Erickson Express

Dear Erickson Families,

I am very GRATEFUL to be a part of the Erickson School Community. I am blessed to work with your children every day. THANK YOU for sharing your children with us! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

The school collected 175 pairs of pajamas during the Preschool Pajama Drive. The class that collected the most PJ's was Mrs. Cook's class with 28 pairs of PJ's. They earned a donut party tomorrow. Congratulations and that you for giving back!

A reminder that the weather is continually changing. Please make sure to send warm clothes (coats, hats, gloves) on colder days. All students go outside for recess each day.

The end of the 1st Trimester is on Friday, November 22nd. Student Progress Reports will be Posted in Alma on Friday, December 6th at 3:00. Please make sure you are able to log into ALMA. Everyone has an account as this is the same site you used to register your child.

Please consider taking the parent survey that was sent to each of you in a separate email. Erickson Staff review the data and set goals. Thank you for considering taking the survey!

If you need to report an absence, please call the school 630-529-2223 or email the teacher and the attendance line: erattendance@sd13.org

Have a wonderful day!

Stacy Johnston

Principal

sjohnston@sd13.org

• November 22: Hot Lunch Pot Belly

• November 25 & 26: Parent Teacher Conferences: No School

• November 27 - November 29: Fall Break, No School

• DECEMBER IMPORTANT DATES

• Mitten Tree collection (NEW hats, mittens, scarves for families in need) December 2-December 20.

• December 2: Hot Lunch-Buona Beef

• December 3: School Store, PTO Holiday Gift Corner open for families in the Library from 6:00pm-8:00pm, PTO Dine Out Night at Portillos (see flyer below)

• December 4: PTO Holiday Gift Corner open for students during the school hours

• December 5: 4th grade Choir Concert evening performance for families 6:30pm

• December 6: Hot Lunch-Potbelly, Spirit Day: Wear Blue and Gold, Student Progress Reports opens for parents in ALMA

• December 9: Hot lunch

• December 11: Wacky Wednesday -Theme: Winter Holiday -Students can dress up with the theme of the holiday they celebrate in the winter, they can wear snowflakes or the color blue.

• December 13: Hot lunch

• December 16: Hot Lunch - Buona Beef, Kdg Gingerbread Celebration, PTO Meeting 5:30pm

• December 17: School Store

• December 20: Hot Lunch Pot Belly, Early dismissal 1:40, Eagles Nest, No Preschool

  • 10:20-11:20 AM Kindergarten PTO Holiday Party

  • 11:00-12:00 1st - 5th grade PTO Holiday Party

  • 1:00-1:30 Eagles Nest

  • 2:15-3:15 PM Kindergarten PTO Holiday Party

• December 23-January 3: Winter Break - No School
• January 6, 2024: School Back in Session

• **Please note: 1:40 Early Dismissal Days/School Improvement are on FRIDAY. Early Dismissal/School Improvement days are one Friday per month and FULL DAY students are dismissed at 1:40 while teachers are involved in professional development activities. Half-Day PM Kindergarten will attend school at their normal PM times. AM & PM Preschool students do not attend school on early dismissal days.

We continue to monitor student attendance. As of Friday, November 22 there have been 65 days of school. If your child has been absent 7 or more days, he/she would be considered chronically absent by the state. Please help us by making sure your child is present at school. We miss your kids when they are absent.

Each month we will post a video to watch as a family, discussion questions to discuss together, and a quick form to fill out to be entered into an eagle ticket raffle. Please consider completing the Character Counts Family Connection together!

School District 13 is excited to continue the CARES program—an innovative, community-centered initiative designed to improve access to quality mental health services. CARES (Community, Advocacy, Resilience, Engagement, and Support) connects families with local mental health providers based on individual needs, simplifying the process of finding help and scheduling appointments.

Through this program, families can receive up to 8 free mental health treatment sessions with independent, licensed clinicians, available in person and via telehealth. Services are 100% confidential and accessible to all district students, including those with commercial insurance, as well as those who are uninsured or underinsured.

