Graves (K-5) Sailor Newsletter

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Please see the following newsletter for important information.

Friday, November 15: End of 1st Trimester

Friday, November 22: Graves Turkey Trot (out of uniform day-athletic wear/more information coming soon)

Friday, November 22: PBIS Student of the Month and Monthly Grade Level Event

Monday, November 25: Parent Teacher Conferences 1:00-3:00 p.m. and 4:00-7:00 PM (No School for students)

Tuesday, November 26: Teacher Institute Day (No School for students)

Wednesday, November 27 - Friday, November 29: Thanksgiving Break (No School)

Monday, December 2: Classes Resume

Please remember that every Wednesday is a late start 8:50AM-2:50PM

All meetings are scheduled for 7pm on the second Tuesday of the month.

PLEASE JOIN US!

December 10, 2024

Admin Center

January 14, 2025

Walker Elementary School (Walker Spotlight)

February 11, 2025

Admin Center

March 11, 2025

Wharton Elementary School ( Wharton Spotlight)

April 8, 2025

Admin Center

May 13, 2025

Graves Dual Language School (Graves Spotlight)

June 10, 2025

Admin Center

Our Graves Sailors played against the Walker Bulldogs this past Friday.

Thank you to Coach Pyrce for her dedication to coaching our Sailors.

Please join us for their next game today, November 15th at 4:30PM in the HMS Gym.

STEAM Night was a success!

Thank you to all the families who attended and to the Science Team for all their hard work

in putting this event together

On Friday, November 22nd we will be having our “Turkey Trot” and students (K-5) may be out of uniform. Since they will be outside running, we encourage warm athletic clothing and jacket. Remember to bring a water bottle!

Parent Teacher Conferences will be on Monday, November 25th from 1:00 PM-7:00 PM.

Teachers have started to reach out to start setting up appointments. If you haven't already, please make sure to reach out to your child's teacher to set up a time to discuss your child's progress.

Students do not attend school on this day

At Graves we use Standards-Based Grading for grades K-4.

A standards based reporting system is designed to clearly communicate student performance and inform parents about their child’s progress towards achieving

specific learning standards and expectations.

Your child's performance is being measured against the standard, rather than being

compared to other students in the class.

What does a 4 (Meeting) mean?

A student who receives a 4 means...

• Student is secure in the grade level standard.
• Student understands and applies the grade level standard.
• Student independently & consistently applies grade level concept.

What does a 3 (Developing) mean?

A student who receives a 3 means...

• Student is developing understanding of the grade level standard.
• Student is starting to apply the grade level standard.
• Student is starting to apply grade level concept & skill.

What does a 2 (Experimenting) mean?

A student who receives a 2 means...

• Student is inconsistent in understanding & applying the grade level standard.
• Student has not fully mastered grade level standard.
• Student needs assistance in applying the grade level standard.

What does a 1 (Beginning) mean?

A student who receives a 1 means...

• Student has not yet mastered grade level standard.
• Student is not yet making progress toward understanding the grade level standard.
• Student needs continued support & assistance to apply the grade level standard.

Something to Remember

The "1-4" scale is not comparable to the traditional "A-F' letter scale

and are not to be compared to traditional letter grades

A "3" cannot be considered a "B," just as a "4" cannot be considered an "A."

A score of "4" shows that your child is performing at grade level. If that performance is maintained throughout the year, your child will be on track to meet the end of year standard.

5th Grade students will now be receiving traditional A-F grades

The fall weather is here and it is getting colder. Students will continue going out for recess every day. Please make sure that your child wears appropriate sweater/jacket to school.

As a reminder, in the month of November, we are focusing on the importance of having safe hands and a safe body as part of our Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program.

What Does This Mean?
Having safe hands means using our hands in a way that keeps ourselves and others safe. This includes refraining from physical aggression, respecting personal space, and engaging in positive interactions.

A safe body includes being mindful of our movements and actions. It means walking calmly in the hallways, sitting properly in our seats, and following directions to ensure everyone feels secure in our school environment.

Resource

Attached is the book "Hands Are Not for Hitting" that discusses the importance of keeping our hands and body to ourselves.

• Washing your hands is the most effective way to prevent the spread of germs!

• Please remember per district 104 handbook: students are NOT allowed to carry ANY medication (this includes any over-the-counter medication such cough drops, Tylenol, and Motrin). If your student needs medication administered during the school day (including cough drops, Tylenol, or Motrin), medication must be kept in the Health Office and medication authorization forms must be signed by the parent/guardian AND a medical provider (Doctor, PA, APRN).

