Willow Family Update

Happy Wednesday Willow Families,

I hope you and your kiddos get to get out an play in the snow today! I sent a message earlier today as a heads up in case of an e-learning day tomorrow. We are not anticipating we will have one, but I wanted us to be prepared in case we do.

A few quick reminder:

• If you are coming as a visitor/volunteer or coming to pick your child up from school early, please ensure you come with a valid ID. It is a procedure to check IDs when a student is being picked up early and we will not release children to you without it. You also cannot leave the office without an ID we can scan into our database.

Take care,

Ms. Gordon

February

14 - Valentine's Day Parties 1 PM - 2 PM

28 - Early Dismissal (11:40 AM)

March

3 - No School - Casmir Pulaski Day

3 - End of 2nd Trimester

19 - Early Dismissal 11:40 AM

31 - Spring Break Begins

The 100th day of school was last week and it was an exciting time around Willow! The kids were 100 in kindergarten, we were "under construction" in 1st grade, and the roaring 20s were in full swing in 2nd grade. I am excited to show you some of the pictures I took on that day.

Dear Willow Families,

The Willow Wow Cart is a prize cart that parent volunteers push around to classrooms. Students can "purchase" fun prizes off the cart using their hard earned Willow Wow tickets. It runs every other Wednesday and it's the highlight of the students' day! To make it happen, we rely on volunteers like you! You can commit to once a month or even just one time between now and the end of the year. Shifts run all day and are about an hour and a half. Please reach out to the email below if you're interested. Thank you!

We are so proud of our friends at Willow! Join me in celebrating them for following the Willow Way.

The PBIS WOW cart is bustling and in business. We could use donations to keep our PBIS cart going. Some things that are on the cart are stickers, pop its, jewelry, and other fun things for students to purchase. Please contact the office with any questions you may have or if you'd like to donate. Anything is greatly appreciated!

Dear Parents and Guardians:

As 2025 gets underway, I thought this might be a good time to remind you how decisions are made to close or keep schools open during inclement weather.

First, the "snow day" we remember from our childhoods no longer exists. If our schools are closed due to inclement weather, students will engage in an "E-learning day" from home, as is now permitted by the Illinois State Board of Education. E-learning enables us to continue the flow of instruction mid-year versus making up the day at the end of the school year, when units of instruction have likely concluded. This also provides more structure to families as they plan their summer based on the last day of school attendance.

How Are School Closing Decisions Made in District 153

The decision to close District 153 schools rests with me. There is no specific temperature or inches of snow that will automatically trigger a decision to close the schools. However, special consideration is given when temperatures are below zero or "real-feel" temperatures fall below -20F.

Among the factors/questions considered are these:

• Road and sidewalk conditions. Travel conditions for both students and staff are a primary consideration.

• The longer-term weather forecast: Will closing one day mean closing for several more due to similarly predicted conditions?

• Will the potential benefits of closing the schools outweigh the potential disruptions to our families' life and work schedules?

What other school districts are choosing to do is also a consideration, but frankly, it is a lesser one. Each school district has its own unique local factors to take into consideration. What another school district decides may not be the right decision for District 153.

It is always a parent's prerogative to keep their child home if they decide an absence from school is in their child's best interest. A parent need only call the school (708-647-2200) to report their child's absence.

How Are Families Notified?

When District 153 plans to institute e-learning, the announcement is immediately shared via:

• District-wide robocall. PLEASE LISTEN TO ALL TELEPHONE MESSAGES FROM DISTRICT 153. During a closure, no one will be here to answer your question if you try to call the school or district office to ask what the telephone call was about.

• The school district website, hsd153.org

• The school district Facebook page

The information is also sent to local news outlets, but we have no control over how quickly or accurately that information is disseminated.

Your Student's E-Learning Day

Parents and guardians should be on the lookout for email communication from their student's building and/or teacher about the day's schedule and assignments. Each school will require students to login at a prescribed time to take attendance. (Please refer to your student's school communication for details.) Students who are not logged in at that time will be marked absent.

Hart and Churchill students already transport their laptops to and from school each day, so they should have their devices with them. Willow School will send home iPads with their students when the weather forecast is threatening. Students must return their devices on the first day buildings are open for classes.

