Costello Weekly Update

Dear Families,

Welcome to a new school year! We are excited to have your child with us at Costello and look forward to a year filled with learning and growth. As we begin, we want to emphasize the importance of regular school attendance. September is national attendance awareness month. Last year, our school experienced a chronic absenteeism rate of around 40%. This means that a significant number of our students missed 10% (18 days of school) or more of the school year, which can have a substantial impact on their academic progress.

This year, our goal is to reduce that number to 20%. We believe that by working together, we can make this happen. It’s important to remember that chronic absences include both excused and unexcused days, so every day counts!

To promote this goal, we’ve adopted the school-wide slogan: “9 or less, do your best!” Our aim is for every student to miss no more than 9 days of school throughout the year. We understand that there are times when absences are unavoidable, but we encourage you to make every effort to ensure your child attends school regularly.

To support our students in this effort, we’ve implemented a few exciting initiatives:

• Morning Stickers: Each morning, students will have the chance to receive stickers randomly as a fun way to start their day and encourage consistent attendance.

• Recess Rewards: The grade level with the most improved attendance and the best overall attendance will receive a free recess each month.

• Monthly Perfect Attendance Awards: Students with perfect attendance each month will receive a “Get Out of Uniform” coupon and a certificate recognizing their commitment to being present every day.

• Attendance Letters: For your awareness, we will be sending home attendance letters when your child reaches 6 days of absence and again at 12 days. This is to ensure we are all on the same page regarding your child’s attendance and to address any concerns early.

We are committed to providing a supportive and engaging learning environment for your child, and regular attendance is a key part of their success. Thank you for your partnership in helping us achieve our attendance goals. Together, we can make this a great year for everyone!

If you have any questions or need support regarding your child’s attendance, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or myself.

Enjoy your Labor Day Weekend!

If you have a 4th or 5th grade student interested in joining band or orchestra this year, there will be a parent information night at George Washington Middle School on Thursday, September 5th at 6:30pm in the band and orchestra room.

Sign-up night will be Tuesday, September 10th from 4:30pm - 7:30pm at George Washington in the multipurpose room.

For questions, please reach out to Mr. Jarot at jarotb@lyons103.org.

Hello families,

Week one was incredible! Your children arrived at school brimming with excitement and energy, though some understandably felt a mix of emotions. As I visited each classroom, it was heartwarming to witness students quickly forming connections with their classmates and teachers. The classrooms buzzed with energy as routines were established and introductions were made. This positive atmosphere is an ideal foundation for a successful school year.

For the first few days and coming weeks, we’ll be focusing on building a strong foundation of school culture by teaching our Cougars the expectations. At Costello Elementary, we expect all Cougars to be Safe, Respectful, & Responsible. While these expectations may vary slightly across different school areas, consistent language is essential for teaching and reinforcing positive behaviors. We encourage you to reinforce these expectations at home with your child which you can see below. You can click on the image to enlarge it.

We also spent the first few days tie-dying tshirts for our theme this year: Learnin' & Groovin' in our Costello Era. Students may wear their tie-dye shirts to school on Fridays as spirit wear! We sent home directions for how to wash the shirt, but in case it was misplaced, the directions are posted below along with some pictures from our first week!

Lastly some final reminders for you and your family. Please label your child's sweaters, hoodies, and lunchboxes clearly with their first and last names. Our lost and found will inevitably start to fill up in a month so this will help us out tremendously!

Please consider joining us on Tuesday, September 17th at George Washington Middle School for a presentation on Cyber Safety. This event will be from 6:30 - 8:00pm. Please RSVP by either scanning the QR code or by clicking on this link.

Safety is our number one priority for all students, therefore, it is essential drop off/pick-up procedures are followed consistently. Please read through these directions carefully. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me.

Arrival Information

• All students should be dropped off in front of the school on 46th street. Teachers will be there to open car doors and help your children out of the car. Students will be able to begin lining up at 8:20am once Costello staff come outside to open car doors.
• There will be cones out in the middle of 46th St. Buses will drop off curb-side in front of the blacktop. Parents will drop off curb side on 46th street in front of the main entrance. Please pull all the way forward and wait for a Costello staff member to open your car door. Please follow the signs and be patient while we continue our drop-off to keep our students and staff safe!
• No students can be dropped off or picked up in the street for everyone's safety.
• Students will line up outside and enter through these doors:

Door 1: 2nd & 4th line up near door 1.

Door 2: 3rd grade lines up at the end of the black top.

Door 6: Kindergarten, 1st, Ms. French's, Ms. Chambers, and 5th grade line up off the blacktop on west side

of the school.

Door 7: Pre-K line up on the blacktop on the west side of the school.

• Students will remain outside with their teachers until it is time to enter school at 8:30am. If dropping off after students have walked inside, all students must enter through door 1.
• If it rains, we will have students line up inside.
• Illinois Law 625 ILCS 5/12-610.1 prohibits the use of a cell phone in a school zone. Only hands-free technology is permitted.
• Any student arriving after school has started at 8:35am should enter through the front at door 1 with a parent/guardian.

