October ELC Newsletter
October 2024
Hi wonderful families & caregivers,
Thank you to all our families who attended our back-to-school night. We are already planning next year's Back to School Zebra Bash as we enjoy spending time with our students and families.
Our students did very well during Safety Week. Our teachers and therapists have introduced safety to our classrooms in a developmentally appropriate manner. I urge you to speak to your child about safety and following directions as well.
October is going to be full of exciting events. Our PTO has purchased each student a pumpkin that students will be able to take home. Our field trip committee has organized a pumpkin fest to take place in our courtyard. We will celebrate Halloween on Thursday, October 31st. Students can dress in costumes; students are not allowed to bring play weapons, accessories, or dress in scary/gruesome costumes as we have young students that may be frightened. Due to our nutrition and allergy guidelines, we will NOT accept food or candy treats brought in.
If your family does not celebrate due to personal or religious reasons, please communicate with the classroom teacher. We honor and respect each family's wishes. In our school, we do not have designated parties but we include fall or Halloween activities throughout the day.
In partnership,
Ms. Michelle
Due to a change in school code by the Illinois State Board of Education, this school year a medical note is required for parents/guardians who select the: “MEDUE: Medical/Dental Appointment” excuse option for their student in Infinite Campus or call their student out of school for a medical/dental appointment.
The revised school code defines "valid cause" for absence as the following: Illness, including the mental or behavioral health of the student; attendance at a verified medical or therapeutic appointment; appointment with a victim services provider. Please note that the student’s absence will be marked unexcused in Infinite Campus until a medical note is provided.
We understand this is a change in practice from previous years. Please know that our front office is here to help answer any questions or concerns you may have.
Our district Health and Wellness Policy supports the state level effort to combat childhood obesity. In addition, we have students in our school with many allergies that we need to keep safe. In support of this effort, we do not celebrate birthdays with food or treats. We recognize that birthdays are an important occasion in a child's life, and we do honor that. Teachers have special birthday traditions in their classrooms to recognize a child’s birthday.
Please do not bring in food treats with your child as we will need to send them home with your student. A daily snack is provided to all students. To keep all of our students safe, students should not be bringing any food or snacks to school at any time. Thank you for honoring this decision as we support the health and wellness of all our students.
Keri Personette, RN, PEL-CSN
Phone: 224-770-4320
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:
Please review the My Ride K-12 app for further information on bus routes. As ELC welcomes new students throughout the year, please note that routes may change. Barrington Transportation Company appreciates your flexibility and patience.
https://www.barrington220.org/families/transportation
- All students were provided with transportation. If you would like to decline transportation service and will be transporting your child to and from ELC, please contact Arely Gamez (ELC admin assistant) at agamez@barrington220.org or call 224-770-4300.
- If you would like to request Alternate Transportation from a daycare provider or another location within Barrington 220 district boundaries, please request that directly at the link below. It will take 72 hours or longer for any change to be effective. Please submit your transportation requests asap.
- Finally, if you have additional questions, please contact Barrington 220 Transportation Specialist, Megan Polzin at our District Administrative Center by email at businfo@barrington220.org or phone at 847-842-3545.
On the following dates, ELC students will not have school. We conduct developmental screenings to accept new students to our program. If you have a child approaching 3 years of age, please sign up for a screening using the link below. Also, please share this information with other families in your neighborhood as we love accepting new students who need our program.
2024-2025 SCREENING DATES
October 25, 2024
January 17, 2025
March 7, 2025
Our next PTO meeting of the school year: is Wednesday, October 2nd at 7pm via zoom. Our assistant superintendent of schools will be present to discuss the referendum.
ELC Spirit Wear is available for purchase! There are ELC and Barrington-themed items available for sale at the following link: https://theimprintery.com/product-category/spiritwear/elc/. Order by October 2nd for delivery directly to ELC.
We are kicking off a month-long fundraising campaign with Krispy Kreme. From now until October 31st, 50% of each dozen purchased using the link below will be donated back to the ELC PTO. Simply purchase your donuts using the link, then bring your receipt to any Krispy Kreme location to redeem. This fundraiser is valid nationwide so please share the link with friends and family.
Pay your annual dues here.
Join our facebook group here.
Follow us on twitter @B220ELC_PTO
- October 16: Parent-Teacher Conferences - Full Day of School
- October 17: Parent-Teacher Conferences - No School
- October 18: In-service Day - No School
- October 22: Pumpkin Fest
- October 25: Screening Day - No School
- November 1: In-service Day - No School
- November 4: No School
- November 5: Election Day - No School
- November 7: Picture Day
- November 12: Randall Oaks in-house field trip
- November 27-29: Thanksgiving Break - No School
- Week of December 2nd: Erin's Law taught in classrooms
- December 6: PTO Art Night
December 13: Prairie Band Concert
December 17: Prairie Orchestra Concert
- December 23-January 3, 2025: Winter Break - No School
