School Mission:

School Vision:

Dear Parents/Guardians,

The 5 Essentials Survey for parents is open. We need 20% of parents to participate to get full credit for our participation score. Our School Improvement Team also analyzes the feedback from parents to make improvements for the school. We are at 11%, over halfway there!

A reminder that "Rooms" in the Galesburg app is still up and running.

Our Scholastic Book Fair is the week of March 10-14. Please see the times below. There is also more information below about the Scholastic Book Fair so that you and your child are ready to shop during that week.

Read Across America Week is next week, March 3rd through the 7th. Check out the spirit week below!

A reminder that students need to dress appropriately to go outside for recess. It is not warm enough for shorts yet, and we have had to remind students that they need to dress for the weather. Please reinforce this at home as well.

Field day is coming up on May 19th. Our P.E. teacher will be emailing approved volunteers in March. Please make sure that you are an approved volunteer through the district if you would like to help with Field Day. See directions below.

Sincerely,

Jodi Keever

Principal

Please see the letter below about the 5 Essentials Survey for parents that is now open. Our goal is to get 20% of parents to respond. The link is here to complete the survey. This can be done on your phone.

We appreciate your support!

Book Fair Hours in the Silas Library:

March 10: 8:00-8:30 a.m.

March 11: 8:00-8:30 a.m.

March 12: 8:00-8:30 a.m.

March 13: 8:00-8:30 a.m., Math Night: 5:30-7:00 p.m.

March 14: 8:00-8:30 a.m.

Click below to set up an e wallet and find out. more about the book fair.

Please download the Galesburg App. When you receive your invitation in your email, then you can sign up for messaging. This is what all staff will use to message parents once everyone is signed up.

If you would like to volunteer for field day, you will need to be on the approved volunteer list. Our P.E. teacher, Mr. Miller, is going to send out an email to all approved volunteers in March. If you do not get an email, then you will need to click the link below and sign up as a district volunteer to help run a station at field day. Field Day is on Monday May 19th, with a rain date of Tuesday May 20th. We appreciate your support!

ARRIVAL:

There is NO DROP OFF on Fremont in the morning. You need to park and walk your child through the playground gate if you use this entrance to the playground. Please drop off in the circle drive on Fifer, and your child can walk to the playground. You may not leave your car parked on Freemont to bring your child to the playground.

If you have a dog, please drop your child off at the gate so that the dog is not on the playground with other students.

Please do not park until 3:30 or after in the car lane on the west side of the building. This is where 3rd and 4th grade and siblings are picked up. We have deliveries scheduled for before this time, and our staff who travels needs to leave before 3:30.

3/4 Pick Up Lane: Students will exit door 10 and load from the grass in order of the cars in line. This is to ensure that all students are safely in their vehicles and that no one pulls around cars to get out of the line.

A reminder that the playground is CLOSED until 4:00 p.m. so that we can make sure that all students are picked up.

This week we have a visit from "Skate Palace" in Galesburg! Students all brought home a free skate pass. Look for this in your child's backpack. The owner spoke about how students who visit need to follow "The Wildcat Way" when they are skating, and we had a great discussion about expectations both inside and outside of school.

4th grade students listened to an electives assembly and were able to visit classrooms when they toured Lombard on Thursday February 27th.

For the next two weeks, teachers will read aloud the books pictured below, and students will vote on their favorites. Reading aloud is essential both at school and at home.

Congratulations to Bailey McGraw! She won the Silas Willard Building Spelling Bee, and she went to the Augustana Regional Spelling Bee on Saturday March 1st. We are so proud of her!

These students were all recognized this week for following "The Wildcat Way"! Thank you for following expectations at Silas Willard.

Take a look at the "Family Strong" website for more resources for home.

Reading to your children at home is essential to their education. I have learned a lot myself as a parent from the book linked below. In Jim Trelease's "Read Aloud Handbook" he discusses the benefits, the rewards, and the importance of reading aloud to children of a new generation. In this book there are ideas for how to make time to read to your child at home, and most importantly there is a list by grade level of books to read at home.

Below is a link from the "Bridges in Mathematics" Curriculum for free learning apps to use at home that match the curriculum. Bridges in Mathematics is for students in grades K-2.

