News from Sundling Junior High

I hope this communication finds you well as we wrap up the month of December and the 2022 portion of our school year. It is hard to believe, but our students completed the 2nd quarter of school this afternoon, Wednesday, December 21st. Starting this afternoon, students will be on an extended two week (plus) winter break, with school resuming again on Monday, January 9th. Be on the lookout, 2nd Quarter Progress Reports will be made available for students and parents on Friday, January 13th.

Thank you to the amazing Sundling staff, students and community for working together to fill 4+ boxes with new toys for the Palatine 2022 Toys for Tots campaign again this school year. This has been a long lasting tradition for our school community, and I am grateful for the annual donations and support.

As we wrap up Quarter 2, parents and students should check Infinite Campus for any missing assignments or work that needs to be completed. Teachers may still be accepting missing or late work over the winter break, if completed and submitted. As we begin Quarter 3, it is a great time to review progress and reset your goals for the second half of the school year.

I applaud our school community with the great gains we've made over the past semester and look forward to starting 2023 off on the right foot! As a note, when students return to classes in January, we will be participating in a school wide reboot of school expectations and procedures. This will support students as they start a new quarter!

Don’t forget to support our WRS PTA. You can support our school when you purchase items using Amazon Smile with the following link: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/36-3607511.

Thank you for your continued support of our staff and students! It has been a great first half of the school year, and I look forward to the work ahead in 2023. I hope that you have a safe and enjoyable winter break with your family and friends. See you next year.

#sundlingstrong #strongertogether

Take care and Stay well,
Jason Dietz
Principal

Begins Monday, December 12 – Tuesday, January 31

We have another great way to keep students reading and engaged through winter break! Encourage your students to participate and help us reach our goal. When we all read 8,000 books, the Northwest Special Recreation Association gets a grand donation of $1,500 from our sponsors.

Kids that finish get a star shaped stress ball for completing the program! While supplies last. Prizes funded by the Friends of Palatine Library.

Finishers are entered in a drawing for a chance to win an amazing prize basket filled with gift cards generously donated by participating businesses.

Reading Requirement

Birth - Grade 2 : 15 Books

Grades 3 - 6: 5 Books

Grades 7 - 12: 2 Books

Adults: 2 Books

Full program details here.

Watch this short video and share with your students.

While we are eagerly looking forward to some relaxing time off during winter break, District 15 teachers are hard at work planning for learning in January. When we return from break, every school in the district will be reviewing school-wide expectations and engaging in station rotations, where students visit locations throughout the school and discuss appropriate behavior and expectations, such as the hallway, bathroom, and lunchroom. Classroom teachers will also review behavior expectations and classroom routines to ensure students are reminded of what is needed and expected at school.

You can support this work at home as well!

As you prepare to return to school from break, have a conversation with your child about school behavior expectations. Talk about what it looks and sounds like to be respectful, responsible, and safe at school, on the bus, on the playground, in the lunchroom, and in the hallway. Small reminders, support, and encouragement about behavior can have a big impact on how students return to learning in January.

Since school began, we have worked hard to implement new curricular initiatives and manage an increased need for both behavioral and mental health support in students across all of our schools. In response to the needs of our staff and in support of the needs of our students, we will be adjusting the length of the school day on Wednesday, January 11, 2023, from what was listed on our 2022-23 calendar.

Students will be transported home following the same schedule as the first half-day of school. All Preschool (Early Childhood and ECDEC Classrooms) and Half Day Kindergarten (AM and PM) classrooms will not have class on this day. Full-day kindergarten programs (TK, bilingual, and dual language) will follow the schedule below.

Student Half-Day Schedule for Wednesday, January 11, 2023

7:35 -10:35 am

8:25 - 11:25 am

9:15 am - 12:15 pm

9:20 am - 12:20 pm

Conyers Learning Academy

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to your family/work schedule. For students already enrolled in a Park District-sponsored after-school program in Palatine CARE or Hoffman Estates STAR, families can register to extend coverage for the full half-day release.

Hoffman Estates STAR Program
Students currently enrolled in the STAR and KinderSTAR at Frank C. Whiteley and Thomas Jefferson can sign up and attend a half-day program at Willow Recreation Center (WRC) in Hoffman Estates. The cost will be $35 from when school dismisses at 11:25 am (students will be transported to WRC) until 6:00 pm. Students should bring a lunch for the day to eat at Willow Recreation Center. To register, parents/guardians should click here to register through Hoffman Estates Park District (#156415-J2 for January 11). Registration will close on January 4 at 6:00 pm. ** Note – this half-day care is ONLY for current STAR and KinderSTAR families.

