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Mable Woolsey Weekly Update
Week Of March 4, 2023
Mable Woolsey Elementary School
Email: jkeever@bluebullets.org
Website: www.bluebullets.org
Location: 106 Pleasant Ave, Knoxville, IL, USA
Phone: 309-289-4134
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MableWoolseyElementary/
Principal: Mrs. Jodi Keever
Mission and Vision
Mable Woolsey Vision Statement: We will build a nurturing community of life long learners while fostering opportunities for social, emotional, and academic growth to ensure that we help create productive members of society.
Mable Woolsey Mission Statement: We will provide a safe and stimulating environment. We will nurture a rigorous and adaptive learning community. We will support a child's natural desire to learn. We will inspire students to discover their fullest potential.
A Note From the Principal
THANK YOU once again to all of the parents/guardians who have been able to fill out the 5 Essentials Survey. If you could please click the link below and take this survey, we would love your feedback. Our goal is to get at least 20% participation. Right now we have moved up to 13% complete! This feedback helps us improve Mable Woolsey.
Our "One School, One Book" program will continue this week! Thank you once again for reading to your child, having them watch the videos, or encouraging them to read the book at home. We are having so much fun at school talking about the book each day.
Our "Kids Heart Challenge" started on Friday. We had a kick off assembly provided by the American Heart Association on Friday. We are partnering with the American Heart Association this year to teach our students about how to have a healthy heart.
If our school participates and shares the links to raise money for the American Heart Association, we are eligible to apply for grant money to help fund projects at Mable Woolsey. I completed "Finn's Mission" challenge on the website, and now we are eligible for $100 for new P.E. equipment! If half of our families just register, we can get $300 more for P.E. equipment!
Any amount of money we raise helps the American Heart Association, and it will help Mable Woolsey acquire what we need for students to be successful. All of the information went home on Friday!
Thank you,
Mrs. Keever
Join us in the "Kids Heart Challenge"! March 1-8
You can customize your goal for your child. I set mine for $25 for each child. We are partnering with the American Heart Association to teach Mable Woolsey students about having a healthy heart. We are also eligible for grant money by participating in the "Kids Heart Challenge"! This grant money will go toward projects at Mable Woolsey that directly benefit students.
Mable Woolsey Families,
Kids Heart Challenge™ Wellness Week
is Here!
It’s time to CELEBRATE heart health with the Heart Heroes!
Our school is kicking off a service-learning Wellness Week for Kids Heart Challenge on
3/1/24
REGISTER YOUR STUDENT BY CLICKING BELOW
OR DOWNLOAD THE
KIDS HEART CHALLENGE APP
PLUS, any student who completes Finn’s Mission BEFORE Kickoff Day will be recognized at the Kickoff Assembly!
*Finn’s Mission is located at the top of your student’s website after you log in!
Thank you so much for supporting our school
and the American Heart Association!
Interested in learning more about advocating for the Association? Join You’re the Cure.
© Copyright 2023 American Heart Association, Inc., a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit. All rights reserved.
Kids Heart Challenge is a trademark of the Association. Unauthorized use prohibited.
American Heart Association Assembly
Kiss A Pig Winners!
5 Essentials Survey
Dear Parent/Guardian,
Our Five Essentials Survey is now open. Parents can participate in the parent survey supplement, part of the Illinois 5Essentials Survey administration. We guarantee that survey responses will never be connected to the identity of you or your child. School reports will only present aggregated information of how parents and students responded as a whole.
A parent survey report will be generated if at least 20 percent of parents/guardians respond to the survey. While the parent data will not be made public, the parent report will be made available to Mrs. Keever and Dr. Andrea Guerrero, Superintendent, and will enable them to make considerations based on the responses given by Knoxville CUSD 202 parents/guardians. Your participation in the parent survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Again, your identity and individual survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.
