THE ASTRONOMICAL
December 2019 - January 2020
The Act of Kindness
French moralist and essayist, Joseph Joubert once said, “Kindness is loving people more than they deserve.” When I read that statement I was immediately taken aback by its profound message. I thought, ’Wow! That is mighty kind!’ Many times what we perceive as difficult acts, such as loving people more than they deserve, is actually the easiest course of action one can take. Let's take the following events for example.
On December 15, 2013 South African leader, Nelson Mandela, passed away. Mandela spent decades in prison fighting for the rights of others, and when released, he spoke of love and kindness. Each year we honor and acknowledge the contributions of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on his birthday in January. King gave his life for the equality of all people, while stressing the importance of peaceful resolution and loving your fellow man as if he was your brother. Last, but not least we are approaching the five year anniversary of the unfortunate incident in Newtown, Connecticut. The citizens of Newtown continue to encourage the Nation to extend 20 random acts of kindness as a remembrance to the precious 20 from Sandy Hook who are not here, and a means to touch the world with empathy and generosity.
With each of these events I am compelled to remember the powerful shared connection all three have in common. Each example demonstrates the capacity to love and show kindness to those we may perceive are not deserving of such grace. Yes, loving people more than they deserve may be the most difficult act one can practice. But, it is the most charitable, and the most freeing. As you extend love to others, you are extending that love to yourself.
Happy Holidays Astros!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Etherly
AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE RATE: NOVEMBER 2019
Kindergarten: 94.5%
Grade 1: 96.10%
Grade 2: 95.82%
Grade 3: 95.48%
Grade 4: 96.71%
Grade 5: 95.68%
Staff: 94.41%
GOAL: 96%+
Etherly Espresso Cafe & NAES PTO Meeting
Annual Richton Park Veterans' Day Parade 2019
"Forged by the Sea"
"Army Strong"
"The Few, The Proud"
"Born Ready"
We salute you all today, tomorrow, always!!!!
Thank you Mrs. Dark, Mrs. Frazier and Mr. Hawkins for your leadership and we also thank the families and students of our ASL Sign Language Club and NAES Student Council!!!
FOR THOSE WHO DARE TO DREAM: A Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute
MUSIC:
PRIZE FOR PEACE
(Tune: “Yankee Doodle”)
Once there was a man named King
Who won the Prize for Peace.
He worked hard and he helped
Discrimination cease!
Martin Luther King was his name.
He dreamed a special dream
He dreamed the world was full of love
And peace and harmony!
~Jean Warren
DREAM QUOTATIONS
“In dreams and in love there are no impossibilities.” ~Janos Arany
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~Mark Twain
“A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.” ~Oscar Wilde
THE DREAM
Is the dream still alive
Do people continue to strive
To make this world a better land
Where man is joined hand in hand
Hope, peace and love is the order of the day
Hate, despair and bitterness has been cast away
Where every man can make it regardless of his race
To work hard and find his rightful place
Or are we content to dwell in the past
Hoping the efforts of generations gone will last
And the lessons taught long ago won’t be lost
On generations not willing to pay the cost
Realizing that freedom is not free
And that the visions that one man was able to see
Is a way of life that should be practiced not merely taught
That’s the dream Dr. King sought
It’s a dream that’s still possible to find
It’s a dream that lies in the heart of all mankind
It's Showtime At This Year's Family Reading Night!
Jeff, Isaac, LaTasha, Michelle, Sheila, Luke, Kristen, Sue, Jessica, Kathleen, Shawna, Audra, and Shannon!
IN THE KNOW
Sincerely,
Mr. Larkin and the Astro Team!
Downloads: Attached is your Astro Passport for the 2nd Quarter and your calendar for the months of December and January. Weekly reminders will be sent home electronically every Wednesday.
5 Essentials Survey Window Is Now OPEN!!!
It’s that time of year again Astro Families!!! The 5 Essentials Survey window is officially open. Below are screen shots to help you locate the link to take this most important survey.
As you may already know schools and districts throughout the State of Illinois are participating in a statewide survey of learning conditions and school climate via an online survey, called the Illinois 5Essentials Survey for 2020. The survey asks about leadership, collaboration, family involvement, instruction and the school environment. The data will help schools better identify their strengths and areas needing improvement. Access to this survey is open and will close at the end of the business day Friday, February 14, 2020.
To complete the survey you can go to the district webpage: www.dist159.com, click on the parents tab, and click on 5 Essentials Survey-Parents as seen on the photo.
You can also access the survey by going directly to the link: http://survey.5essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/
Here is a screen shot of the survey if you go through the District website or utilize the provided link. When you take the survey you will be prompted to select the county (Cook) and school where your child attends. Please take care to click on Neil Armstrong in Richton Park, as there is another Neil Armstrong in Hoffman Estates! If you have more than one child at NAES please complete only one survey. If you have children at multiple schools, you may complete a survey for each school. The survey can be accessed from any computer, laptop, tablet, or smart phone and it should not take more than 15 minutes to complete.
Our goal is to have at least 50% of our families to complete the survey! We need at least a 20% response rate in order to generate a published report for the public.
If you have any questions about the survey, please feel free to contact me at 708.481.7424.
By the way, if we reach our goal of at least 50% parent participation our Small Astros, from grades K-5 will be able to attend school out of uniform for ONE FULL WEEK!!!
If we reach at least 75%, students will be able to attend school out of uniform for TWO FULL WEEKS!!!
A surprise incentive will be provided if we reach 90% or higher parent participation.
I thank you, in advance for taking the time to complete the 5Essentials Survey.
Your feedback is important to us! WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
With Astro pride,
Mrs. Etherly
Principal