Willow Parent Bulletin #31

April 22, 2022

This and that...

I hope you were able to stop by the Willow Art Show last night. Mr. Slivka puts a ton of effort into making sure your child has a special piece of art and getting set up and taken down the exhibits. Thank you to those who did come. We appreciated your patience while we navigated their new check out system. You can check out some of the amazing creations in the pictures below.

We had our first out of the district field trip (in years) this week. I'm not sure who was more excited...staff or students. We are always limited in the number of chaperones and apologize for those who wanted to come and weren't chosen. Many asked about driving behind the bus, meeting at the location or bringing siblings. These are requests we cannot accommodate. We appreciate you following the guidelines the school gives as those apply to everyone.

Be sure to keep an eye on the calendars and information from your child's teacher. There are a lot of important dates and deadlines coming up!

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Book Fair

The Scholastic Book Fair will be outside next week at Willow. Your wildcat's teacher will let you know which day the class is going to shop. If you would like to shop with your wildcat, you can meet the class on the east side of the building at the assigned time. There is no need to check in since you will not be entering the building. If the weather is still being wonky and it's moved inside, regular office check in will be required.

If you forget to send money on the class day, we will also take time on Friday for any student who missed his/her shopping with the class.

Please send money in a clearly marked envelope that says BOOKFAIR and has:

name

teacher

amount

If you are available to help, please sign up: https://signup.com/go/ViqKQVB

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ISO: Pit Crew for our Kindergarten boxcars

We are looking for a few parents willing to lend their talents with a drill. The assembly line for the cars goes a lot more smoothly when the holes are pre-drilled. If you are available May 18th at either 9 AM or 1 PM, please email me.

mailto:melissa.lawson@hsd153.org

Day of the Child- Dia del Nino

April 30th is Día del Niño (Day of the Child)!

Día del Niño is a worldwide celebration that not only celebrates children, but also links children to books, language, and culture. It is a nationally recognized initiative that emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children from all backgrounds. It is a daily commitment to linking children and their families to diverse books, languages, and cultures.

The EL (English Learning) Department will help our Wildcats celebrate this day all next week with read alouds of diverse books, new books for each classroom that celebrate our uniqueness, and other fun activities at school.

Each child at Willow will receive a brand-new book to keep! These books will be sent home on Friday, April 29. We hope you enjoy sharing this new book with your child.

planning for next year:

Registration opened and is done online. Please do this before the deadline to help us know our numbers for next year. Your child's teacher will provide us with the classroom view of your wildcat and how he/she learns. I encourage you to write a letter/email sharing your parental perspective. Think about strengths, areas that need some extra attention, special interest, etc.

We have amazing teachers at every grade level. We are unable to accept requests for specific teachers.

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Speaking of amazing staff...

When you have a couple of minutes, please choose a specific staff member and let him/her know that you see what a great job he/she is doing. You can "shout them out" by clicking this link: https://forms.office.com/r/Y0XRxP45ys

Homewood Science Center Summer Camp discount:

Summer Camps

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT!

From now until May 1st, enter the discount code "EARLYBIRD" at check out and receive 20% off all camp prices!

Camps Offered:

Digital Fix | Ages 11-13

Makey Makey | Ages 8-11

Crafty Learners | Ages 4-7

EC Stem | Ages 5-8

HSC Kid News | Ages 10-12

Crime Scene Investigation | Ages 8-10

Summer is right around the corner and so are Homewood Science Center’s summer camps! Click below to check out our detailed camp listings and consider enrolling your young STEM enthusiast before they are filled.

https://www.homewoodsciencecenter.org/classes

New Assistance Program for Illinois Homeowners

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) have announced the Illinois Homeowner Assistance Fund (ILHAF) opened on April 11, 2022, to help homeowners who have fallen behind on mortgage payments and related housing expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eligible households will be able to apply for up to $30,000 in free assistance to pay past-due mortgage payments, property taxes, property insurance, and delinquent homeowner and/or condo association fees. Homeowners in need of assistance can find more information on program eligibility and how they can prepare to apply at http://www.IllinoisHousingHelp.org.

Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31, 2022