Twas The Week Before School...
August 13, 2021 Update
Hello from the principal...
We cannot wait to welcome your children back to our building next week. Our dedicated, supportive staff of educators is busy finalizing for the 2021-2022 school year. Additional information can be found below highlighting some of the following:
- first days of school
- student pick up & drop off procedures
- information on lunches
- bus information
- self-certification process
- district 10 calendar information
It is hard to believe this will be the start of my 9th year in District 10. After two years supporting Benson & Franzen Schools I will be solely at Benson Primary this school year. When not at Benson Primary I enjoy spending time with my wife & students at home who are entering preschool, first and third grade. Mr. Bolton will still be serving our school as an assistant principal. We look forward to having him at Benson Primary again this year.
Please enjoy a glimpse at my preschool picture and the greatest hairstyle of all time.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to us directly if you have any questions or needs.
Jason Taylor, jtaylor@itasca10.org
Bryan Bolton, bbolton@itasca10.org
Meet Mr. Bolton
Meet the Assistant Principal - Mr. Bryan Bolton
Hello! My name is Mr. Bolton and I am so excited to serve as the Assistant Principal for Benson, Franzen, and Peacock. I received my Bachelor's Degree in History and Secondary Education from Lewis University. I also received my Master’s in Educational Administration from Northern Illinois University. This will be my 7th year serving Itasca School District 10. Outside of school, I enjoy country music, exercise, and spending time with my family. I feel fortunate to serve such an amazing learning community. I am looking forward to another great school year!
(enjoy my second grade picture)
First Days of School
Preschool & Kindergarten--Monday, August 23rd
Letter To Families From Mr. Benes
Please see the letter below from Mr. Benes, Superintendent. This was sent out in a previous email to families.
Traffic pattern
Parents who are dropping off or picking up should proceed NORTH on RUSH STREET and turn LEFT onto WASHINGTON STREET.
Students entering the building
Updates
Teacherease Homeroom Assignments: At 3pm on Friday, August 13th teacher assignments are posted in Teacherease for first and second grade students. Kindergarten placements will be posted by 4:30pm on Thursday, August 19th.
Supplies: Please see additional newsletters for information on your child's supply drop off and teacher meet & greet. Please see below for information on grade level supply drop off/meet & greet. These events are optional and families are NOT required to attend.
For reference our school supply lists have been posted here.
Lunch Protocols: For this year students will eat socially distanced in their classrooms or the gymnasium. Any students with allergies will still be provided with an allergy aware space to eat their lunch. Milk will be available for students to purchase.
Lockers: Each student will have an individual area for storage of their materials. Students will be dismissed to their lockers to promote distance while retrieving materials from their spaces.
Mask Breaks: Breaks will be built into the day and scheduled by teachers. While using outdoor spaces and during specials times outdoors students will not be wearing masks. We will be mindful of activities that require vigorous movement & exercise.
Daily Self-Certification
Certification Process
If you have not already--please consider downloading the Teacherease app and setting a reminder on your phone to daily self-certify. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/teacherease-parents-students/id1232341133
As with past communications we will continue to provide information regarding new procedures and protocols.
Day Calendar & School Start & End Times
8:45am-3:35pm
Students MUST NOT ARRIVE prior to 8:35am. We will not be supervising outdoor areas until this time. Thank you for helping avoid early arrival. As stated previously, students will immediately enter the building at a grade level door.
Attached above is a PDF of our school calendar with days of attendance for students.
Early Release Wednesdays: Marked with ER on the calendar above are dates our students will be released early from school for the purpose of teacher development. Early release day times are 8:45am-1:35pm.
Bus Information
Information on D10 transportation including information on making a transportation change can be found here.
**If your child has more than one stop Teacherease will show as blank. This should only impact approximately 10 students**
As the year begins please know it is normal for your route to be delayed and we have a service to help you be notified if there is a delay.
Please click the link below to sign up for BUS BULLETIN notifications.
Before & After School Childcare
District 10 partner: Right At School (click link for additional cost information)
Nurse Information & Reporting An Absence
School Nurse Information
Our school nurse is Mrs. Michelle Ciero. Nurse Michelle can be emailed at mciero@ndsec.org . Nurse Michelle can be updated on any medical, dietary or other health needs. We appreciate her help in managing our school well-being.
Reporting A School Absence
Parents have two options when reporting their child’s absence from school.
Option one: Parents may call the school office (Benson Primary – 1-630-773-0554) during regular school hours and give the appropriate information to the school secretary.
Option two: This option allows parents to be connected with the District 10 Administrative Center Voice Mail System. To report an absence using the second option, simply dial 1-630-773-0554, extension 7003 for Benson. You will gain access to the Student Absence Line. Upon gaining access to the Hot Line, please state:
1. Your child’s full name
2. His/her teacher’s name
Reason for absence
Dates and/or amount of time your child will be absent from school,
Telephone number where you can be reached during the school day