Willow Family Update

Happy Monday Willow Families,

You didn't hear from me last week formally so, Happy New Year! We are back in full swing and our kiddos are still excited to be at Willow. Since the weather is staying in the more frigid temperatures, I want to remind you of info I sent out a while back.

The following parameters on what to expect for Willow's outdoor recess was shared last week:

• We go outside if the real feel is 20 degrees and above.
• If it snows, kids are allowed on the field to play in the snow. They must have proper winter gear which is snow pants, boots and gloves.

Please dress your children for the weather! If you need assistance with anything, please let us know by emailing the main office directly at willowoffice@hsd153.org. Students will not remain indoors unless there is inclement weather (rain, sleet, blizzard conditions, extreme heat or cold).

Have a wonderful week!

Take care,

Ms. Gordon

January

20 - No School - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

29 - Early Dismissal (11:40 AM)

February

10 - No School - Lincoln's Birthday Observed

28 - Early Dismissal (11:40 AM)

Save the date! The PTA is inviting all District 153 families to our January 30 PTA meeting. Get to know other Homewood parents, hear about some new and exciting proposed budget changes that will benefit all of the schools, and engage in a discussion with Superintendent Scott McAlister and Director of Student Support Services, Melanie Mandisodza, about all things Special Education in District 153!

If you have specific questions for Dr. McAlister and Ms. Mandisodza in regards to this topic, in an effort to maximize our meeting time, please email those questions to president153@homewoodpta.org by January 27.Spread the word, can't wait to see you there!

Dear Parents and Guardians:

As 2025 gets underway, I thought this might be a good time to remind you how decisions are made to close or keep schools open during inclement weather.

First, the "snow day" we remember from our childhoods no longer exists. If our schools are closed due to inclement weather, students will engage in an "E-learning day" from home, as is now permitted by the Illinois State Board of Education. E-learning enables us to continue the flow of instruction mid-year versus making up the day at the end of the school year, when units of instruction have likely concluded. This also provides more structure to families as they plan their summer based on the last day of school attendance.

How Are School Closing Decisions Made in District 153

The decision to close District 153 schools rests with me. There is no specific temperature or inches of snow that will automatically trigger a decision to close the schools. However, special consideration is given when temperatures are below zero or "real-feel" temperatures fall below -20F.

Among the factors/questions considered are these:

• Road and sidewalk conditions. Travel conditions for both students and staff are a primary consideration.

• The longer-term weather forecast: Will closing one day mean closing for several more due to similarly predicted conditions?

• Will the potential benefits of closing the schools outweigh the potential disruptions to our families' life and work schedules?

What other school districts are choosing to do is also a consideration, but frankly, it is a lesser one. Each school district has its own unique local factors to take into consideration. What another school district decides may not be the right decision for District 153.

It is always a parent's prerogative to keep their child home if they decide an absence from school is in their child's best interest. A parent need only call the school (708-647-2200) to report their child's absence.

How Are Families Notified?

When District 153 plans to institute e-learning, the announcement is immediately shared via:

• District-wide robocall. PLEASE LISTEN TO ALL TELEPHONE MESSAGES FROM DISTRICT 153. During a closure, no one will be here to answer your question if you try to call the school or district office to ask what the telephone call was about.

• The school district website, hsd153.org

• The school district Facebook page

The information is also sent to local news outlets, but we have no control over how quickly or accurately that information is disseminated.

Your Student's E-Learning Day

Parents and guardians should be on the lookout for email communication from their student's building and/or teacher about the day's schedule and assignments. Each school will require students to login at a prescribed time to take attendance. (Please refer to your student's school communication for details.) Students who are not logged in at that time will be marked absent.

Hart and Churchill students already transport their laptops to and from school each day, so they should have their devices with them. Willow School will send home iPads with their students when the weather forecast is threatening. Students must return their devices on the first day buildings are open for classes.

Thank you, in advance, for your partnership in keeping our students learning despite the snow, cold, and ice.

