Milne Grove Messenger
December 2018 & January 2019
Highlighted Dates to Remember (see linked calendar for full schedule of events)
Home Alone Movie Night at MG: December 7
Late Start Morning - arrive at 9:15 please: December 18
Holiday Program @ Rialto: December 18
PM K & Early Learners Holiday Parties: Dec 20
Holiday Parties & Early Dismissal Grades 1-3 & AM K: Dec 21
Winter Break: December 22-January 7
Classes Resume: January 8
Late Start Morning: January 15
Semester 2 Midterm Reports sent home: January 18
PTO Family Paint Day at KG: January 19
MLK Day - No School: January 21
Family Game Night at MG: January 25
Help the 3rd Grade with the Giving Tree service project!
Mittens! Hats! Gloves!
Scarves! Socks!
Earmuffs!
The 3rd Graders at Milne Grove are hosting the Giving Tree Event for these cold winter months.
In the spirit of the holiday season, we are inviting anyone who would like to donate any of the following warm, new clothing items: mittens, hats, gloves, scarves, socks, and earmuffs.
If you wish to donate, please send these items with your child to school in a plastic bag before Friday, December 14th. Your child’s items will be placed on Milne Groves Giving Trees which are proudly displayed in the upstairs hallways. The donations will then be sent to a local charity.
Thank you in advance for any donations.
The Third Grade Team & Students
BOARD OF EDUCATION ELECTION IN APRIL 2019
Seeking Board of Education Candidates!
FILING DEADLINE: DECEMBER 17, 2018
THREE of our school board members’ terms will conclude in April. A consolidated election
will be held on April 2, 2019. If you are interested in running for a position on the school
board, December 17, 2018 is the last day for candidates to file petitions at the Will County
Clerk’s Office.
PLEASE TAKE THE 5 ESSENTIALS SURVEY!
MG NEEDS YOUR INPUT!
Principal's Page
Dear Parents & Caregivers,
It was amazing to see such a great turn out of families at Family Reading Night & conferences in November! I am so impressed by how invested you are in your children's success and grateful for your partnership. The faculty and staff of Milne Grove School is proud that you have entrusted us with your most precious gifts! We ask that you take time to complete the 5 Essentials Survey in order to provide us essential feedback to make our school a better place! A link can be found above this "article". Thank you in advance for your help.
December is full of activity & celebration; please see the calendar for details on all of the happenings! On Tuesday, December 18th, Milne Grove students will join KG's choir & 4th/5th grade students in the annual holiday performance. Mrs. Randolph has done a spectacular job of securing an alternate venue; this very special show will be held at the Rialto Square Theater in Joliet (one year only due to the construction in KG's old gym). Please note that there will be ONE PERFORMANCE this year; doors open at 10:30am and the show will begin at 11:00 am.
Winter Notes:
If your family is impacted by illness this winter, we would like to remind you to call the district attendance line to report absences by 9am. If you would like to request homework, you should do so in that message and indicate whether you will pick it up or wish for it to be sent home with another student.
Since it has been quite cold the past few weeks, I would like to remind caregivers that students line up and have recess outside as long as it is 20 degrees or over. We would like to see children wearing heavy coats, hats, and gloves each day in order to stay warm. If your child does not have winter gear, please contact our office and we will make sure warm gear is provided.
In case of emergency closings, there are lots of ways to get the information. The district will send out a call, email, and text. In addition, our website, WJOL, and the Emergency Closing Center will be updated.
School will be out for winter break from Saturday, December 22nd through Monday, January 7th. Students return to class on Tuesday, January 8th. This holiday season, I wish your family peace, love and happiness.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Koziol
Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on November 19 & 20; both evening and morning hours are available. This is a wonderful opportunity to ask any questions that you have and hear first-hand how your child is progressing.
Once again, we will offer online sign up using PTC Wizard. Please see the link below and contact our office with ANY questions or problems. We are happy to schedule a time for you if technology is not your thing.
This is the only formal conference that we will offer throughout the year, though I encourage you to contact your child’s teacher whenever you have questions or concerns.
If you would like to conference with me, I have plenty of times available – please call or email to set up a conference time!
Mrs. Jaime Koziol, Principal
815-838-0542 x2104
Mrs. Cindy Dragosh, Secretary
815-838-0542x2100
Notes From the Nurse
I have a few reminders to pass along to assist you in the upcoming months.
1. Current Kindergarten and Second grade students are required by the State of Illinois to have a dental exam form completed and turned in by May 15, 2019. Many of the students have completed the dental requirement but there are still a few students not in compliance with this law. According to the law, report cards can be withheld if the dental form is not on file.
2. Many children have been coming to the Health Office for coughs, chapped lips, dry skin, headaches, etc. We are not able to provide Tylenol / Motrin, cough drops etc. without authorization and you must supply the needed item. If you feel your child will need one or more of these items, please complete a yellow medication release form and return it to school with the item to be given to your child. These items will be kept in the Health Office for administration as needed.
3. If your child has a cold with a frequent cough or congestion or requires medication for symptoms, please keep them home until they are able to be at school comfortably and without the aid of medication.
4. If your child has a rash, sore throat, pink eyes, discharge from the eyes please keep your child home. It is recommended that you visit a health professional to determine if the condition is contagious. Children with suspected pink eye or strep will be sent home. A note is required from the doctor in order to return to school.
5. Children with fevers may not return to school until they are fever free for 24 hours without the aid of Tylenol or Motrin.
6. Children diagnosed with pink eye (conjunctivitis) must be on antibiotic drops for 24 hours before returning to school. A doctor’s note is required.
7. Children who have vomiting or diarrhea may not return to school until 24 hours after the last episode.
8. When calling in a child’s absence from school, please give the reason for the absence, such as a cold, flu, vomiting, headache etc. this helps the health office keep on top of illness trends, gives us a heads up when the child returns to school and provides information required by the Will County Health Department.
Please remind your child to wash their hands and use good hygiene to prevent the spread of germs. Please feel free to call or stop by the Health Office if you have any questions or concerns about your child or any of the above information.
Mrs. Gilkerson, RN
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at 815-838-0542 ex. 2106 or at sgilkerson@d91.net.
PTO News
December 6th & 7th: PTO Holiday Shop --Students will shop during their school day.
- Week of December 10th: Yankee Candle Pick Up at Milne Grove
- December 19th: PTO Meeting at 6pm at Milne Grove
- January 14th: PTO Mangia Pizza Fundraiser
- January 14th: PTO Little Caesars Fundraiser begins
- January 17th: Daddy/Daughter Dance Meeting at Milne Grove
- January 19th: Family Paint Day
- January 23rd: PTO Meeting at 6pm at Kelvin Grove
- January 25th: Little Caesars Fundraiser Orders Due
Email d91.pto.info@gmail.com with questions!
Like the D91 PTO on Facebook!
The Latest from the LRC
Book Notes
We have begun reading the 2017 Monarch Award nominated books and will be concentrating on these until the kids vote for their favorite in March. We will take a break to read one of my very favorites, “The Night Before Christmas.”
PumpkinPalooza & Food Drive
We had about fifty great entries in our annual pumpkin decorating contest and raised 13 boxes of food that we donated to Bags of Hope and the Lockport Food Pantry! See my webpage for contest winners: tumino.weebly.com .
Family Reading Night
Our annual Family Reading Night was held on November 16 - we all had a great time and picked up some great new learning strategies! Thank you to all the volunteer bakers and staff who made the event possible.
Bluestem Bunch
We will be offering this after-school book club for third graders after Winter Break. Interested students will be required to read at least four of the books nominated for the state’s Bluestem Award on their own. We will meet to discuss the books from January until we vote in March. Forms will be sent home with third graders before break.
Pizza Hut Book It
The LRC is helping run this reading incentive this year. All students K-3 were provided with reading logs in October. If you need replacements, please see my webpage. Simply record your regular reading and earn a free pizza!
Six Flags Read to Succeed
This annual program will be starting in December. Watch for forms!
Volunteer Corner
I’d like to thank Heather Jerz, Peter Klauser and Jaime Dixon for all their help shelving library books - this place would be a disaster without them!
Mrs. Tumino
ltumino@d91.net ~ 815-838-0542, x2122 Follow me on Twitter!
Physical Education Feats
During December and January students will participate in many seasonal and holiday games and activities!
Our 3rd graders have started to learn about different muscles they use during their Workout Wednesdays! They will continue learning all about muscles and even start to learn about how their hearts get exercise too!
Be on the lookout during the month of January for information regarding The Kids Heart Challenge! The Kids Heart Challenge is formerly known as Jump Rope for Heart. This is a fundraising activity that our school will be participating in again. All students will attend an assembly in January to kick off the program. Fundraising will continue through the month of January and February and we will wrap everything up with a fun-filled event!
Last year our school was able to raise over $12,000! We’re hoping to raise even more this year!
-Mrs. Draper
Please contact Mrs. Draper at kdraper@d91.net with questions about what your child is learning in gym!
Bags of Hope Weekly Food Donation Pledge
3rd Grade
Thank you for coming to conferences. We really enjoyed discussing your child’s progress with you and look forward to continuing to work with you throughout the remainder of the year.
ELA:
§ Please read with your child and help him/her to continue to grow in fluency and comprehension.
Math:
§ Please work with your student on fact fluency for addition, subtraction, and multiplication. If you would like additional resources for fact practice, please visit the third grade page under math.
§ You can use the Go Math link to review lessons at home and assist with concept questions.
Please feel free to contact your child’s teacher with any questions or concerns and have a wonderful winter break!
Thank you,
The Third Grade Team
Mrs. McGreevy, 3rd grade teacher, hmcgreevy@d91.net
Mrs. Stanly, 3rd grade teacher, lstanly@d91.net
Mrs. Steed, 3rd grade teacher, csteed@d91.net
Mrs. Visser, Reading Specialist, avisser@d91.net
Mrs. Fiday, Special Education Teacher, lfiday@d91.net
Mrs. Phillips, Reading Aide, bphillips@d91.net
Mrs. Heintz, Math Aide, mheintz@d91.net
2nd Grade
The second grade teachers want to wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday!
Math
Continue to practice the addition facts.
2 digit addition and subtraction with and without regrouping
Problem solving
We will introduce subtraction fact practice.
Reading
Continue to practice the spelling and vocabulary words.
Some activities you can do at home are: making words, writing the words in sentences or in a story, or drawing pictures
Social Studies
Our new topic will be,”The World Around Us.” Students will learn about physical features of specific places around the world, and maps and globes.
Science
We will continue with our study of The Earth’s Systems.
Topics will be: mapping our world and forms of water on Earth
Handwriting
We will begin to introduce cursive starting with the lower case letters.
The Second Grade Team
Mrs. Bolte, 2nd grade teacher, mbolte@d91.net
Mrs. Georgopulos, 2nd grade teacher, rgeorgopulos@d91.net
Miss Podwika, 2nd grade teacher, kpodwika@d91.net
Mrs. Visser, Reading Specialist, avisser@d91.net
Mrs. Fiday, Special Education Teacher, lfiday@d91.net
Mrs. Phillips, Reading Aide, bphillips@d91.net
Mrs. Heintz, Math Aide, mheintz@d91.net
1st Grade
Reading/ELA
Students will be concentrating on the phonics/spelling patterns of endings of -ing and -ed on short vowel words. Students will be learning how to double the consonant before adding the -ing ending. We will also be working on discriminating between long and short vowel words.
We will be focusing on comprehension topics such as cause and effect, drawing conclusions and identifying character attributes.
In writing we will be working on creating opinion pieces. This is a good way for students to express their own points of view.
