Friday Focus

• A Message from Marcie
• Music Concert Season Begins - Note Date Change for Kindergarten and 3rd Grade Concerts!
• MAP Testing Begins Next Week

• Weekly Tech Tips

• Social Emotional Learning Survey (Winter Administration)

• Parker's Picks
• Kindergarten Registration for 2025-26 is Open
• This Week in Pictures
• News from Early Learners
• Other Important Info

• Nickel City Fundraiser 1/30, 4-8pm
• Mom's Night Out 2/26 at 7pm
• Volunteers needed for the Winter Booktacular 2/3
• Save the date for Skate Night- 2/23, 5:20-7:20pm
• and much more...

Dear Families,

Happy New Year! We are thrilled to welcome everyone back after winter break and kick off 2025 with a renewed sense of excitement and energy. This week, our classrooms were buzzing as students proudly shared their Let Grow projects. From baking independently to making phone calls to someone new, tying their shoes, walking the dog solo, or even fixing something around the house, the stories of bravery and growth were truly inspiring!

It was incredible to see our students step out of their comfort zones and take on new challenges with confidence. Their pride in their accomplishments was palpable, and we couldn’t be prouder of their efforts.

We want to keep this momentum going, so stay tuned for details about our next Let Grow area of focus. In the meantime, we encourage you to support your child as they explore new opportunities for independence. Teachers will gladly welcome any photographic evidence of your child’s projects—feel free to share the moments that make them proud!

Thank you for partnering with us to foster growth, independence, and confidence in your children. Here's to a fantastic year ahead!

Have a wonderful weekend!

-Marcie

As we welcome the new year, it's time to gear up for music concert season for all our students! Be sure to mark your calendars and take note of a date change for the kindergarten and 3rd-grade concerts. Ms. Woods will provide detailed information about each grade level's performance as their concert dates approach.

Music Concert Dates:

• 5th Grade - Wednesday, January 29th @ 6:00

• 4th Grade - Wednesday, February 12th @ 6:00

• 3rd Grade - Wednesday, April 9th @ 6:00 (new date)

• 2nd Grade - Wednesday, February 12th @ 5:00

• 1st Grade - Wednesday, January 29th @ 5:00

• Kindergarten - Wednesday, April 9th @ 5:00 (new date)

• Early Learners - Thursday, May 1 @ 5:00

While we encourage everyone to limit time spent on devices, we understand that these tools can foster meaningful connections when used wisely. However, in today’s digital age, it can be difficult to stay informed about the latest apps and trends to ensure your child's online safety. We want to do our part in supporting students and families in the various ways they can implement security settings on their children’s devices and monitor time spent online. What better time to introduce these tech tips than October, Cybersecurity Awareness Month! Throughout the school year, we will feature practical technology tips in our newsletters, offering fresh ideas for families to use at home developed by our own Student Resource Officer, Lauren Maldonado, and our Innovations Specialist, Maria Galanis.

Building students’ social-emotional learning (SEL) skills is important at South Park. As a part of the learning process, we will be asking students in grades K-8 to reflect on skills related to social-emotional learning and the school environment. The survey will be administered to all students in grades K-8 between January 13 and January 31, 2025 and it should take no more than 20 minutes to complete. Per policy, if you would like your child to opt out of taking the survey, please contact me no later than January 13 .

Registration for the 2025-2026 school year is OPEN! Families of ALL incoming kindergarten and NEW 1st-8th grade students, please visit our registration page and begin the registration process now.

In-Person Registration Completion & Celebration

Starting kindergarten is a BIG deal! Stop by the district office with your little one on Friday, January 31 between 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. to ask any registration questions you may have, drop off any documents, and most importantly, a photo op to celebrate the start of your child’s school journey, a small souvenir to take home, and an opportunity to meet some of the friendly faces they will see every day! Again, that’s Friday, January 31st from 7:30 am - 4:30 pm at our district office, located at 517 Deerfield Rd. (across the parking lot from Kipling School.)

Our Pre-K students have had an exciting and engaging week as they return from winter break! The chilly weather has given us the perfect opportunity to revisit our winter clothing routines, and we had a blast trying out sledding on our little hill during recess. Inside the classroom, we’ve jumped right into our new Community Helpers unit! This week, our classes have been exploring the roles of various community helpers, including firefighters, doctors, and even plumbers. We’ve been using PebbleGo, an online resource designed for young learners, to research these important jobs. The highlight of the week has been watching the children role-play different occupations during center time—they’ve had so much fun acting out what they've learned! Another exciting development this week was introducing golf pencils for our welcome work. The children were thrilled to make the switch from crayons, and we’re excited for the progress they'll make with their writing skills this month.

This week in Grady's Group, we focused on the theme of helping others, tying into the community helpers unit in the classrooms. We discussed how even as kids, we can be helpers by taking on small jobs or chores at home to build a sense of responsibility. Our class is a community, and we read Reach Out and Give by Cheri Meiners to explore ways we can help—whether it’s assisting our families, keeping our community clean, or helping those in need, like donating to food pantries. We also watched a video about two kids who must decide between helping others or being late to basketball practice, and we talked about how helping others can make us feel good, even when it means missing out on something fun.

We are excited for an amazing 2025 with our Early Learners!

As South Park takes on the Let Grow Project as mentioned above, Early Learners wanted to provide our families with ways our youngest learners could also be growing their independence. Below are some ideas provided by our Early Learners team.

• All visitors to South Park School MUST bring a valid driver's license or state ID card to the main office before entering into the building. Beginning this year, we will collect IDs during your visit and return it to you as you leave.
• If your child is going to be absent from school, you need to call or email us by 9:00 that morning. ** Call 847-945-5895, ext. 2103 and leave a message OR ** Email Nurse Nora Moskos.
• Please follow our morning procedures, and drop your children off at their regular grade level doors. If you choose to drive through the front circle at arrival, kindly stay in your car when you drop off to help us reduce morning congestion.
• K-5 drop-off is between 8:35-8:45 a.m. Students who arrive after 8:45 a.m. will need to enter through the front door of the school, as all other doors will be locked.
• Dismissal for all Kindy and 1st-grade walkers and car riders will take place at their grade level door.
  
• Early Learners drop-off/pick-up info can be found here.
• When parking in our Birchwood parking lot, please remember that our preschoolers are dropped off and picked up by the west end (closest to the school). Sometimes, their parents' cars can block a parked car from exiting for a few minutes. To avoid that, we suggest that you park closer to Birchwood Avenue.

Wednesday, November 27-Friday, November 29th

• No School - Thanksgiving Break

• Last Day of School Before Winter Break

Tuesday, January 7th

• School Resumes for Students

• No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

• No School - Teacher Institute Day

Monday, February 17th

• No School - Presidents' Day

Thursday, March 20th (corrected date)

• Early Release at 11:40 a.m.
• Spring Conferences from 1:00-8:00 p.m.

• Non-Attendance Day
• Spring Conferences 8:30-11:30 a.m.

Monday, March 24th-Friday, March 28th

• Spring Break

2024-25 Music Concert Dates:

• 5th Grade - Wednesday, January 29th @ 6:00

• 4th Grade - Wednesday, February 12th @ 6:00

• 3rd Grade - Wednesday, April 9th @ 6:00 (new date)

• 2nd Grade - Wednesday, February 12th @ 5:00

• 1st Grade - Wednesday, January 29th @ 5:00

• Kindergarten - Wednesday, April 9th @ 5:00 (new date)

• Early Learners - Thursday, May 1 @ 5:00