Westbrook School
April 24, 2020
From the Principal...
Dear Westbrook Families,
Although we anticipated that Governor Pritzker may extend school closures, I can’t tell you how difficult it was to hear him say that schools would be closed for the rest of the school year. We miss seeing our students’ smiling faces on a daily basis. We wish we were able to be with them each and every day to greet them every morning, celebrate successes, sit alongside them as we helped to push their thinking forward. It may look a little different now, but our school family is committed to creating thoughtful, authentic, and relevant learning activities for your child. We are committed to fostering connections with each other, celebrating successes, and helping students to grow their brains. We know that this has been difficult on your children and your families, as well. We can’t thank you enough for your partnership during this difficult time. We are thinking about our students and families. We wish you all well. We are here to support you in any way that we can. Please do not hesitate to contact any person on your child’s team if you have questions or need support in any way. We are here for you, and we truly are better together!
Here are a few resources that may be helpful to you and your family during this difficult time. Please take care of yourselves and your families. Take breaks. Laugh, play, and explore together!
Curated list of resources for students and families from our school psychologist, Shannon Fratamico
Candid Conversations: Self-Care During COVID-19 with Dr. Becky Bailey and Jill Molli - Scroll to the bottom of the site. Dr. Becky Bailey, author of Conscious Discipline, and her team have been putting out helpful webinars to support families during this time. Topics include self-care, conflict resolution, understanding safety, connection, and problem-solving, as well as many other topics!
ColorMe - A free coloring app to offer students a brain break and help reduce stress
Go Noodle - To encourage students to take a brain break and get moving!
Mindfulness Activities - To engage in activities that will enhance mindfulness for the whole family.
*Families, please remember to continue to take attendance by noon each day of remote learning. Thank you!
Staff Appreciation
We feel so lucky to have such a wonderful staff, and we want to do something extra special for them. We want to create a video to show how much they mean to us. WE NEED YOUR HELP! We are looking for volunteers who would be willing to answer one the questions below on camera and send us the short video:
What makes your child's teacher special?
Why is Westbrook special to your child or your family?
What is one thing that you appreciate about the teachers or staff at Westbrook?
What is one thing that you will remember about Westbrook?
It's super easy and will only take a few minutes! We want to keep this a secret from our teachers, so please don't tell anyone! If you are willing to help us, please email your video to kvonderhaar@d57.org. Include STAFF APPRECIATION in the subject of your email.
Support and Resources for Families
COVID-19 has presented many unique hardships and challenges for some of our family members, friends and neighbors. Some parents have asked if it’s possible to make a financial donation to help support District 57 families who are currently in need. The District has set up a system to facilitate this for anyone who is interested. We will distribute the collected funds to families, based on formal requests that are made. If you would like to donate, simply go to this link: https://magic.collectorsolutions.com/magic-ui/Login/mt-prospect-sd-57 and click “Make a one-time payment.” Fill in your student’s name, school and grade, and click “COVID-19 Donation to District 57 Families.” Fill in your information and donation amount, then proceed to the payment section. Thank you so much, in advance, for your kindness and generosity.
Those who are in need of support can fill out this online form. Names will only be seen by select District personnel who are distributing the funds
Read Alouds
We have heard from many of you that your children have loved hearing our staff members read to them! It’s one of our favorite things to do! We will continue to add to our growing list of read alouds on our YouTube playlist. Please click here to access the playlist.
Spirit Days
We have loved seeing so many families participate in our spirit days! Next week, we will celebrate Mascot Monday and school spirit day! Let’s see your school spirit! Please see the attached handout with a schedule of events! If you’re willing, we would love to see spirit day pictures posted to social media. Please tag our school, westbrook_d57, and use #d57spiritdays.
Assistance with Technology
If you have any technology needs, please fill out the short form below and someone will be in contact with you shortly to help! As mentioned in Dr. Aumiller's email, please let us know if your family would benefit from having another device for remote learning. District 57 can loan you a Chromebook. You may request to borrow a chromebook using the same form below.
MPSD57 Technology Support for Remote Learning (for staff, students, and families).
Help Desk: At-Home Tech Assistance Form
Tech assistance tickets received outside of remote learning hours will be responded to during the next remote learning day.
Instagram & Twitter
Are you following us? We have been so proud of our students for all the work that they have put in at home during this time. If you need a smile, I highly suggest you take a look at our social media to students proudly showing off their hard work! Our username is: westbrook_d57.
We are so grateful for the strong partnership that we have with our families. Without you, none of this would be possible. Have a lovely weekend!
Kind regards,
Kristin Vonder Haar
Resources for District 57 Families
Westbrook School for Young Learners
Email: wb-office@d57.org
Website: https://www.d57.org/westbrookschoolforyounglearners_home.aspx
Location: 103 Busse Road, Mount Prospect, IL, USA
Phone: (847) 394-7340
Twitter: @westbrook_d57