Viking Newsletter

I wanted to take a quick second to remind everyone to please make sure to follow all of our drop off procedures, especially on 16th street. There are times when parents drive around cars dropping off students to get closer to the junior high entry doors which creates a dangerous situation for parents dropping off their children. We ask that all parents drive up as close to Washington Street to drop off their students and simply wait for the line to continue moving to let students out of the car. Most cars are stopped for less than a minute and there are rarely ever more than five cars at a time. Please take a few extra seconds to wait to help ensure we keep all of our Viking children safe.

Attention all 8th grade parents and guardians, all school fees must be paid in full prior to students being allowed to attend any of the graduation activities. Mr. Calabrese will be making phone calls this week to parents who still owe fees. Please make sure to promptly pay any and all student fees to avoid any issues as we move towards the end of our 8th grade student's career at Taft.

Mrs. Calabrese gets to work with some of the best K-4th graders and she nominated one of her hardest workers. First Grader Zane Roed always has a smile on his face. Here are the wonderful things she said about him. Zane always does his best and has a positive attitude! He is always respectful, responsible, and ready to learn. Zane lends a helping hand and is always volunteering. He always has his books read and tries his hardest at his decoding skills. As a typical first grader, he enjoys PE the most and playing with his friends at recess. Outside of school, he likes to watch TV and play on his Nintendo Switch. Keep up the good work Zane, we are so proud of you!

Our soccer club is going well for the first year. We have 30 students that came out for the team. Our first game is this week at Fairmont on Thursday. Good luck team.

Our track team has their first meet this week at Laraway on Tuesday. Good luck everyone.

The Women of the Moose and Lockport Moose Lodge #1557 combined efforts to raise $7500.00 for the students at Taft. The money will be used to help support students with a variety of needs including supporting fieldtrips, student fees, and any other emergency needs that sometimes arise. We are extremely grateful to the all of the members associated with the Moose for thinking about our students.

Aside from hosting a bunco event and donating a portion of the money raised at their corned beef dinner there were many individuals and businesses who donated money, gift baskets, and gift certificates that helped support the generous donation. A list of the individuals and businesses can be seen below.

Kozy Acres, Pet Crematory, Goodale Funeral Home, Mark & Pam Sharp, Amy Tosharski, Dr. Tom Ross, DDS & Mrs. Ana Ross, Julie & Bob Jostes, Joan Florynski, Charisse Cunningham, Mint Salon, Lockport Moose Bartenders, Pizzeria at the Point, Nick and Ivy Brewing Company, Prairie Bluff Golf Course, Strike-n-Spare 2 Bowling Center, and Tattoo City.

We are so honored that so many people in our community would show so much support for our students!

Registration for the 2025-2026 school year is now open for parents to complete the registration process. This year is critically important for students to register as quickly as possible because we have several grade levels that are at enrollments that might need to be split. It is virtually impossible for us to find qualified candidates at the end of the summer. Please use the link below to access the Taft Website registration information page to complete the process.

At their March meeting the Board of Education set to following registration rates for the 2025-2026 school year.

Early-bird Registration Fee - $140.00 (All registration steps must be completed by May 31, 2025 but payment can be deferred)

Reduced-priced Registration Fee (based on income verification)

Regular Registration Fee - $165.00 for all new and returning students who register beginning June 1, 2025.

Lunch orders are due on April 16th. Please use the form below to place your orders by the due date.

Please check out the information below that was sent to us by the LTHS 205 Foundation regarding a summer camp opportunity for our students.

Taft has an opportunity for your child to complete a dental exam. If enough students sign up by April 17, 2025, a licensed professional dentist will be performing dental exams that will be completed at Taft during the school day. This will complete your child's required dental exam for our current Kindergarten, 2nd and 6th graders, In addition, it will complete your child's required dental exam for our current 1st and 5th graders for next school year.

• Private or Medicaid/All kids will be billed at No Cost to you.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please fill out and return the consent form by April 17, 2025. (This flyer went home last week with every student.)

Taft is looking for a Science Teacher for the 2025-2026 school year. If you, or someone you know is interested please use the button below to access our online application or reach out to Mr. Calabrese directly.

The Taft Choir will be singing the National Anthem at the Joliet Slammer Game on May 24th. Tickets are on sale now with $5 from each ticket benefitting the Taft Foundation.

Attached is the April look ahead calendar for your review. From time to time we may send an updated calendar if there are any changes.

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PTA Elections are coming up and we wanted to make sure that our Taft parents are aware. Taft has had a thriving PTA that has done so many fantastic things for our school. They have donated funds to help build our playground, donated funds for assemblies, donated equipment, and supplies directly to our teachers, donated funds to help support field trips and our 8th grade activities. At our curriculum night at the beginning of the year our current PTA board asked our families to consider joining the PTA so they could transition off of the board. They have dedicated so many years and so much energy to our school and helped make it a great place for kids.

On May 6th our PTA will hold their next election. In order to run for a seat on the board and to vote in the election you must be an active member of the PTA. Please take a look at the following flyer for information about the election as well as how to become a PTA member. Anyone interested in voting in the election must turn in their paid membership form by April 1st in order to be eligible for the election.

As we are getting towards the end of the year we wanted to remind everyone to order a yearbook. Please note that all custom created pages are due by April 15.

Teachers and Administration have been addressing social media challenges. We cannot do this alone and need support from home. We understand that social media is a significant part of their social world. While platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat can be fun and engaging, they also come with risks that require careful attention and guidance.

