Friday Focus

• A Message from Marcie
• Reminders for Next Week
• Helping Hands Donations Needed
• Attendance Alert Emails
• A Problem We Can't Ignore Special Event on March 18
• Parker's Picks
• Donate to Caruso's Clothing Drive
• Tech Tip Hub
• This Week in Pictures
• News from Early Learners
• Other Important Info

Check out the PTO Spotlight here:

• Spirit Wear On Sale through 3/21
• Feed My Starving Children- 3/15
• Dine & Donate at Shake Shack- 3/18
• Yearbooks on Sale through 3/24
• Bulls Game Fundraiser- 4/4
• Cubs Game Fundraiser- 6/1
• End of School Bash- 6/6

Dear South Park Families,

At South Park, we embrace Dr. Becky Kennedy’s philosophy that all kids are good inside. Just like adults, children make mistakes—and those mistakes are opportunities for learning and growth.

As parents, we know it can be hard when your child comes home upset about another student’s behavior. It’s natural to want to validate their feelings, but the way we respond in those moments can shape how our children see others. When kids hear a peer labeled as a “bad kid,” they take it at face value, making it harder for that child to move beyond their mistakes and grow.

Instead, we encourage you to model empathy and kindness. Here are some ways you can respond when your child shares a difficult interaction with a peer:

👉 “That sounds frustrating. I wonder if they were having a hard time today. Have you ever had a tough day and acted in a way you didn’t mean to?”
👉 “I know that wasn’t okay. I also know they’re still learning, just like you. What could you do if this happens again?”
👉 “I wonder if something else was going on for them. Let’s talk about ways to handle this if it happens again.”

By shifting the conversation in this way, we help our children see that mistakes don’t define us—how we learn from them does. This mindset strengthens our school community, builds empathy, and empowers kids to navigate challenges with understanding.

Thank you for being our partners in helping all students grow!

-Marcie

1. Due to conferences and a shortened week, there will be no enrichment classes all week.
2. There will be no ASC on Thursday, March 20.
3. Please check the tables in our main hallway when you come for conferences next week to look through Lost and Found Items.

We are incredibly grateful for the time, care, and dedication you bring to our school community. Your generosity enriches the experiences of our students and supports our staff in countless meaningful ways. Whether you're helping in the lunchroom, library, assisting with events, or providing behind-the-scenes support, your efforts make a lasting difference.

As a reminder, we ask that volunteers limit interactions with students to a friendly greeting and refrain from monitoring, commenting on, or addressing student behavior. Additionally, we have noticed instances where volunteers have contacted another child's parent directly about incidents they observed at school, such as illness, injury, or behavioral concerns. While this may seem helpful, we respectfully ask that you refrain from doing so.

Reaching out to parents in this way can compromise student privacy and may result in miscommunication or delays in families receiving accurate information. To ensure all concerns are handled appropriately, please report any observations to the school administration, who will follow the proper steps to address the situation.

We sincerely appreciate your cooperation in helping us maintain a supportive and respectful environment for all students. Thank you for all that you do to support our school!

Just a few months ago, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a warning about the mental and physical toll of parenting, and we’re seeing those challenges right here in Deerfield. This growing problem requires a local solution.

Join us next Tuesday, March 18, at Caruso Middle School as we:

• Hear from medical professionals about the trends and behaviors they are observing related to dependence on technology—for both adults and children.

• Collaborate on ideas our community can implement to foster greater independence.

This important discussion will take place in the Caruso Auditorium from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

Click here to RSVP.

This week, we had a blast exploring more destinations and attractions in Thailand! Our students are excited to "visit" an elephant sanctuary, celebrate a lantern festival, and see the Red Lotus Lake. They also enjoyed learning about the making of traditional Thai umbrellas and got creative painting their own. Using various materials, the children built models of famous temples and landmarks in Bangkok. They had fun writing a class story about where they'd go in a tuk tuk. We're all eagerly anticipating our pretend class trip next week!

In Grady's Group, we talked about how St. Patrick's Day is a day of luck. We discussed how lucky we are to have things like food, pets, money, toys, and homes, especially when many people around the world don't have these things. The leprechaun made a visit to our classrooms today, leaving a letter for Dr. Grady to read. We followed the leprechaun's instructions and made magic happen. Be sure to ask the kids about the little green shamrock in the picture and the magical beans—the leprechaun certainly kept us on our toes!

We encourage our Early Learners families to complete the Panorama Survey listed earlier in the Friday Focus (Click Here: https://surveys.panoramaed.com/deerfieldil/1589963429/surveys). Thank you for your feedback!

Early Learners and one adult are invited to join us for the Rock Your Socks family event on March 20th from 9:15 to 10:00 AM at South Park as we come together to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day!

Rock Your Socks Day is a joyful and vibrant celebration dedicated to raising awareness and showing support for individuals with Down syndrome. On this special day, we encourage everyone to wear mismatched socks as a fun way to highlight the importance of inclusion, acceptance, and recognizing the unique abilities of people with Down syndrome. We are excited to celebrate this meaningful day with the Early Learners community and look forward to seeing all of your colorful socks!

Early Learners and their families are warmly invited to join us for an exciting and engaging evening at Early Learners Family Reading Night! This special event will take place at the South Park Library on April 7th from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to come together as a community to celebrate the joy and magic of reading. It promises to be a fun-filled evening where families can explore new books, share stories, and foster a love of learning. We can’t wait to see you there and share in this wonderful experience with the Early Learners community!

• 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.

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

Tuesday, May 20th

• VIP Day for Kindergarten, Third Grade, and Fifth Grade

• VIP Day for 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, and 4th Grade

2024-25 Music Concert Dates:

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

• 4th Grade - Wednesday, February 19th @ 6:00 (rescheduled from 2/12)

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

• 2nd Grade - Wednesday, February 19th @ 5:00 (rescheduled from 2/12)

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

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

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