Teachers and fourth through 12th grade students throughout Illinois are taking the 5Essentials Survey. School-level 5Essentials Reports will be generated if teachers and/or students meet their 50 percent response-rate thresholds. These research-based reports will be sent to schools and districts in May and will also be included in the State School Report Card, released statewide in the fall.
Please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ to take the parent survey.
If you have any questions about the survey, please contact UChicago Impact Survey Support at 1-866-440-1874 or impact-surveys@uchicago.edu.
Sincerely,
Jodi Keever
Principal, Mable Woolsey Elementary
Drop off and Pick Up Reminders
Drop Off
Tips to help make a quick drop off:
1. Make sure your child is ready to get out when you pull up to the school.
2. If possible, have car seats on the side closest to the building.
3. Practice having your child unbuckle and get ready.
We appreciate everyone's patience this week, and we will continue to have extra staff outside so that we can work together for a smooth drop off.
Morning drop off begins at 7:45. Staff will begin letting students out of cars at 7:45. All staff members that help with drop off start their day at 7:45, so please be aware that this is our start time for letting students out of vehicles.
Rules for drop off:
1. If you would like to walk your child up to the door please park on the street that is not in front of the circle drive, the street on the side of the circle drive, or the parking lot and walk your child to the door. Parking directly in front of the circle drive and walking through the circle drive is dangerous.
2. If you are dropping your child off, please pull into the circle drive and pull all the way up. Staff members will open the door of your car and let your child out. Please remain in your car so that we can make this a quick drop off! When adults get out in the circle drive it backs up traffic.
3. Once your child has safely left the car you can pull through the circle drive.
4. Staff members are opening doors at drop off as fast as they can to get your child out safely. Please make sure your child is ready to go when a staff member gets to your vehicle. We appreciate your patience.
Pre-K pick up and drop off:
1. If you are dropping your child off at 12:15 pm or picking them up from pre-k at 10:30 am, please do not pull in the circle drive. You can park on the street to wait for your child or in the parking lot and walk up. If you are dropping your pre-k student off at 7:45 am please follow the rules above. Pre-K students start their day in the morning at. 8:00 am.
Once students enter the building they go to the cafeteria to eat breakfast or they go to the gym.
K-4 students walk down to their classrooms at 8:05 am. Students are considered tardy after 8:15 am.
Breakfast ends at 8:15 so that our kitchen staff can get ready for lunch.
Pick Up
Students are dismissed at 3:00. You can park on the street in front of the school or in the parking lot and walk up to pick up your child.
Rules for Pick Up:
1. Please do not pull in the circle drive or block the circle drive. There are cones to mark the entrance an exit to the circle drive.
2. Please do not double park. It is dangerous for students and vehicles.
3. Please be aware of students walking and riding bikes.
4. Students riding bikes must stay on the sidewalks when available.
"One School, One Book" Program
Dear Parent/Guardian:
Our school will take part in a special, community wide shared reading event. Every family will receive a copy of the same book and will be asked to read it together at home from February 20 through March 18. Books will go home on February 15th. I am personally asking you to make the time so that your family can participate in this special activity.
Reading aloud at home is valuable because it better prepares your child to be an effective reader, and it is also a fun, worthwhile family activity. With this program, we aim to build a Community of Readers at our school. Everyone – students, parents, teachers, even administrative staff – will all be following along together.
Your child will receive a copy of our book at a special school wide assembly introducing the program and the book. Along with the book, you will receive a reading schedule so that you can keep up at home. Generally, you will be asked to read about 15 minutes each night. The chapters will be available to listen to on Youtube as well for those families that need help reading at home.
In school, your child will be invited to answer daily trivia questions to encourage and reward attentive listening. You will soon find that your child will take pride in knowing and anticipating the details of the story. In class, students will explore the book through activities and discussion. You will want to make sure your family keeps up so that your child can be included.
This is a novel program in that children of all grade levels will all be listening to the same book. Strange or daring as that may seem, it makes sound educational sense. Reading professionals recommend reading material out loud that is beyond a child’s own reading level. We also believe that you can and should continue reading chapter books with your older children, even when they are able to read by themselves. We have selected a title that can be followed and understood and enjoyed by younger students, but will still captivate and stimulate older children.
