Sleepy Hollow Elementary School

Virtual Backpack: Week of

Week of December 9, 2024

Principal's Updates

Dear SHES Families,

Wednesday, December 11th is a Late Start Day. Student arrival begins at 9:50 AM and classes begin at 10:00 AM. Thank you for your flexibility.

We are in week two of Winter iReady Benchmark Tests in Reading and Math. These tests will show how much your student has grown academically since the beginning of the year. Because the tests are taken online, please make sure your student comes to school with a charged chromebook each day. Reports will be sent to families when the testing is complete.

As the weather turns colder, we want to remind you to ensure your child is dressed appropriately for the winter conditions. This includes a warm winter coat, hat, gloves, boots, and any other necessary outerwear. We try to go outside daily, weather permitting, for recess. It’s important that children are dressed warmly to stay comfortable while enjoying the fresh air. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for helping us keep your child warm and comfortable during the colder months.

Angela Reincke

Principal, Sleepy Hollow Elementary School

SHES Attendance

Please remember all absences must be reported BEFORE 8:00 AM for each day missed.

To report a student absence, late arrival, or early release, please
(1) call 224-484-4920 or (2) email attendance.shes@d300.org

November Attendance Data

Did you know that for the month of November we had 18% of our students chronically absent?

A student is “Chronically Absent” if they missed 10% or more of the school year regardless of excuse.

Last year, our school was at 23% chronically absent by the end of the school year, and our goal is to decrease that percentage by 3% each year.

You can help partner with us to reach that goal by doing the following:

Make sure your student is at school, and on time, each day.
Make sure your child understands the importance of attending school and how it helps them learn and achieve their goals.
Schedule appointments or vacations for after the school day or on weekends when possible.
Make your child's teacher a partner in their attendance goals. Teachers can provide insights into why your child might not be attending.

As a reminder, we have iReady testing for the next two weeks and ACCESS testing in January. Please be sure to send your student to school each day so they can show all that they have learned thus far!

To help target this goal, we are trying a new incentive this month: Each day we are calculating which classes have 90% of their class in school. If a class reaches 90% of students in school or higher, we add a marshmallow to their virtual mug! Every class that earns 13-14 marshmallows will earn a hot cocoa party provided by our generous SHES PTC.

Attendance Matters

Dear SHES Parents & Guardians,

If you need to pick up your student early from school, please follow these procedures:

Please send a note to school if you need to pick up your student(s) early (Ex: Medical Appointment or personal reasons). This will limit the amount of interruptions during instructional time. Do not rely on your student to verbally deliver messages about early releases.
You can follow up with an email to the teacher, but please also send a note because teachers do not always have time to check their email during the day and we will not get the message if the teacher is absent.
A valid photo ID will be required in order to release a student to the authorized party.

If you need to pick up a student in the middle of the day and you did not send a note, call the office at 224-484-4900. Click here to report an absence.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Ms. Crystal Farkaschek

Assistant Principal

Attendance Incentives!

We will hold a new monthly attendance incentive for students this month! This month, students will work for a free personal Pizza from Lou Malnatis! Also, each class that has 90% of students in school for the month of December will earn a hot cocoa party with support from our PTC.

As a reminder, to earn the perfect attendance award students must be at school and on time for the entire school day for the entire month!

Last month we had 183 students receive the perfect attendance award. Our goal this month is for 195 SHES students to have perfect attendance! Help us make it happen!

Ms. Charleton's class with their Applebees certificates for November Perfect Attendance.

School Behavior Data

Did you know that we had 16 office discipline referrals for the month of November?

Teachers work diligently to model and teach expectations in the classroom and often manage most behaviors that arise. However, students may be referred to the office for a discipline referral based on the intensity of the behavior and impact it is having on student learning environments.

Last year we ended the school year with 167 office discipline referrals, and our goal as a school is to decrease that percentage by 3% each year.

You can help partner with us to reach that goal by doing the following:

Maintain an open line of communication with teachers to share strategies and be informed of behaviors at school and at home.
Sit down with their child and clearly communicate what is expected.
Help children prepare for transitions by providing countdowns, and giving them a say in their scheduling.
Provide lots of labeled praise for behaviors they want to encourage
Provide consistent consequences for negative behaviors, and rewards for positive behaviors
Encourage healthy behaviors like regular physical activity, eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and strengthening relationships with family.

Cold Prevention

Social Emotional Learning at Home

What are coping skills, and when should we use them?

Just like we need to help kids learn to identify and express feelings, we need to teach them how to manage (or cope) with them. Coping skills are strategies we use to manage feelings and handle stress.

Coping strategies can be used at any time, and using them regularly can help prevent some stress from happening in the first place.

Have you ever noticed that you get stressed more easily when you’re tired or hungry (aka hangry)? Practicing healthy habits, such as getting enough quality sleep, eating nutritionally-balanced meals and snacks, and being physically active can help lower stress levels. The same can be said for following simple routines, such as waking up or going to bed at the same time each day.

Routines let us know what to expect, which in turn helps us feel more safe and secure. The security of routines can be especially important during times of stress.

Try this active coping tool for the week: Do jumping jacks! Enjoy this coping tool? Send a picture of your family practicing the coping tools to Ms. Farkaschek (crystal.farkaschek@d300.org) to be featured on next week's Social Emotional Learning at Home article!

Walking Field Trip to Sabatino Park

Last week many SHES students took a walking field trip to Sabatino Park to put decorated ornaments on the trees!

On Saturday, December 7th at 4:00p.m., the Sleepy Hollow Service Club hosted Holiday in the Hollow at Sabitino Park. Many joined Mrs. Roy and Dundee Middle School Choir in singing holiday carols and spreading cheer. The event was dedicated in memory of Mr. Matt Bishop, a beloved DMS teacher, musician, and community leader. Mr. Bishop was a huge supporter of events in Sleepy Hollow and his memory lives on through the Wooden Elephant Foundation. To learn more about how the Wooden Elephant Foundation empowers students who reflect Mr. Bishop's values of kindness, creativity, and community service, visit woodenelephant.org

Mrs. Dexter's class

Mrs. Russo's Class

Mrs. Dornbos, Mrs. Germann, and Mrs. Skrabacz's Class

Mrs. Pallan's Class

Mrs. Flores' Class

Mrs. Blaus' Class

Mrs. Carver, Mrs. Herrmann, and Mrs. Zimmerman's Class

Mrs. Charleton's Class

Mrs. Veugeler's Class

District 300 Note of Appreciation Program

District 300 is excited to once again provide an opportunity for families to recognize outstanding staff members through our Note of Appreciation program.

The 2024-25 Note of Appreciation form is now open and can be accessed by clicking here.

Submitting a Note of Appreciation is easy. Just open the form, identify the staff member you would like to recognize, and provide a few sentences about what makes that person remarkable.

Parents and guardians can recognize teachers, paraeducators, school nurses, lunchroom staff, custodians, coaches – any District 300 employee who has made a positive impact on their student!

Once received, Note of Appreciation submissions are printed and hand delivered to respective staff members.

Your words of appreciation go a long way toward supporting our hardworking staff!

PTC

Get to know your SHES Faculty and Staff a little bit better this holiday season. The PTC has put together a list of some of their favorite things. Click on a name and then click on the link to learn a little more about him/her.

Click here to learn more!