Algonquin Lakes Elementary

1401 Compton Dr.

Algonquin, IL 60102

(847) 532-7500

Marilynn Smith

Principal

marilynn.smith@d300.org

Rachel Buczkowske

Assistant Principal

rachel.buczkowske@d300.org

Jennifer Ellett

Student Service Specialist

jennifer.ellett@d300.org

Other Phone Numbers

Attendance: (847) 532-7520

Fax: (847) 532-7515

Nurse: (847) 532-7511

Transportation: (847) 658-3262

SCHOOL HOURS

Outdoor Supervision Begins = 7:45am

First Bell Rings = 7:55am

School Begins = 8:00am

Students are Dismissed = 2:15pm

Office Hours = 7:00am – 3:30pm

February 4th - Monthly PTO Meeting at 6 PM

February 5th - Late Start School Starts at 10 AM

February 7th - PTO Fun Friday (Wear Red and Pink)

February 13th - Special Education Parent Network Night 6:00-8:00 p.m. at District 300 Central Office, 2550 Harnish Drive, Algonquin

February 17th - School is Closed (President's Day)

February 18th - Board of Education Meeting at 6 PM

February 22nd - Solo and Ensemble

February 26th - 2nd and 3rd Grade Music Concert

February 28th - No School (Teacher Institute Day)

Young Rembrandts Drawing Club - Tuesday at 2:30

Choir - Wednesday after School

Dear Algonquin Lakes Elementary School Families,

We had another fantastic week at ALES!

Students who completed their Winter Break Reading Challenge enjoyed a fun celebration with snacks and board games with their grade-level peers who also met the challenge. Additionally, we proudly acknowledged and celebrated all the students who submitted stories for our Student Author Competition. We had a total of 36 stories submitted! Their creativity and effort truly shone through, and we couldn’t be more proud of their achievements. We also celebrated the 100th day of school with enthusiasm and joy. It’s hard to believe we’ve already hit this milestone! We truly enjoy the hard work and dedication shown from our students!

Looking ahead to next week, our English Language Learners will participate in the ACCESS Assessment. This annual test measures academic English language proficiency for students learning English, both at ALES and across the state. Teachers use this valuable information to guide their instruction and track progress toward English proficiency. If you have any questions about the ACCESS Assessment, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Mrs. Maher, Mrs. Gonzalez, or your child’s teacher.

Erin’s Law Second Session Presentations will also take place this week. Erin’s Law requires schools to provide an age-appropriate sexual abuse awareness and prevention curriculum for pre-K-12th grade. These presentations will happen in their classrooms with their teacher and school support staff as well as the guest presenter. These lessons are designed to be engaging and developmentally appropriate for each grade level. These presentations will not exceed 30 minutes. If you have any questions about the Second Session of Erin's Law Presentations, please reach out to Mrs. Kotecki, Ms. Welch. or your child's teacher.

Let’s continue to encourage our students to do their best and keep up the great work!

Kindest Regards,

Marilynn Smith

Principal, Algonquin Lakes Elementary School

Culminating our learning of the famous "Mona Lisa" and Leonardo Da Vinci, students in 5th Grade went under their desks to do their own drawings of the "Mona Lisa".

On behalf of all of the ALES Staff, Mrs. Masching, Mrs. Dean and Mrs. Klotter want to thank ALL of our students who turned in their writing for the Student Author competition!

We had some wonderful stories, great poetry and informative Non-Fiction submissions!

Everyone who participated received an Aspiring Author certificate and bookmark, and our top point achievers received a gift card from Half Price Books so they can continue their love of reading and writing! ALES thanks the ALES PTO for supporting this great initiative!

Next week, our English Language Learners (ELLs) will be participating in the ACCESS for ELLs language proficiency assessment. This assessment is an important tool used to measure the academic English language proficiency of students who are learning English, both here at ALES and throughout the state of Illinois.

The ACCESS assessment is administered annually to students enrolled in English language programs. The test measures students' proficiency in four key areas: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The results provide valuable insight into each student’s progress in learning English and help guide our instruction to support their continued growth. Teachers use this information to make informed decisions about how best to support your child’s language development and academic success.

Please note that the results from the ACCESS test are an important part of monitoring your child's progress toward English language proficiency and ensuring they receive the appropriate level of support to succeed academically.

Parent Resources are below as well as visit the WIDA website to explore more on your own.

The following additional resources are available for families:

• Explaining EL Status – This handout helps parents and families understand how students are first identified and tested for language support services by public schools in the state of Illinois at registration.

• What is Language Testing – This handout helps parents and families understand what a language test measures and how students are identified as English Learners (EL) to either remain in the service or exit.

• What is ACCESS for ELLs? – This handout helps parents and families understand the ACCESS for ELLs assessment and its components. This test is given yearly and is important to determine the level of support services for the following school year.

• ACCESS for ELLs: Understanding Your Child's Scores – This flyer, helps parents and families understand the Individual Student Report in a more comprehensible format. Scores from the last school year were sent home at the beginning of school and discussed with families at parent teacher conferences with the current EL Teacher. The current school year’s scores are forecasted to be released in May of this school year. An additional report will be sent home at the beginning of the next school year as well.

Feel free to contact Jenny Gonzalez or Elisa Maher with any questions or concerns.

Your child may participate in Free dental cleaning at school. Families interested must complete consent forms attached.

Contact Nurse Cook with any questions!

The Algonquin Lakes Elementary PTO is volunteer-based non-profit organization committed to supporting the school community.

The PTO organizes events throughout the year, like classroom parties, family events, and fundraisers, to bring together families, faculty, and staff in a fun and engaging way.

If you have questions or are interested in joining or volunteering, please contact the PTO at alesptoweb@gmail.com