Weekly Update 2/19/24-2/23/24
Upcoming Dates
Monday, February 19: NO SCHOOL--PRESIDENTS DAY
Tuesday, February 20: NO SCHOOL--INSTITUTE DAY
Wednesday, February 21: 5th Grade AM Band & Orchestra Rehearsal at McClure (7:30-8:15am)
Thursday, February 22: Chess Wizards (lunchtime)
Thursday, February 22: 4th Grade PM Band & Orchestra Rehearsal at McClure (3:45-4:30pm)
Thursday, February 22: BAM Theater (3:30-4:30pm)
Friday, February 23: 2nd Grade Lego Club (8:00-8:30am)
Friday, February 23: Math Club (7:45am)
Friday, February 23: 4th & 5th Grade Choir (lunchtime)
Friday, February 23: Sticky Fingers Cooking (3:30-4:30pm)
Saturday, February 24: Math Olympiad AM
Saturday, February 24: PTA Winter Social
Monday, February 26: D101 Board of Education Meeting at McClure (6:15pm)
Tuesday, February 27: Elementary Band Concert at McClure (7:00pm)
Thursday, February 29: Elementary Orchestra Concert at McClure (7:00pm)
Week of March 4-8: D101 Book Drive
Thursday, March 7: PTA Fun Lunch
Thursday, March 14: Parent/Student Open House (6:30-7:30pm)
5Essentials Parent Survey
Beginning now, students in grades four through twelve, as well as all teachers across Illinois, will be taking the 5Essentials Survey. As required by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), this survey is designed and administered by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of each school across our state.
The survey gathers data related to five indicators that are correlated with important student outcomes. These five indicators are Effective Leaders, Collaborative Teachers, Involved Families, Supportive Environments, and Ambitious Instruction.
This survey is designed to gather parental thoughts on the same important factors noted above and the impact they have had on school effectiveness at your child’s school.
The Parent Survey is currently available until March 29, and can be accessed by clicking HERE.
If at least 20 percent of parents at a school complete this survey, a parent supplemental report will be generated. Parent identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.
While this summary information is included on our School Report Card for general reporting purposes, I do very much value and appreciate your perceptions of Forest Hills and would greatly appreciate it if you all take a few minutes to complete this brief survey.
Valentine's Day--Buddies
It was a week of good vibes and kindness, thanks to Student Council and for everyone banding together to spread some joy. Students enjoyed Valentine's Day with their buddies, along with exchanging valentine's cards amongst one another.
Winter Student Climate Survey Results
Last week, students in grades 1-5 took the Winter Climate Survey. We're in the process of following-up with students whose responses indicated a need for conversation or additional inquiry. Here are the collective results for Forest Hills.
“Do you feel safe at school?”--98.4%
“Do you feel like you’re a part of your school community?”--99.%
“Do you have friends as school?”--99.5%
“Do you have a grown-up at school to talk to if you have a problem?”--97.8%
“Since you last took the survey in the Fall, have you been bullied at school?”--96%
While we very much value this formative check regarding our school climate, please always encourage your child to let us know if there is an issue, or reach out if you have concerns that need to be addressed.
District Calendar 2024-25
The District 101 Board of Education will officially approve the 2024-25 school calendar at it's January meeting, however, it is "public" as of today. I know a number of families are anxiously awaiting the release as those summer vacation itches are already happening! Please find the calendar attached below.
INFO FROM PREVIOUS UPDATES, BUT STILL RELEVANT...
Arrival/Dismissal Reminder
As we've had some challenging weather these past few weeks, it's been even more important for EVERYONE (this means you too!) to follow the established ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL procedures. They are in place to create as SAFE and EFFICIENT process as possible. I REALLY don't want to have to correct/remind people of the procedures, as that's uncomfortable for us both, but necessary in order to make the procedure run smoothly. Thank you in advance for doing your part so that we don't have to have an awkward encounter! :)
- Central Ave. is ONE WAY (north to south) during arrival/dismissal.
- Vehicles should only be stopped on the WEST side of Central Ave. Please DO NOT stop on the east side as we do not want students crossing the street in front of traffic that is moving down the street.
