Weekly Update
October 18
All District 101 schools will undergo the first of our annual required Lockdown Drills next week. This is done in conjunction with the Western Springs Police and Fire Departments. Our drill is scheduled for Tuesday, October 22 at 10:15AM.
As a reminder, please know that staff handles these drills in a very developmentally appropriate and reassuring way for students, as to not alarm or frighten them. Teachers overview the purpose (another way to keep ourselves safe, just like we practice fire drills and tornado drills) and practice, prior to the official drill with the local authorities.
Again, we certainly hope this is nothing we ever need to put into action, however will be prepared in the event it is ever necessary.
Parent/Guardian & Teacher Conference Information 2024-2025
- 9:00am-12:00pm
- 1:00pm-5:00pm
- 6:00pm-8:00pm
- 9:00am-1:00pm
- 2:00pm-6:00pm
The scheduling window will open on Wednesday, November 6th, at 8:00am and close on Friday, November 22nd, at 3:30pm.
Starting November 6th, at 8:00am, use the instructions below to schedule your conference(s):
Access PTC Wizard: https://app.ptcwizard.com/fieldpark/login
Follow the wizard to complete your conference schedule
Also found on www.wsd101.org
Click “Schools” located on the top right of the webpage.
Click “Field Park Elementary”
Under the “Parents” tab click “Parent-Teacher Conference Sign Up”
Follow the wizard to complete your conference schedule
*If you already have a login, enter your username and password. If this is your first time signing up for conferences, click “Create Account”.
Please note the following regarding Group Conferences:
If your child’s teacher has notified you regarding needing multiple staff members at your conference or extended time for your conference, please call the office rather than scheduling through the website.
Please contact Mrs. Stetler with any questions. She is happy to help!
Email: dstetler@d101.org phone #: 708-246-7675.
Thank you to everyone who had their child take the Fall Climate Survey at home. Students in grades 4 and 5 took it at school. We're in the process of following up on individual responses, but I wanted to share the initial collective results:
“I feel like I’m a part of my school community.”-- 100%
“I have friends at school.”--100%
“There is a grown-up at school I can talk to.”-- 98.6%
“I feel safe at school.”-- 99.3%
“Have you been bullied at school (since we’ve been back this year)?”-- 97.3% responded NO.
Students will take the survey again in February and May, as we deeply care about students' perceptions of their learning environment and connections with others at school.
Picture Retake Day will be Wednesday, 10/30, in the morning only, from 9-11am. If your child(ren) would like to have a new photo taken, please email Mrs. Stetler in the main office (dstetler@d101.org) and send them to school with the original picture package on 10/30. The original picture package will be returned to the photographer at the time of the new photo. If your child(ren) missed the original picture day, they will have their photo taken on the retake day.
Halloween Information
We're already looking forward to celebrating Halloween at Field Park. As tradition has it, there is a superbly PUN-Y theme these year, and we're excited to join in on the fun with our kids and community!
Here are the important details you'll need to know to participate in the celebrations:
COSTUMES
Change into costumes at lunch, either at home (most choose this option) OR here at school (we will facilitate!) (PLEASE FILL OUT THIS SURVEY TO INDICATE LUNCH AT HOME OR SCHOOL).
Must be independent (no adult assistance needed to assemble/inflate at school)
Must be able to SIT and LEARN in costume
Must be appropriate for school (no weapons, no excessive gore or excessively scary: our verbiage at school: “If it might be scary or uncomfortable to a Kindergartener, it’s not comfortable for our Field Park friends - save it for Trick or Treating!’”)
Any costume masks must be easily removable so we can quickly identify students
TIMING/LOGISTICS
Parade begins at 1pm
Students will parade all around the school on the sidewalk, so viewers should be on the grass beside the sidewalk
Students will start the parade through the main office doors, walk all the way around the school following the sidewalk, and return to the building through the second grade doors to return to their classrooms. Dismissal will be at 3:30PM per usual!
PARTIES!
Kindergarten AM Party will be from 10:30-11:15AM & PM Party will be from 2:30-3:15PM
Grades 1-5 Parties will immediately follow the parade
Parties have crafts and games, all themed around Halloween - huge thanks to our PTO room parents for the planning, and to our volunteers for running these parties!
There will be NO food/snacks/candy used in games, party bags, or as a snack
As a reminder, students may not pass out candy or treats here at school! We'll save that for Trick or Treating!
Parent Volunteers/Visitors - Reminder of "Learning Zone" Expectations for All
A gentle reminder that - especially amidst all the fun and excitement with our upcoming special events - our students and staff are working HARD to maintain focus on our core of teaching and learning. Our school needs to be a true "Learning Zone" and thus we ask that our staff, students, and our parent visitors/volunteers help by adhering to common expectations for focused learning.