Scott McAlister, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Homewood School District #153

We are so proud of our friends at Willow! Join me in celebrating them for following the Willow Way.

The PBIS WOW cart is bustling and in business. We could use donations to keep our PBIS cart going. Some things that are on the cart are stickers, pop its, jewelry, and other fun things for students to purchase. Please contact the office with any questions you may have or if you'd like to donate. Anything is greatly appreciated!

Willow was so lucky to have the first ever Glow Run that raised $30, 451! Thank you all for your support and pledges. We were also so lucky to have our PTO representative, Lisa Opiola, run this entire fundraiser. Thank you to all of our Wildcat volunteers, including the Dad Squad. We are so grateful!

Final Update: Wildcats, you ran so hard at the Glow Run, and the donation window officially closed last week. Thanks to you, we collected pledges from 40 out of 50 states and the Homewood PTA will receive a check for $29,000! The final prizes will be sent home tomorrow.

Now it's time to announce the grade level donut party winners:

Pre-k/DLS ... Ms. Hickey's class!
Kindergarten... Ms. Brecheisen's class, Room 21!
First Grade ... Ms. B. Johnson's class, Room 53!
Second Grade ... Ms. Whalen's Class, Room 60!

Congratulations!

Data shows that involved dads help kids succeed in school. This fall, Willow School is launching a new way for dads to get involved...introducing The Willow Dad Squad!

The Willow Dad Squad is a team of friendly adult male community members who love to smile, give high 5's, and gently encourage children to do their very best. We volunteer our time (according to our availability), walk around the campus, and support the teachers and administrators in creating environments conducive to learning.

Join us, and to learn more, click here!

The Social Emotional Learning program that we use, Second Step, also has a Bullying Prevention Unit that will be presented to all classrooms beginning the first week of October. After each lesson there is a parent information page that will be sent home with your child. The Bullying Prevention Unit lessons encourage positive behaviors and skills by teaching students to recognize, report, and refuse bullying. Students learn how to apply these skills if they are being bullied and when they are bystanders to bullying. In learning to recognize bullying, students increase their awareness of the problem, learn to identify when they or others are being bullied, and increase empathy for bullied students. Giving students a clear message to report bullying sets a positive norm, and reinforces the message that bullying is not tolerated at Willow School.

Please see the attached document below regarding the Rainbow Program offered at Willow School.

Covid cases have been on the rise this season. Please note, we no longer inform classrooms if there is a case per Illinois state guidance. In the meantime, the Communicable Disease School Nurse Guidance issued by IDPH advises to treat Covid as other respiratory diseases and recommends schools take measures to reduce transmission such as staying up-to-date with vaccinations, improve ventilation (i.e., opening windows), wearing well fitted masks, enhancing hygiene practices, and testing.

When a Covid case is reported, our custodial staff does an enhanced cleaning of the classroom and classroom windows are open to enhance ventilation. Please use this link to review school guidance.

Just a reminder to limit the things you send your children to school with. It is a challenge to keep up with things and this can sometimes become a distraction.

Please keep in mind that you should never send any form of a toy gun to school. This will be treated with the utmost seriousness.

Willow School art teacher, Andy Slivka, has created a sculpture for the school of its wildcat mascot out more than 8,000 marker caps.

Slivka said that over several years, he saved the caps from dried out markers. What began as just a few hundred caps ballooned into thousands of them.

“I knew I was going to use them for a larger recycled art project, but I wasn't sure of what to make at that time," said Slivka. “When the COVID lockdowns began, I brought the bins of marker caps home and began sorting them. That’s when the idea of a large-scale Wildcat sculpture came to me.”

Although Slivka had amassed hundreds of marker caps from the Willow students over the years, he soon discovered that he didn't have nearly enough caps to finish. The project would start and stop over several months, with caps being added and reorganized within the wood frame once he collected more of them.

After the design was finished, Slivka said it took lots of trial and error to figure out how to make the 4x4 foot flat sculpture vertical, without causing it to collapse.

