I think I had one of those most memorable and proud moments in my career in education this morning. Today we hosted our first Coffee and Conversation, and while no pun intended, my cup today was truly filled with pride and gratitude. I appreciate those who came to listen, to share and to support others. I am one proud principal, not just of my staff and students, but also of the families we are so fortunate to serve. Thank you! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs. Kern

Be sure to scroll through to check out important information and updates on future events and student celebrations. Also, new information in district news on registering your child for kindergarten.

Our link to to the state required 5 Essentials Survey is below. You all are rock stars as we had a surge in participation! Thank you so much! We are hoping to see that percentage keep growing! We see that we met the 40 survey mark, but have not received 40 pizza entries yet. Keep them coming!

Kindergarten registration begins MONDAY, March 6th! Please note that all registration is centralized this year and does not take place at our building. Please check out the details below.

As a reminder, there is an early release on on Friday, March 10th at 11:10.

The weather is a bit all over the place and students somedays think it's spring already (it's coming!). With the same ups and downs in illness this is a reminder to still send coats and go over your expectations of wearing them at school. The change of temperature doesn’t make you sick, but changes in weather conditions can predispose you to getting sick and we certainly want to keep our students healthy. Thank you for your help!

3/6: Kindergarten Registration Begins

3/8: Spring Pictures

3/10: 11:10 Dismissal

3/17: FV Therapy Dogs Visit

3/21: School Board Meeting

3/27-31: Spring Break

March kicks off National Reading Month, which celebrates the privilege of literacy and encourages readers, young and old, to engage in reading. Woodbury Elementary School is committed to helping our students develop strong reading skills and to help instill the love of reading in them. Reading comes with numerous benefits, so what better way to celebrate our favorite hobby than to dedicate a whole month to it! Consistently reading for a whole month will help us to develop a habit that will last a lifetime.

We want to encourage others to read aloud to kids and introduce students to a wide range of stories that reflect all kinds of perspectives and experiences. When people make the time to read with children, they get the message that reading is important! Join NEA’s Read Across America in raising awareness about the importance, value, and fun of reading and sharing diverse books.

Did You Know?

• Reading often makes you kinder- Studies have shown that people who read more fictional books are more likely to be kinder to others. It can help expand our perspective on others and the diverse world around us.

• Reading fast helps your eyes- Reading a book fast will help to strengthen your vision.

• Reading reduces stress- A good book can be a stress reliever if you allow yourself to get lost in a book.

• Reading improves your vocabulary- Reading good books often will help to improve your vocabulary as you come across new words.

• Reading increases your creativity- Consistent reading will help to increase your imagination, which will stimulate your brain to develop new ideas and make you more creative.

• Participate in the March Reading Challenge
  Are you up for the challenge? Complete the March Reading Challenge page at home and send it back to school by April 4. (See attached handout) Parents, please initial each box as your child completes the challenge throughout the month.

• Submit a Reading Photo
  We want to see our students reading at home! Send us a photo of your child reading to Mrs Riley: criley@sandwich430.org We would love to celebrate our students in action on our social media channels & create a reading collage here at school.

• Design your favorite book cover
  Find your favorite book to read and re-create the cover page. Use the attached blank book cover to color and tell us your favorite book to read!
  
  We look forward to celebrating National Reading Month with each of you as we highlight all the reading activities and events happening in our school! Don’t forget to use all of these reading activities towards your reading goal for the Cougars game!

Friendly reminder to complete the survey prior to March 31st. Thank you so much for your help!

This month, parents/guardians and teachers across Illinois will have an opportunity to participate in the eleventh annual statewide Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of your child’s school. As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness in a survey about your child’s school.

On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago. The survey gathers data related to five indicators that can predict important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains. These five indicators that affect and predict school success are:

• Effective Leaders
• Collaborative Teachers
• Involved Families
• Supportive Environments
• Ambitious Instruction

Prior research in more than 400 schools has shown that schools that were strong on at least three of these “5 Essential” indicators were 10 times more likely to improve student learning gains in math and reading than those that were weak on three or more Essentials.

All of Woodbury Teachers, and Professionals will have the opportunity to complete a staff member survey. 5Essentials Reports will be generated for schools if their teachers meet the response rate threshold of 50 percent. Additionally, if at least 20 percent of Woodbury parents/guardians complete this survey, a parent supplement report will also be generated. These reports will be sent to schools and districts in May 2023 and will also be included in the State School Report Card.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey linked below and provide Woodbury with valuable feedback! Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.

The Illinois 5Essentials Survey for students and teachers will remain open until March 31, 2023. The Parent Survey Supplement will be conducted during that same timeframe. To take the survey please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ and select the appropriate survey to begin.

For more information about the Illinois 5Essentials Survey, or to view previous years’ Reports, please visit https://www.5-essentials.org/illinois. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact UChicago Impact Client Services at 1-866-440-1874 or impact-surveys@uchicago.edu.

Credit: Miss Christina Winter

One of those people who are curious and want to learn more about our work with teaching students to read? Check out Sold a Story or The Six Shifts to learn more!

Mission Kindergarten:

We are excited to welcome our new class of kindergartens to the school district. We will have several events to help these learners and their families build relationships with the school district. To begin the process we need all incoming kindergarten families to prove residence and sign up for our “Preparing to Launch” event.

Starting on Monday, March 6 please contact Jody at the district office to find out what you need to prove residence (Residence Paperwork). Once you have proven residence you can sign up for the first event at your elementary school. No families will be given a screening time at “Preparing to Launch” without proving residence first.

Kindergarten Registration Process

1. Contact Jody at the district office at (815-786-2187) starting on Monday, March 6

2. Complete the proof of residency: https://drive.google.com/.../1IkhptNE1jsR8RyhnlJB.../view...

3. Complete online registration in Teacher Ease

You will receive this link once residence requirements are met.

4. Sign up for a screening time slot at our “Preparing to Launch” event on April 12 or 13.

Contact Jody at the district office at (815-786-2187)

5. Attend “Preparing to Launch” event on April 12 or 13

6. Attend “Blast Off” orientation event the week of May 8th.

The Sandwich Education Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization formed in 1994 to enhance the educational opportunities for the students of Sandwich C.U.S.D. #430. The Board of Trustees is made up of parents, teachers, and local business owners who volunteer their time to help support and enrich our schools.

Our biggest fundraiser this year is our Casino Night and Silent Auction, which will be held on April 15, 2023, at the Fox Valley Older Adults Community Center in Sandwich. Doors open at 6:00 and the casino games will open from 7:00-10:00. At the event, you will be able to test your luck on popular casino games like craps, roulette, and blackjack. Don’t worry you won’t be playing for real money so you can take a risk and bet big to help our students. We will also have dealers on hand to help teach games to our less experienced guests. Appetizers will be served and there will also be a silent auction and raffles. This event is always a fun night and a great way to support our schools. Tickets are $25 each and are available in the main office of each school or online by clicking this link.

Please Click Here to access the most recent Superintendent's Notes. The purpose of these notes is for stakeholders to gain district-specific information that may not be included in building-level monthly newsletters.