Viking Newsletter

Mrs. Jones nominated Zoey Rapp to be this week’s Viking of the Week. Here are some of the reasons why this terrific Third Grader has earned this honor.

Zoey is always ready to learn. She listens in the classroom and is always willing to participate. Zoey is respectful to her teachers and classmates. She is always smiling and brings a positive attitude to the classroom. When Zoey is not in school she loves to do cheerleading. She also loves to hang out with her friends and listen to her record player. We are so proud of you! Keep being a Viking!

Our 5th and 7th Graders are busy in Ms. Rittenhouse’s math class. Here is what they are learning this week:

5th Grade: We finished learning long division by one and two-digit numbers. Students are now interpreting their answers and checking if they are reasonable. Students will be taking a chapter two test on long division. We will then be moving into decimals. Students will be learning place value, comparing and ordering decimals, and rounding decimals.

7th Grade: Pre-Algebra students took a test over chapter 2. We will be starting chapter three. The students will be learning how to change fractions into decimals. Being able to utilize this skill is a key concept of 7th-grade math. Students will learn the difference between rational and irrational numbers. They will be able to tell if a number is real, natural, whole, and an integer. Students will learn how to multiply rational numbers. Seventh graders will end the week with a quiz over lessons 3-1 to 3-3.

The Lady Vikings basketball team has their first games this week. They play Tuesday at home against Lukancic at 4:30, Wednesday at home against Union at 4:15 and Thursday at home against Richland at 4:15. Come out and support your Vikings. Good luck girls.

We are still in search of a basketball coach. If you or someone you know is interested please use the buttons below to access our online application..

Staff will be outside each morning beginning at 8:10 AM - 8:20 AM to supervise students prior to them entering the building at 8:20 AM. Before 8:10 AM, there will not be any supervision for students so we ask that parents please do not drop off your students before that. There is no parking in the drop-off lanes on 16th and 17th Streets. Parents who wish to park or wait with their children are expected to use the spaces on Washington Street. The drop-off lanes on 16th and 17th Streets are designed for parents to drive up and drop students off and proceed forward. Parents should simply wait in line until they get close to the school and then drop off students. Jumping the line to save a few seconds is dangerous and breaks down the process for everyone and will take longer in the end.

School ends at 3:15 PM and pick-up time generally follows the same procedures except parents will typically begin lining up prior to school letting out. During pickup time it is acceptable for parents to wait in their cars for their students however parents should not park, and leave their cars in the pickup lane unattended. As the line moves we ask that parents pull as far forward as possible to ensure the traffic flows and to allow more students to enter their cars. Please note that with the upgraded curves on the 16th Street side that there is a change in the traffic pattern.

Kindergarten - 2nd Grade - Line up on the back playground each morning and enter through Door 4. Teachers will come out and get them from their lines. First and second-grade students will be dismissed out the playground doors each day. Kindergarten will be dismissed from Door 2 nearest to the kindergarten classroom. All students in kindergarten through 2nd grade must be picked up by a parent or sibling and checked out with their teachers to ensure our youngest students are safely picked up.

3rd & 4th Grade - Line up and dismissed from Door 7 on 17th Street

5th - 8th Grade - Line up and dismissed from Door 2 on 16th Street

All students entering early childhood-including speech services, kindergarten, and 6th grade are required to have a current physical examination completed on the approved Illinois Department of Public Health Form.. A sports physical does not meet the requirement. The parent portion on the upper backside of the form must be completed and signed. Required physical exam with updated immunizations must be turned in by October 15,2023 to avoid exclusion from school.

• Preschool
  

  
  

  Complete Preschool Physical Examination

  No additional immunization requirement if up-to-date.

  
  

• Kindergarten
  

  
  

  Complete Kindergarten Physical Examination and all required immunizations including:

  • Two doses of MMR Vaccine

  • Four doses of Polio Vaccine

  • Four doses of DPT/DTaP Vaccine

  • Three doses of Hepatitis B

  • Two doses of Varicella Vaccine (chicken pox)

  • Complete Kindergarten Eye Examination - Must be turned in prior to October 15 of the current school year.
    

  • Complete Kindergarten Dental Examination - Must be turned in prior to May 15 of the current school year.

  
  

  • 6th Grade
    

    
    

    Complete 6th grade Physical Examination and all required immunizations including:

    • One dose of Tdap Vaccine

    • One dose of Meningococcal Vaccine (meningitis) after the 11th birthday

    • Two doses of Varicella Vaccine (chicken pox)

    • Three doses of Hepatitis B at the required intervals

    Complete 6th grade Dental Examination - Must be turned in prior to May 15 of the current school year.

    
    

  
  

  Students entering an Illinois school from out of state or out of the country for the first time at any grade level must also provide the physical exam form. The exam must be completed no earlier than a year (365 days) prior to the start of attendance at an Illinois school.

  
  

Did you know that every time you shop on Walmart.com, you can round up your change and donate it to TAFT FOUNDATION? Learn how small acts can lead to big impact at #WalmartSparkGood by using this link https://www.walmart.com/nonprofits/e52a139c-c723-4715-bf4d-27802d3cccbb/profile or by hitting the button below.

Taft is proud to have the “Stop It” program up and running for the 2021-2022 school year. Stop it is an online program that students can use to report bullying or any unsafe behavior while remaining anonymous. These reports come through to the Superintendent, Principal, and Social Worker via text so we can address the situation right away. This provides the student with an opportunity to share their concerns if they feel they cannot speak immediately to an adult.

We continue to teach our students to advocate for themselves in situations where they feel they can speak to a situation on their own. The students are reminded there are different approaches to stop bullying or unsafe situations outside of reporting things anonymously. Students are encouraged to share concerns with friends, staff, and family to learn to advocate for themselves. However, we understand that there are some situations where students may feel safer reporting discreetly.

If you have any questions regarding the Stop It program, please contact Mrs. Thompson or Mr. Calabrese.

Email: j.calabrese@taftsd90.org
Website: www.taft90.org
Location: 1605 South Washington Street, Lockport, IL, USA
Phone: (815)838-0434
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taft.vikings
Twitter: @jjcalabrese