News from Sundling Junior High
November 24, 2020
Letter from the Principal
11/24/2020
Hello Sundling Families,
I hope this communication finds you well as we wrap up the month of November. With our students currently engaged in remote learning, and the Thansgiving holiday upon us, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our teaching staff, the parent community, and our students for their continued work, support, and resilience over the past few months of school. Although each day seems to bring new challenges for all of us, I am grateful to work with a staff that is dedicated to supporting and enriching the lives of our students, an involved parent community that supports our work and provides necessary help and feedback for our continued success, and of course, our Sundling students; that roll out of bed each day and find new and motivating ways to engage with school and their friends. Together, we can, and will, help our students to grow by showing kindness, perseverance during difficult situations, growth academically and socially, and promoting self-advocacy. No matter what the situation, these are important skills for life! I hope that whatever your plans are for the remainder of this week, that you find time time to be grateful and thanfkul and the you find time for yourself, your family and friends.
Our students are moving swiftly through the 2nd quarter of school, which will end on Friday, December 18th. This will be followed by a two week winter break with school resuming again on Tuesday, January 5th.
During the holiday season, Sundling Junior High has always looked for opportunities to give back to our community and help families in need. This year is no different. Our annual Toys for Tots Drive with the Palatine Police and Fire Departments is going on now through Friday, December 4th. Please consider helping a child enjoy the holidays by donating a new toy. Collection boxes are located in the front foyer of our school.
Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!
#sundlingstrong
Sincerely,
Jason Dietz
Principal
WRS School Pictures
D15 Health Curriculum 2020-21 Update & Information
Health and Human Growth is part of our D15 curriculum at all grade levels. We have had several questions in regard to providing instruction for our health curriculum during our unique 2020-21 school year.
Additionally, conversations surrounding puberty and other sensitive topics are best done while in a traditional classroom or in smaller virtual meetings. However, we also know that because our students at home may not have privacy, this is not the best scenario for delivery of this content.
We have asked our teachers to provide lessons that relate to food, personal care and general wellness as part of the distance learning instruction. These will meet the guidelines for health during our distance learning. Topics that are “sensitive” will not be addressed during distance learning.
Erin's Law
The Comprehensive Health Education Act often referred to as “Erin’s Law” was passed by the Illinois state legislature on January 24, 2013. This law requires that age-appropriate sexual abuse and assault prevention education is included in grades pre-kindergarten through 12.
On Monday, December 14th, Sundling will provide age-appropriate lessons on sexual harassment for seventh graders and dating respect for eighth-graders. There will be a classroom-based lesson informing students about how to protect themselves from being a victim, how to help friends in abusive situations, identifying people you can trust, handling unsafe situations, and dealing with methods abusers use to keep victims silent.
To provide you with information about the law, parent information about the topic and a preview of what your student will learn in class, materials including the PowerPoint lesson to be used in class are available on the district website. There will also be copies of the classroom lesson materials available in the school office or you can request an electronic copy of the materials be emailed to you by contacting your school’s office.
If you do NOT wish your child to participate in the “Erin’s Law” lesson, please click on the link below and complete the Opt Out Form. If we do not hear from you, we will assume your child has permission to participate in this program.
Please feel free to contact me If you have any questions or concerns about the “Erin’s Law” lesson. Thank you for partnering with us as we continue to provide learning opportunities to improve the safety and well being of our children.
REQUEST TO OPT-OUT OF ERIN’S LAW PRESENTATION
NO, I do NOT give permission for my child to participate in the Erin’s Law classroom-based presentation for the 2020-21 school year.
Notes from the Nurse
Covid 19 seems to be touching everyone’s lives in some way despite our best efforts to control the spread of the disease. When someone in your family gets positive test results, it can be a confusing and anxiety provoking event. CCSD15 has provided excellent training to all of the school nurses and we are available to help you out with information or advice about protecting your family during this second phase of the pandemic.
Tricia Prebil RN
Sundling Health Office
847 963-3702
Important and Upcoming December Dates
December 9th- Board of Education Meeting 7:00 PM
December 11th- D211 Student Orientation w/ 8th Grade Students 1:45 PM (Virtual w/ D211 Counselors)
December 18th- Quarter 2 Ends
December 21st through January 4th- Winter Break
January 5th- School Resumes
News from our WRS PTA President
A BIG thank you to all of our Sundling families who have graciously supported our PTA the past few months. During these challenging times, we've been creative and tried some new events, such as the Stan's Donut Truck and our Black & Orange Drive-thru, Donate and Dine. Both events were a huge success! During the Black & Orange event, we packed four SUV's full of food donations for the Palatine Food Pantry. WOW! Thank you so very much for your generosity! We have a few more events in the works for the new year. Stay tuned! Next up is the Stan's Donut Truck on Saturday, December 5th 9am-12pm. Hope to see you there!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with your family. Stay safe and be well.
Gretchen Elzer PTA President
Elsa Hall PTA President Elect
Now Hiring!
District 15 is currently looking for Substitute Teachers and Bus Drivers/Substitute Bus Drivers. Positions immediately available!
Substitute Teachers:
$110/day or $55/half day
Work on the days you choose
Valid Illinois teacher or substitute licensure required
If interested, apply online at https://www.applitrack.com/ccsd15/onlineapp/default.aspx or contact Chanell Lopez at lopezc@ccsd15.net.
Bus Drivers/Substitute Bus Drivers:
$20.19/hour plus Benefits
Training provided; no experience required
5 hours/day; 9.5 months/year
If interested, apply online at https://www.applitrack.com/ccsd15/onlineapp/default.aspx or contact Chanell Lopez at lopezc@ccsd15.net.
TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT
For assistance with technology, parents or students should call or email the teacher or the school’s office. The school office can assist with troubleshooting or, if necessary, can replace a broken device with a loaner.
WRS PTA Membership
Sign up online at: https://sundlingpta.new.memberhub.store/store (There is a MemberHub service change of 75¢ (Individual) and 92¢ (Household) to join online.) -OR-
Return the form (attached to the email) to the school office in an envelope marked “PTA MEMBERSHIP” along with exact cash or check (payable to: “Sundling PTA”) Sundling Jr. High will be open during school hours or you can mail to:
Sundling Jr. High 1100 N. Smith Rd. Palatine, IL 60067
Membership Questions can be directed to Karen Salata and Amy Stojkovich at SundlingPTAMembership@gmail.com.
DISTRICT 15 HELPLINE AVAILABLE
Do you need help and are not sure who to contact? Do you have concerns or worries about yourself or others? The District 15 helpline is only a call or text away Monday-Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Our student services staff are available during these stressful times. Call or text:
English: 847-460-2099
Spanish: 847-460-2129
Calls or texts received outside of these hours will be answered the following workday. You can reach out about multiple topics, including but not limited to:
Social or emotional concerns;
Resources such as food, housing and transportation; or
Ideas on how to support your child
Here is some information from the CDC of how to help your child during this challenging time.
Internet Service Provider Assistance Programs
Community Consolidated School District 15 recognizes that providing internet at home may represent a financial hardship for some families. Internet providers recognize this need as well and have programs in place for qualifying families:
To locate additional companies that offer low-cost internet, please visit:
Our community also offers free Wi-Fi at various locations. Find links to locations in our community and surrounding areas that offer free Wi-Fi:
Walter R. Sundling Junior High School
Website: www.ccsd15.net/WRS
Location: 1100 North Smith Street, Palatine, IL, USA
Phone: 847-963-3700
Twitter: @SundlingJH