Good evening Graham Families!

A very full News from the Nest to share with you today! We certainly don't sit still around here! We've been busy busy busy! So many things to share and highlight from our week. I'll let you just jump right in and see for yourself. Enjoy!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Go Falcons!

Rachel Witkowski

Watch the Graham Elementary School Spotlight video.

• May 6th-May10th | Teacher Appreciation Week
  
• May 7th | Final Falcon Family Picnic
• May 10th | PTA winners - Silly String Wars (KA & 5T)
• May17th | Field Day!
• May 18th | IPSD Fine Arts Festival
• May 21st | 4th grade State Fair Family Night, 6:00-7:00
• May 22nd | Former Falcons (NVHS Graduates) Clap-off
• May 23rd | 1st grade field trip, Brookfield Zoo
• May 24th | PTA winners - Movie Day

Online registration for new and returning students for the 2024-25 school is now open. Parents and guardians will use their ParentVUE account or the online registration portal to complete registration.

If you have technical questions about how to complete your family's online registration, we invite you to reach out to our Student Information System support team by email at sis@ipsd.org. Please include your name, phone number, student name, student ID number, school, grade level and a brief description of the problem you are experiencing.

If your family has plans to move prior to the start of the new school year, please complete the Moving Notification Form, and submit it to the front office.

Cups will not be handed out until the week of May 13th.

Why spend your summer shopping for school supplies when Graham can make it easy on you? Through EPI, you can order everything your child will need from one place. Purchase your school supply kit by June 2nd and have everything delivered to Graham before the first day of school.

https://www.educationalproducts.com/shoppacks/category.aspx?categoryLevel=1&category1=PP&category1Name=Pre+Packs&category2=GRA388&category2Name=GRA388

School ID: GRA388

Please note that headphones and art smocks (can use an old t-shirt instead) are required for all grade levels. If needed, be sure to add before checkout. These items are NOT included in the kits.

Any questions, please contact Kelly Moscickis at kellym1018@yahoo.com

School supply kits for the 2024-25 school year are now available for purchase!

Visit this link to order: https://www.educationalproducts.com/ShopPacks

School code: CRO072 (3 letters/3 numbers)

(To see which items are included in each kit, click the orange “click to order” button.)

Supply kits will be available to pick up at your student’s schedule pick-up day in August.

Do you have FOMO?

Please consider joining the Graham IPEF running/walking team for the IPEF charity run. They have extended the team deadline, and we are only 3 participates away from a team of 50! We are truly small but mighty!!!

https://secure.qgiv.com/event/teamipef2024/

Save the Date

School Wide Pep Rally for our staff, student, and community runners.

Friday, October 18th at 3:00 pm

Cheer Squad - Cheering on our team

Sunday, October 20th - morning

We are the LARGEST team in District 204! Thank you to all who are running and supporting!

Our dramatic come-from-behind WIN earned us a bonus $300 to be added to our Big Check at the end of the race season!

We also have a HUGE cheer squad assembling to cheer you all on! GO FALCONS!!!

Graham Families,

We are excited for our upcoming McTeacher night on Thursday, May 9th from 4:00pm-7:00pm at the 95th and Rt 59 McDonalds near NVHS. Graham teachers and staff will be working at the store and serving up tasty treats to our community.

We will be accepting cash donations and tips throughout the evening. A limited amount of apple pies will be sold for $2 cash. All cash raised will go directly to Graham's fundraising efforts for our IPEF runners and walkers. An additional 20% of all food sales will go to Graham when you mention that you are with Graham when ordering food.

Hope to see you at this event!

Sign up at: https://www.summermusic204.org/

Dear Parents,

Soon the staff will begin to develop class lists for the 2024-2025 school year. The following ​OPTIONAL form is an opportunity for you to share information you feel would be helpful in placing your child, so he/she can have the best year possible.

Please know that our staff spends an extensive amount of time looking at each individual child’s learning needs, skill levels, and social behavioral needs to create the best heterogeneous learning group and environment for them. If you feel you have information about your child’s personality, social relationships, or other needs beyond what the current classroom teacher is aware of and that may help us in this process, please complete the following optional form.

Please know that we will make the best placement possible for each student to help them have a positive and successful school experience. Should you have any questions regarding completion of the form or the process, you may contact Principal Rachel Witkowski at rachel_witkowski@ipsd.org.

PLEASE COMPLETE 1 FORM PER STUDENT

CLICK HERE: https://forms.gle/W3CCQskF5S7zXqWP7

Don't miss out on the memories - Order your yearbook today!

What better way to remember the 2023-2024 school year than to order a yearbook for your child! Yearbooks can only be purchased online through the HR Imaging website. Yearbook orders will not be accepted at school.

Cost: $18.00

Website: https://book.hrimaging.com/book/school.aspx

Questions? Please contact Darlene Stone, Graham Student Services Coordinator at darlene_stone@ipsd.org

We rocked out in the Lunchroom today courtesy of our PTA Glow Party Raffle Winners!

