Willow Family Update

Hi Willow Families,

I hope you are having a great day! I wanted to give a few quick updates and reminders. Also, a big thank you to those that attended our community chat. I look forward to hosting again in the future and seeing more families.

The kindness campaign is off to a great start. As an incentive, students will have their badges put into a raffle for a chance to win some prizes. Also, thank you to those that have been sending kindness grams to the adults here. I will continue to share these with our adults as they come in. Again, if you are interested in sending a "Kindness Gram" to a grown up in our school, please click here!

Have a wonderful week rest of your week!

Take care,

Ms. Gordon

March

31 - Spring Break Begins

April

7 - School Resumes

18 - Spring Recess (No School)

21 - Spring Recess (No School)

On Thursday, March 27th, Willow is excited to have an author visit!

Renée Galvin is a native to Illinois, whose excitement to create drives her. Whether it be writing award-winning picture books or inspiring children to draw, she has seen first-hand just how therapeutic art can be. Renée’s love and knowledge of picture books grew exponentially while teaching preschool, as did her personal library.

We look forward to welcoming her to Willow where she will showcase her book "Teal." This is the synopsis of "Teal:"

A Mom's Choice Award Winner! Teal is a story of a little crayon who doesn’t fit in. Is Teal blue or is he green? This charming fable empowers children to think outside the box and embrace one another’s diversity. Teal’s message in diversity tackles a culturally sensitive subject by using a colorful metaphor which resonates with children. This message is not limited to race, gender, or culture – rather, to anyone that feels different. Teal demonstrates how labeling can shake the confidence of even the proudest little crayon and pinpoints how labels create emotional limits which hold us back from our full potential. The story and illustrations engage young readers by portraying the many emotions Teal faces throughout his journey of self discovery and acceptance. Teal exemplifies the power of innovative thinking and taking risks – and how these two traits drive positive change. The book also helps reshape thought processes to shine a light on the importance of kindness and collaboration. The Mom’s Choice Awards has named Teal among the best Children’s Picture Books of 2016.

In support of this, our school will wear teal shirts (or purple). All book order forms are due by this Friday, March 21st!

Parking

Please remember that all families are welcome to street parking. The two lots that are on school grounds are for staff only. Thank you so much for your cooperation!

Dogs

Dogs are not allowed on Willow's campus. If you have a service animal, please have their vests on for easy identification. Otherwise, please refrain from brining your dog to school.

This original challenge was for kindergarten but we are excited to make this a whole school challenge. Please join our challenge! If you would like to participate, please send in 2 unopened boxes of cereal before April 17th. All proceeds will donated to Homewood and surrounding area food banks. Students are keeping track with big posters in the hallway.

Next week is Disability Awareness Week. In honor of this, we will celebrate respect/spirit week as a school. Please see below for day-by-day guidance.

Monday, March 24:

Today we are wearing red and learning about Apert Syndrome. Fewer than 50,000 people in the U.S. have Apert Syndrome, which may cause them to have distinctive facial features and webbing of the fingers and toes. People with Apert Syndrome can have vision and dental issues and mild to moderate intellectual impairments.

Tuesday, March 25:

Today we are wearing blue and learning about Fragile X. Fragile X affects 1 in 4,000 females and 1 in 8,000 males in the U.S., making it the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability. Fragile X affects people's behavior and ability to learn and retain new information.

Wednesday, March 26:

Today we are wearing our Willow shirts and learning about inclusion. Today we increase understanding about how our word choices affect other people. Today we use it to celebrate respect, learn about each other, and support one another in meaningful friendships. We take the Inclusion Pledge together and promise to keep inclusion in the forefront of our minds.

Inclusion Pledge: I pledge to look for the lonely, the isolated, the left out, the challenged and the bullied. I pledge to overcome the fear of difference and replace it with the power of inclusion. I choose to include!

Thursday, March 27:

Today we are wearing purple and learning about Angelman's Syndrome. Angelman Syndrome is very rare, affecting only 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 24,000 births in the United States. It is a genetic syndrome that primarily affects the nervous system. People wit Angelman Syndrome have developmental delays, intellectual disability and speech impairment. Many people with Angelman Syndrome smile and laugh often.

Friday, March 28:

Today we are wearing green and learning about Kabuki Syndrome. Kabuki Syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that affects many parts of the body including the face, skeleton, brain, and heart. Symptoms can include distinctive facial features, intellectual disability and heart problems although these symptoms can vary in severity and may appear at birth of later in life. Kabuki Syndrome occusrs in about 1 in 32,000 births.

We currently have a response rate of 8%. Please take a moment to provide your feedback about our school community!

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!

Kindergarten Teacher Ms. Amy Brecheisen

1st Grade Teacher - Ms. Anne Wallace

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!

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