The Central Scoop
October 26, 2018
From the Principal's Desk...
Dear Parents,
We are looking forward to celebrating Halloween this Wednesday, October 31st. Just like in past years, children may dress in costumes. We will be holding our annual parade outside starting in the front of the building at 9:00AM. We walk along the sidewalk and make one big loop around the school. Parents can view the parade anywhere along the sidewalk. Please remember that for the school parade, students are not allowed to bring weapons or wear a costume that "is in bad taste." If you are skeptical about your child's choice of costume, your instincts are probably correct. :-) If it rains, the parade will be moved indoors for students and staff only. Due to security concerns, there will not be an indoor parade for parents. We will do our best to notify parents if the parade is moved indoors, but also understand that because the parade is scheduled for 9:00 AM, it could be a last-minute, "game day" decision. More information about our parade and classroom parties will be shared by the classroom teachers.
Also note that this Wednesday is an early release day for students. Students in grades 1-4 will be dismissed at 11:55AM and kindergarten will be dismissed at 10:00AM. There is no PM kindergarten on this day.
** More information about our parade, costumes, and classroom parties will be shared by the classroom teachers.
Have a wonderful weekend,
~ Becky
Rebecca Littmann
Principal
Central Elementary School
Special Guests at the School Board Meeting
- It is important to have choice in how we learn best. We like that our furniture can move and we can move too! Flexible seating makes our classroom a more fun and active place to learn.
- Flexible seating gives us the responsibility to make good choices about where we sit and who we sit with.
- Flexible seating lets us choose between hard seating and soft seating so we can sit where we’re comfortable and able to focus on our work.
Supporting Our Writer's Workshop Model at Home
Last week, our district had the opportunity to come together for a professional development day. We are dedicated to the continued growth and development of our teaching team, and days like last Monday offer time for collaboration and learning that will directly support our students’ learning and skills.
One of the focused training areas was writing instruction. Two years ago, we began using a new instructional resource to support our curriculum, the Lucy Calkins Writing Workshop model. As a result of the workshop model, you may notice some changes in your child’s writing. Thus, I wanted to share some key “takeaways” so that you can support your young writer(s) at home:
Focus on the writing process, not the final product. The goal is to write more because research tells us that increased opportunities for writing improve skills! Focus on your child’s efforts, and on the vivid use of details, and figurative language that your child is using. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes are part of this process, but not the main focus. The goal is to help your child get his/her ideas in writing.
Every piece of writing will not be turned into a polished final product. That’s okay! We hope to gradually increase your child’s comfort and ability to embrace the editing process, and that’s quite an accomplishment!
Children love to write for a specific purpose and for a real audience! If you want to encourage writing at home, try having your child write about a specific experience in a letter to grandma or a blog that other family members can follow. As an extra bonus, it is highly motivating if family members can write back to your young writer.
Storytelling is a big part of writing. Encourage your child to tell you stories, even if they aren’t ready to write them down yet. If your child draws a picture to tell their story, ask him/her to describe it. This is how we all started as writers! Becoming a writer takes time.
The home-school partnership is vital to student academic success. We are excited to share this information with you so that you can support our efforts at school. We are growing inquisitive and articulate writers through the Lucy Calkins Writing Workshop model. It is a writing journey that we are excited to take with each child.
Remember to Lock Bikes
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Outdoor Education Information= Last Posting
Carpool Line Etiquette = Last Posting
Our school office was contacted last week by a family with a driveway exiting onto Central Avenue. They asked us to remind parents to park legally when picking up and dropping of children at the school. They informed us that cars often block the driveway, making it impossible for them to enter and exit onto the street.
In addition to this, the same family often sees parents park illegally too close to the corners all around the intersection of Central Ave and 10th Street. This results in poor visibility for drivers entering the intersection.
Thank you for reminding each other about the rules to keep both drivers and pedestrians safe.
PTA Announcements and Reminders...
