Friday Focus

• A Message from Marcie
• Goals and Concerns Form - Due April 14th
• Safe Screens Parents Workshop Series
• Erin's Law Presentations

• Attention Future Blue Jays - 5th Grade Families Only

• Parker's Picks
• Tech Tip Hub
• This Week in Pictures
• News from Early Learners
• Other Important Info

• Helping Hands Day donations needed
• Support Staff Appreciation Week- check out how!
• Cubs game fundraiser- June 1st
• School's Out Party- June 6th
• Order Camp Labels
• and much more...

Dear Families,

Welcome back! We’ve had a wonderful first week back from spring break, and I have to say—we are so impressed with how smoothly our students reacclimated to school routines. Their energy, focus, and enthusiasm have been fantastic!

To keep things light and joyful during the start of state testing season, our teachers had a little fun this week with secret theme days in celebration of April Fool’s Day. Be sure to ask your child if they picked up on the clues—some of their observations and guesses have been pretty hilarious!

Next week, IAR state testing continues for our 3rd–5th graders on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. We really appreciate your help in making sure students are here on those days, as any missed tests will need to be made up later. A good night’s sleep, a hearty breakfast, and a calm start to the day can make a big difference.

Thank you, as always, for your support and partnership. Have a great weekend!

Best,

Marcie

The Goals and Concerns Form is now live.

This optional form gives parents the opportunity to share input prior to our school's class placement process for the 2025-2026 school year. To learn more about this form, click here.

A few important reminders:

• Requests to separate students from specific peers related to out-of-school events or activities may not be possible unless there is a documented or known concern within the school setting.
• Honoring specific friendship requests may not be possible.
• Forms that state or imply a request for specific teachers will NOT be considered.
• We cannot guarantee that all requests can be accommodated due to the complexity of class-building.

Erin’s Law (House Bill 6193) was signed by Governor Pat Quinn on January 24, 2013. This law requires schools to implement an age-appropriate sexual assault and abuse awareness and prevention curriculum for grades Pre-K through 12. District 109 partners with Childhood Victories, Inc., an organization founded by Victor Pacini who is a motivational speaker and a survivor of sexual abuse. Speakers from Childhood Victories, Inc. provide programming for our students that teaches them basic skills to keep them safe from dangerous or abusive situations. The program, Be Seen and Heard 2.0, is developmentally appropriate, interactive, aligned with learning standards, and will cover the following topics:

• Distinguishing safe from unsafe touches

• Safety rules at home and school

• Saying “NO”

• Secrets

• It’s not the child’s fault if someone touches them

• Telling a trusted adult

The staff from Childhood Victories, Inc. will be presenting to all of our elementary students in Deerfield. South Park students will participate on Thursday, April 24th.

Requests to Opt-Out: If you prefer that your child opt-out of this prevention education session, please email your child’s principal by Thursday, April 17.

We’re excited to welcome our incoming 6th grade families to Caruso Middle School! Parents and guardians are invited to join us for a 6th Grade Information Night on Thursday, April 17, 2025, from 6:30–7:30 PM at Caruso. This is an adults-only event.

Come learn more about what to expect in middle school, meet members of our team, and get your questions answered. We can’t wait to meet you!

Click here for more information.

Thank you to all the families who attended our Rock Your Socks event before Spring Break! It was wonderful to see so many of you come together to support our preschool community. Your participation made the event extra special, and we appreciate the opportunity to connect with everyone in such a fun and meaningful way.

Our 3s and 4s half-day program has kicked off a new unit all about spring! This week, we explored the wonders of the season, from flowers to bugs. In dramatic play, we’ve created a garden space for the children to explore, preparing them for deeper learning about planting next week. Our 4-year-olds are making great progress in writing and are excited to start planting lima beans, offering a hands-on experience with the plant life cycle. Our Pre-K students have also transitioned to sitting on the floor during circle time, proudly following the new expectations. The children are loving playing games, especially using “rock, paper, scissors” to decide who goes first. It’s been a fun start to spring, and we look forward to more learning ahead!

In Grady’s Group this week, we focused on problem-solving, an important life skill. The children practiced naming their feelings, clearly identifying the problem with details, and finding a solution. We worked through steps like: 1) Naming feelings, 2) Defining the problem (with specifics), and 3) Fixing the problem (is it safe? fair?). We encourage you to practice these steps at home by asking your child about problems they've encountered, how they felt, and how they solved them. This skill will help them in both social and academic situations.

Early Learners and their families are warmly invited to join us for an exciting and engaging evening at Early Learners Family Reading Night! This special event will take place at the South Park Library on April 7th from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to come together as a community to celebrate the joy and magic of reading. It promises to be a fun-filled evening where families can explore new books, share stories, and foster a love of learning. We can’t wait to see you there and share in this wonderful experience with the Early Learners community!

• All visitors to South Park School MUST bring a valid driver's license or state ID card to the main office before entering into the building. Beginning this year, we will collect IDs during your visit and return it to you as you leave.
• If your child is going to be absent from school, you need to call or email us by 9:00 that morning. ** Call 847-945-5895, ext. 2103 and leave a message OR ** Email Nurse Nora Moskos.
• Please follow our morning procedures, and drop your children off at their regular grade level doors. If you choose to drive through the front circle at arrival, kindly stay in your car when you drop off to help us reduce morning congestion.
• K-5 drop-off is between 8:35-8:45 a.m. Students who arrive after 8:45 a.m. will need to enter through the front door of the school, as all other doors will be locked.
• Dismissal for all Kindy and 1st-grade walkers and car riders will take place at their grade level door.
  
• Early Learners drop-off/pick-up info can be found here.
• When parking in our Birchwood parking lot, please remember that our preschoolers are dropped off and picked up by the west end (closest to the school). Sometimes, their parents' cars can block a parked car from exiting for a few minutes. To avoid that, we suggest that you park closer to Birchwood Avenue.

Friday, April 18th

• No School

Tuesday, May 20th

• VIP Day for Kindergarten, Third Grade, and Fifth Grade

• VIP Day for 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, and 4th Grade

• No School

2024-25 Music Concert Dates:

• 5th Grade - Wednesday, January 29th @ 6:00

• 4th Grade - Wednesday, February 19th @ 6:00 (rescheduled from 2/12)

• 3rd Grade - Wednesday, April 9th @ 6:00 (new date)

• 2nd Grade - Wednesday, February 19th @ 5:00 (rescheduled from 2/12)

• 1st Grade - Wednesday, January 29th @ 5:00

• Kindergarten - Wednesday, April 9th @ 5:00 (new date)

• Early Learners - Thursday, May 1 @ 5:00