The Grove Grizzly

We look forward to meeting with you this coming Wednesday or Thursday during our Parent/Teacher Conferences! Please keep in mind that there is NO SCHOOL for students on Thursday and Friday of this coming week! Our staff looks forward to sharing student progress with you this week!

Also, please be sure to read the information regarding Halloween carefully and fill out the Google Form regarding the plan for your child(ren) for lunch on Halloween. Details regarding our plans for the upcoming Halloween celebrations are also included.

Please be sure to reference the PTO section of this newsletter. There are upcoming events and deadlines that you won't want to miss.

We are looking forward to having a great Halloween this year at Grove! Below is information regarding our Halloween festivities; please read the section about costumes carefully.

Lunch – October 31st

• If your child is staying at school for lunch, please send your child's costume to school. Lunch and recess times for students will remain the same and students will change into their costumes following lunch and recess. Please be sure to communicate if your child is staying at school by indicating this option by clicking on the link to the Halloween Google Form.

• At 11:00 a.m., students may be picked up if it is easier for them to dress and eat lunch at home. Please do not expect your child to leave before 11:00 a.m.

• Students do not need to be signed out, but if you plan on picking your child up for lunch, be sure that you have indicated this option by clicking on the link to the Halloween Google Form.

• There will be adults supervising the parking lot during the 11:00 pick-up and by the Grove entrance. Please focus on safety!

• Students should return to school by 12:55 p.m.

Parade – October 31st

• Our parade will begin at 1:15 p.m. and will follow the route below:

• Leave from the Grove door and travel north to Wisconsin.

• Travel east on Wisconsin to Summit.

• Travel south on Summit to Yale.

• Travel west on Yale to Cook.

• Travel north on Cook to our parking lot entrance.

• We love parents and guests cheering us on.

• We will be back at school at about 1:45 PM

• If it rains, we will have a student only parade in the school hallways, Gym, and MPR.

Room Parties – October 31st

• After the parade, students will return to classrooms for our fabulous room parties organized by our PTO room parents.

• Parties will conclude at 2:30 p.m.

• While all parents are invited to watch the outside parade, all party volunteers must be pre-registered and are coordinated through the room parent. All volunteer information will be shared by the room parent. Please note, only adults pre-registered and signed up to be volunteers will attend the parties. We will not admit adults into the school without a pre-registered visitor’s badge. This is for the safety of our students and staff and we greatly appreciate the cooperation of our parent community with this procedure!

Costumes

Please review the following guidelines when selecting a school Halloween costume for this year:

• Students should not wear costumes to school, as they will change at school after lunch and recess or go home to change into costumes.

• Consider safety and the appropriateness of a costume for an elementary school.

• Costumes involving fake blood or violent attributes are not allowed.

• Look-alike weapons are prohibited on school grounds as noted in the student handbook.

• Masks are a safety concern, and therefore, will not be allowed.

• Please keep face paint to a minimum as students need to be easily recognized and often become uncomfortable. Examples of appropriate face paint include: cat whiskers, Harry Potter’s scar, “eye black” on an athlete, etc.

  
  

We hope to create a safe and fun event for our students, so thank you for your cooperation!

During the first half of 2024, more than 2,500 community members collaborated on a plan to continue to improve our aging school buildings. The final $64M community-driven plan will go to you, the voter, for approval as a referendum question on the Nov. 5 ballot. If successful, the referendum will:

• Increase Safety & Security throughout Barrington 220
• Build a New Community Auditorium at Barrington High School
• Enhance STEAM and Instructional Spaces for Students

Traditional early voting at polling locations in the Barrington area will open on October 21. Click the links below to find early voting information for the county you reside in:

• Cook
• Kane
• Lake
• McHenry

Running Club lasts for 6 weeks. 10/14 will be the last day at Grove and the district Fun Run will be at Ron Beese Park on October 21st.

Running club students must be picked up at 3:20.

Mondays- 1st and 2nd Grade

Tuesdays- 3rd and 5th Grade

Thursdays- 4th and 5th

Monday, October 21st: Cross Country Meet (5th Grade Mile & K-4th grade 1/2 Mile) at Beese Park

4:00 PM - COURSE WALK

4:20 PM - 5th Grade Girls - 1 Mile

4:40 PM - 5th Grade Boys - 1 Mile

5:00 PM - Elementary Half Mile

Questions? Please contact Mrs. Corey, Mrs. Bosch, or Mrs. Laird for more information!

This fall Barrington 220 is launching a book study called One Book, One Community Read! The book study, hosted by our District Equity Team, aligns with the Inclusive Education priority in our district’s strategic plan, Framework 220.

The book study will feature the book Breaking the Code with Gabriella, written by current BHS students Hafsah Khan, Cindy Wang, and 2024 graduate Sarah Pinto. BTCWG is a story about the fight for inclusivity and belonging in STEM spaces, following the story of a young girl, Gabriella, who joins her robotics team as the only girl.

You can pick up a free copy of Breaking the Code with Gabriella during Parent-Teacher Conferences on October 17. Supplies are limited, so be sure to grab one while they last! For additional copies, visit the Barrington Area Library or the District Administrative Center. We will culminate this community-wide read with a special fireside chat featuring our student authors at the annual Winter Wonderfest celebration at BHS on December 13! It will be a wonderful opportunity to engage with the authors, hear their perspectives, and celebrate the inclusive themes of the book.

