PRINCIPAL UPDATE
February 23rd
IRVING RELATED: NEW
IRVING PTO DANCE IS TONIGHT
Our Groovy 70's Dance is coming Friday 2/23 at 6:30 PM.
This is a fully FREE event this year. That means not only is there no admission cost, but snacks, drinks and glow sticks will be provided by the PTO. (First come first serve...)
In order to keep this event free we really need volunteers during the event as well as refreshment donations. Please check out the Sign Up Genius and help where you can. We need adult monitors both in the Lunch Room and the Gym and we also would love a few 5th grade helpers.
NOTE: the lunchroom is a quieter area for students who might find the gym experience overwhelming. There will be noise cancelling headphones available in this area too.
SIGN UP: HERE
BLACK HISTORY MONTH SPIRIT WEEK
This week will be our Black History Month Spirit Week. Flyer linked here.
JOIN US IN PLANNING IRVING'S AAPI MONTH CELEBRATIONS
The Irving Diversity Committee seeks Irving students, families, and staff to share ideas for activities and programming to celebrate AAPI month in May. Click to get started and we hope to have you at an upcoming meeting: https://doodle.com/meeting/participate/id/bqAWXXpb
ALL ABOUT IAR & ISA
Each Spring, all District 97 students in Grades 3 to 8 take federally-required assessments to help us understand how they are growing academically. Since 2019, the state has utilized the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) to assess students’ knowledge and skills in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics, as well as their progress toward the long-term goal of college and career readiness. Students in grades 5 and 8 will be taking the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) as well.
This year, the IAR will be administered to Irving students the week of March 4th and the ISA will be administered the week of March 11th. Please be on the look out for specific information from your student's teacher.
Check out our “5 Things to Know About IAR” document to learn more about this year’s assessment!
SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, PBIS, AND SECOND STEP
CHILD PROTECTION UNITS LESSON 2
We continued teaching our Child Protection Units this week and our students learned about the “Always Ask First Rule”. Asking permission from the person in charge is an important rule for children to know. It helps protect them from possible danger and it also helps caregivers know what their children are doing. As adults we know that abuse perpetrators are often someone that children know, therefore asking permission is important even when they are going somewhere or doing something. Students were also taught to ask the person in charge before accepting something that is offered to them such as food or gifts. Although we do not explain this directly to students, we know as adults that gifts are often used as bridges to gain children’s confidence and establish a special bond with abuse perpetrators. Our focus in this lesson and future Child Protection Unit lessons is on teaching students skills to identify and assert themselves in tricky situations and focus on ways we can support their safety.
Kindergarten- The Always Ask First Rule
First Grade- The Always Ask First Rule
Second Grade- The Always Ask First Rule
Third Grade- The Always Ask First Rule
Fourth Grade- Always Ask First Rule
Fifth Grade-Always Ask First Rule
DISTRICT RELATED
KINDERGARTEN & NEW STUDENT REGISTRATION
Online registration for kindergarten and new students is now open for the 2024-25 school year.
Registration for all returning District 97 students opens March 5. A separate link and communication will be sent to families prior to that date.
Kindergarten Eligibility:
In order to register your student, you must be the custodial parent/guardian and currently reside in Oak Park. Students who are registering for kindergarten for the 2024-25 school year must be at least 5 years old and must be born on or before Sept. 1, 2019.
All students entering kindergarten, including those currently enrolled in one of District 97’s early childhood programs, are considered “new students” and should follow the kindergarten and new student registration process beginning Feb. 22. All other currently enrolled District 97 preschool students who are not entering kindergarten should register as a returning student beginning on March 5.
Please click the links below to learn more about the registration process for kindergarteners and new students.
DRUG AWARENESS AND PREVENTION
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) requires that all public schools provide instruction, study, and discussion on drug and substance abuse education once a year. Research shows that children who hear anti-drug messages from parents and other important people in their lives, such as teachers and coaches, are 50% less likely to use drugs.
The well-being of District 97 students is our highest priority, and we want them to be safe, healthy, and to reach their fullest potential. During Trimesters 2 and 3, students in kindergarten through fifth grade will engage in age-appropriate lessons on drug awareness and prevention that will build an understanding of the following:
Skills to help say NO to drugs;
Proper use of medicines, legal drugs for adults, and illegal drugs;
Ways to stay safe and drug free.