When you visit Field Park or come in as a volunteer, please help us maintain this focus by:
- arriving on time and waiting in the vestibule for your time slot
- heading right to your designated location, and right back to the office to check out again after your time is over
- not traveling through the building to visit or wave at your children; we know it's so fun to see them "in action" and that it's hard NOT to swing by... but this is very distracting and disruptive for them, their peers, and our teachers as we work hard to focus
- please refrain from taking any phone calls in our hallways, or chatting loudly with fellow volunteers in our common spaces; these grown-up conversations are distracting and sometimes hard to tune out
- if you need to swing by to do something "behind the scenes" please check in with Denise in the main office to find an optimal time
Thank you so much for taking into consideration our need to focus on learning and uninterrupted flow; additionally, we are "tight" on our visitors' policy and clearly marking where our visitors/volunteers are within the building, as safety is tantamount.
Calling all 2nd and 3rd graders! STEM Club will be starting soon at FP.
Here are the details:
Who? All 2nd and 3rd graders are invited to join
What? Hands-on STEM activities/challenges
Why? Because. . . it’s fun!
Where? FP STEM Lab
When? Mondays OR Thursdays from 3:30 - 4:30
Monday dates: 10/28, 11/4, 11/11, 11/18, 12/2, 12/9
Thursday dates: 10/17, 10/24, 11/7, 11/14, 11/21, 12/5
As is our annual practice, students in grades 3-5 will complete the Review 360 social-emotional screener. It is a short questionnaire that is used to help identify students who may be at risk of internalizing social-emotional issues. This brief screener will be administered in their classrooms with their teachers. As also is our practice, we will follow-up with students and families as necessary.
Students in grades 3 and 5 will take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) the week of November 11.
The CogAT Test measures the level and pattern of cognitive development of a student compared to age mates and grade mates. These general reasoning abilities, which start developing at birth and continue through early adulthood, are influenced by experiences gained both in and out of school.
The CogAT measures three different cognitive abilities.
• The verbal section measures a child’s ability to remember and transform sequences of English words, to understand them and to make inferences and judgments about them.
• The quantitative section measures a child’s understanding of basic quantitative concepts and relationships.
• The non-verbal section measures reasoning using pictures and geometric shapes. This section reduces the impact of language on the student’s score.
• The composite score is a total score for all three batteries.
This is just one additional piece of information we utilize to ensure students are receiving the differentiated instruction they need to learn and grow. Parents will receive these assessment results as soon as they're available for distribution.
THANK YOU - Teacher Appreciation Committee
The Teacher Appreciation Committee has been able to provide Field Park Staff members with a few extra "thank you’s" to kick off the school year. To welcome the staff back to school, 4 Brother's Cookies were delivered to the teachers’ lounge. In addition, to help add some smiles to picture day, Chick-Fil-A catered breakfast for the staff, and to welcome staff back after a long weekend, Starbucks was delivered. See attached pictures below.
For any questions, please reach out to Erin Willis or Rachel Fiorentino.
Charleston Wrap
WE HIT THE HALF-WAY GOAL of $3500! That means...
🙌SCHOOL-WIDE PAJAMA DAY ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 21!!!🙌
If you haven't already signed up...
1) Visit registercw.com to register today! Use our ORGANIZATION ID 11158 to register! (One registration per family).
2) Send 10 unique and valid shopping email invites to your friends & family using our invite tool at registration.
3) Shop! With over 2,500 gift ideas, you can check off your holiday gift list and support Field Park PTO.
If we hit our overall fundraising goal of $7,000 we will have a very special school-wide assembly and tape Mrs. Kruzel to the wall!
You can also check out the attached form with instructions on how to order.
Any questions, contact Kristen Hettinga or Melinda McDermott!
NEW! Minted Fundraiser
We’re partnering with Minted this school year to save you money and raise funds for the PTO! Simply use the code FUNDRAISEFIELDPARK at Minted.com to enjoy 20% off any order. On top of your savings, 15% of each purchase will go right back to the PTO to use towards our students! Whether you’re in need of holiday cards or 2025 calendars, want to create unique stationery with your kid’s art, or update your home décor, enjoy the discount and help us reach our fundraising goals. Don’t forget to share the code FUNDRAISEFIELDPARK with friends and family too – the more people who use it, the more Field Park PTO earns for the kids!
Please contact Bridget Kernan with any questions.
Word From WSFEE
Western Springs Foundation for Educational Excellence (WSFEE) kicked off this week and excited for the 24-25 school year. WSFEE is an all-volunteer non profit organization made up of parents from all four of our District 101 schools. We raise funds through special events and solicitations in the community and allocate those funds to support grants submitted by teachers, administrators, parents, and students. We are always looking for opportunities to support that extend and enhance the quality and depth of education, and provide students with unique learning opportunities. Have questions about us? Have an idea for a grant? Visit www.wsfee.org or follow WSFEE on Instagram (@wsfee_d101)!
D101 Special Services Parents Night Out
This special event is held to introduce the parents of students that have special needs to one another. This opportunity is to help parents throughout the District connect in order to build community relationships and support. Please purchase tickets prior to Monday, November 11. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Fredericks-Tuzzolo, the Director of Student Services, at 708-485-2850 or D101 parent, Carrie Pinkham, at carrietruck@gmail.com. Please click this link for more information and to sign up!
Virtual Backpack and Community Events
Please see information and flyers for community events and student resources in our Virtual Backpack: