Wildcat Chat
Washington School: May Issue 2017
Letter from Mrs. Daly
Dear Washington Families,
Springtime is here, and besides warmer weather, beautiful blooms, and baseball’s first pitch, the season brings those of us who work in schools a frenzied pace as we begin to formally plan for next year while continuing to engage children in the important learning that must be mastered this year.
Please make sure you present all required registration documents by June 1st so your children get placed on a class list. If your family is not returning to Washington School next year for any reason, please email me and let me know. As we look ahead to this final stretch – hard to believe we’ve only five weeks left. We will be wrapping up the school year with continued learning, field trips, and planning for next year.
We have completed the PARCC assessment, the new State accountability assessment that replaced the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT). Spring assessments also include the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) or (MAP) measure of academic progress that will start on May 5th and occur the week of May 8th in grades 2nd – 5th. This computerized assessment tool provides an individualized look at your child’s development in reading and mathematics. Please note that NWEA reports will be sent home at the end of the school year, whereas PARCC results are not expected until the fall of next year.
Remember, the last day of school for students is Thursday, June 1st. I am wishing all of you a relaxing and enjoyable summer. Please look at the calendar of events button for August and back to school dates.
Warmly,
Mrs. Daly
Washington Principal
Fidgets at School
Fidgets are self-regulation tools to help with focus, attention, calming, and active listening. Fidgets are for your hands and not your eyes, no one should see a fidget when you use it. There are many items that can be used as fidgets, and there have been many new ones introduced as of late. It is important to remember that fidgets promote movement and tactile input that is critical for some student’s learning. However, many of these new fidgets can be seen as toys, but fidgets used in school need to be items that are touched and not seen. They can be used in pockets, inside desks, between their legs, but once they are in the line of sight they become toys. We encourage students to use fidgets when necessary, but when they become toys we will ask that they be brought home. Also, like all items brought to school we are not responsible for them, it is your child’s responsibility to make sure their fidgets are put away when not in use.
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Author Visit at Washington... David Schwartz. Thank you PTO
A special thank you goes out to Sue Biaggi, Millie Dobrilovic, and the Washington PTO for bringing author and presenter David Schwartz to Washington School. From the individual grade level assemblies on Monday to the Writer’s Workshops on Tuesday and Wednesday for our fourth and fifth graders, our students enjoyed themselves and learned about writing at the same time. David is an author who brings his love of math and science into the books he writes. This was a great way to show students that learning is multidimensional and fun. Please take some time to discuss this experience with your children, and if you purchased one or more of his books, I am sure you will enjoy them as much as we did. Reading them with your children would be a great way for them to share this experience with you.
New video now available for family discussion: how to create a positive "digital footprint"
The best place to start your child’s District 64 education….is right here in District 64.
Jefferson School is still accepting registration for 3 and 4 year olds for the 2017-18 school year. The District 64 preschool program welcomes children of all abilities, as the classrooms are designed to educate children with a variety of abilities, interests, and needs within a play based preschool environment. The teachers are highly qualified and certified through the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) in early childhood, special education and teaching English Language Learners. In addition to the preschool teachers, the classrooms are supported by a speech pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, and social worker. Therefore, a low student to teacher ratio (1:5) is maintained with class sizes as low as 15 students.
The curriculum, Creative Curriculum, is a research-based and developmentally appropriate curriculum that is aligned to the Illinois Early Learning and Development (IELDS) and Common Core Standards. The program focuses on the four domain areas of development: cognitive, language, physical, and social/emotional so students are well prepared for kindergarten in District 64. For additional information about the program visit the Jefferson website. If you would like a tour of the program contact the Jefferson principal, Lisa Halverson, at 847-318-4249.
Click here to complete the preschool application for the 2017-18 school year.
On the District website go to Step 1 to complete the pre-enrollment form. After your residency documents are reviewed for accuracy and completeness you will be notified if your child has a spot or will be on the waitlist.
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Washington School
Email: sdaly@d64.org
Website: http://www.d64.org/wes/
Phone: 847-318-4360
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Washington-Elementary-School-Park-Ridge-Niles-1390702047844919/?fref=ts
Twitter: @dalytalk