• Please talk with your children about not sharing food with classmates in the cafeteria. This is to keep students with food allergies safe at school.

• Miles of Smiles is returning to Graves/HMS in February for dental exams! Sign up using the link below or stop in the office. https://na4.docusign.net/Member/PowerFormSigning.aspx?PowerFormId=9014ef60-41ba-4e93-bbbc-848c65309116&env=na4&acct=eca59414-4d1f-4217-8c33-72fb4ff1f87c&v=2

  
  

• Gratitude and health are closely connected! Practicing gratitude can positively impact both mental and physical well-being.

  Our students remind us daily of the joy and purpose in what we do. Thank you for entrusting us with their care and for being a vital part of our school community. Wishing you and your family a safe and happy Thanksgiving filled with warmth, love, and gratitude!

Nurse Tina, Nurse Anita & Ms. Oli

Please remember that it is important for students to arrive to school on time.

If your child is TARDY please go with your child to door #14 to sign a tardy slip.

Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays

Entrance 7:50a.m.

Dismissal 2:50p.m.

Wednesdays (Late Start)

Entrance 8:50a.m.

Dismissal 2:50p.m.

Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd Grade: Door #2

3rd, 4th, 5th Grade: Door #3

For student safety, no students should be outside on the school grounds before

7:30AM (M,T,TH,F) 8:30AM (W)

For the safety of our staff and students, please do not bring dogs onto school property.

Thank you for your support!

In the event of any absence, the student’s parent or guardian is required to call the school before 8:00 a.m. to explain the reason for the absence. If a call has not been made to the school by 10:00 a.m. on the day of a student’s absence, a school official will call the home to inquire why the student is not at school. If the parent or guardian cannot be contacted, the student will be required to submit a signed note from the parent or guardian explaining the reason for the absence. Failure to do so shall result in an unexcused absence.

Student attendance is critical to the learning process. A parent or guardian who knowingly and willfully permits a child to be truant is in violation of State law. Truancy is therefore a serious issue and will be dealt with in a serious manner by the school and district. If chronic truancy persists after support services and other resources are made available, the school and district will take further action, including:

D104 Action Plan for Truancy:

The District has a truancy intervention plan in place which will be implemented via social worker and administrators after a student starts being truant.

After 10 Days:

Truancy letter regarding absence concerns (indicating the dates of absences) will be mailed.

After 15 Days:

• Truancy letter will be mailed and added to file.

• Building administrator will meet with the student and contact the parent regarding concern.

• Attendance intervention plan will be implemented via social worker and administrator.

From 15-20 Days:

• Truancy letter will be mailed on each subsequent absence and added to file.

• Building administrator will facilitate meeting with parent to discuss concerns.

• Social worker will provide resources for student/family counseling as well as agency support.

• Attendance intervention plan will be restructured as needed.

20 + Days:

• Truancy letter will be mailed on each subsequent absence and added to file.

• Attendance intervention plan will be restructured as needed.

• Building administrator will contact SRO for home visit.

7:30a.m. - 4:00p.m Monday - Friday

(708) 458-7260

Just a reminder that students should be taking care of their technology devices, especially when they take them home.

As stated in the student handbook the policy states:

The district will assume the cost of parts and labor associated with all repairs deemed due to natural failure. If the technical department determines a failure due to damage, the student will be responsible for any hardware costs needed to return the device to a functional state. The district will assume all labor costs associated with damage repairs. Cosmetic damage will not be charged or repaired.

• Sleeve/Cover Replacement ($10)
• Charger Replacement ($25)
• Keyboard Replacement ($25)
• Touch Screen Replacement ($115)
• iPad Replacement: ($300)
• Chromebook Replacement:

- $250 for a new device, Year 1

- $200 for a device that is 2 years old

- $150 for a device that is 3 years old

- $100 for a device that is 4 years old

Please review this months breakfast & lunch menus with your child.

As a reminder, students have breakfast & lunch options to choose from.

We ask that parents do not send in birthday treats for students to distribute. Please read below, as taken from the 2023-2024 District 104 Handbook:

Treats & Snacks [PreK-5] 1.80 Due to health concerns and scheduling, no birthday treats are allowed. Treats will be limited to certain school-wide celebrations.

Please remember that the previous information is for students in grades Kindergarten-5th only.

For more information about our PreK program please contact the

Pre-School Director, Kathleen Dunn at 708-546-7151 or at kdunn@sd104.us