I know that you’ll enjoy this special reading time with your children. I hope to talk with both you and your student sometime in the days to come about this special book. When a whole school reads a book, there’s a lot to talk about. With your help, we can build a Community of Readers at our school.
– Mrs. Keever
This "One School, One Book" program is created by the "Read to Them" Organization
Read to Them programs show schools and families the wide array of benefits that come from reading aloud together. A child’s positive relationship with literacy provides the basis for a lifetime of learning. Our school-wide reading programs support reading together at home and learning together at school by providing schools with the necessary tools, resources, and guidance to create a culture of literacy in their community.
At Mable Woolsey Elementary School, we are committed to recognizing the outstanding efforts of our dedicated staff members who continually go above and beyond for our students. Your nominations help us celebrate and acknowledge the exceptional contributions of our team. Please take a moment to nominate a staff member whom you believe exemplifies our school's values and dedication to student success.
Reading and Math Resources for Home
Please click the link below to see all of the reading and math resources that have been shared. I will add to this throughout the rest of the school year.
Character Strong Focus for March: Cooperation
Friday Raffle Ticket Winners
Congratulations to all of our ticket raffle winners this week! Thank you for being safe, respectful, and responsible at Mable Woolsey. All of the students below earned "Mable Woolsey Way" tickets that are entered in a weekly raffle!
Weather Related Closings and Snow and Emergency Bus Routes
As we begin the new year and new semester we want to remind families about how to stay informed of emergency/winter related delays, closings, and bus route changes. Such changes will be announced through the district all call system, the district website, local radio stations and social media platforms. Be sure to download the district app: Knoxville CUSD 202 Illinois. Push notifications of important announcements are available through the district app. The app is available for both Apple and Android users.
While the weather has been mild so far this school year, we would advise rural families to please review the Snow and Emergency Bus Route document (found below) prior to the onset of winter weather. If the Knoxville School District must use the Snow and Emergency Bus Routes you will be notified as soon as possible. Snow and Emergency Bus Routes will not be used with each snow or weather related event, just on an as needed basis. As our partner in safety, we ask that you transport your children to the designated area at your own discretion.
Perseverance Students of the Month For January
Please take a look at the Tumble Book Library Below for Reading Options at Home
Knox Community Health Center
In May 2023, the State of Illinois began the process of Medicaid renewal after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The state is finding that many are losing their healthcare coverage because the policy holders have not done the renewal process or they no longer qualify. In the three years since the last renewal process people have moved, changed phone numbers, forgot about the renewal process or are new to the program and don’t understand what the renewal process is.
The Knox Community Heath Center has been asked to assist with getting the word out about the renewal process.
Get ready to renew your Medicaid! Medicaid customers have not had to renew their Medicaid coverage since the Covid-19 pandemic began. Medicaid pays for healthcare, like doctor visits, prescription medicine, and urgent emergency services.
Now Illinois is starting renewals again to see if people are still eligible. Everybody's renewal date is different, so it is critical that you get ready to renew.
Don't risk losing your Medicaid! Here is what you need to do:
Click Manage My Case at abe.illinois.gov to:
- Verify your mailing address under "contact us."
- Find your due date (also called redetermination date) in your "benefit details".
Western Illinois University Autism Clinic
Art Supply Wish List
Blessings in a Backpack
We still are raising money so that we can continue the program for many years to come!
If you would still like to donate money check out the link below! After clicking the link make sure to enter our school name, Mable Woolsey Elementary, and the money will go to our school.
Here is the address to mail donations to-
Please make out all checks to “Blessings in a Backpack” and send to the following address:
Blessings in a Backpack Lockbox
P.O. Box 950291
Louisville, KY 40295
*If you’d like to designate your support to help feed children at a current program site, please include the program’s name on the check’s memo line.