
The Walden Weekly
February 9, 2024
Dear Walden Families,
We had a great week at Walden School! Students enjoyed the beautiful February days and being outside for recess! As a reminder, we have no school next Friday since our staff has a professional development day. We also have no school on Monday due to President's Day.
Have a wonderful weekend and we'll see you back at school on Monday!
- Stephanie Strenger
Crazy Dress Up Day on Monday!
Our students have earned their next all-school PAWS reward. We are celebrating a crazy dress up day on Monday. Kids can wear their craziest, mismatched, silliest outfits! We're excited to have some fun!
Kindergarten Registration
If you missed our in-person kindergarten registration, don’t worry! It’s not too late to register your kiddo for Kindergarten! Our online form is available on our registration page. Please reach out to your front office walden-office@dps109.org if you have any questions.
Illinois 5Essentials Survey (2nd Posting)
Dear Parents/Guardians of Deerfield 109 students,
Again this year, parents across Illinois have an opportunity to participate in the annual statewide Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of your child’s school. As a parent, it allows you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness. Your responses also help guide district improvement.
The Illinois 5Essentials Survey is administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago on behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education. The survey gathers data related to five indicators that can predict important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains. These five indicators that affect and predict school success are:
Effective Leaders
Collaborative Teachers
Involved Families
Supportive Environments
Ambitious Instruction
To take the Parent Survey, please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ and select the appropriate survey to begin. Your identity and responses will be kept completely confidential and will not be connected to you or your child. The survey should take no more than 5 minutes to complete.
In addition to parents, 4th through 8th grade students will also be responding to this survey. Per school board policy 7:15, you may opt your child out of any survey. If you would not like your child to participate in the 5Essentials Survey, please contact your building principal.
Save the Date!
Digital Citizenship Learning from the Library (2nd Posting)
Digital citizenship is taught in the Library Media Center throughout the year, and we know many parents are working to encourage healthy technology behaviors at home. To that end, here is another video from Common Sense Media, which can be found on their YouTube channel.
National and international news can be frightening or polarizing, and it is frequently difficult for kids to process news they might see or overhear. This brief video offers some practical tips for parents to help a child who is distressed by news media coverage.
Pictures from the Week
Upcoming Dates
- Fri. Feb. 16 - No School (Teacher Institute Day)
- Mon. Feb. 19 - No School (Presidents Day)
- Mon. Mar. 4 - No School (Pulaski Day)
- Wed. Mar. 13 - 2nd Grade Music Show
- Thurs. Mar 21 - 1/2 Day Student Attendance - PM Parent Conferences
- Fri. Mar 22 - No School - Parent Conferences
- Mar. 25 - Apr. 1 - No School (Spring Break)
- Tues. Apr. 2 - School Resumes