💜 What this community is all about... friends supporting friends. 💜

We were so excited to host our Future Falcons in today for a Future Falcon Storytime! Mrs. Shiles read a few books and they even got to meet Freddy! Go Falcons!

Kane County Cougar tickets will be heading home on Monday, May 6th with the youngest student in the family. Only families that participated in the program will receive tickets. Please watch for this envelope on Monday.

It is too late to get tickets from Graham, but you may order tickets directly from the Kane County Cougars for the Thursday, May 23rd event. https://www.kccougars.com/tickets-and-schedule

The Graham chorus will be singing the National Anthem, and it is a great community event.

Questions about your tickets, please email Michelle Shiles @ michelle_shiles@ipsd.org

The IPSD Chromebook Process has been updated for the 2024 summer and 24-25 school year.

Kindergarten - Chromebooks stay on carts over summer. They will keep Chromebooks on carts in 1st grade.

First Grade - Chromebooks will be collected in May. Students will receive new Chromebooks for the 24-25 school year. They are expected to use these Chromebooks for the remainder of their elementary school experience. (2nd-5th grade)

Second Grade - Chromebooks will be collected in May. Students will receive new Chromebooks for the 24-25 school year. They are expected to use these Chromebooks for the remainder of their elementary school experience. (3rd-5th grade)

Third Grade - Chromebooks will stay with the students over the summer. Students will have a "How to Care For My Chromebook Over Summer" lesson in the LMC. Students are expected to use this Chromebook for the 24-25 school year.

Fourth Grade - Chromebooks will stay with the students over the summer. Students will have a "How to Care For My Chromebook Over Summer" lesson in the LMC. Students are expected to use this Chromebook for the 24-25 school year.

Fifth Grade - Chromebooks will be collected in May. Students will receive new Chromebooks for the 24-25 school year at their Middle School.

A small number of students taking summer classes will have a Chromebook reassigned to them from Graham and will need to return this Chromebook to Graham in August.

Families that are moving, possibly moving, traveling out of the country, or who do not want the Chromebook over the summer are encouraged to leave the Chromebook with the Graham LMC over the summer. The exact device will be returned to the student when they return to Graham for the 24-25 school year.

To help with this process we are looking for volunteers on Friday, May 24th. Please use the sign-up link to volunteer.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F054CA5AD22A5F94-5thgrade

Questions, please reach out to Michelle Shiles at michelle_shiles@ipsd.org

If there is a change in your typical dismissal routine, please be sure to email your child's teacher the night before. If it is a last minute change, please CALL the main office. Any changes to dismissal after 3:00pm are difficult to accommodate, so to avoid frustration please make all attempts to minimize changes to your typical dismissal routine.

Thank you for your understanding!

• Regular elementary school hours are 9:05 am – 3:35 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Students may begin arriving each of these days at 8:50 am.

• Wednesday school hours are 9:15 am – 3:35 pm. This late start allows time for staff to engage in professional development opportunities. All arrival procedures, student supervision, and bus service will be delayed by 10 minutes every Wednesday of the school year.

• Regular preschool hours are: AM Session: 7:40 - 10:30, PM Session: 12:00 - 2:50.

• Please be sure to follow the preschool calendar.

In an effort to maintain a safe environment for staff and students, District 204 adheres to the following practices during arrival and dismissal.

Arrival Procedures:

• During the period of time when children are arriving in the morning, no adults, without an appointment, will be allowed into the schools. Children will be allowed in through normal procedures.

• Any adult, without an appointment, who wishes to go into the school to talk with the administration or drop something off at the school will need to wait until arrival procedures are completed for the students or call the office for assistance.

For all elementary schools, adults without an appointment will not be allowed between 8:50 am - 9:05 am Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. On Wednesday, that time is 9:00 am - 9:15 am.

Dismissal Procedures:

• At dismissal time, no adult will be allowed into the school during the time that students are being dismissed.
• Parents who need to speak with the office staff will need to wait until the dismissal process is completed for all students.

Any changes to dismissal plans need to be communicated to the school staff before 3:00pm. Any students being picked up for early dismissal should be picked up before 3:00pm.

Thank you, in advance, for adhering to these important safety procedures.

If your child will be absent from school for any reason, please remember to call the school office to report the absence (630-428-6900, press option 3). Please also share the reason for the absence, as our attendance system requires that a reason for the absence be entered. If you report the absence on voicemail, please include both your child's name and the reason for the absence. If our school nurse should need additional information, she will reach out to you directly.

V. Blanche Graham Elementary School is a Prekindergarten through 5th grade school located in South Naperville. Opened in 1996, Graham is fortunate to have supportive parents and dedicated staff and students who come prepared and eager to learn. We are part of Indian Prairie Community Unit School District #204, which is dedicated to the mission to "Inspire all students to achieve their greatest potential."

Email: rachel_witkowski@ipsd.org

Website: http://graham.ipsd.org/
Location: 2315 High Meadow Rd, Naperville, IL 60564, USA
Phone: 630-428-6900
Twitter: @GrahamElem204