Grammar will be all about using and identifying nouns, verbs and adjectives correctly in sentences.
Please be sure to visit the Superkids Online Fun at home to have your child practice their phonetic patterns and to increase their fluency with stories we’ve already read.
Math
December/January will be full of connecting addition and subtraction to see how they are related. This will include creating fact families.
Please continue working on the flashcards that are sent home to help improve your child’s fact fluency.
Social Studies
Our focus in Social Studies during the month of December will be focusing on learning about culture and traditions. Students will be bringing home a family activity to discuss their family traditions during the holidays.
We wish everyone a happy holiday season!
The First Grade Team
Mrs. O'Halloran, 1st grade teacher, mohalloran@d91.net
Mrs. Preboy, 1st grade teacher, cpreboy@d91.net
Mrs. Visser, Reading Specialist, avisser@d91.net
Mrs. Fiday, Special Education Teacher, lfiday@d91.net
Mrs. Phillips, Reading Aide, bphillips@d91.net
Mrs. Heintz, Math Aide, mheintz@d91.net
Kindergarten
At this point in second trimester we are beginning to use more of our “Kindergarten Writing” as we label pictures and create sentences. “Kindergarten Writing” is when the students write the letters they hear in a word. It helps them separate the sounds and sequence them on paper. Please be sure to encourage this kind of writing at home too. Please watch this video for more information.
Mrs. Adams - sadams@d91.net
Mrs. Visser, Reading Specialist, avisser@d91.net
Mrs. Fiday, Special Education Teacher, lfiday@d91.net
Mrs. Phillips, Reading Aide, bphillips@d91.net
Mrs. Heintz, Math Aide, mheintz@d91.net
Early Learners Preschool
Upcoming Events:
Week of December 3rd - The Early Learners will make special gifts and ornaments for their parents. They will also be introduced to the number nine.
Week of December 10th - The Early Learners will be reviewing the letters A, C, W, F, V, I, L, M, J, & S. They will also be introduced to the number ten.
Week of December 17th - The Early Learners will be introduced to the square shape. They will also review the numbers zero to ten.
Week of January 7th - The Early Learners will be introduced to the letter Q. Queens will be the theme of the week. They will also be introduced to the number eleven and the color purple.
Week of January 14th - The Early Learners will be introduced to the letter K. Kings will be the theme of the week. They will also be introduced to the number twelve.
Week of January 21st - The Early Learners will be introduced to the letter P. Penguins will be the theme of the week. They will also be introduced to the number thirteen and review patterns.
Week of January 28th - The Early Learners will be introduced to the letter D. Dinosaurs will be the theme of the week. The Early Learners will also be introduced to the number fourteen and the diamond shape. They will also discuss dental health.
Dates to Remember:
Thursday, December 6th, Shop at the PTO Holiday Shop at 1:15pm.
Tuesday, December 18th, Field Trip to Kelvin Grove School for Holiday Program at 1:15pm. The bus will leave Milne Grove at 12:50pm.
Wednesday, December 20th, Holiday Party from 1:30pm. to 2:30pm.
Wednesday, December 20th, Holiday Program for Early Learners Families in the LRC from 2:40p.m. to 3:00pm.
Friday, December 21st, NO CLASS, School Improvement Day
Monday, December 24th to Monday, January 7th, NO SCHOOL, Winter Break
Tuesday, January 8th, School Resumes
Monday, January 21st, NO SCHOOL, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Thursday, January 24th, Family Fun Event at Richland School in Crest Hill from 6:00pm. to 7:00pm.
The PK Team
Miss Robin, PK Teacher, rtorkelson@d91.net
Miss Sonya, Bilingual Liaison, spederson@d91.net
Miss Ginte, PK aide, gjonikas@d91.net
The Speech Spot with Mrs. Barker
Looking for a holiday gift idea for your child? May I suggest purchasing a Board (not bored) game! I love board games and utilize many board games as a part of my therapy when working with Milne Grove students. Board games encourage face to face interaction and promote the development of turn-taking, communication and cognitive skills. Most board games I use are “open ended” and can be used to help practice speech sounds and vocabulary as well as spelling words and math facts. For example, when it is your turn you have to read your vocabulary words before you can roll. Tedious practice suddenly becomes much more fun. I’ve included a list of Milne Grove Speech/Language Student approved board games. Happy shopping!!
