![page background](https://cdn.smore.com/u/backgrounds/custom_bg-633c5b910685caff62930a39-b54defd80673.jpg)
News From The Nest
August 7
![News From The Nest August 7](https://cdn.smore.com/u/c058/1bb52e5c8ce0eb04d0e4a9509ee41054.jpg)
FRIDAY | NOVEMBER 3, 2023
Good evening Graham Families!
Another week of fun has come and gone! Thank you so much for all of the support of our parent community. We couldn't make it happen without you!
I am so proud of the work our staff does to ensure that our students are successful and thriving! Each year the state releases our school report card. The purpose of the report card is to “provide a snapshot of academic achievement; student and teacher information; and financial data at the state, district, and school levels." On the report card, each school receives a summative designation from the state. This year our designation was commendable. We continue to demonstrate high proficiency levels in ELA, Math, and Science. There are two areas that we will look to improve for next year.
The first is our ELA growth. While we still have an above-average growth percentile of 53, we want to dig into how we can increase it. We know the importance of small group work and differentiating our instruction and we will look more closely as a staff how we are incorporating these strategies, share our successes, and look to grow our understanding. We will also look at our School Improvement Plan and how it can be adjusted.
The other area is Chronic Absenteeism. Unfortunately, we increased the number of students who have missed 18 or more days of school from last year. This equates to missing a day every other week. This is an area that we will need your support and help. Over the coming months, I will be putting information in our newsletter and sharing with the PTA about the importance of attendance and how we can work together to ensure that our students are here. Being present at school and growth go hand in hand. The discussions, collaboration, and deep thinking can’t be made up when students are gone. We are in this together!
I hope you all have a nice weekend!
Go Falcons!
Rachel Witkowski
IMPORTANT DATES
- November 6th | Picture Re-Take Day
- November 9th | PTA Meeting, 9:30, Google Meets
- November 13th | Veterans' Day Assembly, 9:30-10:30
- November 16th | Parent Teacher Conferences, 4:30-8:00
- November 17th | Camp Day in the LMC
- November 20th | Parent Teacher Conferences, 8:00-3:30, 4:30-8:00
- November 21st-24th | No School, Thanksgiving Break
Q1 REPORT CARDS
Just a reminder, reports cards were made available to view in your
ParentVUE account today, Friday, November 3 at 4:00pm.
Parent / Teacher Conferences
Parent/teacher conferences for preschool, elementary, middle and high school will take place on Thursday, November 16, 2023 from 4:30 pm - 8:00 pm and Monday, November 20, 2023 from 8:00 am - 3:00 pm and 4:30 pm - 8:00 pm.
Elementary, middle, and high school parents can begin scheduling conferences through ParentVUE on November 8 starting at 10:00 am. Preschool families will receive directions for how to register for conferences from your child’s classroom teacher.
📸 THIS WEEK AT GRAHAM! 📸
Preschool LMC Book check-out
Preschool LMC Book check-out
Pumpkin Science
Q1 School-Wide Reward -- BINGO!
Harvest Party Fun
Right at School Family Night
LMC UPDATES
No Overdue LMC Books!
The following class had no overdue books for the week. Thank you for all your support in keeping track of LMC books and having them turned in after two weeks.
KW
Go Falcon Readers!
Crone Readers at Graham
Graham will welcome members of the Crone 8th grade boys' basketball team on Monday, November 6th. They will spend some time visiting and reading with each grade level in the morning.
To help them feel welcomed students are encouraged to wear purple or gray on Monday. We are looking forward to the fun event.
Caregiver Collection
PRAIRIE CHILDREN PRESCHOOL -- GRAHAM SITE INFORMATION
News from the District
Parent University: Top 10 Keys to Early Elementary School Success
Parent University: Top 10 Keys to Early Elementary School Success, will premiere as a video presentation on the District’s YouTube channel on Wednesday, November 1 at 7 PM. District 204’s Assistant Superintendent of Elementary and Early Childhood, Laura Rosenblum and District 204 SEL and Wellness Coordinator, Dawn Forkner will share 10 key areas of student growth and development that have proven to be impactful on a student’s ability to thrive in the classroom. Viewers will hear from IPSD 204 elementary school principals, classroom teachers, and mental health professionals as they share their expertise on how parents and family members can support their child during these critical early years.
Our very own Adrienne Wodka, Kindergarten teacher, will be featured in this video. Be sure to check it out!
PTA Updates
PTA MEMBERSHIP!!!
Our goal is 100% parent and staff membership this year, so please consider joining us, as
membership helps fund all the programs that the PTA brings to the school, students, and staff
throughout the year. As a PTA member, there is no time commitment or volunteer requirements;
you can participate in as little or as much as you like! Membership cost is $25 per family and $10 per staff member. Use this QR code to sign up today!
Thank you for your support!
PREVIOUSLY SHARED INFORMATION
Arrival / Dismissal Reminders
If there is a change in your typical dismissal routine, please be sure to email your child's teacher the night before. If it is a last minute change, please CALL the main office. Any changes to dismissal after 3:00pm are difficult to accommodate, so to avoid frustration please make all attempts to minimize changes to your typical dismissal routine.
Thank you for your understanding!
Elementary School Hours
Regular elementary school hours are 9:05 am – 3:35 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Students may begin arriving each of these days at 8:50 am.
Wednesday school hours are 9:15 am – 3:35 pm. This late start allows time for staff to engage in professional development opportunities. All arrival procedures, student supervision, and bus service will be delayed by 10 minutes every Wednesday of the school year.
Preschool Hours
Regular preschool hours are: AM Session: 7:40 - 10:30, PM Session: 12:00 - 2:50.
Please be sure to follow the preschool calendar.
District 204 Visitor Procedures
In an effort to maintain a safe environment for staff and students, District 204 adheres to the following practices during arrival and dismissal.
Arrival Procedures:
- During the period of time when children are arriving in the morning, no adults, without an appointment, will be allowed into the schools. Children will be allowed in through normal procedures.
- Any adult, without an appointment, who wishes to go into the school to talk with the administration or drop something off at the school will need to wait until arrival procedures are completed for the students or call the office for assistance.
For all elementary schools, adults without an appointment will not be allowed between 8:50 am - 9:05 am Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. On Wednesday, that time is 9:00 am - 9:15 am.
Dismissal Procedures:
- At dismissal time, no adult will be allowed into the school during the time that students are being dismissed.
- Parents who need to speak with the office staff will need to wait until the dismissal process is completed for all students.
Any changes to dismissal plans need to be communicated to the school staff before 3:00pm. Any students being picked up for early dismissal should be picked up before 3:00pm.
Thank you, in advance, for adhering to these important safety procedures.
Reporting Student Absences
If your child will be absent from school for any reason, please remember to call the school office to report the absence (630-428-6900, press option 3). Please also share the reason for the absence, as our attendance system requires that a reason for the absence be entered. If you report the absence on voicemail, please include both your child's name and the reason for the absence. If our school nurse should need additional information, she will reach out to you directly.
V. Blanche Graham Elementary School
V. Blanche Graham Elementary School is a Prekindergarten through 5th grade school located in South Naperville. Opened in 1996, Graham is fortunate to have supportive parents and dedicated staff and students who come prepared and eager to learn. We are part of Indian Prairie Community Unit School District #204, which is dedicated to the mission to "Inspire all students to achieve their greatest potential."
Email: rachel_witkowski@ipsd.org
Website: http://graham.ipsd.org/
Location: 2315 High Meadow Rd, Naperville, IL 60564, USA
Phone: 630-428-6900
Twitter: @GrahamElem204