Reed-Custer Elementary School
September 2023-2024 Newsletter
About us
Email: heather.faletti@rc255.net
Website: www.rc255.net
Location: 162 S. School St. Braidwood, IL 60408
Phone: 815-458-2145
Facebook: facebook.com/RCES255/
Principal's Message....π³
Principal's Message....
One School, One Book:
We are having a great time reading Nim's Island at RCES. Our reptile assembly was a huge hit. I was not fond of the snake, but the kids loved it! On February 2nd, the Storm Chasers will present information about weather and storms to all classes. We will wrap up One School, One Book this year with Our Island Adventure Family Night on February 29th. Please RSVP below if you plan to attend. We want to purchase enough supplies and snacks for the evening.
Valentine's Day: π
We will be celebrating Valentine's Day on February 14th. Classrooms will be doing different activities related to the holiday throughout the day. Classroom parties will be from 2:30-3:15. If you volunteered to help at the party, please check in at the front office at 2:15 with your license. If your child brings in Valentine's Day cards, please make sure there is one for every student in the classroom.π
Parent-Teacher Conferences:
Parent-Teacher Conferences will be on February 15th from 4:00-8:00 pm, with some earlier times available for families. Our spring conferences are not required for all students, but your child's teacher may request one to share new information and progress. If a conference is not requested, families may still schedule a time to meet with our teaching staff. Please use conference manager in PowerSchool to schedule a conference time with our teaching staff.
Report Cards:
February 20th marks the end of the 2nd trimester at RCES. Teachers will finalize scores that week, and report cards will be mailed home along with NWEA/MAP scores on February 27th. Please contact the office if you do not receive your child's report card by March 1st.
5Essentials Survey
This survey is intended to help local schools/district identify strengths and weaknesses in order to better target resources and interventions. The link below will take you to the survey.
http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/
The survey will close on March 29, 2024.
After clicking the link, you will be asked for the following:
- Email Address (used simply to help calculate an accurate response rate and to send you a thank you for participating)
- County: Please type in Will (this is the physical county location of the school buildings).
- School: Please type in Reed-Custer and select your childβs building. (If you have children in multiple buildings, we ask that you complete the survey for each.)
- How many children do you have enrolled in each attendance center? (Simply enter the appropriate number.)
Learning is "fin" tastic at RCES! π
ACE Appropriate Choices Every Day!
π©ββ€οΈβπ©ACE Focus for February - KINDNESS π©ββ€οΈβπ©
Our district-wide ACE (Appropriate Choices Every Day) program focuses on a monthly character trait. Throughout the school day, we model and reinforce appropriate choices and why being respectful, responsible, and a role model is important.
Our ACE focus in February will be kindness. February 11th-17th is Random Acts of Kindness Week!
When we practice kindness to others or towards ourselves, we can experience positive mental and physical changes by lowering stress levels and increasing the body's production of feel-good hormones such as dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin. Being kind helps boost the immune system, reduce blood pressure, and reduce stress and anxiety.
The great thing is that it is easy to be kind.
As the Dalai Lama said, 'Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.'
Mark Your Calendars ποΈ
February 2nd Storm Chaser Assembly π
February 6th Preschool Screening
February 9th New Student Pictures π·
February 14th Nim's Island Movie Day & PJ Day πΏποΈ
February 14th Valentine's Day Parties 2:30-3:15 π
February 15th Early Release (11:50) No PreK
February 15th Parent-Teacher Conferences 2:00-8:00
February 16th No School
February 19th No School
February 20th End of 2nd Trimester
February 27th Report Card and NWEA/MAP scores mailed home
ποΈFebruary 29th Island Adventure Family Literacy Night 5:30-7:00 pm at RCES ποΈ
Please RSVP below!
π¨βππ©βπAttendance Matters π¨βππ©βπ
DID YOU KNOW?
- Starting in preschool and kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school. Missing 10%, or about 2 days each month over the course of a school year, can make it harder to learn to read.
- Students can still fall behind if they miss just 1 or 2 days every few weeks.
- Being late to school may lead to poor attendance.
- Absences and tardiness can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up.
- Attending school regularly helps children feel better about schoolβand themselves.
- Start building this habit in preschool so they learn right away that going to school on time every day is important.
- Eventually, good attendance will be a skill that will help them succeed in high school and college.
π¨βππ©βπ Showing Up Matters for R.E.A.L.π¨βππ©βπ
School attendance is important for our young learners!
Showing up each day matters for R.E.A.L.
It is an opportunity to:
- Build Routines
- Increase Engagement
- Provide Access to resources
- Support Learning
Routines: Daily attendance routines, created at home or in school, can reduce stress for students and families and develop a sense of safety and security, especially after chaotic transitions.
Engagement: Being in school helps students to get to know peers, teachers, and school staff and to create trusting relationships that motivate students to participate in learning.
Access to Resources: Schools help students and families access basic resources such as meals, physical and mental health services, and fun enrichment activities, including sports, clubs, music, and after-school and summer programs.
Learning: Learning is most meaningful when it is active, social, and allows students to apply concepts to real-life situations. Showing up to school regularly helps students engage in learning that builds proficiency in reading and math, which will help them to graduate from high school.
πDive into learning at RCES!π
Building Schedule
RCES School Day 8:30-3:30
8:20 Doors open - Students report to classrooms or breakfast
8:30 School day begins
Students arriving after 8:35 should enter through the front doors.
3:20 Car riders called to dismissal areas
3:30 RCES school day ends-Buses called to the front entrance
Walkers will be released out the front doors after all buses have cleared the front of the building. (Approximately 3:35)
Early Dismissal Schedule
RCES Early Release Schedule 8:30-11:50
8:20 Doors open - Students report to classrooms or breakfast
8:30 School day begins
11:40 Car riders called for dismissal
11:50 RCES Early Release Day Ends- Buses are called to the front entrance.
Walkers will be released out the front doors after all buses have cleared the front of the building (Approximately 11:55).
Please note:
Lunch is NOT served on early release days!
No PreK classes on early release days!
From The Office
When your child is absent, please call the office and provide the reason for the absence before 9:00 AM. The absence will be marked unexcused if a student is not called in.
We understand that plans occasionally change for families throughout the day. If you need to change your childβs end-of-day routine, please notify the office NO LATER than 1:30.
π₯―Breakfast and Lunch at RCES π
Due to the increase in enrollment, our cafeteria will be closed for lunch visits. Please remember that we will return to our regular breakfast and lunch rates this year.
Breakfast at RCES: (Breakfast begins on Monday, August 21st)
Cost: $1.50 for a full-pay student.
Breakfast is served each day at 8:20 in the cafeteria at RCES.
Please inform the classroom teacher if you do not want your child to eat breakfast.
Lunch at RCES:
Cost: $2.50 for a full-pay student
- Kindergarten 11:00-11:30
- 1st Grade 11:05-11:35
- 2nd Grade 11:40-12:10
- 3rd Grade 11:45-12:15
- 4th Grade 12:15-12:45
- 5th Grade 12:20-12:50
Parents sending in lunches - Please have your child practice opening containers and difficult packaging before sending them to school.