Ants In The Pants /Milton Bradley
Break The Ice/Hasbro
Connect 4/ Milton Bradley & Hasbro
Duck Duck Goose/ Milton Bradley
FlowerPot Game/ Orchard Toys
Hop Along Frogs/ Ravensburger
Let’s Go Fishing /Pressman
Jumpin Monkeys /Pressman
Mouse Match/ Ideal
Pop The Pig/ Tomy
Pop Up Pirate/ Tomy
Shelby’s Snack Shack/ Educational Insights
Silly Socks Game/ Pressman
Snails Pace Race/ Ravensburger
Squiggly Worms/ Pressman
The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game/ Educational Insights
Language Games
Guess Who/ Hasbro Guess Where/ Hasbro
Hed Banz/ Spin Master
Mystery Garden/Ravensburger
Zingo Bingo/ Think Fun
Mrs. Barker Speech/Language Patholog
Savvy Solutions with Mrs. DeSandre
by Mrs. DeSandre, Milne Grove Social Worker
This Month’s Topic: Homework Solutions that Work!
Getting Started
When your child gets home from school, they may want to jump in right away and work on homework, or they may want to relax for a little while before completing homework. (Both ways are OK!) Make sure the environment is comfortable for them, well lit, and distraction free. (Electronics off and away from other noises.) Make sure your child has all the necessary materials before beginning homework.
Staying Motivated
Establish homework rules (set time, place) and reward your child for following rules (verbal praise, playing a game afterwards) Does your child ever feel restless or unfocused when completing homework? Suggest that they try and move to a new spot in the home, preferably one that is still quiet and free from distraction. For example, they might finish a math worksheet at the kitchen table and then read a book on the couch. If your child appears to need a break, allow for some break time between assignments. Make positive comments about school and the importance of completing homework to keep them motivated.
Solving Problems
Encourage independence! Help your child make a list of strategies or resources they can use when they get stuck. For math homework, they might try tools like using a number line or drawing a picture to help solve a problem. For reading homework, they can use a dictionary or reread a paragraph. Still encourage your child to ask for help when necessary.
Keeping Calm
Yes, homework can be a challenging and difficult time of day… Be a good role model! Stay calm and do not show frustration when helping your child. Your child will pick up on your behaviors and reactions. Do your best to encourage and motivate! Choose your battles. It will help both of you in the long run. If you are noticing a difficult homework experience, yet have continued to try various positive strategies, have someone else step in. Perhaps a different parent, an older sibling, a relative, or a tutor could try working with your child to help him/her complete homework. Sometimes a switch of help is all that is needed!
Resources: Home and School Connection: Working Together for School Success. Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated, 2014.
Art
All kindergarten through third grade students will be constructing a personal ceramic Christmas ornament to share with their families throughout the month of December. Each grade level with have a different theme; however, each and every one will be sure to shine and sparkle on the tree. As we move into January, we will focus on color, the color wheel, basic color blending and color relationships. Each grade level will complete several paintings with different artist inspirations, painting techniques, and color schemes. Be sure to ask your child about their masterpiece – you will be amazed at what you discover! Be sure to also notice your child’s artist statement and project description on the backside of their work. Each grade level is encouraged to vocalize something memorable about their work or the experience. We have so much fun in art – it is easy to talk about it!
Thank you for your support and interest in the art department at Milne Grove School. If you would like additional information, please be sure to view the Art Page on the district website for more art news and basic information about your child’s art education at Milne Grove. Happy Holidays!
