From The Leopards' Den

Dear Leggee Families,

As we go into our last week of school, we want to put some important reminders out there for everyone because we want you all to feel prepared going into next school year.

• Last day of school is May 23 at 1:30
• First day of school is August 13th for grades 1-5 and August 14th for Kindergarten
• Kindergarten Sneak Peek is August 4th from 3:00-6:00
• Supply drop-off/Meet the Teacher is scheduled for August 11th. The times will be announced over the summer. They usually are during the late afternoon.
• Please register your incoming kindergarten students now. It helps us plan and organize over the summer. If you have friends or neighbors with an incoming kindergartener, please encourage them to enroll their children as soon as they can. We thank you in advance.
• Join the PTA!! This is an amazing group of parent volunteers who do so much for our children, our families, and our staff.

As I mentioned, our PTA does so much for us. They rely on two major fundraisers for their funding. The first is our Fall Fun Run that provides us with the bulk of our budget. The other large event is our Craft Fair. It takes place the weekend before Thanksgiving. Right now, we only have two people who are managing this event. This is event is not a reality if we don't have more people helping out. At the least, we need two more people to help with parts of the Craft Fair. If you would like more informaiton on how you can help, please reach out to Jamie Steere. She is our current PTA president and is in charge of the Craft Fair.

I will put out one more newsletter at the end of the year to wrap things up, so please read through this newsletter carefully. There are a lot of great things happening during these two weeks and for the summer, so check out all the excitement.

Have a wonderful weekend!

All the best,

Mr. Iddings

Please keep an eye out in the upcoming days for a book being sent home in your child’s backpack; Hank the Hungry Hummingbird. A parent of one of our Leggee Teachers wrote a children’s book that included a small ink flaw when printed; you may or may not even notice it. Instead of throwing the books out, he wanted to donate them to our younger students to enjoy.

Happy Reading!

We are excited to celebrate this year’s Shooting Star Award recipient — Leggee first grader, Anay Patel! 🎉Anay is a shining example of kindness and positivity. He brightens our school with his warm smile and consistently shows what it means to be respectful, responsible, safe, and involved. Anay is a wonderful role model for his classmates, always putting forth his best effort and making thoughtful choices. One moment that stood out this year was when Anay suggested a classmate go first in a game — simply because it was her birthday! His actions remind us of the power of empathy and putting others first. Way to go, Anay! 🐆

This summer there are a ton of Summer camps to choose from...

Basketball, Dance, Volleyball, Orchestra, Cross Country, Track & Field and more!

Click on the links below for more information...

Sign up: https://huntley.revtrak.net/rw-summer-camps/

Flyers:https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1DwysZIdBeWz8pYTQ-hSdKM-fWNnZAKfG9qAW99rGSDY/edit?usp=sharing

Mon 5/19 Chicken

Tues 5/20 Tacos

Wed 5/21 Chicken

Thurs 5/22 Breakfast

Fri 5/23 Bosco Stix

https://www.leggeepta.org/

Contact Us: info@leggeepta.org

Volunteer Opportunities/ Events/ Donation Opportunities: https://signup.com/group/336993356275860055

Become a Member: https://leggee.memberhub.com/store

We are excited to provide Ukrainian Language Classes for students, made possible through a collaborative partnership between MPAC and Huntley School District 158. Classes will be held on Fridays from September to May (excluding no-school days) at Mackeben Elementary School, from 5:00-7:30 PM. To register, please complete the Ukrainian Language Class Registration Form, or for more information, email uaschool158@gmail.com or call 773-332-3636.

We are excited to announce that Huntley 158 will once again host its community-wide reading initiative, Raiders Read Together, for elementary students and families this summer! The program is modeled after the popular “one book, one community” concept designed to engage students, families and the community in reading the same book and discussing its important messages and themes.

Stay tuned for this year’s book “reveal” and program details on Monday, May 19th! A video message from Superintendent Jessica Lombard will be sent to families via email.

Huntley 158 is committed to ensuring that all students, regardless of their individual needs, can fully participate and enjoy the Raiders Read Together experience. If your child requires modified materials, digital resources or other accommodations to engage in this literary adventure, please fill out this form and we will see that the materials get to you.

In accordance with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Illinois School Code, physical examinations are required for all Huntley 158 students entering pre-school, Kindergarten, 6th and 9th grades, and for students transferring from out-of-state. Physicals are also required for students participating in interscholastic sports. The physical examination must include a record of all immunizations the child has received. For more information about health requirements and how to submit medical records, visit the Huntley 158 website.

Summer EBT, or “SUN Bucks,” is a nutrition program authorized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help combat hunger by providing financial assistance to qualifying families so they can buy food for their school-aged children over the summer. Summer EBT for 2025 will provide a $120 annual benefit per child to eligible families via an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) issued by the Illinois Department of Human Services. Huntley 158 students who have participated in the free and reduced lunch program during the 2024-2025 school year automatically qualify for this benefit. The $120 benefit per child will be added to LINK cards for families who are part of the SNAP program. Families who are NOT part of SNAP will receive a debit card in the mail. IMPORTANT: If your child participates in the district’s free and reduced lunch program and your address has changed, please email studentupdate@district158.org as soon as possible and include your student’s name. For more information about Summer EBT, visit the Illinois Department for Human Services website.

