Tiger Prints

Our students continue to show incredible generosity, kindness, and leadership, and we couldn’t be more proud. Their recent efforts in supporting the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans were outstanding, demonstrating their commitment to helping those in need. The success of this drive speaks volumes about the compassion and character of our students and families. If you’d like to learn more about this vital organization and how it supports veterans in need, visit Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans. Beyond this, we’ve received so much positive feedback from those who interact with our students—outside Chess Club coaches, American Legion visitors, or support staff from SASED. These individuals consistently highlight the respect, responsibility, and positivity our students bring to every interaction, reflecting our school’s values.

Illinois law (105 ILCS 5/27-3) requires public schools to provide students with the opportunity to recite the Pledge of Allegiance daily. While participation is voluntary, this tradition serves as a moment of reflection, encouraging civic awareness, unity, and respect for the values of liberty, justice, and equality. Schools play a key role in helping students understand their rights and responsibilities as members of a democratic society, and the Pledge is one way we foster that awareness.

While students are encouraged to participate, they also have the right to choose not to recite the Pledge, ensuring that tradition and individual freedoms are respected. This daily practice brings our school community together while reinforcing meaningful discussions about citizenship, respect, and civic responsibility—values that shape students in and beyond the classroom.

Every day, through classroom meetings, advisory sessions, and engaging learning activities, we continue to help our students develop into empathetic, responsible, and thoughtful citizens. These daily experiences provide opportunities to discuss real-world topics, build strong peer relationships, and practice skills to help them contribute positively to their school and community. Thank you for your continued support in shaping the next generation of great citizens!

5 Essentials Parent Survey

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We invite you to participate in the 5 Essentials Parent Survey, a significant opportunity to share your thoughts on your child’s school environment. Your feedback helps us understand our strengths and areas for improvement, ultimately enhancing the educational experience for all students.

Survey Details:

● Who: Parents, guardians, or caregivers with a child in grades Pre-K through 12

● Languages: Available in English and Spanish

● Time Commitment: Approximately 10 minutes

● Survey Window: February 19 – March 28

● Link to Survey: Click here to participate

Additional Information:

● If you have more than one child attending the same school, you may complete the survey multiple times if you choose.

● If you have children enrolled in different schools, we encourage you to complete the survey for each school.

● Only one parent per household may submit a survey for a given child.

● You will have the option to provide your email address to receive confirmation of survey completion. This is optional, and you may leave the text box blank if you prefer.

Your voice matters! We appreciate your time and input in helping us improve our school community. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

Thank you for your support!

Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in the Primary Building we will be having our Kindergarten Preview Open House from 4:00 - 6:00 PM. Parents and/or guardians of students residing within District #34, who will be 5 years of age on or before September 1, are invited to attend along with their child! Children and their grown ups are invited into the building to meet the kindergarten teachers and visit the kindergarten classrooms. This is an open house-style event but we do ask that you call Ms. Hernandez at 630-909-4901 to schedule your 25 minute time slot to visit the classrooms on April 15th. Plan to bring the following items: 3 proofs of residency (i.e. utility bill, driver's license, tax bill) and your child's birth certificate (county stamped original). We are looking forward to meeting our future Winfield Tigers

Winfield Energy Club will host a Family Energy Fun Night on Wednesday, March 12th from 5:30-6:30 in the Central Cafeteria for students in grades K-5. Come out and enjoy some make and take STEM activities. This is a free event, however donations to help offset the cost of the Energy Club's trip to the National Youth Awards Conference in Washington DC this summer are greatly appreciated. Please note that we can only accept personal checks made out to Winfield School. Register here!

The monthly PTO/WEF Meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 12 at 7:00 p.m.

The monthly BOE meeting will take place on Thursday, March 27 at the Central School Cafeteria.

Spring Break will be from Monday, March 31st - April 4th. No School on those dates. School will resume on Monday, April 7th. Enjoy your time off!

Click the Virtual Backpack Link to see the archive.

Seeking 2025 Tiger Run Sponsors

Do you or someone you know own or work for a local business in Winfield or the surrounding area? We are looking for sponsors at all levels for this year’s Tiger Run, our biggest fundraiser of the year! Check out our Sponsor Letter for more details. Please email us at wef@winfield34.org if you are interested or if you have any questions. The Tiger Run is our biggest fundraiser and always well attended! Please confirm by March 31, 2025 to be included in printed marketing materials.

RMHC Pop Tab Recycling Program

Did you know that local Ronald McDonald Houses provide accommodations for 181 families every night, allowing them to stay close to their hospitalized children and access necessary healthcare providers and supportive services, ultimately saving families over $10 million in hotel and food costs annually? Your household pop tops donation to the school collection supports the RMCH cause, so keep collecting those pop tabs! Students can bring them right to their classrooms!

Spring Classroom Party - Friday, 3/28

Spring break is around the corner and so is our final classroom party of the school year! The Spring parties will be held on Friday, 3/28 for Pre-K-5th grades. The AM Pre-K party will be from 10-10:45 a.m. and PM Pre-K-5th grade parties will be from 2:15-3:00 p.m. There are still some spots available if you would like to help out and attend. Sign up here: Pre-K Party Signup and K-5th Party Signup. Please reach out to your room parent if you are interested in helping with an activity for the party or have any questions!

Next PTO/WEF Meeting: Wednesday, March 12th at 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend!

Throughout the year, first grade builds meaningful connections with other members of our school family by doing various morning activities to start the day. Each morning, we meet as a group to share what’s new, a this or that activity, yoga, or a fun Friday game.

This week, third graders worked with prefixes, identifying them and explaining their meanings. In writing, the students wrote narrative journal entries from the perspective of a character. In science, they started presenting their animal research projects. 3/4 Brach read a lot of poetry this week. We read poems by Langston Hughes, William Wordworth, and many others. We analyzed structure, figurative language, theme, mood, vocabulary use, point of view, and main idea. We continued to read the Lemonade Crime and worked on our character anatomy project. We worked on the Greek and Latin roots therm, soc, and phon. Finally, we read a lot of Newsela articles about climate change and how it is affecting animals and people on a daily basis. This week in 5th grade, students compared and contrasted two characters from different texts, thinking about how each character was able to survive when faced with different situations. They also explored different strategies for solving fraction by whole number multiplication, such as utilizing repeated addition, the associative property, and models.

This week in Language Arts, students are wrapping up their fourth unit. Sixth graders are analyzing a variety of story elements in A Wrinkle in Time to craft their final essay. They are exploring how magical characters, strange planets, and symbols contribute to the fantasy novel. Similarly, seventh graders are writing an essay on their class novel, Unbound. They are reflecting on the main character’s journey and examining how their struggles develop the book's themes. Eighth graders are finishing Romeo and Juliet and have had the opportunity to take on roles and read aloud as different characters. We are proud of all the students' hard work second trimester—two down, one to go!

Our annual Drama Club production is coming soon! Mark your calendars for Friday, March 21 and Saturday, March 22nd. Tickets are $6.00 each for all ages. Tickets forms available in the Central Office. Tickets to the public go on sale on Tuesday, March 11 at 3:15 p.m.