- Drivers need to REMAIN IN THEIR VEHICLES at all times.
- When dropping off or picking up, think "Kiss n' Go" airport-style approach. This allows the traffic line to keep moving and all children to be dropped off and picked up in a timely manner. At dismissal, we will happily supervise children at their designated dismissal door until their vehicle pulls up to pick them up.
- Please share these procedures with caregivers who also may be dropping off or picking up, so they are familiar with the expectations too.
- DO NOT pass the school bus when the stop sign is extended and the red lights are on. It is a $500 fine and quite unsafe.
- Lastly, please exercise patience. Everyone is busy and has places to be. If we all work together, everyone will get where they need to go safely and more quickly.
February Student Ownership Attribute--EMPATHY
Student Ownership Attribute--EMPATHETIC
This month, our Student Ownership Attribute is strategically paired to coincide with our Week of Kindness (2/12 - 2/16) and our All Abilities Fair! We are centering our stories, conversations, and experiences this month around the power of empathy within our community.
Our D101 definition of EMPATHETIC is: empathetic people want to learn about, from, and with other people to see the world through the experiences of others.
Some of the components we discussed at the various grade levels were:
All abilities are valuable; we all have strengths and things that are challenging for us.
We are all different and unique, but share many commonalities and experiences within our differences.
Respectful questions and kind curiosity are great, so that we can learn about each other and understand one another!
Treating each other with kindness and respect allows us to build a strong community.
We’ve discussed these talking points in connection with the following grade level texts:
Kindergarten: It’s Okay to be Different, by Todd Parr
1st Grade: It's Okay to be Different, by Todd Parr
2nd Grade: We’re All Wonders, by RJ Palacio
3rd Grade: The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin, by Julia Finley Mosca
4th Grade: I Talk Like a River, by Jordan Scott
5th Grade: The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin, by Julia Finley Mosca
Although this is our collective focus for the month of February, will seek opportunities to continue to build our inclusive, empathetic community throughout the year.
Next month we will learn all about the attribute of being Critical Thinkers and Problem Solvers; get excited to learn more about this important attribute alongside our students!
Attendance Matters
This week marks the 100th day of school, and is also the time when we are required by the state to formally review student attendance. Regular attendance at school is known to be a predictor of success for individual students and is an indicator that we look at closely throughout the year.
Excessive absences are classified as 10% of the school year or more, or 18 or more days. Missing school, especially many days across the year, can have a detrimental effect not only on individual students, adding stress and creating missed opportunities for instruction and social development, but also negatively impacts classmates when group members are missing or pace slows down to allow for a classmate to catch up on what was missed. Chronic absenteeism is also a factor that figures into the Illinois State Report Card and the summative designation for our schools. Most importantly, each day that students are present they gain the full benefit of being in school, both academically and socially, and the consistency of a class with regular attendance produces compounding gains.
This week we send home formal letters to families where a student’s absences are currently at or over the 10% mark, with the hopes that we can assist, where needed, to change this rate of absences. We encourage all parents to, whenever possible, please schedule appointments or travel during non-school hours.
Thank you for your partnership on this important aspect of your child’s education.
Culture of Appreciation Reminder
Send a message of gratitude to staff HERE!
Word From WSFEE
Don't miss out! Tickets for Casino Night go on sale February 27th @ 9:00am CST. This is going to be the event of the spring! Tickets will be available to purchase on wsfee.org. WSFEE is thankful to everyone for their support & generosity to help in funding necessary grants providing brighter futures for our @d101 community.
Visit wsfee.org or follow WSFEE on Instagram (@wsfee_d101) to hear about events, sponsorship, and donation opportunities.
Clubs/Activities Sign-Up
Sticky Fingers--Spring Enrollment
Virtual Backpack
2023-24 School Calendar
Have a wonderful LONG weekend!
Rachel
Rachel Corrough
Email: rcorrough@d101.org
Website: www.d101.org
Location: 5020 Central Avenue, Western Springs, IL, USA
Phone: (708)485-5184
Twitter: @corrough