Barrington 220 Un Libro, Una Lectura Comunitaria
Este otoño, Barrington 220 está lanzando un estudio de libros llamado ¡Un libro, Una Lectura Comunitaria! El estudio del libro, organizado por nuestro Equipo de Equidad del Distrito, está alineado con la prioridad de Educación Inclusiva en el plan estratégico de nuestro distrito, Marco de Trabajo 220.

El estudio del libro contará con el título “Rompiendo El Código con Gabriella”, escrito por las estudiantes actuales de BHS Hafsah Khan, Cindy Wang y Sarah Pinto, graduada en 2024. RECCG es una historia sobre la lucha por la inclusión y la pertenencia en los espacios de STEM (Ciencia, Tecnología, Ingeniería y Matemáticas), siguiendo la historia de una niña, Gabriella, que se une a su equipo de robótica como la única niña.

Usted puede recoger una copia gratuita de “Rompiendo el Código con Gabriella” durante las Conferencias de Padres y Maestros el 17 de octubre. Los suministros son limitados, ¡así que asegúrese de tomar una copia mientras duren! Para obtener copias adicionales, visite la Biblioteca del Área de Barrington o el Centro Administrativo del Distrito.

¡Culminaremos esta lectura comunitaria con una charla especial junto a la chimenea con nuestras estudiantes autoras durante la celebración anual del Festival de Invierno Wonderfest en BHS el 13 de diciembre! Será una oportunidad maravillosa para interactuar con las autoras, escuchar sus perspectivas y celebrar los temas sobre inclusividad del libro.

Wednesday, October 16th from 3:30-7:30 PM Parent Teacher Conferences and Book Fair

Thursday, October 17th from 1:00-7:00 PM Parent Teacher Conferences and Book Fair

(Thursday, 10/17 and Friday, 10/18 are non-attendance days for students)

Monday, October 21st: Cross Country Meet (5th Grade Mile & K-4th grade 1/2 Mile) at Beese Park

4:00 PM - COURSE WALK

4:20 PM - 5th Grade Girls - 1 Mile

4:40 PM - 5th Grade Boys - 1 Mile

5:00 PM - Elementary Half Mile

10/22 & 23 - 5th Grade Camp Timber-lee

Thursday, October 31st - 1:15 parade, parties immediately to follow.

Friday, November 1st- No School (Teacher Inservice)

Monday, November 4th- No School

Tuesday, November 5th- No School (Election Day)

LAST CALL!! Teacher Conference Dinner Donations

The PTO hosts dinner for our amazing teachers on both evenings of Parent / Teacher Conferences (Fall & Spring). Our teachers go above and beyond every day and this is our opportunity to give back and show them our appreciation! Your donations go a long way in helping us nourish them between conferences. Please click the link below to donate a meal (or more) and you can also leave a message for your teacher which will be shared with them in a special way! https://tinyurl.com/GroveConferenceDinnerDonation

Volunteers Needed!! Fall Book Fair

Our Fall Book Fair will take place during Parent/Teacher Conferences on Wednesday, October 16th and Thursday, October 17th. Students will be making their wish lists during the school day and provide those to their parents to shop. If you are unable to be at the Book Fair, you can set up your child's E-Wallet so they can purchase books during the day. Here is a link with that information: https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/groveavenueelementaryschool

We are looking for parent volunteers to help us on both evenings of the Book Fair. Please consider donating some of your time to support this event: https://tinyurl.com/GroveBookFair2024

Early Yearbook Orders

You can save 10% on your child's yearbook if you order between October 1-25! Please use this link to order: https://tinyurl.com/GroveYearbook2024

SAVE THE DATE!

- Donuts with a Grownup will be on November 14, 2024 from 7:00-7:45am in the Grove Gym. More details coming soon!

- Grove Parent Party will be on February 7, 2025 - more details coming soon for sponsorships and donations for our biggest fundraiser of the year!

Click here for the latest flyers on upcoming events and other PTO Information!

General Questions? Email us at: GAvenuePTO@gmail.com

Barrington 220 will be utilizing the Character Strong Universal Strengths and Needs Screener as part of our ongoing efforts in increasing a sense of belonging for all students, improving skills that support student well-being, and deepening student engagement in academics, school, and community. The Strengths and Needs Screener is completed by your child’s teacher and will assist our staff in supporting your child in the best way possible. While families cannot opt-out of the Character Strong instruction, you may choose to opt your child out of the screener. If you do not wish for your child’s teacher to complete the Strengths and Needs Screener, please notify your school principal in writing by Wednesday, October 23, 2024.

This October, we are excited to launch our school-wide initiative, “Grove Students Are DRIVEN,” focused on the Character Strong trait of Responsibility and the Barrington 220 learner profile trait of Exhibiting Initiative and Self-Drive. Throughout the month, students have crafted both academic and personal goals that embody these important values.

We invite you to explore these inspiring goals on display during our parent-teacher conferences. This is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate your child's progress and discuss ways to support their journey towards achieving these goals at home.