Preschool

Students in the a.m. preschool should be dropped off and picked up at door 7. A.M. preschool hours are 8:30am - 11am. Students in the P.M. preschool should enter through door 7 for both arrival and dismissal. Parents should come to the doors to drop off and pick up their children. P.M. preschool hours are 12:00pm - 2:30pm.

Dismissal

After school, students exit out the same doors they entered in the morning. Students are dismissed at 3:05pm. Staff supervision is from 3:05 - 3:15pm.

• Kindergarten: Door 6. Kindergarten is dismissed first
• 1st: Door 6
• 2nd: Door 1
• 3rd: Door 2
• 4th: Door 1
• 5th: Door 6
• Ms. French's Class: Door 6
• Ms. Chamber's Class: Door 6

Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students are quite sensitive about being included in group activities. Not receiving a birthday party invitation can negatively affect a child's day at school. For this reason, we ask that party invitations are not to be distributed at school unless all students in the class are being invited. Our PTO sets up a directory to help share communication with families to help with this. Addresses and phone numbers cannot be obtained from the school office.

We would like to make your child's birthday a special event at school. Non-edible treats such as pencils, books, toys, etc. may be sent to the classroom to celebrate your student's birthday and are preferred over edible treats. School district policy along with health and nutritional guidelines severely restrict types of food items due to the number of students with allergies, as well as the Illinois health and wellness laws. It is the goal of the school and district to provide your child with the best and safest educational opportunities possible.

The only treats allowed are pre-packaged goods from the grocery store that are made in a factory. No homemade treats or snacks are allowed. We strongly encourage you to select treats/snacks with nutritional value. I have pictures of pre-packaged vs. non pre-packaged examples below.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

Any student wanting free breakfast can be dropped off at the front entrance around 8:10am. Please do not drop off your student earlier than this time as we do not have staff to supervise the children outside.

Check out the PTO website by clicking here for more information! Please follow the Costello PTO Facebook Group to receive important updates and information by clicking here. If you have any questions, please email CostelloPTO.sd103@gmail.com.

Before and After school care is available at Costello for any interested family through Brookfield Parks & Recreation. Please check out their website here for additional information including time and cost. You can click here to reach their registration page. If you have questions, please call the parks and rec office at 708-485-1475.

Pleasure ensure your child has a healthy breakfast and lunch each day! The cost for breakfast and lunch is completely free!

• Breakfast: Breakfast is available daily from 8:10 - 8:30. Students who eat breakfast can enter school starting at 8:10am and enter through door 1.
• Lunch: Students may bring a home lunch or order a meal from the lunch menu. Menus will be shared monthly via these updates from Mr. Jamrose and posted on class dojo. To add money to your child's account you can login to Skyward to add funds, or send cash or check with your child to the main office. Checks are payable to Lyons SD 103. Please call us with any questions. Lunch is free to all students daily, however, if students want to purchase more than 1 lunch there is an added cost. Once I know what that cost is I will share that information with you all.
• Water Bottles: We encourage students to bring reusable water bottles to school! We have filtered, refillable water stations.

All Kindergarten students and students new to Costello and Lyons 103 are required to have a completed health physical on file. Nurse Lewis will notify parents of any incomplete health physicals as soon as possible after school begins. Nurse Lewis can be reached at 708-783-4020 or lewisd@lyons103.org.

Although many of us are pet owners, dogs and other pets are NOT permitted on school property (grass, sidewalks, etc.) during school hours (including arrival and dismissal) to ensure the safety of all of our students and their much younger siblings. The only exception is for service animals. Any service animals must have their designated vest on identifying them as a service animal.

Every Friday, Lyons 103 has district-wide School Spirit Days for our students. Students may wear a school spirit shirt and appropriately fitting bottoms without holes, rips, or tears. Approved shirts to wear on Spirit Days at Costello include previous years spirit wear shirts, current year spirit wear shirts, and any school club/activity shirt. If your child does not participate in Spirit Days, then he/she must arrive at school with their uniform. Spirit wear order forms will be available at Open House on August 19th.

Our three expectations in every classroom and throughout Costello School are: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Safe. Students earn rewards and celebrations for their positive behaviors at Costello Elementary School.

More information to come soon, but please put these dates on your calendar!

• Fall Pictures: Thursday, September 26th
• Fall Picture Retakes: Thursday, November 7th
• Spring: Thursday, February 20th

September 2 No School, Labor Day

September 11 Early Dismissal Day. School ends at 11:50am

September 24 Back to School Assembly

September 26 Fall Pictures

Attendance phone: 708-783-4300 then press 6

• 2024 School Supply List
• 2024 School District Calendar
• Registration Links
  

Email: jamrosec@lyons103.org
Website: cos.sd103.com
Location: 4632 Clyde Avenue, Lyons, IL, USA
Phone: 708-783-4300