Erickson Express

Dear Erickson Families,

Please remember Early Dismissal is TOMORROW, Friday, March 17th at 1:40. Tomorrow is also Eagle's Nest...students should wear their pillar shirt or pillar color.

Thank you for a wonderful Spirit Week! PTO Paint Night was a huge success. Thank you to the PTO and Mrs. Clay for an awesome Paint Night. The donuts from Tom's Market (Kostopolous Family) were delicious! THANK YOU! (see pictures below)

Classroom pictures from Color Portraits will be coming home today or tomorrow. Please check backpacks!

Couple Reminders:

• The school day starts at 8:40. Students should be in their classrooms by 8:40 each day. Parents who drop off students in the morning should arrive between 8:25-8:38 to ensure students are at school on time.
• The parking lot in front of the school is for buses only during the following times: at arrival (8:25-8:45) and dismissal (3:25-3:45). Parents should use the pick up/drop off circle or parent parking lot on the side of the building when picking up or dropping off students during those times.
• Apple Watches should stay at home or in backpacks. Texting is occurring during the day and is a distraction to student learning. If parents need to relay a message, please call the school at 630-529-2223. More often, the messages are being sent/received from friends. Please help us in supporting this effort to keep learning the focus while students are in school.
• Energy drinks are not allowed in school. PRIME drinks have become popular. Some PRIME drinks are non-caffeinated and some have 200mg of caffeine and are labeled energy drinks. Only water is allowed throughout the school day. During lunch, lunches can contain other drinks, just not energy drinks.

*****Consider Being A PTO Volunteer*****

We are looking for NEW parent involvement for planning PTO events!

PTO positions for the 23-24 school year that need parent volunteers:

PTO Vice President (one year 23-24 position and will be voted on in our April meeting)

Popsicles in the Park Chairperson (August)

Field Day Chairperson (May)

If you would like to be a Chairperson of any of the above categories, please email us at ericksonpto13@gmail.com and indicate your interest.

If you would like to be a Chairperson of any of the above categories, please email us at ericksonpto13@gmail.com and indicate your interest.

5Essentials Parent Survey is OPEN. Please read information below about this survey. We need at least 20% of parent participation for results to be published. This information is made public on the Illinois State Report Card. Please consider participating. As of March 6th, Erickson has 17% parent response rate! I do review the data...so please take the time to give your input! THANK YOU!

SURVEY LINK: https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions, comments, or feedback. The best way to reach me would be via email or phone: sjohnston@sd13.org or 630-529-2223.

Stacy Johnston

Principal

March 1-17, 2023 - Paws for a Cause Fundraiser - See flyer below

March 17, 2023- Hot Lunch, Progress Reports emailed home, Early Dismissal 1:40

March 20, 2023 - Hot Lunch, Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) - 5th Grade begins

March 24, 2023 - Hot Lunch

March 25, 2023 - Community Coffee 8:00am -9:30am at Erickson

March 27-31, 2023 - Spring Break, No school

April 3, 2023 - Classes resume, Hot Lunch

April 5, 2023 - Wacky Wednesday, Pajama Day

April 6, 2023 - Lorado Taft 5th grade DAY TRIP

April 7, 2023 - No school

Upcoming Assessment Information

Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) - 5th Grade - Week of March 20th

Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) Reading & Math - 3rd, 4th & 5th Grade - Week of April 10th

Measures of Academic Success(MAP)Reading & Math-Kindergarten-5th Grade-Weeks of May 8-19

SAVE THE DATES for Future Events- Mark your Calendars

SPRING OPEN HOUSE (previously called Portfolio Night): Thursday, May 25 from 5:30-7:00

LAST DAY of SCHOOL: June 8th (as long as we don't use snow days or cold weather days). If we use a cold day/snow day the last day is extended a day. So this date will be finalized after we get through the winter.

March 2023

Dear Parents and Guardians of 5th Grade Students,

Students in grades 5, 8 and 11 will begin taking the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA). Erickson 5th grade students will take the survey the week of March 20, 2023. 83% of Erickson fifth grade students met or exceeded expectations on last year’s ISA assessment. The ISA aligns with our new Illinois Learning Standards in science. This assessment helps families understand how well students are performing academically and see whether they are on track to succeed in college. The ISA represents Illinois’ commitment to preparing all students for college and careers, including in the high-demand science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The assessment also satisfies federal accountability requirements.

The ISA is designed to reflect classroom experiences. Many students who took the assessment last year said the ISA seemed more like instruction than a test. Students do not simply select an answer and fill in the bubble of a multiple-choice test. Rather, the ISA pushes students to apply their knowledge when they give answers, thus better preparing them for higher education and a career. All students deserve the opportunity to demonstrate what they know; they get to see how knowledge is applied to real-life situations.

The ISA has three sections. The average student time-on-task is estimated at 120 minutes. The results provide administrators with important data to help them make broad curriculum decisions at the school and district levels. But classroom educators will not use the results to make teaching adjustments year-to-year for individual students.

