October 2024 Banner Tracks

This has been an absolute amazing start to the school year for our Bobcats! The new students also appear to be adjusting well as they meet new friends. You should all be so proud of your students. Keep encouraging them to work hard and treat others with kindness. That is the Bobcat way!

~Mr. Fairchild

"YOU BELONG HERE!"

Halloween will be celebrated on Thursday, October 31. Students may wear their costumes to school. There will be an outdoor parade (weather pending) at 1:15 PM on the playground. Parents may gather at Charlotte's Park or bring a chair. Students will then begin their parties right afterwards. ONLY THOSE PARENTS WHO WERE ASSIGNED to the parties will be able to attend.

This month's trait is RESPONSIBILITY." Our next Bobcat Family Event is this coming week where we will center our conversations around responsibility.

Thank you to our families for supporting us in ensuring students are following our expectations. We encourage parents to discuss these with their children as well as they are lifelong goals for people of all ages. Our school-wide expectations are reviewed with our students nearly every day and they are:

• Follow directions quickly (and exactly)
• Keep hands, feet, and other objects to yourself
• Speak kindly
• Because it is never okay to be disruptive, and it is never okay to be hurtful.

Our teachers have received training in the BIST philosophy, which is centered around GRACE and ACCOUNTABILITY.

Monday, October 14 is a FULL-Day Teacher's Institute. Students are NOT in session. Enjoy a 3-day weekend!

Parent/teacher conferences are an important component of school life for students where you can

celebrate achievements and plan for improvements. Both parents AND students are expected to attend parent/teacher conferences as the student will be involved in the process.

Fall Conferences will be held on October 24, 2024 and October 25, 2024. There will be no

school on these days, but students are asked to attend conferences with you. Please choose one

20 minute time slot for each child. If none of the offered times work for you, please contact your

child's classroom teacher directly.

The sign up portal will open at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 28, 2024, and you may

sign up for your 20 minute time slot HERE. This scheduling site will remain open until

Sunday, October 20, 2024 at 10:00 p.m.

In-Person - October 24, 2024 -12:00 pm-7:00 pm

In-Person - October 25, 2024 7:00 am-1:00pm

If you need to meet with a specials teacher, you may contact them directly to schedule a meeting

time on October 24 or 25.

Thank you for your participation!

Once you have reached the site, please follow the directions below.

Register (new users)

1. Enter your email address and push "Login/Create Account".

2. Fill in the required fields and register.

Sign In

If you've previously registered, all you need to do is enter your email and password. If you have

forgotten your password, you can select the Forgot Password button and a new password will be

emailed to you.

Scheduling

1. You will see a list of teachers. Select the box next to the correct teacher. You will then

see the schedule of available times for those teachers.

2. Each colored square represents an available meeting time. The legend shows you which

teacher corresponds to which color and the times increase as you go down the page.

3. Click on a square to schedule that time.

4. You will have the choice to set a time when you would like an email reminder to be

delivered, and you will be prompted to enter in the name of your student.

5. Click on “Create Appointment”.

6. Repeat until you have a time with each teacher you’d like to meet.

If you have any questions, please call the Banner office at 309- 243-7774.

Math facts are the foundation for your child's success in math, helping them build speed and confidence in solving more complex problems. Mastery of these facts allows students to focus on higher-level thinking without being slowed down by basic calculations. You can support your child by practicing flashcards together, using apps or games that reinforce math facts, or turning daily tasks like grocery shopping or cooking into math challenges. Consistent practice at home makes a big difference in your child's math skills and overall confidence in school!

We will be celebrating Unity Day on Wednesday, October 16. Students are encouraged to wear orange as a tangible representation of the supportive, universal message that our society wants to prevent bullying, and is united for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.

Unity Day is an annual event occurring during National Bullying Prevention Month that promotes joining together to create healthier communities through kindness, acceptance of difference, and inclusion. It was started by PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center in 2011 and is now celebrated around the world.

Each classroom has a time built into their schedules where students may have a snack. Don't forget to send your child with some sort of snack. One that is healthy is preferred. We do have snacks for those who are unable to purchase on their own, but it is very limited and we tend to run out quickly.

Our Picture RETAKE Day has been scheduled for Thursday, October 17 from 7:45 AM - 10:15 AM!

If parents are interested in ordering school pictures they may click HERE. Use code 87437QF for Banner Elementary.

We are so fortunate to have a PTO which is active and has the school's best interest in mind. We could not provide for our students many of the services and events without the help of the PTO. Be looking out for some information regarding events this year:

• Our next PTO Monthly meeting is on Tuesday, October 22 at 6:30 via Google Meets. All parents are invited to attend virtually!
• Virtual Fundraiser - Stay tuned to our fall fundraiser that will be an online event in October. We will be kicking it off on October 9. The funds help supplement a great number of supplies for our teachers and students. Be looking for more information as to incentives for students!
• Fall Fest (save the date) - Saturday, October 19 from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM is the date for our Fall Fest, which is a free event for our families. See the flyer below for more details about the event! We would love to see some family pumpkins!!!

Thank you to all the families who were able to participate and support the PTO by attending the Potbelly Dine Out night in September. We raised $600!

