• Video of the month
• Question of the month
• Prairie Trails receives an award
• 2023-2024 registration information
• RTMS, Euclid and IG concert links
• Recipe contest
• Community garden information
• And more!

If video doesn't play here, you can also access it at youtu.be/c0IoMN2NDWA.

Answers are anonymous. Thank you for participating!

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) announced that Prairie Trails School is one of two winners of this year's prestigious Illinois Green Ribbon School Award. The annual award recognizes schools and districts for their dedication to sustainability. In addition to the state recognition, Prairie Trails was also nominated for the national Green Ribbon, which will be announced in late April.

• Daily Herald article
• Journal & Topics article

2023-2024 registration is now open for all grades! To register your student(s), please visit rtsd26.org/register. If you have any questions, feel free to contact your school or the district office.

In-person registration assistance will be available at our schools during parent-teacher conferences on March 23 and March 24.

We need your input! If you have not done so already, please participate in the Illinois 5Essentials Parent and Guardian Survey. Your responses will remain confidential and will not be connected to the identity of you or your child.

Survey results will help us to better understand the conditions at your child’s school and to guide improvement. For the survey to be validated, we need at least 20% of our parents to take the survey.

Visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ to participate. Thank you for your support!

March has been a busy and fun month for our musicians! Euclid, Indian Grove and RTMS all hosted concerts over the past few weeks. As usual, we were blown away with how good they sounded and how much improvement they have made throughout the year. Thank you for the wonderful entertainment!

You can watch videos of each of the performances:

• RTMS Chorus Concert
• RTMS Orchestra Concert
• RTMS Band Concert
• IG 2nd Grade Music Sharing
• Euclid Music Sharing

And don't forget...the RTMS musical is Wednesday, March 22! This year students will be performing "Too Cool for Preschool," a show written by our very own Mr. Flowers!

3/21: Board of Education Meeting

3/23: Parent-Teacher Conferences (School is in Session)

3/24: Parent-Teacher Conferences (No School)

3/27: Spring Break Begins

4/03: Classes Resume

4/04: Election Day (School is in Session)

4/07: Non-Attendance Day

4/10: Institute Day (No School)

More events can be found on your school's online calendar:

• Euclid
• Indian Grove
• Prairie Trails
• River Trails Middle School

Every Friday, we post a gallery of photos taken by teachers and staff throughout RTSD26. The goal is to give you a glimpse into what the day looks like at our schools. You can find an archive of past galleries on our website.

Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about our school board.

An elementary math recommendation will be made to the Board of Education on Tuesday, March 21, 2023.

If you have any questions about the district's curriculum, please email Assistant Superintendent Kristy Seifert at kseifert@rtsd26.org or visit our website's curriculum page.

We are almost done with our busy testing month. IAR and ISA will conclude prior to spring break. We will finish our testing season with NWEA Map in late April.

You can always find the full district assessment calendar on our website.

In an effort to help prevent the spread of illness, we ask that you keep your child home if they have suffered from any of the following within the last 24 hours:

• Fever of 100 degrees or higher
• Vomiting
• Sore throat with a fever
• Persistent cough
• Diarrhea (three or more episodes in last 24 hours)
• Rash or open sores

If your child has been recently ill, please consider the following before returning to school, athletic or social activities:

• They should be fever free (without medication) and feeling well for a minimum of 24 hours
• In cases of strep, they must be on an antibiotic and fever free for at least 24 hours
• In cases of conjunctivitis (pink eye), they must be on prescribed eye drops for 24 hours or cleared by a physician to return
• Rash illnesses must be assessed by a physician
  
  

Thank you for helping to keep our students and staff healthy!

Calling all gardeners! We are offering plots in our community garden, located at Euclid, to members of the community. If you would like to participate…

• Please visit the RTSD26 admin office (1900 E. Kensington Rd.) and request a garden agreement form
• Garden agreements are required and list the rules and regulations
• Plots cost $20
• You may reserve up to two plots
• If you would like more than two, your name can be added to a waiting list

If you have any questions, please visit the district office or call 847-297-4120.

The Illinois Resource Center (IRC) is offering free workshops designed for bilingual families. These workshops cover a variety topics related to raising a bilingual child. They are offered in English and Spanish.

Check out this flyer for more information or to register (Spanish version)

If you don't know your polling place location, you can find it by visiting ova.elections.il.gov/PollingPlaceLookup.aspx. School WILL BE in session that day.

River Trails School District 26 has four board of education seats on the ballot.

Check out our Community Wall for local programs and events that might be of interest to your student or family.

• Check out this year's breakfast and lunch menu (Menus were updated on 3/1)
• Learn how to add funds to your MyMealTime account

Interested in choosing your own hours and making a difference in our students' lives? Consider becoming a substitute teacher for RTSD26! Visit the district website to apply. You can find information about licensure by visiting the Illinois State Board of Education website.

Learn more information or apply by visiting our Human Resources page.

Did you miss February's internet safety presentation? You're in luck! You can watch a recording of the hourlong conversation with guest speaker Devorah Heitner, author of "Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World."

The video is available at rtsd26.org/internet.

Need technology support? Fill out a support form and someone from our technology department will be in touch.

YouTube: @rivertrailsd26

If you have any questions about the newsletter, please contact Ben Finfer at bfinfer@rtsd26.org