Thank you for your patience with transportation. It appears that our bus schedules are a little off for the end of the day. We have requested the change at the district level to reflect; however, buses at Willow typically do not depart until 3 pm. Please keep this in mind as you review the time for your route stop. If the bus is more than 15 minutes late from Willow, we will notify you via telephone robo call.

There have been some changes in food services. In particular, please note that lactose free and soy milk are now available as a replacement to the standard carton of milk. However, there must be a note on file from a parent or guardian for it to be apart of your child's lunch or you will be charged $1 if your kiddo chooses this.

Walter is Willow's therapy dog. Many of the children know him from last year, but this year he will be fully integrated into Willow's school day. When you see him, he is very friendly and loves a good rub and treat, but please ask his handler, Ms. Spain, first! If you have not yet given consent or declined for your child to interact with Walter, please contact the main office beginning Monday at 8 am.

The school day for kindergarten, first and second grade students starts at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 2:50 p.m. Monday through Friday. Pre-kindergarten and students in the Early Childhood programs will session times are 8:15-10:45 am for the AM session and 11:45-2:15 pm for the PM session.

In the morning, playground supervision begins at 7:45 am. No student should arrive to school before this time as there is no staff supervision. Students should line up at 7:55 am and will enter the building with their teacher at 8:00 am. Students arriving after 8:00 am are tardy and must enter the building through the main office door with an adult. All students should be picked up at 2:50 pm at dismissal. There is no school supervision after school. If your child rides a bus and will need to go home a different way, please contact the main office no later than 2 pm.

If your child will be absent or starting the school day late, please contact the school office on the dedicated attendance line at 708-647-2200 before 8:00 am. You may also notify the office by sending an email to kimberly.tufts@hsd153.org.

Many children walk to school, some are dropped off by car, and some ride the bus. As a result, the streets around the school are filled with cars, buses, and children just before 8:00 a.m. It can get chaotic! If possible, please walk to school. Meeting up with friends and walking to school together is a great way to start the school day!

BUS:

District 153 has designated that all Willow students who live outside a 1.5 mile radius are eligible to ride the bus. You should have received an email informing you of the bus number your child is assigned to. Bus route information and the morning pick up times can be found here. Please arrive at least 5 minutes early to your child's bus stop's assigned time. Please be sure that a parent or caregiver is waiting at the bus stop after school. In addition, for the safety of your child, it is important that they only ride the bus to which they have been assigned.

CAR:

Parking around the school in the morning can be challenging. If you wish to park and walk your child to their line, please park on designated neighboring street. THE CUL-DE-SAC IS CLOSED FOR BUSES ONLY. You may drop your child off through the car line on Willow or Gladville. It is important that kids are ready to exit the car when the supervisor opens the door. DO NOT U-TURN AFTER DROP-OFF on any streets surrounding the school as this is a danger to all students traveling to and from Willow.

A crossing guard is typically stationed on Willow Road at the cross streets of Highland Ave, Page Ave, and Gladville Ave. There are additional crossing guards at Willow Rd and Dixie Highway and in back of the school on Gladville Ave. Please pay attention to the crossing guards. They understand the traffic patterns around the school and are looking out for the safety of all Willow students. Please follow their directions as they are trying to keep all children and families safe.

All students will have their lunch and recess between 10:45 am and 1 pm. In the event you need to drop off your child's lunch, please do so before lunchtime. We will not accept lunch sent by a vendor such as Uber Eats, GrubHub, etc. Students can bring a lunch from home or order a school lunch. The lunch menu can be found here. We strongly suggest lunches be NUT-FREE.

Here is the link to the federal application form for reduced or free lunch.

Breakfast is available every morning from 7:45 am to 8 am. Any student may join breakfast during that time. Cost varies based on whether you qualify for full, free, or reduced lunch. Students will enter through Door B, and a supervisor will assist them.

Website: https://willow.hsd153.org/

Location: 1804 Willow Road, Homewood, IL 60430
Phone: 708-798-3720

Email: willowoffice@hsd153.org