Dear Erickson Families,

Student Progress Reports were posted on Alma on Friday, December 6th at 3:00. Please make sure you are able to log into ALMA. Everyone has an account as this is the same site you used to register your child. See letter below about progress reports.

A Gingerbread celebration will be happening in kindergarten on Monday December 16. It's great for students to experience creativity and teamwork, as they get to decorate gingerbread houses. It’s a wonderful opportunity for families to come together and enjoy some festive activities with the kids.

Winter Wonderland is a school community event that will take place Thursday, December 19th, 2024. There will be over 20 winter themed activities going on in different rooms throughout the building. Students will choose 3 activities to participate in during the afternoon. Activities include winter themed minute-to-win-it-games, winter Bingo, cosmic bowling, making reindeer food, creating ornaments, snowman crafts, winter trivia, etc. This is a fun event for students! Thank you to Mr. LItavecz for organizing the fun for students.

Friday December 20 - Winter Parties - Led by PTO Parent Volunteers

• 10:20-11:20 AM Kindergarten PTO Holiday Party

• 10:30-11:00 All School Sing-A-Long Students/Teachers only due to space (PTO Parents that are volunteering for the classroom parties are welcome to head to the classrooms to set up)

• 11:00-12:00 1st - 5th grade PTO Holiday Party

• 2:15-3:15 PM Kindergarten PTO Holiday Party

LOST AND FOUND Items: If you lost an item, please have your child check the lost and found! Any items remaining after December 20 will be donated.

If you need to report an absence, please call the school 630-529-2223 or email the teacher and the attendance line: erattendance@sd13.org

Have a wonderful day!

Stacy Johnston

Principal

sjohnston@sd13.org

According to professionals, while cold weather doesn't directly cause colds, it can make you more susceptible to getting sick. Colds are caused by viruses, and you can't catch a cold from being exposed to the elements. However, cold weather can weaken your immune system, making it easier for you to get sick.

Also, in 15 degree temperatures, depending on wind chill and the level of exposure, you could start to feel pain in your hands within a few minutes; however, if you're not properly dressed, prolonged exposure could lead to more severe discomfort and even frostbite within a relatively short time frame, especially if the wind chill factor is significant.

We do not offer a choice of whether a student "wants" to attend recess. We don't have the manpower for that option. We will do our best to notify you about your child needing their coat delivered and we thank you for support and diligence as we keep everyone safe and healthy.

Moral of the story: BRING A JACKET, HAT, AND GLOVES!

Love,

Mrs. Frattinger

December 2024

Dear Parents/Guardians,

On December 6, 2024, around 3:00 first trimester grades will be updated in Alma. Instead of sending home progress reports, we ask that parents use the Alma portal to view student scores. Please see the instructions below to view your child’s Trimester 1 progress report:

To access Alma, please head to dujardin.getalma.com or erickson.getalma.com. You will need to log into your Alma account using the same information from registration. Your username should be your firstname.lastname. If you don't remember your password, please select “forgot password” at the bottom or contact the office.

On the left hand side, select your child’s name. Then select the “report cards” tab. Underneath this tab, you will see a Trimester 1 Progress Report PDF. This will show you your child’s current progress for the school year.

Access Your Child’s Progress Report

Please keep in mind that these standards are year long goals. Please view the scores on the progress report as a snapshot of your child’s current mastery levels. They may change throughout the year as skills are reassessed.

To check your child's progress in Alma throughout the year, click on “Classes”. Choose which class you would like to see progress in. There you should see all assignments, standards assessed and overall progress. Alma will be updated periodically throughout the year.

Please feel free to reach out to Kat Lents at klents@sd13.org if you have any problems accessing your Alma account or viewing your child’s progress report.

Sincerely,

The D13 Elementary Team

DECEMBER IMPORTANT DATES

• Mitten Tree collection (NEW hats, mittens, scarves for families in need) December 2-December 20.

