front lobby. We’ll be collecting lights until Friday January 19th. So easy and no guilt! What a great way to stay green this holiday season - Happy Holidays from the Green Team!
PTA Announcements and Reminders...
* The PTA sends out their own newsletter on Sundays - here are just a few highlights
Gift of Giving Begins Sunday, Nov. 5
Calling all elves! The Gift of Giving Committee is looking for some spirited Central families to help the holiday season “take flight.” This November, please consider contributing to Central School's "Gift of Giving" program, which for the past nine years has helped two Chicago-based organizations – LYDIA Home and Metropolitan Family Services – provide gifts and funds to families and individuals in need during the holidays. A range of donation options is available and both organizations deeply appreciate and need our support. You can sign-up to donate to LYDIA Home and/or Metropolitan Family Services via SignUpGenius or on the PTA website now. Donations will be collected through Monday, Dec. 4.
Here are links to the donation opportunities:
LYDIA Home: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080848a5a728ab9-lydia1
Metropolitan Family Services: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080848a5a728ab9-mfsgift
In addition, LYDIA Home has made a special request for us to help them make their housing units “cozier” by donating items such as toasters and board games.
Below is the Amazon link for those items: https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/2N5HSY10HG7FF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_E4H8zbWCRV9Q9
For more information about the charities, what you can contribute and how it works, please visit the PTA website and click on “Gift of Giving.” Thank you for your consideration!
Central School Garden
Please help the garden grow as Central looks forward to celebrating its 20th Anniversary next year! The PTA is excited about improvements to enhance learning and further ways to enjoy outdoor space. Please consider donating, we appreciate your support!
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090e4daeab28a2fa7-support
Community Announcements...
- Wilmette Park District hosts after school clubs for students at Central, Harper, McKenzie January 9 - March 23. Registration begins November 28th.
- New Trier HS Football Schedule is posted online.
- Register now for Wilmette Park District’s Saturday Basketball for boys & girls grades 4-8.
Family Action Network (FAN) Speaker:
11/28/2017 Meg Jay, Ph.D.
Click HERE for more information about FAN and upcoming speakers.
Additional information on community events can be found here http://www.wilmette39.org/news/community_events
Park District After-School Clubs
Attached you will find registration and class information for the winter session of Central After School Clubs through the Wilmette Park District.
Upcoming Events...
- 11/20-11/24 - No School, Thanksgiving Break
- 11/28 PASS 39 Meeting
- 11/29, 11/30, 12/1 - Outdoor Education for 4th graders
- 12/4-12/8 - Art Awareness
- 12/6 - D39 Parent Event at the Junior High: How to Raise Resilient Children
- 12/18 - Board of Education Meeting @7pm
- 12/25-1/5 - No School, Winter Break (school resumes Monday, Jan 8th)