Family Update
10/21/24-11/1/24
Parent-Teacher Conference Sign-Up
Everyone should have received a stand alone message on Friday, October 25 regarding Parent-Teacher Conferences, which take place on Monday, November 25 and Tuesday, November 26. Monday's conferences are held IN PERSON and Tuesday's conferences are VIRTUAL. We hope this mix of "in person" and "virtual" options meets everyone's need.
Please be respectful of this time that is set aside for this purpose and not ask to schedule conferences outside of this designated time. These requests put staff in an awkward position and take them away from planning, grading, collaborating and all of the other professional responsibilities that come with the job. :)
The window for P/T Conference sign-up opens on Wednesday, November 6.
Forest Hills Election
The students at Forest Hills will be partaking in their civic duty by voting on the yearbook cover on Monday. They'll learn a little bit about what an election is (in an age appropriate and neutral way!) and can cast their vote for their preferred design. The winner will be announced upon our return to school on Wednesday!
IMPORTANT: D101 Veterans Events & Collections
On Monday, November 11 District 101 celebrates and honors all of our veterans. This year our district Veteran's Day assembly is hosted at McClure Junior High School, with representatives from Forest Hills bringing messages of thanks to our honored guests. Our deepest appreciation to everyone in our school community who served or is currently serving in the military.
Here are a few other ways that you can choose to honor veterans and service members:
District 101 Coin Drive
Next week we are honoring Veterans all week ending with our District 101 Veterans Day Assembly being held at McClure this year on Monday 11/11! As part of the excitement, the district elementary schools are doing a coin drive where each classroom collects coins to donate to Darkhorse Lodge, a retreat center for our veterans returning home from service. The grade level at each school who donates the most will win a pajama day and the winner will be announced at the ceremony! See the graphic below!
Candy Drive
A Laidlaw family is collecting candy for troops. We will have a collection box in the office at Forest Hills should anyone want to send their child in with any excess Halloween candy next week! See the attached flyer!
Donations for Friendship Bags for Vets
The Wei family is collecting items for friendship bags for veterans. Collection boxes will be located outside of each classroom for items through November 11. See the graphic below!
November Student Ownership Attribute: Collaboration
I'm looking forward to spending time in each of the classrooms this month, as we continue our Student Attributes with students and staff. Together, we’re learning what it means to be “collaborative”!
Our D101 definition of COLLABORATIVE is: collaborative people are able to work together to produce or create something, and to work with someone else on a project or to solve a problem.
Some of the components we discussed at the various grade levels were:
Collaboration is all around us - in our partner work, our group work, team sports, families, EVERYWHERE!
Collaboration helps us put together strengths and skills from different people - we are stronger when we think and work together!
Collaborative people are open to ideas and often learn new things and have great experiences working in new ways.
We’ve discussed these talking points in connection with the following grade level texts:
Kindergarten: The Little Red Fort, by Brenda Maier
1st Grade: Officer Buckle and Gloria, by Peggy Rathmann
2nd Grade: Up the Creek, by Nicholas Oldland
3rd Grade: The Little Red Pen, by Janet Stevens
4th Grade: Boxitects, by Kim Smith
5th Grade: Someone Builds the Dream, by Lisa Wheeler and Loren Lang
Although this is our collective focus for the month of November, we’ll always be practicing being COLLABORATIVE throughout the year, and will be using these skills as a part of our December focus – being a GLOBAL CITIZEN! Stay tuned for more information about GLOBAL CITIZENS next month!
Review 360 Screener
As is our annual practice, students in grades 3-5 will complete the Review 360 social-emotional screener. It is a short questionnaire that is used to help identify students who may be at risk of internalizing social-emotional issues. This brief screener will be administered in their classrooms with their teachers. As also is our practice, we will follow-up with students and families as necessary.
CogAT: Grades 3 and 5
Students in grades 3 and 5 will take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) the week of November 11.
The CogAT Test measures the level and pattern of cognitive development of a student compared to age mates and grade mates. These general reasoning abilities, which start developing at birth and continue through early adulthood, are influenced by experiences gained both in and out of school.
The CogAT measures three different cognitive abilities.
• The verbal section measures a child’s ability to remember and transform sequences of English words, to understand them and to make inferences and judgments about them.
• The quantitative section measures a child’s understanding of basic quantitative concepts and relationships.
• The non-verbal section measures reasoning using pictures and geometric shapes. This section reduces the impact of language on the student’s score.
• The composite score is a total score for all three batteries.
This is just one additional piece of information we utilize to ensure students are receiving the differentiated instruction they need to learn and grow. Parents will receive these assessment results as soon as they're available for distribution.
Notes of Appreciation
Did you know that practicing gratitude can not only positively impact the recipient of your kind words, but also help YOU feel better and live longer?!?! It's true!
In that spirit, I encourage you to take the time to click HERE to share a short message of gratitude to a Forest Hills staff member (or members, if you're feeling really ambitious!). I have the great fortune of seeing how hard everyone works behind the scenes and the care and concern that everyone here shows for our kids everyday. Hopefully, your kiddos feel that love and support and you do too!
I'll also always have a link to the form in my email signature for ease of access and the opportunity to send a kind note whenever the mood strikes. Thanks in advance for taking the time to brighten someone's day!
IMPORTANT: Updated D101 Elementary Handbook
This summer, the administrative team spent considerable time updating the Elementary School Handbook. Please do spend some time reviewing some of the important information regarding attendance, academics, behavior/discipline, technology, etc. The handbook can be found via the link above or as a PDF below.
2024-25 School Calendar
Word From WSFEE
Do you have a Big Idea and just don't know where to start? WSFEE is here to help - contact grants@wsfee.org and we can help you through the grant writing process. Grants help support everything from school and classroom libraries to STEM supplies to buddy benches and lunch tables. Remember to visit wsfee.org or follow WSFEE on Facebook or Instagram (@wsfee_d101) to hear about events, donations and sponsorship opportunities throughout the year.
Environmental Club
Is your 3rd-5th grader interested in developing environmental awareness and mindfulness with nature? If so, encourage them to join Environmental Club! See the attached flyer for more information and complete THIS FORM to join!
Rachel Corrough
Email: rcorrough@d101.org
Website: www.d101.org
Location: 5020 Central Avenue, Western Springs, IL, USA
Phone: (708)485-5184
Twitter: @corrough
