LONDON LOOP
September 2, 2019 - Vol. 4, Issue 2
#WeAreLondon
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Dear London Families,
The entire London staff is looking forward to great kick-off to the new school year. We are excited to welcome students back with a week full activities that include getting to know each other, going over our STEP it UP expectations, and covering general procedures for classes and safety guidelines.
Given that the safety of all students and staff at London is of the utmost importance, we will practice our safety drills the first week to make sure students and staff know what to do in the event of a real emergency. Please help us by talking with your child about the importance of following directions and paying close attention to procedures teachers will cover in the first week.
On Friday, September 6th, our students will exit the building and visit our pre-determined Rally Point as a component of our active shooter response drill. Teachers will explain to the students that if there were ever a dangerous person in the school, options exist to keep our school safe. It is possible that the school would enter lockdown, but it is also possible that some or all students and staff would leave the school and go to the Rally Point.
Your child may tell you the location of the Rally Point, but as I’m sure you can appreciate, the location of this site is not widely published as it is part of our safety procedures. Likewise, should an event occur where we use our Rally Point, this might not be the location where you reunite with your child. In the event of an emergency situation, you will receive any updates and further direction electronically.
On a different topic, I hope to see all our families on Thursday, September 12, at 6:00pm for Curriculum Night. Join us this evening to learn more about the year’s curriculum, expected home-school communication, homework/grading practices, team contacts and more. Our exploratory teachers will also be providing families information on their content areas. We look forward to seeing you this evening!
Please contact me if you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns. I'm personally looking forward to a great school year!
Dr. Correa
Principal
School Visitors Procedure
Upon seeking entrance to London, all visitors will ring an exterior doorbell and speak with the office via intercom. After stating their name and reason for their visit, visitors may be “buzzed” into the school’s secure vestibule. From the secure vestibule, visitors will be further screened for entry and will be asked to present an ID to the school office staff. The secretary will either scan the ID or manually enter the visitor’s name and date of birth into the visitor management system.
The system checks the visitor's name and date of birth for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders. The registered sex offender database is the only official database checked by the system. Only the visitor’s name and date of birth is recorded by the system. No other information from the ID is recorded. Information is only shared with an outside agency when there is a valid safety concern, for example, if a building were evacuated for a fire alarm and first responders checked our visitor log to ensure all visitors had safely exited.
Once entry to the school office has been approved a visitor ID badge will be printed and the office staff will “buzz” the visitor into the school office. Should the visitor need to access the rest of the school during their visit, they must have their visitor badge clearly displayed on their clothing for the duration of their visit and must return to the main office to sign out and return their badge at the end of their visit. The main office entrance is the only point of entry for visitors. Visitors will not be granted access from any other door at any time before, during, or after school hours.
All of these procedures and enhancements have been designed to ensure a safe and secure learning environment for all students and staff. The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority and we look forward to working with the entire London community to ensure safe, secure, and welcoming schools.
Donations for STEP it Up - Help us out!
As you now, our “Step It Up!" program supports our learner qualities and provides clear behavioral expectations for students. A big part of this program are monthly celebrations to recognize our students for “stepping it up” throughout the month. Each celebration starts with an exciting raffle, and this is where we need your help! We are in need of quality raffle prizes.
Do you have anything at home that you would like to donate to this raffle? We are looking for items that are new or gently used. It may be an old lava lamp, picture frames, sporting goods, journals, games, new school supplies, puzzles, balls, holiday decorations, etc. You can get as creative as you wish...think about what middle school students would love to receive! This is a great chance for you to clean out an old closet or just donate to an awesome cause.
Do you have a connection to a local establishment? Would you be willing to solicit a gift card or gift certificate from that establishment? (for example, a Dairy Queen $5 gift card)
Any help is greatly appreciated. Prizes can be dropped off with your child’s homebase teacher or directly to the front office. Thank you in advance for your support!
--The London Staff
YEARBOOK SALE!
School hasn't even started, but yearbooks are already on sale! We're having a special back to school sale and from now until September 8th yearbooks are at the lowest price of the year - $17. Starting September 9th, the price will increase to $20. You can order your yearbook by turning the money and form into your child's teacher or by ordering online. Please see this flyer to print a form or place your online order.