• December 13: Hot lunch- Dr. Dogs

• December 16: Hot Lunch - Buona Beef, Kdg Gingerbread Celebration, PTO Meeting 5:30pm

• December 17: School Store

• December 20: Hot Lunch Pot Belly, Early dismissal 1:40, No Preschool

  • 10:20-11:20 AM Kindergarten PTO Holiday Party

  • 11:00-12:00 1st - 5th grade PTO Holiday Party

  • 2:15-3:15 PM Kindergarten PTO Holiday Party

• December 23-January 3: Winter Break - No School
• January 6, 2024: School Back in Session, Hot lunch -Rosati's

• **Please note: 1:40 Early Dismissal Days/School Improvement are on FRIDAY. Early Dismissal/School Improvement days are one Friday per month and FULL DAY students are dismissed at 1:40 while teachers are involved in professional development activities. Half-Day PM Kindergarten will attend school at their normal PM times. AM & PM Preschool students do not attend school on early dismissal days.

If you have not paid your 2024-2025 school fees, please sign onto My School Bucks to pay your fees. Detailed instructions to create your account can be found here.

In order to be notified when fees are posted to your student(s) account, you must have an account set up with a valid email address.

Payments are due by September 1st of each year.

Local districts will be hosting a virtual Parent University on Artificial Intelligence (AI) on January 7th at 6:30pm. Consider joining to learn more about this topic.

Each month we will post a video (video below) to watch as a family, discussion questions to discuss together, and a quick form to fill out to be entered into an eagle ticket raffle. Please consider completing the Character Counts Family Connection together!

School District 13 is excited to continue the CARES program—an innovative, community-centered initiative designed to improve access to quality mental health services. CARES (Community, Advocacy, Resilience, Engagement, and Support) connects families with local mental health providers based on individual needs, simplifying the process of finding help and scheduling appointments.

Through this program, families can receive up to 8 free mental health treatment sessions with independent, licensed clinicians, available in person and via telehealth. Services are 100% confidential and accessible to all district students, including those with commercial insurance, as well as those who are uninsured or underinsured.

This program is made possible through funding from District 13 in partnership with ReferralGPS, a mental health navigation service that connects students and families with local providers based on their specific needs.

For more information on the CARES program and accessing mental health services, please visit our District CARES page at https://referralgps.com/13cares or scan the QR code below. To get started, simply complete the “Treatment Request” form. You can also contact your student's social worker or counselor for assistance with placing a referral.

Are your kids growing out of their pants? The nurses office is in need of gently used pants that we can use for kids that may rip theirs, get covered in mud, etc. We really need more pants for boys of all ages, girl's pants that are preferably not leggings, boys shorts for the warmer weather, and any L and XL boy shirts. If you are looking to clean out some closets, please send our way! You can drop off clothes in the front office or directly with the nurse.

Thank you so much for supporting the nurse office!

This section will feature students who excel!

Please send in pictures and information to sjohnston@sd13.org if you would like your child featured in a future Express.

School Hours:

Grades 1st-5th: 8:40-3:30

Kindergarten AM: 8:40-11:30

Kindergarten PM: 12:40-3:30

Preschool AM: 8:50-11:20

Preschool PM: 12:50-3:20

Student Arrival:

Kindergarten-5 grade students can begin arriving at 8:25. Students should gather in the front of the building. Doors open at 8:30. Students should arrive by 8:40

Lunch Hours:

1st, 2nd & 3rd Grade Lunch: 12:00-12:25

4th-5th Grade Lunch: 12:25-12:50

Dropping off lunches from restaurants (ie- McDonald's, Wendy's, Panera, etc.) as well as using food delivery services to drop off food (ie -GrubHub, Door Dash) is not allowed. Students should bring their lunch in the morning to school each day. Safety is our number one priority and we would like to limit visitors.

Email: sjohnston@sd13.org
Website: sd13.org
Location: 277 Springfield Drive, Bloomingdale, IL, USA
Phone: 630-529-2223

Fax: 630-893-9849