I can hardly contain the excitement the staff and I have to start the year tomorrow. Our staff has been diligently preparing for the year to celebrate learning and growing. Please read the newsletter, paying special attention to the map. Due to our parking lot not being completed, we needed to make some adjustments due to safety for our first and second graders.These changes will take place for the following week only. I will have updated information for next week Tuesday's take home. Please remember that tomorrow is the first day of school and it is a half day of attendance. We look forward to seeing all of our Hometown families.

Families will have an additional opportunity to drop off supplies to their child’s classroom beginning on tonight, Tuesday, August 17th between 6:00pm- 7:30pm (teacher's may not be present for this session.)

Please join us for our beginning of the year celebration(open house) tonight, Tuesday, August 17, 2021 from 4:30-6:00 to meet teachers and listen to a presentation about the year. Class presentations times allow for two separate opportunities to view presentations.

K-2- 4:35-4:50

CASE 1- 4:35-4:50

3-5 4:55-5:10

K-2- 5:15-5:30

3-5- 5:35-5:50

CASE 2- 5:35-5:50

Please note presentations are the same, times just offer opportunities to make other grade level sessions. If the door is closed, please wait for the second presentation.

The PTA ice cream social will follow from 5:30-6:30 by the playground in the back of the school. This social event will allow families to join the PTA, catch up with old friends and meet new ones! We hope to see you there.

As we start the school year, the bus times may be off as the drivers are getting used to their routes. Please be on the corners at least five minutes before your scheduled time. Please be patient as they navigate the new routes. Call the office with any questions.

Welcome Back Hometown Families! We are so looking forward to this upcoming year. We can't wait to get back to doing all the fun things for our students like Assemblies, Craft Nights, Book Fairs, Ice Cream Friday (starting Sept 3rd), Bingo, Family Game Night and so much more.

None of these amazing events would be possible without your support.

We have two ways you can help the PTA this year -

#1 - Become a PTA member. The cost is $10.00 per household. It's quick and easy to sign up and helps us out so much.

Click the link to sign up today - https://hometown.memberhub.com/store

#2 - Sign up to help with events throughout the year. We have so many opportunities to get involved. If you are interested in helping, but don't know where to start or have questions about what is involved with each committee please send us an email to D123HometownPTA@gmail.com and we'd be happy to help you.

Click the link to see Volunteer opportunities -

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0D4EAFAA2AA6FF2-hometown

Hope you have a fantastic start to your year!

- Hometown PTA -

Kari Devine - President

Leah Diaz - 1st VP

Liz Urbauer - 2nd VP

Heather McMackin - Secretary

Jamie Lopez - Treasurer

Attached below is the school supply list. Please click on the link to access both the general education supplies and the special education supply list.

Please remember to turn your school fees in to the office or you can pay online through Skyward.

Kindergarten students will be screened the first two days of school. All registered kindergarten students have been registered for a screening on either Wednesday, August 18th or Thursday, August 19th. If you do not have your time for the screening, please reach out to the office staff. The screening results will be analyzed, and students will be placed in classes heterogeneously. Families will be notified of their child’s teacher Thursday, August 19th afternoon via phone call, so please make sure your contact information is current in Skyward. Kindergarten students’ first day of school will be Friday, August 20th from 8:30am-3:20pm.

Any family traveling for vacation will need to follow the travel guidance issued by the Cook County Public Health department. Travel advisory is currently in 14 states and with international travel. Hometown School will enforce the quarantine guidelines. If your family is in this situation and need assistance with protocol, please call and speak with Mrs. Bencik.

This year’s first day of school will be Wednesday, August 18th and it is a half day of school ~ for students in grades 1st through 5th. The school day begins at 8:30 am and ends at 11:30 am. We are looking forward to seeing all of the smiling faces coming back to in person learning. The earliest students can line up is students can start arriving at 8:10am. Upon their arrival, scholars should line up with their grade level peers at the appropriate door. Students will be escorted into the building by staff at 8:25 am.

Pre-K- Door 20

Kindergarten- Enter door 1, exit door 8

1st grade- Door 5

2nd grade- Door 5

3rd grade- Door 19

4th grade- Door 17

5th grade- Door 15

As we start our school year, we will have the CASE students enter in the front of the building. The staff will be out at door 1 to assist your child into our building. If you feel your family needs a parking pass for arrival and dismissal, please work with your child's teacher on the first day. We will have a school representative maintaining access to the parking lot daily. Showing the pass or letting us know you are with the CASE program will grant you access to the lot the first few days.

In an effort to maximize the safest traffic pattern possible, we will continue with the traffic pattern exercised for the past several years. In the morning, families / caregivers who drive their students to school may choose to either pull up to the designated “car drop off zone”, which is located on the “school side” of Duffy (southbound) and let their child exit the car on the passenger side or park on Kildare or Kolin and walk their child to their designated arrival spot. NO CARS will be allowed in the school parking lots during arrival and dismissal times. Students are expected to report to their designated doors as seen on the map above.

When school is dismissed at 3:20 pm, students are able to walk home, line up in the gym for their bus, or meet their parent/ caregiver outside of the school. Older children who walk younger siblings or neighbors should meet them in a prearranged location outside of the building and will be dismissed first in order to pick up their sibling or relative.

Masks

Governor Pritzker announced through an executive order that masks are now required for students, teachers, and staff at pre-kindergarten - 12th grade public and nonpublic schools throughout the state. The new measure is part of the state’s ongoing effort to combat the surge of the Delta variant. Hometown school will follow the mandate.

Self-certification

Starting the school year, self-certification will not be required to be turned in at the school. Please take time each morning to ensure your child is healthy and ready to learn.

Temperature Checks

All students will be temperature checked as they enter the building daily.

Students will be able to take part in breakfast and lunch everyday at NO charge. Breakfast will be given to students at the end of each day for the following morning to be eaten at home. There will be NO in person breakfast option this school year. The first breakfast will be distributed Wednesday, August 18th for the following morning. Students will be able to chose from two hot choices for lunch daily with lunch counts taking place with their teacher in the morning

Unfortunately our parking lot will not be ready to start the school year. We anticipate to be completed soon. We still have some construction taking place with machines coming in and out of the lot. Therefore, for the safety of all, please do not walk down the driveway. We ask you do not park in the back or in Our Lady of Loretto parking lot. We ask that you use community street parking until the project is finished.

In the newsletter below is a story to share with your children the night before they start school. I hope they all listen the story before they go to bed!

Website: d123.org/hometown
Location: 8870 S Duffy Ave, Hometown, IL, USA
Phone: 708-423-7360
Twitter: @d123hometown

Email: abencik@d123.org
Phone: 708-423-7360
Twitter: @AmandaBencik