IG PARENT NEWSLETTER
NOVEMBER 2018
Indian Grove Elementary School
Assistant Principal: Mrs. Amy Veytsman
Email: mcannata@rtsd26.org
Website: http://ig.rtsd26.org/Home
Location: 1340 North Burning Bush Lane, Mount Prospect, IL, USA
Phone: (847) 298-1976
Facebook: www.facebook.com/IndianGroveSchool
Twitter: @IndianGroveEdu
Our Life Rules: Be Respectful, Be Responsible and Be Ready to Learn!
Message from the Principal
When the darkness sets in as early as 5:00 p.m., we know that winter is right around the corner. Many “creatures” tend to hibernate when the cold weather arrives and the skies turn gray. On the contrary, many things at Indian Grove School are just starting to bloom as the case may be.
During November, the students will learn about more about the election process, perform a Pilgrim play in 5th grade, attend morning STEAM club sessions before school, set a new goal for Accelerated Reader, attend Grover Night, visit Village Hall, participate in collecting food and clothing for our District 26 Give Aways.
Also, the first trimester report card will be sent home in first through fifth grades. We are certain that you will see some student growth since the beginning of the school year. In addition, the PTC is sponsoring its first Gingerbread House Building Night as a social event for families.
Just because the swimming pools, fountains, hot dog stands, golf courses, camps, baseball fields, beaches have closed down as the winter approaches, we will continue to actively learn and to do it in a united fashion. The upcoming months bring perfect opportunities to read some good books by the fire, hone up on math skills by following some wonderful recipes, watch the beauty of nature as the trees and our surroundings prepare to take shelter, attend some fabulous fine arts productions in a fancy theatre or simply enjoy the company of family during the upcoming holidays.
Let us continue to give thanks for what we can experience and have experienced while always looking ahead for the experiences yet to arrive. Too many times the early sunsets and brisk breezes bring about unwanted feelings of hibernation. But, we need to be grateful that we can feel those things and we have family, colleagues, friends, and classmates to share the month and all it has to offer.
Respectfully yours,
Mrs. L. Fisher, Principal
NOVEMBER EVENTS
Thursday - Nov 1 - Late Arrival: 9:20 AM
Monday - Nov 5 - Family Reading Night 7:00 PM in LRC. Children must be with
a parent/guardian.
Tuesday - Nov 6 - District Institute Day - No School
- Board Meeting - 7PM at the Administration Center
Thursday - Nov 8 - Late Arrival: 9:20 AM
-2nd Grade Field Trip (Bowman, Robinson & Russo) Mt Prospect Village Hall
-2nd Grade Grover Night 6:30-7:45 PM
Friday - Nov 9 - Rescreening of Vision and Hearing
- 2nd Grade Field Trip (Ryan & Palumbo) Mt Prospect Village Hall
- End of 1st Trimester
Monday - Nov 12 - PTC Sponsored Author Visit
Wednesday - Nov 14 - 1st Grade Purple Asparagus
- PTC meeting 7:00 PM
Thursday - Nov 15 - Late Arrival: 9:20 AM
Tuesday - Nov 20 - Kindergarten Fire Safety in the classrooms.
Wednesday - Nov 21 - NON-Attendance Day: No school
Thursday - Nov 22 - No School - Holiday - Thanksgiving
Friday - Nov 23 - NON-Attendance Day: No school
Tuesday - Nov 27 - 1st Trimester REPORT CARDS sent home with students.
- Board Meeting - 7PM at the Administration Center
Thursday - Nov 29 - Late Arrival: 9:20 AM
Friday - Nov 30 - PTC Gingerbread House Building 6:00 PM - Lunchroom
Fuel Up To Play 60
Another Great Pumpkin Patch
Many thanks to all the students and families who participated in the 2018 IG Pumpkin Patch on October 29th. It is always amazing to see pumpkins turning into minions, vampires, owls, donuts and many other creative things. We had so many pumpkins that we ran out of participation ribbons! If your child did not receive a participation "medal" then please have him/her stop in the office after November 7. We ordered more so every participant will get one.
Principal of the Day
Subin - Principal of the Day -October 3, 2018
Hello, my name is Subin, and I’m the principal of the day. I want to thank all the teachers I’ve had so far for teaching me to never give up and keep on reading, especially Mrs. Larson, Mrs. Citak, Mrs. Bowman, Ms. Herrick, and Ms. Szwed.
Mrs. Creaser and Ms. Lazarski recommend great books to me.
