3/24/2022- Business Services Meeting 5:30-6:30pm (Haines Center)

3/28/2022-4/1/2022 Spring Break (No Students In Attendance)

4/4/2022- School Resumes

Yesterday morning I slipped a disc working out and headed out in the afternoon for a chiropractic adjustment. While I'm still a bit stiff, as soon as he popped the disc back into place, I felt immediate relief. There's still a bit to go before I'm back to normal (Yesterday I moved like I was 106, and today I'm just in my 70s.), but the difference between how I felt 24 hours ago and today is enormous.

This adjustment is analogous to those adjustments we all can use - our Eagles and ourselves - in life. We need someone who knows how to put a little pressure in the right spot, trust them enough to push, and let it go. Maybe it's a mindset that I'm not good at math. Perhaps it's a relationship that went rocky over something small and devolved into a cold war.

Whatever needs an adjustment can always be adjusted, and heading back to my story at the chiropractor, he told me it was good I came in the day I got hurt as that makes for a quicker adjustment and recovery. The same goes for our lives: The quicker we make things right, the quicker the healing. This is what we are constantly working on with our Eagles through structures such as Restorative Practices - here at Norton Creek and at your homes. We're all in this together, and I couldn't think of a finer team of students, staff, and families to do this most important work with.

Have a wonderful weekend making memories with your favorite people!

As part of the district’s equity audit, parent 1 hour focus groups will be held across the district via Zoom during the month of April to give families an opportunity to share their thoughts on our district’s strengths, areas of need, and long-term opportunities for providing the best educational experience for all students. Focus groups will be constructed and led by our partners in the equity audit process- the Consortium for Educational Change (CEC). There will be morning and evening focus groups available for parents. Every school’s goal is to have 15 families agree to participate in a focus group. During the week of March 21st, a member of our school staff will begin calling parents from a document with families’ names listed in random order to invite prospective participants to be part of a focus group. All parents are welcome to email your own written responses to the focus group questions to CEC should you not be selected to participate in a focus group but desire to share your opinions (A list of the focus group questions and a place for submitting your answers to them will be posted on the district website beginning April 4th). We thank you for your commitment to equity in education, and we are excited about this next step in gathering the voices of our district so that we can create a comprehensive plan to move forward. If you have any questions regarding the focus group process, please contact our Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, Dr. Tracy Taylor, at tracy.taylor@d303.org

We are in need of gently used pants and/or shirts in the office. Students occasionally need a change of clothing during the school day, and we use these clothes for that purpose.

We can use boys and girls pants ( sweat pants, leggings etc.)

If you are able to donate some gently used clothing, please send them to the office.

D303 Summer Camp is here. Starting on April 5-April 18, 2022. Please click on the link to sign up for any summer camps. Click on this link to go to the summer camp page.

The Illinois Department of Public Health will no longer consider a positive at home test result as a valid positive result. The health department now advises individuals who test positive on an at home test to go validate the test result at a COVID testing site. Individuals who test negative with an at home test are to validate with a rapid test at a testing site.

Kindergarten thru 5th Grades-

8:00am-3:00pm

Students can be dropped off at 7:45am for the school day. It you arrive before that time please keep your child with you until 7:45 as there is no supervision outside until then.

Our school office is open from 7:30am until 4:00pm on school days.

Please email any arrival/dismissal changes as well as any information for the school nurse or office staff to nor-office@d303.org

Please call the school attendance line if your student will be absent/tardy/leaving early from Remote Learning at 331-228-2700. Please spell your students first and last name or their student ID number when you leave a message. If you are emailing the teacher please also email nor-office@d303.org indicate students first and last name.

Students must apply for the privilege of using prearranged absence days through the principal’s office.

This completed form must be turned in at least (2) school days prior to the requested absence.

The building principal or designee has the authority to grant up to (5) days of excused absence per year

for the following types of absences:

 Participation in regional and/or national contests or awards

 Family vacation—qualified by the phrase “accompanied by parent”

 Special religious events

If your child is arriving after 8:00am please walk them into the school and sign them in.

Our next early release day will be on March 23rd. Dismissal is at 2:10pm.

The following dates below are early release Wednesdays. Please plan accordingly for your children.

Students will be released at 2:10pm on the followings dates this year-

• March 23
• April 27

If there is a occasional change to your child dismissal please email nor-office@d303.org and your child's teacher or call the office directly at 331-228-2701. If it is after 2pm please call the office directly so that we can ensure your child gets the notification of changes.

LUNCH SCHEDULES:

5th Grade: 10:50-11:10

2nd Grade:11:15-11:35

Kindergarten: 11:40-12:00

1st Grade: 12:05-12:25

3rd Grade: 12:30-12:50

4th Grade: 12:55-1:15

If your student forgets their lunch please email the classroom teacher and drop off at the main office. Please label with the students full name.

EAGLES EAT OUT elisa.ignash@gmail.com

Thank you to all that battled the elements to get to Gia Mia last week! We had a successful night and raised over $400!! Thank you to our amazing parent chair, Elisa Ignash, who organizes these fantastic events.

VIRTUAL VARIETY SHOW (K-5) nortoncreekvarietyshow@gmail.com

Don’t forget to submit your act for our 2nd annual Virtual Variety Show by Friday March 18th!. To enter your child or your child’s group act, please click here. There only needs to be one entry per act, where you will enter all participants within that group. See flyer below, created by a few of our very own 5th grade Eagles!

BASKET RAFFLE nortoncreekbasketraffle@gmail.com

Save the date! Basket Raffle is scheduled to be Friday May 6th!

GET YOUR YEARBOOKS: DUE 4/1/2022 ncyearbook.shelly@gmail.com

Have you ordered a yearbook for your student yet? Visit Treering to confirm if you've already ordered or to place an order for your student(s). Included again this year with the yearbook purchase is the option to create 2 free custom pages, which must be completed by 4/1/22. If you've already ordered a yearbook, you have the option through Treering to customize 2 pages to capture your students' school memories for an unforgettable year! See attached for a quick how-to flyer from Treering.

ATTENTION 5TH GRADE PARENTS:

Do you have any pictures of your 5th grader participating in any school event/activity that you could share for the year end celebration? Please send them to NC5THGRADEFAREWELL@gmail.com

BUTTER BRAIDS FUNDRAISER (K-5) jennifersolare@hotmail.com

This PTO fundraiser was very popular last year! These delicious pastries are available in many flavors. Order forms were sent home in backpacks and are due back at school on Friday, March 25. Orders will be available for pickup at the school April 5, time and place TBD. If you have any questions, please email Jen Solare at the address above.

PTO

If you missed the PTO meeting last week, we voted on extra funds to be spent for the school! The minutes are here. Please be on the lookout for an order form from Mr. White to get your FREE NORTON CREEK T-SHIRT!

COUGARS READING CLUB

Don’t forget to be jotting down those reading minutes to get your free Cougars Tickets!

AMAZONSMILE (K-5) nortoncreekptovicepresident@gmail.com

Calling all shoppers! If you are shopping on Amazon, please consider using AmazonSmile. With every eligible purchase, AmazonSmile donates 0.5% to our school when you choose Norton Creek Elementary as your charity. This includes millions of everyday items at smile.amazon.com. You must use the specified link for Norton Creek to receive credit. Ask all of the Amazon shoppers in your family to use AmazonSmile!