Mrs. Cravens
Technology
Technology Class- Mrs. Lakics
Students have been working on Thanksgiving themed projects in technology class. Kindergarten and 1st grade worked on adding images in Google Docs next to words that describe Thanksgiving. 2nd grade worked on math themed Thanksgiving games. 3rd grade worked on creating a Google Slide presentation that showed what they are thankful for. They learned how to add a theme, different layouts, images, transitions, and animations to their presentation. Please visit Mrs. Lakics’ website for more information and ideas.
mrslakicstechnologyclass.weebly.com
Digital Citizenship Family Activity
Topic: Keep it Private
Mrs. Lakics
Music Notes
To Contact Mrs. Randolph K-8 Music & KG Chorus Director
Email: srandolph@d91.net PHONE: 815-838-0737 ext. 1140
A new and exciting ONE TIME opportunity is being planned for our audience on Tuesday, December 18, 2018 with FREE admission open to the public. Lockport District # 91 Kindergarten through Fifth Grade Students, Kelvin Grove Chorus, and select KG student Organists will present the music revue “I Love Christmas” at the Rialto Theatre (102 North Chicago Street) in Joliet https://rialtosquare.com/info/location/ . Doors will open at 10:30 with KG student organists playing the Rialto Theatre’s Grand Barton Theatre Pipe Organ as the audience enters QUIETLY. The program will start at 11 am ending at noon.
As you know, due to the closing of the Kelvin Grove small gym where the stage and our professional lighting, sound, and snow machine are, we had no place large enough to hold the show on our already announced date during school hours. I looked into EVERY facility, school, University, and theatre near Lockport that could hold 400+ students all performing at the same time on 18 sets of risers with an audience of at least 500 per show and none were large enough or available on our date and time. Thanks to the wonderful TEAM at the professional Rialto Theatre in Joliet who have agreed to help our District! Thank you to all of the parents who volunteered to help decorate and set up when the show was to be at KG. However, I will not be able to use you to help at the Rialto. The Rialto professionals have to do all of it for us in 1 hour.
NOTES:
ONLY ONE performance for this show.
PERMISSION SLIPS for ALL students going to the Rialto must be signed & returned to their homeroom teacher.
AFTERNOON KINDERGARTEN will perform with this morning show.
COSTUME: Students wear their best clothes for performance. Don’t buy something just for the program. Try not to wear anything with advertising on it.
STUDENTS (about 400): Kindergarten and First Grade students will be singing on the stage and return to seats in the theatre after they have performed. Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth & KG Chorus will sing on the stage. Second, Third & KG Chorus Part 1 will sing on the audience’s right side nearest and Fourth, Fifth & KG Chorus Part 2 will sing on the audience’s left side
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING RULES while at the Rialto (we are guests in their Theatre):
CONCERT ETIQUETTE (Manners): Remain seated and quiet for the 45 minute program
PICTURES/ VIDEOS: You may bring your own camera to video only segments but NOT the entire show! NO flash or lights and NO POSTING to the INTERNET, YouTube, etc. for copyright +!
AUDIENCE SEATING: must fill in all seats filling front to back of theatre to get everyone to fill lower part of theatre. Balcony will not be opened unless lower level is completely filled.
SMALL CHILDREN: given that we are in a professional theatre and different venue, if you bring small children that may require you to leave the theatre during the program, please make sure you sit on the end seat toward the back of the theatre. Due to the fact that these are adult theatre seats that fold up, we request you hold small children on your lap for your child’s safety.
Thank you for your support, patience and understanding as we present this very special program.
Want to Volunteer for the Holiday Program? Return this Form!
Substitutes Needed!!
Order Your Yearbook Today! Only $20
See Link Below & Enter Yearbook ID Code 13213819
You can also send a check payable to Lockport District 91 / MG Yearbook to the office!
For More Information on Milne Grove School:
Email: jkoziol@d91.net
Website: www.d91.net
Location: 565 East 7th Street, Lockport, IL, United States
Phone: 815-838-0542
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/milnegrove/
Twitter: @milnegrove