Thank you very much to my friends who always congratulated me and encouraged me to keep going.
A big part goes to my parents, who always made sure I was on the right track and helping me reach my goals all the time.
I like books, but I like fantasy and mystery the most.
Action-Packed books I’d recommend are Land of Stories, The Inheritance Cycle, The Wide-awake princess series for one of the chapter book favorites, and I also enjoyed reading Sherlock Holmes.
Remember, always read what you enjoy, no matter what! Every time I read a book that catches my interest, books suck me into a new, adventurous world and it feels like you are one of the characters. I read a lot to be principal of the day, so keep reading! Anyone can be like me if they try, and if you are one day, be proud and confident!
Stefan -Principal of the Day-October 16, 2018
Hello, my name Stefan and I am your principal of the day.is
My favorite type of book is fictional.
The book series I read to get here are Warriors, Percy Jackson, Land of Stories, The Genius Files, and Harry Potter.
I read everywhere, at home, at school, in the car, and at the library.
I want to thank my parents, Mrs. Szwed, Mrs. Creaser, and Mrs. Fisher for helping me get the right books.
I hope you enjoy reading and you get to your A.R. goal.
Health Office Donations Needed
Please donate gently worn clothing for the Health Office!
Socks...all children sizes
Shirts/sweatshirts children size 5=16
Pants children size 5-16
Underwear children 5-16
Want to Work at IG?
Lunchroom- Playground Staff Subs Needed!
If you are willing to work 3 hours a day as a lunchroom or playground staff sub at Indian Grove, please contact the principal at lfisher@rtsd26.com. There are times when they are ill and cannot work. There is very little training, you must be firm but friendly and you must love working with children. Values of respect and responsibility are also a must for this position.
Interested applicants must go through our district hiring procedures including securing a physical, a background check and online application. Feel free to apply online at www.rtsd26.org and click on Employment Opportunities. It’s a great way to be involved with the school and get paid for doing it!
Entrance to the School
Visitors must STOP IN THE OFFICE TO SIGN IN BETWEEN 7:50 AM & 4:15 PM. All doors into the school will be locked at all times including the main entrance. Visitors can be allowed in by buzzing the office outside of Door #1. This policy is not intended to discourage parents from visiting Indian Grove School, but it is simply intended to provide an additional measure of safety and security for our children. Please do not drop children off before 8:20 a.m. There is no adult supervision until 8:20 a.m.
Also, if you need to drop off anything to your child after 8:40 AM, bring it to the office for delivery. Please DO NOT bring it to the room yourself. The front door will be locked by 4:30 PM each day. If you or your child needs to pick up a forgotten item, please do so before 4:30 PM.
Late Arrival Every Thursday
There is a block of time each week designed to be used for professional development for staff members. By allowing for a consistent amount of time set aside for training, we are making certain that our teachers remain highly trained in educational best practices and ensure that our students receive the very best education possible.
Only the start times for the student day are affected, the dismissal times remain unchanged. This means that students still receive the same amount of instructional time each week.
Indian Grove Student Hours
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, & Friday - 8:35 AM - 3:30 PM (late bell rings at 8:40 AM). Students may be dropped off between 8:20 – 8:35 AM.
Thursday - 9:25 AM - 3:30 PM (late bell will ring at 9:30 AM). Students may be dropped off between 9:10 – 9:25 AM.Safety First
We all know to be careful in the parking lot during drop off and pick up times. But parking lot safety must be followed AT ALL TIMES. We still have drivers doing U-turns after dropping off children at Kid Squad before 8:00 a.m. or they are not paying attention to pedestrians in the lot when driving. There are NO U-TURNS allowed in the lot at any time. As stated before, dropping off and picking up students must be done by door #6 and not any further east. Let's all work together so that our students, staff, and parents stay safe on the school campus.
Dismissal Procedures
Children who walk or are picked up by parents on foot will leave by way of the north playground by door #14. Bus riders will leave by way of the main door (#1) by our office. Children who are being picked up in a vehicle will leave by the south door #6 by the kindergarten classrooms.
Indian Grove’s south parking lot has four visitor parking spaces. These are the spaces to the left when entering the lot. There are signs clearly marking the area. THESE SPACES ARE NOT TO BE USED FOR DROPPING OFF OR PICKING UP STUDENTS before and after school. These spaces are for visitors who are coming into the school for an appointment, sick child, meeting, volunteer time, etc. The rest of the spaces are reserved for staff. THERE IS NO FOOT TRAFFIC ALLOWED IN THE PARKING LOT BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL.
