Words from Walsh November, 2020
Staying connected with Walsh School
Greetings from Principal Martin
Hello Walsh Families,
Welcome to Fall! Although we are missing our students in the building right now, I have taken the opportunity to visit many classes during their Zoom meetings, and it makes my heart sing to see their enthusiasm and zest for learning. We miss seeing the students' smiling faces and can't wait for their return!
In this month's newsletter, you will find information about report cards, Parent/Teacher Conferences, and school pictures, among other things. Please note, Walsh School will be mailing report cards home on Thursday, November 19th, which is a change from the original calendar schedule. At the end of this month, we will be conducting our Parent/Teacher Conferences. Hopefully, you have already set up your PowerSchool account, as you will need it to set up your conference. If you need help setting up your account, please give us a call. Before your conference, write down any questions that you may want to cover with your teacher and present those during your conference. Although our conferences will be virtual, please keep in mind we are on a tight schedule, and would like to have every parent meet with the teacher. Please call the office if you have any questions that we can help answer for you.
I hope you have time to reflect on your blessings, and celebrate in some way with your family this November. Happy Thanksgiving ~ Teresa Martin
Important Dates in November
Mark Your Calendars
1 - Daylight Savings - Fall Back 1 Hour
3 - Election Day - No School
6 - 1st Trimester Ends
9 - Kgtn/1st Grade Supply Pick-Up 1:00-3:00 (Kgtn: Door 6) (1st Grade: Door 1)
9 - Conference Sign-Up Starts (Reed, Ludwig and OP)
10 - Spirit Day! Celebrate 50th Day of School - Rock 'n Roll your 50's style
11 - Veterans' Day - Regular Class Schedules
16-29 - Virtual Book Fair!
17 - Board of Education Meeting 7:00 pm
18 - Remote Learning Planning Day - No School
18 - Supply Pick-Up for: All Kgtn classes and 1st Grade Remote only teachers: Mrs. Rusick/Hebel (not for 1st grade in-person teachers) Pickup at Door 1 (8:00-10:00am)
19 - Report Cards Mailed Home
20 - Conference Sign-Up Window Closes (Reed, Ludwig and OP)
23-24 - Parent Teacher Conferences - No School
25-27 - Thanksgiving Holiday - No School
30 - Supply Pick-Up - 1st grade only (hybrid classes only not for Hebel and Rusick)
Dec. 3 - Supply Pick-Up - kgtn hybrid classes only (not for Squires and Beckmann) DOOR 6
Remote Learning starts at 8:50 a.m.
Blended In-Person Learning starts at 8:50 a.m.
Remember to call the office by 9:00 a.m. if your child will be
absent, tardy, or has internet connection issues.
Office hours are 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. ~ 815-838-7858 www.d92.org
Please note: AM Early Childhood Hours are 8:30-10:30 a.m.
PM Early Childhood Hours are 11:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m.
From Firetrucks to Puppies ~ Safety First!
As we 'fall back' one hour this month, our attention turns a little stronger on the safety of our students outside. Please take care when moving in our parking lots, at our bus stops, and at the street crossings by the school. Remember that the speed limit in the school zone is 20mph, and the use of cell phones is prohibited. The neighborhood speed limit is 25mph and it would not surprise us if the police department watches a little closer as the season gets a bit darker in order to keep our children safe.
Finally, just a reminder to all our wonderful furry family friends ~ please wait for your favorite child to return home to greet them with kisses, as some of our students aren't as comfortable around dogs as your boy or girl. Wagging tails are always a signal to run and pet you, and you may not want all those hands grabbing at you. Accidents happen, so please stay off the school grounds and wait for your favorite boy or girl at home. Thank you for your help!
B.E.E. Awards at Walsh
Picture Day at Walsh School
Please know that our photographers will be following safety precautions and guidelines when lining up students and taking photos. Please follow their directions to ensure a safe, timely and frown-free experience.
All students will be photographed for our yearbook and their school IDs (except those who are on our do not photo list; these people have been personally contacted). If you are unable to attend our picture day, there will be a retake day on March 15th.
January 26th*
In-Person PreK and Kgtn students - will be photographed during the morning while at school.
Remote Learning PreK and Kgtn students - photographers will be available between 1:00-3:00pm, please use Door 1 and follow staff instructions.
January 27th*
In-Person 1st grade students - will be photographed during the morning while at school.
Remote Learning 1st grade students - photographers will be available between 1:00-3:00pm, please use Door 1 and follow staff instructions.
Click here to order a picture packet of your child. Use the ID Code: EVT92KMHW
(remember there will be no class composites available this year, just individual photos)
*updates/changes will be sent home by the mass communication system if necessary
A word about the Child Lures Program...