Here are some tips to help keep your child safe online:

1. Open Communication
   Talk openly with your child about their online activities. Ask which platforms they use, who they interact with, and what they post. Creating a judgment-free space encourages them to share concerns or ask for help if needed.

2. Address Negative Posting or Commenting
   Talk to your child about the impact of posting or commenting on content in a way that isn’t nice. Explain how words can hurt, even online, and encourage them to pause and think about how their comments might affect others. Reinforce that being kind and respectful online reflects positively on their character.

3. Privacy Settings
   Help your child enable privacy settings on their accounts to limit who can see their posts and send messages. Regularly review these settings as platforms often update their features.

4. Recognize Red Flags
   Teach your child to identify and report inappropriate behavior, such as cyberbullying or messages from strangers. Let them know it’s okay to block someone who makes them uncomfortable.

5. Lead by Example
   Model healthy social media habits. Be mindful of your own online behavior, and show your child how to use social media responsibly.

Junior high is a time of growth and discovery, and social media can play a positive role when used thoughtfully. By working together, we can help ensure our students stay safe while enjoying the benefits of technology.

If you have any questions or would like additional resources, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Staff will be outside each morning beginning at 8:10 AM - 8:20 AM to supervise students prior to them entering the building at 8:20 AM. Before 8:10 AM, there will not be any supervision for students so we ask that parents please do not drop off your students before that. There is no parking in the drop-off lanes on 16th and 17th Streets. Parents who wish to park or wait with their children are expected to use the spaces on Washington Street. The drop-off lanes on 16th and 17th Streets are designed for parents to drive up and drop students off and proceed forward. Parents should simply wait in line until they get close to the school and then drop off students. Jumping the line to save a few seconds is dangerous and breaks down the process for everyone and will take longer in the end.

School ends at 3:15 PM and pick-up time generally follows the same procedures except parents will typically begin lining up prior to school letting out. During pickup time it is acceptable for parents to wait in their cars for their students however parents should not park, and leave their cars in the pickup lane unattended. As the line moves we ask that parents pull as far forward as possible to ensure the traffic flows and to allow more students to enter their cars. Please note that with the upgraded curves on the 16th Street side that there is a change in the traffic pattern.

Kindergarten - 2nd Grade - Line up on the back playground each morning and enter through Door 4. Teachers will come out and get them from their lines. First and second-grade students will be dismissed out the playground doors each day. Kindergarten will be dismissed from Door 2 nearest to the kindergarten classroom. All students in kindergarten through 2nd grade must be picked up by a parent or sibling and checked out with their teachers to ensure our youngest students are safely picked up.

3rd & 4th Grade - Line up and dismissed from Door 7 on 17th Street

5th - 8th Grade - Line up and dismissed from Door 2 on 16th Street

All students entering early childhood-including speech services, kindergarten, and 6th grade are required to have a current physical examination completed on the approved Illinois Department of Public Health Form.. A sports physical does not meet the requirement. The parent portion on the upper backside of the form must be completed and signed. Required physical exam with updated immunizations must be turned in by October 15,2023 to avoid exclusion from school.

• Preschool
  

  
  

  Complete Preschool Physical Examination

  No additional immunization requirement if up-to-date.

  
  

• Kindergarten
  

  
  

  Complete Kindergarten Physical Examination and all required immunizations including:

  • Two doses of MMR Vaccine

  • Four doses of Polio Vaccine

  • Four doses of DPT/DTaP Vaccine

  • Three doses of Hepatitis B

  • Two doses of Varicella Vaccine (chicken pox)

  • Complete Kindergarten Eye Examination - Must be turned in prior to October 15 of the current school year.
    

  • Complete Kindergarten Dental Examination - Must be turned in prior to May 15 of the current school year.

  
  

  • 6th Grade
    

    
    

    Complete 6th grade Physical Examination and all required immunizations including:

    • One dose of Tdap Vaccine

    • One dose of Meningococcal Vaccine (meningitis) after the 11th birthday

    • Two doses of Varicella Vaccine (chicken pox)

    • Three doses of Hepatitis B at the required intervals

    Complete 6th grade Dental Examination - Must be turned in prior to May 15 of the current school year.

    
    

  
  

  Students entering an Illinois school from out of state or out of the country for the first time at any grade level must also provide the physical exam form. The exam must be completed no earlier than a year (365 days) prior to the start of attendance at an Illinois school.

  
  

Stop it is an online program that students can use to report bullying or any unsafe behavior while remaining anonymous. These reports come through to the Superintendent, Principal, and Social Worker via text so we can address the situation right away. This provides the student with an opportunity to share their concerns if they feel they cannot speak immediately to an adult.

We continue to teach our students to advocate for themselves in situations where they feel they can speak to a situation on their own. The students are reminded there are different approaches to stop bullying or unsafe situations outside of reporting things anonymously. Students are encouraged to share concerns with friends, staff, and family to learn to advocate for themselves. However, we understand that there are some situations where students may feel safer reporting discreetly.

If you have any questions regarding the Stop It program, please contact Mrs. Thompson or Mr. Calabrese.

Email: j.calabrese@taftsd90.org
Website: www.taft90.org
Location: 1605 South Washington Street, Lockport, IL, USA
Phone: (815)838-0434
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taft.vikings
Twitter: @jjcalabrese