Thank you, in advance, for your partnership in keeping our students learning despite the snow, cold, and ice.

Scott McAlister, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Homewood School District #153

Data shows that involved dads help kids succeed in school. This fall, Willow School is launching a new way for dads to get involved...introducing The Willow Dad Squad!

The Willow Dad Squad is a team of friendly adult male community members who love to smile, give high 5's, and gently encourage children to do their very best. We volunteer our time (according to our availability), walk around the campus, and support the teachers and administrators in creating environments conducive to learning.

Join us, and to learn more, click here!

Please see the attached document below regarding the Rainbow Program offered at Willow School.

Just a reminder to limit the things you send your children to school with. It is a challenge to keep up with things and this can sometimes become a distraction.

Please keep in mind that you should never send any form of a toy gun to school. This will be treated with the utmost seriousness.

There have been some changes in food services. In particular, please note that lactose free and soy milk are now available as a replacement to the standard carton of milk. However, there must be a note on file from a parent or guardian for it to be apart of your child's lunch or you will be charged $1 if your kiddo chooses this.

The school day for kindergarten, first and second grade students starts at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 2:50 p.m. Monday through Friday. Pre-kindergarten and students in the Early Childhood programs will session times are 8:15-10:45 am for the AM session and 11:45-2:15 pm for the PM session.

In the morning, playground supervision begins at 7:45 am. No student should arrive to school before this time as there is no staff supervision. Students should line up at 7:55 am and will enter the building with their teacher at 8:00 am. Students arriving after 8:00 am are tardy and must enter the building through the main office door with an adult. All students should be picked up at 2:50 pm at dismissal. There is no school supervision after school. If your child rides a bus and will need to go home a different way, please contact the main office no later than 2 pm.

If your child will be absent or starting the school day late, please contact the school office on the dedicated attendance line at 708-647-2200 before 8:00 am. You may also notify the office by sending an email to kimberly.tufts@hsd153.org.

Many children walk to school, some are dropped off by car, and some ride the bus. As a result, the streets around the school are filled with cars, buses, and children just before 8:00 a.m. It can get chaotic! If possible, please walk to school. Meeting up with friends and walking to school together is a great way to start the school day!

BUS:

District 153 has designated that all Willow students who live outside a 1.5 mile radius are eligible to ride the bus. You should have received an email informing you of the bus number your child is assigned to. Bus route information and the morning pick up times can be found here. Please arrive at least 5 minutes early to your child's bus stop's assigned time. Please be sure that a parent or caregiver is waiting at the bus stop after school. In addition, for the safety of your child, it is important that they only ride the bus to which they have been assigned.

CAR:

Parking around the school in the morning can be challenging. If you wish to park and walk your child to their line, please park on designated neighboring street. THE CUL-DE-SAC IS CLOSED FOR BUSES ONLY. You may drop your child off through the car line on Willow or Gladville. It is important that kids are ready to exit the car when the supervisor opens the door. DO NOT U-TURN AFTER DROP-OFF on any streets surrounding the school as this is a danger to all students traveling to and from Willow.

A crossing guard is typically stationed on Willow Road at the cross streets of Highland Ave, Page Ave, and Gladville Ave. There are additional crossing guards at Willow Rd and Dixie Highway and in back of the school on Gladville Ave. Please pay attention to the crossing guards. They understand the traffic patterns around the school and are looking out for the safety of all Willow students. Please follow their directions as they are trying to keep all children and families safe.

All students will have their lunch and recess between 10:45 am and 1 pm. In the event you need to drop off your child's lunch, please do so before lunchtime. We will not accept lunch sent by a vendor such as Uber Eats, GrubHub, etc. Students can bring a lunch from home or order a school lunch. The lunch menu can be found here. We strongly suggest lunches be NUT-FREE.

Here is the link to the federal application form for reduced or free lunch.

Breakfast is available every morning from 7:45 am to 8 am. Any student may join breakfast during that time. Cost varies based on whether you qualify for full, free, or reduced lunch. Students will enter through Door B, and a supervisor will assist them.

Website: https://willow.hsd153.org/

Location: 1804 Willow Road, Homewood, IL 60430
Phone: 708-798-3720

Email: willowoffice@hsd153.org