Middle School Parent Tip
What do we do about this? What should the students do about it? The first thing is to identify what the source of stress. Students should then be encouraged to share their thoughts, feelings, and fears with someone they trust. With support, students can simplify their tasks by prioritizing what needs to be done, organizing the tasks, and setting limits. It is important, yet very difficult, for students to avoid procrastination and negative thinking. Instead, students can relax by being mindful.
Mindfulness is all about remaining in the present and paying attention to what is going on around you. Journaling, deep breathing, exercising, coloring, and listening to music are all examples of ways to reduce stress and remain mindful. You can support your child by reminding them to stop, take a breath, observe, and proceed.
If you feel you need help with strategies in how to support your child with managing stress, feel free to call us at (847) 520-2745 and ask to speak with one of our social workers, we will be happy to share resources with you.
FOOD SERVICE
School District 21, in conjunction with OrganicLife, offers a daily hot breakfast and lunch at London and your student is encouraged to participate. The Food Service Price Guide details full and reduced prices for meals, side dishes, and drinks. Note that all London students receive breakfast and lunch free of charge. The price guide is for items they may want to purchase in addition to their free meals. OrganicLife is committed to offering healthy, tasty meals for students.
Menus
CCSD21 strives to provide as much variety as possible in its menus while remaining within the constraints of the National School Lunch Program regulations. Menus are available here.
Accounts & Payments
All students have a food service account that they can access using a unique PIN (personal identification number), which is the same as the password that students use in CCSD21’s computer systems, such as Google Apps for Education. Students should, and do, memorize their passwords/PINs, but should not share these with others.
The District accepts deposits for your child’s food service account through Mealtime. Visit MyMealtime to create a profile, make deposits, view account balances, set up low balance notifications, and view your child’s transaction details. Instructions to create a MyMealtime account are available in English and Spanish.
Breakfast - Grab 'n' Go
Students wanting to eat breakfast before school can access the cafeteria starting at 8am. Students who arrive to school between 8:15 and 8:30 have an option of Grab 'n' Go breakfast in three different locations of the building - in the cafeteria for 8th grade, in the main lobby for 7th grade, and by the small gym for 6th grade. Breakfast for all students is free.
ACTIVITY BUSES FOR THE 2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR
District 21 provides transportation for students who participate in a school-sponsored sport or activity. Activity bus routes will be available in the main office and the schedule for activity buses is as follows:
Mondays- Only 5:15 activity buses
Tuesdays - Thursdays - 4:30 and 5:15 activity buses
Fridays - No activity buses. No activities are scheduled on Fridays.
* We encourage students to participate in the activities provided through sports, performing arts, and clubs if they wish to stay after school. All students staying after school must be involved in a supervised school-sponsored activity. Feel free to contact Mrs. Roth for more information on activities and clubs.
A Big Thank You to the London PTSA
A big thank you to PTSA, especially Georgiann Vlachos and Melissa Mykleby, for providing London Staff with a delicious lunch on the first Institute Day. The food was amazing!!
Remember the 1st PTSA meeting is Tuesday, September 17th from 7-8 pm at London's LMC. PTSA has a strict “no pressure” policy. Their goal is for you to be as involved as you like. Attending a meeting doesn’t commit you to anything other than getting some info and maybe meeting some new people. We hope you’ll join us!!
If you’d like to reach out to us directly, please feel free to contact Georgiann Vlachos (georgiannvlachos70@gmail.com) or Melissa Mykleby (melissamykleby@gmail.com) anytime.
Save the dates!
First Day of School- Tuesday, September 3 - 8:30am - 3:30pm (Full day)
Picture Day - Thursday, September 5 - During PE Classes
Curriculum Night - Thursday, September 12 - 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Cross Country Tri-Meet vs. Cooper and Holmes - Tuesday, September 10 - 4:00pm @ London
Cross Country Meet vs. River Trails- Tuesday, September 17 - 4:00pm @ London
Cross Country Meet vs. St. Peter- Thursday, September 19 - 4:15pm @ St. Peter
London Middle School
Designated Illinois Horizon Schools To Watch
2009, 2012, 2015, 2018
Website: https://london.ccsd21.org/
Location: 1001 West Dundee Road, Wheeling, IL, USA
Phone: 847-520-2745
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ccsd21london/
Twitter: @ccsd21london