Each player is dealt five cards and the remaining cards are placed face down in a pile at the center of the table. Flip over the top card from the pile and place it face up next to the pile; this will be the start of the discard pile. On each player’s turn, the player may pick up the top card in the face-down pile or one card from the discard pile, and that player must use exactly three cards to add up to ten or twenty. If a player cannot make a set adding up to ten or twenty on their turn, that player discards one card in the discard pile and the next player goes. If the player can make a set of cards with a sum of ten or twenty, they place down that set on their turn, pick up three new cards from the face-down pile, and discards one card to end their turn. (Players should end the turn with three cards.) The player with the most number of sets at the end of the game wins.

I will be reaching out soon to volunteers for help with projects that we have coming up!

Volunteer in CUSD #205! We need you!
Galesburg CUSD #205 welcomes community members, parents, and caregivers to participate in our school programs. We welcome you to our school and thank you for your willingness to partner with us in providing an excellent educational program for our students.
Board Policy 6:250-The Board of Education encourages the use of resource persons and volunteers to: (1) increase students' educational attainment; (2) provide enrichment experiences for students; (3) increase the effective utilization of staff time and skills; (4) give more individual attention to students; and (5) promote greater community involvement.
Volunteer Opportunities:

• Interact and build relationships with students during lunch and recess
• Work with athletic teams and coaches
• Read to a class or work with a small group of students
• Provide support to the Marching Streaks
• Tutor students
• Share career experiences

CUSD #205 is actively seeking volunteers to assist in our schools. Volunteer guidelines are established for the benefit and safety of all students and staff.
All adult volunteer applicants, including field trip chaperones, must complete the online application and wait for clearance prior to volunteering or chaperoning. Please click the button below to begin the application process. The application needs to be completed accurately and in its entirety. You will be asked to renew this clearance annually.
CUSD #205 Volunteer Interest Form
Volunteer Requirements:

• Complete volunteer application
• Pass background screenings

You will be contacted after your application is submitted and reviewed. If you have questions, please contact Amy Pickrel, apickrel@galesburg205.org, 309-973-2118.

Quarter 1: August 8 - October 11, 2024

Quarter 2: October 14 - December 20, 2024

Quarter 3: January 6 - March 14, 2025

Quarter 4: March 17 - May 21, 2025*

*unless emergency days are needed

How do we grade at the elementary level? We use a standards-based report card instead of a report card with letter grades. Elementary report cards are issued at the end of each grading period. They are intended to give an evaluation of the scholastic achievement and work habits of each child. Parents should examine all cards carefully since each child is rated not only on academic progress, but also progress in development of social attitudes and work habits.

We use a 4,3,2,1 system to assess a student's mastery of standards.

4 = Exceeding State and District Standards

3 = Meeting State and District Standards

2 = Approaching State and District Standards

1 = Not Meeting State and District Standards

Our district takes student attendance very seriously and we are committed to seeing that every child is at school unless there is an excused reason for absence or tardiness. Studies have shown that when students are consistently at school they are more likely to achieve their dreams.

What Parents and Students Can Do:

• Ensure children arrive to school on time.

• When absent, be sure to make up missed work.

• Communicate with school and seek support when needed.

• Call when your child is absent from school or unavoidably late ASAP at 309-973-2016.

• Know attendance is required on early dismissal days.

• Return to school after appointments.

• Plan appointments outside of school day.

• Call within one hour of the start of school or send a note within 48 hours of the return to school.

• For minor health issues—come to school.

Please call the Silas Willard Front Office to let us know of any absences. 309-973-2015

Steps taken if you do not make contact with the school:

1. Automated Call: Parents/Guardians will receive an automated call stating your child is not in attendance.

2. School Call: The school secretary or outreach worker will follow up with the family IF the family does not call the school after the automated call.

3. Unexcused Absence: The absence will be recorded as "unexcused" if no contact can be made with the family.

Examples of Unexcused Absences:

• No phone call/email to explain a student's absence
• Returning to school after 3 consecutive days of absence with no doctor's note.
• Oversleeping
• Transportation issues

Examples of Excused Absences:

• Illness
• Medical appointment
• Observation of a religious holiday
• Death in the family/funeral service
• Family Emergency

Mrs. Keever, Principal

Mrs. Roberts, Dean of Students

Mrs. Miller, Secretary

Mrs. Prater, Secretary

Mrs. Bernardi, Outreach

Mrs. DeJaynes, Nurse

Mrs. Stinson, Family Engagement Specialist

Email: jkeever@galesburg205.org

Website: https://silas.galesburg205.org/o/swes

Location: 460 Fifer St, Galesburg, IL 61401

Phone: (309) 973-2015

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/silaswillardelemschool

Instagram: @205SilasWildcats

#silaswildcats

#thisis205