Banner is still recycling all these items! Please drop off at the front of the building. There are also collections in the cafeteria for kids who use some of the items in their lunch boxes.

We will be having a specific toy recycling drive in January. So keep a lookout for information on that coming soon.

There will be a table set up at the Fall Festival, so come ask any questions, drop off recycling, or just learn more about how you can help support Banner through recycling!

Birthday treats are not allowed to be brought to school. Teachers will find a way to recognize your child's birthday within the classroom. Thank you for understanding!

In an effort to maintain the safest environment possible for our children, security measures have been implemented in all buildings throughout the district. All school doors, including the front entrance, will be locked during school hours. Visitors to the school will need to press the buzzer located to the right of the main entrance and wait to be let in by office staff (you will hear a "clicking" sound to signify the door is unlocked). A drop area will be located in the foyer outside the main office for items that need to be dropped off or picked up. Please call to alert office staff (309-243-7774) ahead of time if you have an item to drop off and be sure to clearly label the item with your child's name and their teacher. Upon entering the building, visitors will be asked to present a US government issued ID such as a Driver’s License, which can either be scanned or manually entered into our electronic sign in system. Once entry is approved, a badge will be issued that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of the visit. Upon exiting the school, visitors will be asked to give their visitors badge to the office staff when checking out. Meetings with teachers should be pre-arranged with the classroom teacher ahead of time. We hope our families understand and appreciate our efforts in maintaining a safe school environment.

School volunteers are important to the success of our school district. If you are interested in volunteering for our school and working with the students, please complete the volunteer approval process. This process involves completing the online application, being fingerprinted, and providing fingerprinting confirmation. While the process from start to finish does take some time, volunteers will only need to complete this process once.

• Step 1: Complete the online application. After application completion, an email will be sent regarding the fingerprinting process. This email comes from Dunlap District office staff, not Banner office staff.

• Step 2: Get fingerprinted. Follow instructions found in the previously mentioned email.

• Step 3: Provide fingerprinting confirmation to either the Dunlap District office staff or the Banner office staff.

Please either call the office (309-243-7774) OR email Mrs. Barber at lbarber@dunlapcusd.net by 8:15 AM if your child is going to be absent. This eliminates the need for a phone call to your family checking on the child. Thank you for your help with this.

Required Parent Notification Regarding Vision and Screening Mandate:

Hearing screening must be provided annually for preschool children 3 years of age or older in any public or private educational program or licensed child care facility, and for all school age children grades kindergarten, first, second and third; are in special education class; have been referred by a teacher; or are transfer students. These screening services shall be provided in all public, private, and parochial schools. In lieu of the screening services required, a completed and signed report form, indicating the child had an ear examination by a physician and an audiological evaluation completed by an audiologist within the previous 12 months, is acceptable.

Vision screening must be provided annually for preschool children 3 years of age or older in any public or private educational program or licensed child care facility, and for school age children in kindergarten, second and eighth grades; are in special education class; have been referred by a teacher; or are transfer students. Such screening services shall be provided in all public, private and parochial schools. In lieu of the screening services required, a completed and signed report form, indicating that an eye examination

by a doctor specializing in diseases of the eye or a licensed optometrist has been administered within the previous 12 months, is acceptable.

The parent or legal guardian of a student may object to hearing or vision screening tests for their children on religious grounds. If a religious objection is made, a written and signed statement from the parent or legal guardian detailing such objections must be presented to the local school authority.

Screening instruments, test procedures and referral criteria are defined in the Illinois Administrative Code. Children whose test results meet referral criteria are referred to an eye doctor or family physician for further evaluation. Vision and hearing screenings are not a substitute for a complete exam by a doctor. Children are not required to undergo vision screening if an optometrist or ophthalmologist has completed and signed a report indicating that an eye examination has been administered within the previous twelve months.

• National Custodian Appreciation Day - Wednesday, October 2
• 4th grade field trip to the Hult Center - Monday, October 7
• PTO Fall Fundraiser (virtual) begins! - Wednesday, October 9 (ends Oct. 20)
• Life Skills Field trip to Blue Ridge - Friday, October 11
• End of first grading period - Friday, October 11
• Teacher's Institute - NO SCHOOL for students - Monday, October 14
• Unity Day - WEAR ORANGE! - Wednesday, October 16
• School Board meeting - Wednesday, October 16 at 6:00 PM at DHS
  
• Picture Retake Day - Thursday, October 17
• PTO Fall Fest - Saturday, October 19 from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM on the playground
• PTO meeting - Tuesday, October 22 at 6:30 PM via Google Meet
• Parent-Teacher Conferences (no school) - Thursday, October 24 from 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
• Parent-Teacher Conferences (no school) - Friday, October 25 from 7:00 AM - 1:00 PM
• Halloween Parade (weather pending) - Thursday, October 31 at 1:15 PM

We have many ways in which to connect and interact with us at Banner! In order to be fully informed about what is happening at Banner, I encourage you to join our Facebook page!

Email: gfairchild@dunlapcusd.net
Website: www.dunlapcusd.net/banner
Location: 12610 North Allen Road, Dunlap, IL, United States
Phone: 309-243-7774
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BannerElementary