This program is made possible through funding from District 13 in partnership with ReferralGPS, a mental health navigation service that connects students and families with local providers based on their specific needs.

For more information on the CARES program and accessing mental health services, please visit our District CARES page at https://referralgps.com/13cares or scan the QR code below. To get started, simply complete the “Treatment Request” form. You can also contact your student's social worker or counselor for assistance with placing a referral.

Are your kids growing out of their pants? The nurses office is in need of gently used pants that we can use for kids that may rip theirs, get covered in mud, etc. We really need more pants for boys of all ages, girl's pants that are preferably not leggings, boys shorts for the warmer weather, and any L and XL boy shirts. If you are looking to clean out some closets, please send our way! You can drop off clothes in the front office or directly with the nurse.

Thank you so much for supporting the nurse office!

November Parenting Tip:

Gratitude

With Thanksgiving approaching, the topic of showing gratitude comes to mind.

I recently read the book The Mister Rogers Effect: 7 Secrets to Bringing Out The Best in Yourself and Others from America’s Beloved Neighbor. I know I am aging myself here, but I grew up watching his TV show, Mister Rogers Neighborhood. Looking back, I am so grateful for having grown up with this show. Mr. Rogers provided a safe place for children to learn about themselves and others, the world around them, how to manage their emotions, use their imagination, and how to build relationships with others. The show had a calming effect on children’s sensory systems. His voice, routines, music, and puppets would lull me to sleep. Now as a mother, I see that this was probably my mother’s secret tactic to get me to take a nap!

‘ Getting back to the book, there is a whole chapter that talks about how Fred Rogers showed gratitude in his show. Each episode of his show started with him singing, “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood” and he invited us to be his neighbor, leaving children feeling like they had a place where they belonged and felt connected to. He ended each show with a song called “It’s Such a Good Feeling” and he listed many things to be thankful for in his lyrics.

Below are just some of the health benefits of showing gratitude.

• Increased acts of helpfulness and generosity

• Decreased depression

• Decreased risk of anxiety

• Decreased risk of substance abuse disorders

• Increased resilience

• Increased happiness

• Increased social connection

• Increased capacity to form and maintain relationships

Looking at this list, I think we can all agree that we as parents want these health benefits for ourselves and for our children. Here are a few parenting tips discussed in the chapter.

• For us to build a positive relationship with our child, our positive interactions need to be 5 times greater than the number of negative interactions. So everytime you criticize your child, you will need to praise them (show gratitude) 5 times in order to negate the one negative interaction.

• Have you and your child journal what you are thankful for or at dinnertime have a verbal “praise report”

• Make time in your and your child’s daily schedule to enjoy the little moments and simple treasures

• Buy a box of thank you notes, or make your own, and have you and your child each send to someone to show your appreciation.

Remember, modeling gratitude for your child is one of the greatest gifts you can give your child! Brainstorm with your child what he/she is thankful for, not just this Thanksgiving, but everyday!

This section will feature students who excel!

Please send in pictures and information to sjohnston@sd13.org if you would like your child featured in a future Express.

School Hours:

Grades 1st-5th: 8:40-3:30

Kindergarten AM: 8:40-11:30

Kindergarten PM: 12:40-3:30

Preschool AM: 8:50-11:20

Preschool PM: 12:50-3:20

Student Arrival:

Kindergarten-5 grade students can begin arriving at 8:25. Students should gather in the front of the building. Doors open at 8:30. Students should arrive by 8:40

Lunch Hours:

1st, 2nd & 3rd Grade Lunch: 12:00-12:25

4th-5th Grade Lunch: 12:25-12:50

Dropping off lunches from restaurants (ie- McDonald's, Wendy's, Panera, etc.) as well as using food delivery services to drop off food (ie -GrubHub, Door Dash) is not allowed. Students should bring their lunch in the morning to school each day. Safety is our number one priority and we would like to limit visitors.

Email: sjohnston@sd13.org
Website: sd13.org
Location: 277 Springfield Drive, Bloomingdale, IL, USA
Phone: 630-529-2223

Fax: 630-893-9849