Picking Up Students at 4:15 PM
We are now in full swing with the 2018-19 school year. This means there are many after school activities, classes and clubs that meet from 3:30 - 4:15 P.M. Students who stay after school must either take the activity bus home (free of charge), walk or be picked up by an adult. All walkers and bussers should exit Door #1 by the main office. All students getting picked up by an adult must exit by Door #6. Drivers must wait in line by Door #6 for their students. Please do not park in the pick-up line and leave your vehicle. Staff members will be by both locations directing students.
School Absences
Remember to call the office when your child is absent from school. Calls can be made 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to our attendance line. Just dial 874.298.1976 and press 1. By doing this before the school day starts, it saves our staff time in trying to find out if a child is present that day. Excused absences are given for illness, doctor visits and family emergencies. All other absences are considered unexcused.
Playground Safety
Many students exit each day at 3:30 p.m. onto the north playground. Students should have an adult waiting to meet them once school is dismissed. If you wait on Barb’s Playground at 3:30, PLEASE watch your children if they are going to stay and play on the equipment. We have many students running down into the ravine (west of the equipment) and this is UNSAFE. Parents and other adults are responsible for supervising their children on school grounds once they pick them up after school.
1st GRADE PROGRAM: PURPLE ASPARAGUS
Please mark your calendars for the monthly Purple Asparagus program. Once a month, the 1st graders will learn about nutrition and healthy eating. The dates and topics of each Purple Asparagus class during the year are:
· November 14 – Cranberries
· December 19 – Oranges
· January 16 - Chocolate
· February 13 – Beans
· March 13 – Roots
· April 17 – Herbs
· May 15 – Berries
Reminders...
All KINDERGARTEN students and new students to Illinois schools require a physical exam. no later than October 15th. Students who do not have a physical by this date WILL NOT be allowed back at school form for this exam that your pediatrician must complete.
With so much information shared electronically via email, voicemail, fax, web pages, etc., the amount of copy paper we use at our school decreases each school year. In order to keep up the “green” movement and decrease paper waste, ALL HANDOUT, BULLETINS, LETTERS, ETC., WILL EITHER BE E-MAILED TO PARENTS/GUARDIANS OR POSTED ON OUR INDIAN GROVE MAIN WEB PAGE.
- We will no longer be photocopying newsletters, most forms, schedules, etc., coming from our MAIN OFFICE. Occasionally, we may need to send information home via a paper handout, but it is our goal to get as much done via electronic communication. If hard copies are sent home with students, they will be ONE per family and will go home with the youngest child in the family. Please contact our school office if this poses a problem for your family.
Preschool Screenings Information
RTSD26 will offer preschool screenings to all District 3 and 4 year olds suspected of having a developmental delay. In addition, we will also be screening students to see if they are eligible for the ECDEC preschool program and our Bilingual Spanish Preschool program. To be eligible for these programs, families must meet specific criteria, such as speaking a second language in the home, income level, or other criteria that can be explained to you at the screening.
If you are concerned that your child has a delay in vision, hearing, motor, speech, language, cognition and/or social functioning, call 224- 612-7308 to set up a screening time. All screenings are done by appointment only and take place at Parkview. Screenings are held on Thursdays and are once a month through April.
If you are unsure if your child is developing appropriately, please consult with your child's preschool teacher or pediatrician for advice. The Center for Disease Control offers the following information: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html
Your child must be at least 3 years old at the time of screening. Screenings are staffed by educational professionals and therapists who will make recommendations for further action to parents. All screenings are at Indian Grove and by appointment only. Translation services are available. To make an appointment in Spanish, please call Mrs. Perez or Mrs. Santiago at 224-612-7402
SCREENINGS DATES: (2018/2019): 11/8, 12/13, 1/10, 2/14, 3/14 & 4/18
Board of Education
Your district’s Board of Education meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of every month at 7:00 PM. Meetings are held either at a school or the Education Service Center (ESC), 1900 East Kensington Road, Mount Prospect. The ESC is the administration center adjacent to Park View School. At one of the semi-monthly meetings, an education report is presented. These reports highlight something special happening in the district.
You are cordially invited to attend, ask questions, and learn about the district. Copies of the Board’s agendas and minutes are posted on the district’s web site at http://www.rtsd26.org. Please contact the Superintendent’s office (847) 297-4120 x 7301 for information concerning Board meetings.
If you want a Board member to contact you, please call the Superintendent’s office and leave your name and telephone number. A Board member will return your call.