Secret Spirit Week
Staff held their first ever Secret Spirit Week. Days included: Christmas in October, Cozy Flannel Day, Ninja day, Twin day and anything but a cup!
Fall colors have been on full display, and we have enjoyed some amazing weather, but
temperatures are now getting to be much more seasonable. I hope everyone enjoyed Halloween and
our Annual Spooktacular concert. It won’t be long before we are all celebrating Thanksgiving and the
holidays! First, I want to give a shout out to everyone because Elwood CCSD 203 has once again received a “Commendable” Recognition status from the Illinois State board of education on our Annual State Report Card. This is a result of hard work from teachers and students alike. Our scores are strong and they continue to get better! This month’s Strategic Plan Goal Area highlight for this newsletter is Curriculum/Technology. I have always felt strongly that Elwood leads the charge in both of these areas. In order to stay on top of this issue, we have a schedule for updating all of our curriculum on a regular basis that prevents our curriculum from becoming out of date. The teachers and administrators vet our potential curriculum based on alignment with state standards, age appropriate content, its ability to engage our students, the cost, as well as its practical features. Our Board has done an excellent job of maintaining the balance between staying current, and avoiding trendy political landmines that seem to entrap so many schools in the day and age – especially when it comes to curriculum. As far as technology, our Technology Director has also done an incredible job of establishing a calendar and schedule for maintaining and keeping our technology devices, infrastructure and software up to date. Technology probably changes more quickly than anything else, so this is not an easy task. Mr. Wlodarczyk prioritizes our needs, stays abreast of trends and changes in the world of technology, and seeks out the best options for our students and teachers to stay current and functional with our devices and software. Security is also a significant consideration as we strive to keep our students and their data safe and secure. Last year we replaced aging servers and promethean boards. This year we are looking at significant device refreshes for both students and teachers.
Dear Proud Tiger Families,
November brings so much more than turkey, dressing, football and pumpkin pie. It brings an opportunity to reflect upon the blessings of life and the moments that bring us gratitude each and every day. As principal of Elwood School, I am so grateful to play a small role in the shaping of young minds and lives. The faculty and staff at Elwood School genuinely care about each learner that crosses through our doors and provides educational and social experiences that will prepare them for success in their future lives.
We are also very thankful for our PTO and volunteers who will be helping us throughout the year with events and holiday parties. Volunteers need to have a background check with the office on file and are not allowed to bring siblings or additional children with them to these events. Please let the office know if you have any specific questions about volunteering.
Highlights for the upcoming season include our 1st trimester awards for the students. Students will receive awards based on academic achievement as well as character traits in the classroom showing PRIDE. Have you gone over the clubs and sports calendar with your child? This is a great way to circle and highlight the areas of interest and join some amazing activities.
In addition to our gratitude in other areas, we appreciate our Veterans and all that they have done and continue to do to promote safety and freedom. Our annual Veteran’s Day assembly will take place in the large gym this year on November 11th at 9:30am and a breakfast for the Veterans at 9am. Invitations will be sent home with more information after Halloween.
Calling all parents, guardians and grandparents that would like to participate in our festivities during “American Education Week” at Elwood School and at home. Each grade level will be celebrating and events for this wonderful week of collaboration between families and school on November 13th-17th. Another great way to participate in your child’s learning is to take time to discuss these questions with your child:
What was the best thing that happened at school today?
Tell me something that made you laugh today.
Where is the coolest place at the school?
Tell me a new or weird fact you heard today.
Who is your favorite teacher? Why?
Parent Teacher Conferences will be held in person at Elwood School Monday, November 25th from 1pm-8pm and Tuesday, November 26th from 8am-10am. Information went home with your child and if you have any questions please contact your child’s teacher or Griselda in the main office at g.gradilla@elwoodschool.com
Finally, in order for our students to also reflect on their blessings and spend some special time connecting and celebrating with their families this Thanksgiving, there is no student attendance at school on Wednesday, November 27th through Friday, November 29th. We hope you are each able to unwind, take some down time, and then gear up for the busy holiday season ahead.
All the best and very thankful, Mr. Ryan Rekruciak
The Junior High Team had so much fun at the Annual Providence Catholic Academic Bowl.
The following students were selected by their teachers to represent Elwood School in the categories of Math, Science, ELA, Geography and Social Studies. Benny Bryan, Julissa Hurtado, Rosie Simmons, Bentley Dearing, Johnny Judge, Addisyn Kantor, Anthony Vega, AJ Vargo, Kaczdin Maas, Rosalynn Virgilio, Slevin Baxendale, Angelo Castillo, Mateo Calleros-Salagado, Natty Carreno, Everly Hammersmith, Cheyenne Thompson and Aya Kaltsos.
Everyone did a great job! We are looking forward to going back again next year!
Miles of Smiles visited on Halloween and provided dental services to some of our students! It was a wonderful experience and we are hopeful that they will work with us again in the spring.
Our Wellness Committee met on 10/25. Thank you to everyone who came out for our Walk AT School Event! It was great to start our day with all of you!
We are working hard to get a Care Closet up and running. We could use the following items: toothpaste, deodorant, unscented lotion, kids underwear, kid and adult socks, ChapStick, and small travel packets of laundry detergent.
If you are in need of Health and Wellness Resources please visit our site: Elwood Health Services, the tabs at the top will allow you to view health forms, local doctors, health plans, and other local resources.
At this time I am the school's McKinney-Vento Liaison, which means I help provide resources to students who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless. If you find yourself in an unstable housing situation, or in need of local resources please reach out to me.
Healthy students learn best :)
Michelle Burgess, RN, BSN
School Nurse
Elwood School
PH: 815-423-4101
Dear Elwood Tiger Families,
Veterans Day is rapidly approaching and it is our desire here at Elwood School to honor our local veterans on this day set aside for doing just that. We have a tradition here at Elwood School of hosting a Veteran’s Day Assembly, and this year’s celebration will take place on Monday, November 11th. Starting at 9am we will have refreshments, coffee, and pastries for our guest Veterans. The entire school will gather for an honor assembly with guests at 9:30am. At that time students, staff, and our honored veteran guests will be standing together. There will also be some student performances through musical numbers that have been prepared. For photo opportunities, please bring your cell phone or camera. A photo background will be available to capture memories of your visit. If you would like to have your veteran in the honor photo montage please follow the LINK.
If you know a veteran who would like to join us, please let us know in one of the following ways:
Call (815) 423-5588 and let Mrs. Gradilla know of your interest.
Email g.gradilla@elwoodschool.com or r.rekruciak@elwoodschool.com to let us know about your interest.
Every year we collect pop tabs and turn them in to benefit the Ronald McDonald House. We recently dropped off 29 pounds! Let’s see how much we can collect throughout the year to turn in on the next dump day! Send tabs to school with your child. There is a collection bin outside of Mrs. DeMaso’s room (Room 9) where students can dump the tabs. Let’s watch our collection grow!
We are looking for
Substitutes!!
Teachers and Aides (Paraprofessional)
What do you need to do??
Substitute Teacher: Hold a Bachelors Degree, register with the Regional Office of Education in
Joliet, complete a background check, and contact us to let us know!
Pay - $160/day
Substitute Aide (Paraprofessional): Have completed at least 60 Hours of College Credit (or
pass the Work Keys Exam), register with ISBE, complete a background check, and contact us to let us know you are interested and available!
Pay: $15.00/Hour
Questions??? Call (815) 423-5588
