Sprague School

Dear Parents/Guardians of Sprague School Students,

District 103 has developed a comprehensive K-8 approach to providing a curriculum to strengthen the social and emotional growth of our students. In 2014, we began using the Second Step curriculum in all of our classrooms. This curriculum offers instruction and practice in using skills such as empathy, good listening, managing emotions, accepting differences, showing respect, and many more skills involving healthy and safe choices in student behavior. We have been very pleased with including this curriculum in our classrooms.

During the month of April, we will be expanding Second Step with the addition of lessons from the Child Protection Unit (CPU), a curriculum that supports the state mandate for teaching Erin’s Law and the prevention of childhood sexual abuse. Please refer to the Student Handbook for more information about this law. These lessons will help students to learn to say no to uncomfortable situations and to seek a trusted adult when students need support and guidance. Our goal is to develop students’ ability to recognize, report, and refuse unsafe situations and touches, including sexually abusive touch.

CPU lessons to be taught at Sprague will include:

Students will be able to…

• Identify common safety rules (Never-Never Rules) for guns, fire, riding on wheels, crossing streets, riding in a car, water, sharp tools, and dogs.
• Recognize safe and unsafe situations.
• Demonstrate applying the Ways to Stay Safe in response to scenarios.
• Apply assertiveness skills in response to scenarios where they need to refuse to break a Never-Never Rule.

The Touching Rule

Students will be able to…

• Identify safe and unsafe touches.
• Refuse unsafe touches assertively in response to scenarios.
• Refuse unwanted touches assertively in response to scenarios.
• Identify The Touching Rule.
• Apply the Ways to Stay Safe in response to scenarios when someone has broken the Touching Rule.

The staff at Sprague understands that this is a sensitive topic for our students and their families. If you do not want your child to participate in the lessons related to childhood sexual abuse prevention, please contact Principal Ann Hofmeier at ahofmeier@d103.org in writing by Friday, April 12.

Should you need further information or resources regarding this letter or the units of study, please feel free to contact Mrs. Hofmeier or one of our school social workers. It is our intention to keep you informed and to partner with you in the education of your child.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Ann Hofmeier

Principal, Sprague School

Dr. Katie Reynolds

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