February ELC Newsletter

Please fill out the following form if you have a strong preference regarding AM or PM classes for the 25-26 SY if your student will be remaining at ELC. We cannot guarantee your preference but we always strive to work with families. Our survey will close in early May 2025.

Morning Session: 8:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Afternoon Session: 12:05 p.m. - 2:40 p.m.
Wednesday Early Dismissal: 2:10 p.m.

Parent Survey: https://forms.gle/eYrRi5ktzetHvKveA

For families with a child entering Kindergarten in the 2025-26 school year, the website below provides valuable information about Kindergarten. On February 3rd, all elementary schools will host a Kindergarten Round-Up presentation. Additionally, a survey link will be available on Infinite Campus in February for ELC students transitioning to kindergarten.

Please note that all Kindergarten-eligible students must transition to Kindergarten, as state guidelines do not allow them to remain in the ELC for an additional year. Kindergarten eligibility is defined as children who turn five years old on or before September 1st.

The ELC PTO hosted a meeting discussing Kindergarten transition; below are the slides and helpful visuals to help support the transition.

Slideshow: https://bit.ly/4jaQuXE

Visual: https://bit.ly/3C2aACI

With the cold and flu season upon us, it is necessary to stress the importance of social isolation, cough etiquette, and hand washing. Germs are spread in the air from coughing and sneezing. They can also be picked up from other sources (door knobs, faucets, desktops, etc.) that germs have landed on. We touch a contaminated surface with our hands, and then we can infect ourselves by touching our own eyes, nose, or mouth. Before you know it, you are sick.

WE WANT TO HELP STOP THIS CYCLE: CHILDREN WHO ARE ILL SHOULD STAY HOME UNTIL THE ILLNESS HAS PASSED.

KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME FROM SCHOOL IF:

1. FEVER: Keep your child home for a period of 24 hours after the fever has passed. This means that fever reducing medication is not given and the child is still fever free for 24 hours.

2. VOMITING or DIARRHEA: Keep your child home for 24 hours after the symptoms have stopped.

3. COMMUNICABLE DISEASE: Keep your child home for a period of 24 hours of antibiotic treatment or after the contagious period for the illness is over.

THE SPREAD OF GERMS IS GREATLY REDUCED BY PROMOTING PROPER COUGHING TECHNIQUE AND HAND WASHING.

COVER YOUR COUGH but NOT WITH YOUR HANDS:

Cover your mouth/nose with a tissue or your elbow when you cough/sneeze

HANDS SHOULD BE WASHED FREQUENTLY:

Use soap and water and lather for 20 seconds before washing that soap away!

WHAT IF MY CHILD HAS A COMMUNICABLE DISEASE? Please report all communicable diseases to the school health office. Notification enables us to alert other parents of the possible exposure and help prevent further spread of the illness in the classroom.

PARENTS….. WE NEED YOUR HELP TO FIGHT THE SPREAD OF GERMS!

Link to letter

Please review the My Ride K-12 app for further information on bus routes. As ELC welcomes new students throughout the year, please note that routes may change. Barrington Transportation Company appreciates your flexibility and patience.

https://www.barrington220.org/families/transportation

• All students were provided with transportation. If you would like to decline transportation service and will be transporting your child to and from ELC, please contact Fanny Cintron (ELC admin assistant) at fcintron@barrington220.org or call 224-770-4300.
• If you would like to request Alternate Transportation from a daycare provider or another location within Barrington 220 district boundaries, please request that directly at the link below. It will take 72 hours or longer for any change to be effective. Please submit your transportation requests asap.
• Finally, if you have additional questions, please contact Barrington 220 Transportation Specialist, Megan Polzin at our District Administrative Center by email at businfo@barrington220.org or phone at 847-842-3545.

On the following dates, ELC students will not have school. We conduct developmental screenings to accept new students to our program. If you have a child approaching 3 years of age, please sign up for a screening using the link below. Also, please share this information with other families in your neighborhood as we love accepting new students who need our program.

2024-2025 SCREENING DATES

• March 7, 2025

Next ELC PTO Meeting: Tuesday, February 4th at 7 PM

The ELC PTO will be selling Valentine's Flowers for our amazing ELC staff now through February 7th. Tell your favorite staff members how much they mean to you with a special flower delivery this Valentine's Day. $2 per staff member includes a special message and a flower. Please don't forget to send back your personalized message cards, ordering forms, and payment envelopes to the front office once completed.

Buy Valentine's Flowers for the staff here!

• February 3: Kindergarten Round-Up at every elementary school
• February 4: ELC PTO meeting
• February 12: ELC Story Walk and ELC Community Conversations: “Building Language and Literacy Skills for Young Children”
• February 14: In-service Day - No School
• February 17: President’s Day - No School
• February 25: SOUL Harbour Ranch Therapy PM Session
• February 26: SOUL Harbour Ranch Therapy AM Session
• March 7: Screening Day - No School
• March 19: Parent-Teacher Conferences - Full Day of School
• March 20: Parent-Teacher Conferences - No School
• March 21: In-service Day - No School
• March 24-28: Spring Break - No School
• April 10: Multicultural Family Dance
• April 17-18: No School

• May 14: ELC Literacy Night & Little Thinkers

• May 26: Memorial Day - No School

• May 30: Last Day of School