Palatine CARE Program
Students currently enrolled in the CARE program at our Palatine schools can sign up and attend a half-day program. Students will be transported by bus from their school to the school listed below at dismissal. The cost will be $35 from when school dismisses to 6:00 pm. Students should bring lunch for the day to eat that day.

• Jane Addams, Lake Louise, and Virginia Lake students will be transported to Winston Campus Elementary
• Lincoln School and Gray M. Sanborn will go to Stuart R. Paddock
• Hunting Ridge and Marion Jordan students will be bused to Pleasant Hill

Click here to register. The CARE program will send out a communication with registration information to all of its families registered in the CARE program.

Rolling Meadows REC Program
All students enrolled at Central Road (CR), Kimball Hill (KH), and Willow Bend (WB) can sign-up regardless of if they are currently enrolled in the after-school program and attend a half-day program through the Rolling Meadows Park District, which will be held at Willow Bend School. Students from KH and CR would be bused to WB at their dismissal times. Families can register to extend coverage for the full half-day release for $30 from when school dismisses until 6:00 pm. Students should bring a lunch for the day to eat. Click here to register through Rolling Meadows Park District.

Should you have any questions, please contact your Park District directly or Dr. Claire Kowalczyk who has worked with our park district partners on this matter. She can be reached at kowalczc@ccsd.15.net. Thank you for your understanding as we work to provide our educators with some additional time and professional development.

Your partner in education,

Laurie Heinz, Ed. D.
Superintendent of Schools

As we wind down the month of November I wanted to send a reminder for school start times. Please remember that school starts at 7:35 AM each day, and students should be in class and ready to learn at that time. The school doors are open for students to enter at 7:20 AM, which gives them 15 minutes to get organized, say a quick hello to friends, and start the day. Please be aware that if a student comes to school after the 7:35 AM bell, or is not in class at the time of the 7:35AM bell, they are considered tardy. Multiple tardies to school will result in administrative follow up, and problem solving to

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL 2022-23

🏐 REGISTRATION LINK 🏐

Registration Opens: November 9, 2022

Registration CLOSES: January 9, 2023, 9:00am

2022-23 Wrestling - All Are Welcome!

⇒ REGISTRATION LINK ⇐

Registration Opens: November 9, 2022

Registration Closes: January 12, 2023

January 11th- 1/2 Day Students (10:35am dismissal)

January 13th- Quarter 2 Progress Reports available in Infinite Campus (afternoon)

January 16th- No School- Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday

January 17th- No School Students- Teacher Institute Day

January 18th- Board of Education Meeting 7:00 PM

January 25th- WRS PTA Meeting 7:00 PM

WRS Family Assistance Form

Metra has launched its 16th Annual Safety Poster and Essay Contest, asking students across Metra's service area to illustrate through posters and essays the importance of safe behaviors near the railroad. This year's theme is "Stay Safe, Stay Off Train Tracks." Deadline for entries is Friday, Jan. 20, 2023.

The Safety Poster and Essay Contest asks students to take on an advocacy role and communicate the importance of safety near the tracks. This year's theme: "Stay Safe, Stay Off Train Tracks" emphasizes the importance of being aware of your surroundings and personal safety when near railroad tracks, platforms, and crossings, which can be extremely dangerous.

More information can be found on the Metra Contest website.

Track and Field and Soccer Special Olympics will be here before we know it! If your child has an Intellectual Disability and is over the age of 8 and interested in either sport or both, please fill out the registration links below. Soccer practices will be on Thursdays and Track and Field will be on Tuesday's from 5-6, locations TBD.

CCSD 15 Track and Field Registration Form 2023 https://forms.gle/42KnK9vuWugVQhYB6

CCSD 15 Soccer Registration Form 2023 https://forms.gle/K4HiK3hwXtGozPvV7

Once registered, you will receive an email with follow up information and forms that will need to be filled out by your child's doctor per Special Olympics. If you have any questions, please reach out to Crystal Miguel, Student Services Coordinator, miguelc@ccsd15.net.

Website: www.ccsd15.net/WRS
Location: 1100 North Smith Street, Palatine, IL, USA
Phone: 847-963-3700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jason.dietz.1217
Twitter: @SundlingJH

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wrsjhpaladins/