District 97 acknowledges that schools and families must work together to prevent drug abuse. As a parent/guardian you can give your child similar messages at home. If you would like to review free materials and/or extend the learning process at home, we encourage you to visit
Please contact your student’s principal if you have additional questions regarding the drug awareness and prevention lesson and discussion.
IRVING RELATED: REMINDERS
4TH & 5TH GRADE TRIVIA NIGHT: MARCH 1ST
Mr. & Mrs. Sak are hosting a 4th & 5th grade students trivia night as a fundraiser for the 5th grade class on March 1st. Doors open at 4:30 and trivia starts at 5pm.
Tables of 8- Purchase a whole table for $160 or an individual ticket for $20.
Includes Pizza, Snacks, Drinks and Trivia.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS LESSONS FOR STUDENTS: STANDARD RESPONSE PROTOCOL
This year, District 97 is utilizing the Standard Response Protocol language and visuals developed by the I Love U Guys Foundation, a national organization dedicated to school safety. The SRP is action-based, flexible and easy to learn.The premise is simple - there are five specific actions that can be performed during an emergency incident (e.g., inclement weather, fires, accidents, introducers or other threats). The five actions are: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter.
One of the most important things we do to keep our schools safe is practice a variety of drills each year to ensure that everyone is prepared should an emergency occur. As part of our ongoing preparedness training, all students K-8th grade will receive instruction on the five SRP protocols during the month of March.
All content will be delivered in developmentally-appropriate ways for the student's age during a morning meeting.
If you have any questions about our emergency preparedness lessons, please contact Ms. Mura.
THURSDAY: YEARBOOK PHOTOS DEADLINE
Deadline for photo submission is Feb. 29
Email your photos to irving-yearbook@googlegroups.com or drop them in our google Drive folder.
* All school portraits are automatically included in the yearbook
** Yearbooks will go on sale March 11 and be delivered at the end of the school year. Stay tuned for details!
AMAZON BUBBLE WRAP ENVELOPES
Hello families! As your students are completing their clay projects, we would love to send them home in one piece.We are looking to repurpose amazon bubble wrap envelopes to send fragile clay home in. If you are receiving these over the next week or so, please remove any personal information and send it to school with your student. Thank you so much!
Best,
Ms. Schubow & Ms Tague
RAINBOW M&MS NEEDS YOUR HELP
Irving's LGBTQ+ club is designing a LOGO to be used indefinitely on posters/t-shirts/signs etc. Are you a graphic designer (freelance or professional) who can help spruce up our hand drawn designs before we vote on a final design to represent the group publicly? If you are able to devote some time we would love to have your assistance in making our designs a reality. If you are interested, you can contact Mr. Packer ppacker@op97.org or Ms. Noonan knoonan@op97.org. Thank you!
5ESSENTIALS SURVEY
Parents/guardians all 10 of our schools are encouraged to take the Illinois 5Essentials Survey between January 30 through March 29, 2024: http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/.
PTO RELATED
SPRING BOOK FAIR
Save the date for the spring book fair: March 11-15th. If you are interested in helping please email irvingbookfair@gmail.com.
IRVING FUN FAIR
Mark your calendar for the Irving Fun Fair on Saturday, April 13th.
PTO COMMITTEES
Are you looking to get more involved in the Irving Community? Our PTO community relies on amazing volunteers to pull off a fun year of events. Check out the current list of Committees looking for more folks to join them. Let the co-VPs of Volunteers & Fundraising Ausra and Meghan know if you're interested in joining one!
UPCOMING DATES
Week of February 26th
Black History Month Spirit Week
Thursday, February 29th
Yearbook Photo Submission Deadline
Friday, March 1st
4th & 5th Grade Trivia Night
Week of March 4th
IAR testing (3rd-5th grade)
Tuesday, March 5th
2nd Trimester Ends
Thursday, March 7th
PTO Meeting, 7:30pm
Week of March 11th
Book Fair
Tuesday, March 19th
Institute Day, No School for students
Friday, March 22nd
2nd Trimester Report Cards Distribution (via email)
Week of March 25th
Spring break-D97 Schools Closed
IMPORTANT LINKS
Student-Family Handbook for 2023-24
Food allergy management program
2023-24 Free and Reduced Meal Application (English/Spanish)
Irving's cell phone & Mobile Device Expectations
PTO RELATED
- Join Washington Irving Parents on Facebook
- Irving PTO Website (Get your spirit wear!)
- Washington Irving School Website