Unclaimed Items

Items turned into the school that are considered unclaimed items shall be handled in the

following manner:

1. Shall be placed in an area that is monitored, as well as open for those individuals to be

able to claim such items. These items can include: clothing, hats, gloves, shoes.

2. Items that are to be considered valuable items shall be kept in one secure location and

the retention log shall be filled out.

3. At the conclusion of the school year, notice should be made to families and students

about such items that may be lost.

4. After June 30 of each year

a. Clothing items, hats, gloves and shoes shall be donated

b. Items of value will be turned over to the Chief Safety & Security Officer.

i. The Chief Safety & Security Officer will make all reasonable efforts to

locate the owner. If an owner is not located the items will be disposed of.

Confiscated Items

Items that are deemed not to be school appropriate shall be handled in the following manner:

1. Most items should be returned to parents if deemed appropriate.

2. If items are deemed to be unsafe to return to parent or student, the item shall be turned

over to the Chief Safety & Security Officer

a. Chief Safety & Security Officer will dispose of item(s) in collaboration with local

law enforcement.

3. It is an item stemming from an incident that involved law enforcement, that said item

shall be turned over to that entity.

The Huntley 158 Virtual Bulletin Board (VBB) connects families with enrichment and educational events and programs in the community. Visit the district’s VBB webpage to learn about what’s happening for students and families in the community! To submit a program or event flyer for inclusion, organizations must be not-for-profit or a taxing body based in Huntley 158 boundaries or a surrounding community.

Huntley 158 still has open positions for employment across the district. You can find current openings here. If you have any questions, contact Associate Superintendent of Human Resources, Adam Zehr, at (847) 659-6150 or Director of Human Resources, Karrie Baughman, at (847) 659-6178.

Broadcast Club is back! Check back in a month or so to see our latest video produced by our 5th grade students below!!

If you ever need to reach our Help Desk, please use this link for support.

To maintain the safety and comfort of all individuals on campus, the district prohibits the use of

e-scooters and other low-speed, motorized personal transportation devices on district property.

This shall include but is not limited to motorized scooters, hoverboards, all classes of pedal and

throttle assist bicycles. This guideline does not apply to wheelchairs or ADA-related mobility

aids.

The primary reasons for this guidelines are:

● To protect the safety of students, staff and visitors on district property by prohibiting use

of non-ADA motorized devices.

● To reduce the risk of injury to persons and damage to district property.

● To ensure compliance with local city ordinances

A sick child cannot learn effectively or participate fully in educational activities in a meaningful way. Keeping a sick child home from school allows your child to rest and recover and prevents the transmission of the illness to others. To help maintain a safe and healthy learning environment, please see the guidelines below on when to keep your child home from school for common illnesses that we may see in our schools. Other criteria can be found in the student handbooks or from staff in our health offices. When in doubt consult with your healthcare provider or our Health Care staff.

Any of the below criteria is subject to change based on requirements from MCDH, IDPH or the CDC.

Colds

If your child has a moist, productive cough, chest congestion, or thick nasal discharge, they need to stay home from school. If you see a continuous greenish discharge, that may be a sign of infection and you should consult with your healthcare provider.

Conjunctivitis (Pink eye)

A student who has been diagnosed with conjunctivitis may return to school 24 hours after their first dose of prescribed medication.

COVID-19

Per the CDC guidelines, an individual can return to normal activities when symptoms have been improving for 24 hours - and if a fever was present, it has been gone for 24 hours without use of a fever-reducing medication. Please check with your doctor if you have any questions.

Fever

Your child can return to school after being fever free for at least 24 hours without the use of any fever-reducing medications. A fever is 100.4 degrees or greater according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Rash

If your child has a rash that you cannot identify, it is recommended that you consult with your healthcare provider. The student should not return to school until the rash has been diagnosed and deemed not contagious.

Strep Throat

If your child has been diagnosed with strep throat they need to remain at home until they have been on antibiotics for a full 24 hours and fever free for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medication.

Vomiting/Diarrhea

Students need to remain home from school until they are symptom-free for 24 hours without any over the counter medication or antibiotic.

*If multiple cases of Conjunctivitis, strep, COVID-19 or other communicable diseases are reported within a classroom or school, we will evaluate the number and notify families as a proactive measure as recommended by the CDC or local health department.

Other situations where a student needs to stay home, or must be picked up from school include, but are not limited to: vomiting, diarrhea, open lesions that cannot be covered, lethargy, serious head injuries, undiagnosed persistent or disruptive cough, eye drainage or redness, undiagnosed or new rashes, and serious limb injuries.