A word about the Child Lures Program…presented by our Social Worker, Dr. Duffy-Hook
Have you heard about ERIN’S LAW? On January 24, 2012, Erin’s Law was passed in Illinois, mandating age-appropriate sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention education in grades pre-K through 12th grade. At Walsh School, we use the Child Lures Prevention Program which was designed by Kenneth Wooden to teach various ways to keep as safe as possible from predators. This is a highly acclaimed, statewide, and research-based program. Walsh has been providing this program for the past ten years. It will be taught to our kindergarteners, and our first graders will get a refresher class from last year. At Walsh, only the introductory lessons are taught. Dr. Jackie Duffy-Hook, our school social worker, will be facilitating the Child Lures Prevention Program in every class. A recorded parent orientation to the program will be provided for parents soon. All new Walsh families will receive a parent guide.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Teachers at Walsh School will contact parents personally to set-up a Zoom conference meeting.
District 92 Virtual Book Fair!
Remember the window opens on November 16th. Click here to enter the Scholastic D92 Book Fair!
P.E. News by Mr. Wallace
Kindergarten News
We have been very busy in kindergarten. We have been doing a variety of math activities. The children have been very engaged while learning the following math skills:
· compose and decompose numbers to 5 and 10
· subitize numbers to 10
· count by 1’s and 10’s to 100
· identify missing numbers in a sequence
We have been reading some great books. After we read a story, we practice retelling the story. (What happened in the beginning, middle, and end of the story?) We will answer questions about the story and discuss the meaning of the following vocabulary words: author, illustrator, illustrations, character, setting, fiction, and non-fiction.
We are also learning how to write. We are learning how to write simple sentences. We have been learning the following punctuation marks: . , ? ! We are starting sentences with a capital letter, leaving spaces between words, and ending with a punctuation mark. We have also been learning how to use inventive spelling. Students are using what they know about letters and sounds to spell words. For example, students might write pilo to represent the word pillow.
Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held in November. More information will be sent out to you from the district. We will be discussing your child's progress at that time.
First Grade News
It is hard to believe that it is already November! Our first graders are really working hard and adjusting to going back and forth between in-person and remote learning. We are so thankful for your help and support through this first-grade year!
In our Schoolwide Reading Nonfiction Unit of study, we will continue to learn the elements of nonfiction and how nonfiction is different from other genres. We will continue to explore various types of nonfiction texts. We have been studying three types of nonfiction (reference, literary and biography), and students are developing an understanding of various forms, features, and purposes of nonfiction. In addition, our first graders will continue to develop their own narrative and opinion writing pieces.
In math, we will begin Unit 3~Adding, Subtracting, Counting and Comparing. Students are encouraged to master math facts and fact strategies for single-digit addition and subtraction facts. We will use various strategies to help students recognize number combinations, find the sum of two numbers, and compare two numbers to find the difference between them. We will also focus on developing place value, solve addition combinations to 20 and develop an understanding of the difference model of subtraction.
This month, we will also be preparing for parent-teacher conferences. As soon as we have more information about how this will be taking place this year, we will let you know all the details so you can sign up for a Zoom conference. We will be continuing our Social Emotional Learning this month as well. Of course, we will also be learning about the first Thanksgiving. It will be a busy, busy month! Thank you, as always, for your continued support with your child’s education!
Our Pre-K friends have fun here, there, and everywhere!
Early Childhood
The Early Childhood students enjoyed a fabulous October and are excited about our new month. In November, we will work on a Thanksgiving Unit, the letters F, G, and H, the colors blue and green, the shapes oval and rectangle, and counting to 10 and beyond. We will make several Thanksgiving projects and celebrate all those things for which we are thankful. We are so thankful for all our wonderful families. As parent-teacher conferences approach, we are looking forward to sharing all the progress our students are making. Thank you for your continued support at home!
Music News by Mrs. Joanne Moan
What a month of music-making at Walsh!
Kindergarten: We love movement! We use a special color warmup to get ready for music class, and we have memorized movement for SIX different colors. We studied the horse during our farm unit, and met “My Pony, Macaroni” and the “Wild Horseman”. We listened for the change from high to low in music, and were able to identify the sound AND change our movements to match the music. Wow!
We have been practicing some pumpkin songs, like “Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater” and “Five Little Pumpkins”. We even composed a silly version of “Peter, Peter”! The students were excited to try some magical Halloween songs, like “Old Mrs. Witch” and “The Witch has an Itch”. In November, we will be wrapping up our farm unit with “Farmer in the Dell” and “Barnyard Dance”.
1st Grade: We have been practicing quarter notes and rests, using the song “The Muffin Man”. The students enjoyed creating music room puppets, and soon will be singing to other puppets in class. We practiced moving as a spider, and playing and singing several spider songs, including “Legs and All”. We followed a listening map and explored “In the Hall of the Mountain King”. The students heard and were able to demonstrate slow and fast during the song. The trolls almost got us!
In November, the students will begin learning about Veterans Day, and the service that Veterans have performed for our country. I am excited to teach them a wonderful patriotic song, “This Land is Your Land”.
Art News by Mrs. Deckinga
The 1st grade students will be working on a fall fox collage. We'll be drawing and coloring foxes with either crayon or watercolor, then cutting them out and adding them to a colored background. We'll also paint or color a variety of leaf shapes to add to our festive fall collages.
Spirit Wear for Sale
Check out the school spirit we had last month during Red Ribbon Week below...