We encourage you to talk with your children about the importance of doing their best on the ISA, while communicating that the assessment yields only one piece of information about them and their school’s progress. Students’ attendance, classroom work, homework, projects, performance on local tests, participation in sports and extracurricular activities, and contributions to the school’s climate and culture all help them grow and learn.

We all work together to ensure Illinois students build a cohesive understanding of science over time. Thank you for your role in developing lifelong learners and successful citizens.

Current 5th Grade students and their parents & guardians are invited to visit Westfield Middle School on Thursday, May 11th from 6:00pm - 7:30pm for 5th-to-6th Grade Transition Night. 5th Graders will begin the evening with Westfield Student Council members and will be provided a short presentation and a tour of the building. Parents will begin the evening in the West Gym and will be provided a presentation by Westfield Administration and Staff highlighting the unique aspects of middle school. Following the presentations, parents will have the opportunity to visit with staff members, tour the building with their child, and visit our Book Fair. More details will be shared prior to the event. We hope to see you at Westfield on May 11th! Sincerely, Westfield Staff & Student Council

5Essentials Survey: The Bloomingdale SD13 participates in the annual Illinois 5Essentials Survey that collects feedback from our students, teachers, and parents. Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will give you the opportunity to share your thoughts on important elements of school effectiveness. The responses will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide our improvement efforts. All responses are confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.

The Parent Survey is currently open and will remain so through March 11, 2022. To take the survey, please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ and select the appropriate survey.

All Bloomingdale SD13 teachers, as well as students in 4th - 8th grade, are being asked to complete this survey. 5Essentials Reports will be generated for schools if their teachers and/or students meet the response rate threshold of 50 percent. Teachers will work with students to assist them with logging in and taking the student survey.

On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey is administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago. The survey gathers data related to five indicators that can predict important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains. These five indicators that affect and predict school success are:

• Effective Leaders
• Collaborative Teachers
• Involved Families
• Supportive Environments
• Ambitious Instruction

We value your feedback and appreciate you taking the time to provide us with your input.

For more information about the Illinois 5Essentials Survey, or if you have any questions or concerns, please contact 5Essentials Client Services at 1-866-440-1874 or 5essentials@uchicago.edu.

Student Council is meeting today to review all the Student Club Contest submissions. There were 26 submissions. Student Council will choose 2 clubs to run in April. The winning student clubs will be announced on Monday, March 20th.

Starting with the 2023-2024 school year, we will be migrating from Pushcoin to My School Bucks as our online payment portal. We anticipate My School Bucks will be available by the time Returning Student Registration is open.

PLEASE DO NOT DEPOSIT ANY NEW FUNDS INTO YOUR PUSHCOIN ACCOUNT

Please log into your existing Pushcoin account to verify any outstanding balances. We ask that you pay any remaining balances by February 28, 2023. Please note any remaining funds in your Pushcoin will NOT be transferred to My School Bucks.

More information regarding My School Bucks will be available in the upcoming months.

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for all NEW (not currently enrolled) students for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year. Please click this link to register.

Children who will be five years old on or before September 1, 2023, are eligible for kindergarten during the 2023-2024 school year.

PTO EVENTS

• We have the following open positions to support our PTO for the 2023-2024 school year:

• PTO Vice President (one year 23-24 position and will be voted on in our April meeting)

• Popsicles in the Park Chairperson

• Field Day Chairperson

If you would like to be a Chairperson of any of the above categories, please email us at ericksonpto13@gmail.com and indicate your interest.

PTO FUNDRAISERS

• The next time out is April 18th, 2023 at Noodles & Company from 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm. 25% of the qualifying sales will directly benefit the Erickson PTO.

FirstView® provides a dedicated customer support team Monday through Friday to assist you:

o Call toll-free 888-889-8920 from 7:00 a.m. ET to 5:00 p.m. ET

o Email Customer Support at support@firstviewapp.com

o Use the in-app “✉” button (right corner) to provide feedback

Please take the time to review the Erickson Family Handbook. Each class will meet with Mrs. Frattinger and myself to discuss school rules and procedures. Ask your student how to SOAR in the hallways, in the classroom, on the bus and during recess.

The first full day of school is Thursday August 25th, for students in first - fifth grade. Kindergarten & Preschool students start school on Monday, August 29th. Students may arrive between 8:25-8:40. Classes begin at 8:40.

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

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.

Arrival & Dismissal Procedures: Click here to learn about arrival and dismissal procedures for the 2022-2023 school year. Families should utilize the side parking lot for pick-up and drop-off. The front parking lot is designated for buses only. Morning arrival is between 8:25am-8:40am. Staff begin to supervise students at 8:25 am. Grades K and 4-5 will enter through the front doors. Grades 1-3 will enter through the side of the building. Students will begin to enter the school at 8:35 and go directly to their classrooms. School beings at 8:40.

If you are interested in ordering another Pillar Shirt, please fill out this PILLAR SHIRT ORDER FORM and send $10 in a marked envelope "PILLAR SHIRT" with your child. A new Pillar Shirt will be delivered to your child once the money is received. Please fill out one form per child.

Educating and Inspiring the Future

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