* The PTA sends out their own newsletter on Sundays - here are just a few highlights
Save the Date for a fun Mother & Son Event - Sunday, November 4th from 2-4 PM
Mark you calendars for a fun Mother & Son Event - Sunday, November 4th from 2-4 PM
Join us at the Kenilworth Club for a casual afternoon of games, trivia, dancing and fast paced fun! The event includes a fun Photo Booth, a delicious ice cream bar with all the fixings, refreshments and an amazing DJ- who will surely get you and your son up and on the dance floor. The event is open to Kindergarten through Fourth Grade Central boys and their Moms. If a Mom can't make it, boys can come with their friend's Mom, an Aunt or even a Grandma. Tickets are $45 per Mom and Son, and each additional son is $20. Sign up today by clicking here!
School Yearbook
Order your child's Central School yearbook today! The sale price of $20 ($5) off has been extended until October 27th. Click on the link to order online today!
The Yearbook Committee is still looking for 1 or 2 more volunteers to take photos and help compile the yearbook. Please contact Lauren at lmaustin7@gmail.com if you are interested.
Amazon Smile - Sign-up, It's EASY!
Don’t forget to sign up for Amazon Smile! Your everyday purchases can help benefit our school.
AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know and love. Same product, same prices, same service - just a special link to help your shopping benefit our school. Please bookmark the link below to make sure your shopping is always contributing. Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases directly to Central School! Just in time for Halloween candy, costume, and fall shopping... Sign up today at https://smile.amazon.com/
From the Nurse's Office
Call Central School "Attendance Line" For Absences: 847-512-6150
Please call the Attendance Line to report absences even if you let the classroom teacher know, because some teachers don't see the email/voicemail until later in the day. Teachers assume you are calling the office. It's important that the school nurse is directly aware of any absences otherwise, your son/daughter may be considered "missing." The school nurse keeps track of all school absences in the building. For safety reasons, we want to make sure all of our students are accounted for and safe.
New Central Health Office Website!!
Here is your go-to site for all of your health related questions including PE/Recess Notes, Health Requirements, Dental Examinations, Allergy and Asthma, Medications, Snacks in Classrooms, Lice, Influenza...and more!
Community Announcements...
- GO PEDAL POWER! Help a CPS honor student receive a bike! Donate a used bicycle to the 2018 Pedal Power Bike Drive Saturday, October 27th, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm at multiple locations.
- The Volunteer Center of N. E. Metro CHicago hosts its annual Recyling Collection Drive Saturday, October 27th 9:00 am -12:00 pm at Indian Hill Train Station Parking Lot in Winnetka.
- Go Green Wilmete is hosting a fall gathering “Sip Red, Go Green” Sunday, October 28th 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. at Wilmette Wine Cellar. Tickets are $35.
- Wilmette Park District’s Saturday Basketball registration is open for boys & girls grades 4-8.
- Wilmette Rotary Club is running its annual BIG BOOK DRIVE at all District 39 schools from October 1st through November 15th. Please donate any gently used books.
- Wilmette Food Pantry is open every Tuesday 10:30-11:30 am at Trinity United Methodist Church.
- Free adult English language classes are available at Highcrest Middle School through November 13.
- Family Action Network (FAN): Click HERE for information about FAN and upcoming speakers.
Join us on Twitter!
Central School is on Twitter!
- We have TWO Twitter accounts. Please "follow" us at Twitter.com! Explore Central 39 (with our actual "handle" as @explorecentral). With this account, we mostly share student activities that are completed in the Learning Commons (but other activities are often included as well). We are also providing this Twitter feed on our Central School homepage.
- There is also a principal page @BeckyLittmann where you can follow a variety of school happenings including all-school events, classroom activities, PTA enrichment, and school goals.
Save the Dates...
10/31 - Halloween Parade @ 9am, Early Release
11/4 - Daylight Savings Time Ends - set clocks back one hour
11/8, 11/9 - No School - PT Conferences
11/12-11/16 - Book Fair
11/19-11/23 - No School (Thanksgiving Break)
11/28-11/30 - 4th Grade Outdoor Education Trip