Sprague School

At Sprague, kindergarten teachers weave “Purposeful Play” into their daily routines to nurture essential academic skills in a fun and engaging way. Through carefully designed play activities, students practice collaboration, problem-solving, and effective communication while developing foundational skills like counting, recognizing numbers, and understanding the value of money.

“Purposeful Play is about more than just having fun—it’s about fostering creativity, critical thinking, and social-emotional growth,” said Principal Ann Hofmeier. “These moments of structured play help children explore, learn, and connect with their peers in meaningful ways that build confidence and set the stage for lifelong learning.”

Play is an essential aspect of young learners' development as it fosters critical cognitive, social, emotional, and physical growth. Through play, children engage in problem-solving, creative thinking, and role-playing, which help them make sense of the world around them. It also encourages social skills like sharing, cooperation, and conflict resolution, as children navigate interactions with peers.

• Monday, Jan. 20: No School, Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday.
• MAP Night: Tuesday, Jan. 21, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. first-graders in the classes of Korah, Schencker, Schlan, and Schreurs
• MAP Night: Thursday, Jan. 23, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. first-graders in the classes of Catullo, Kahn, Larsen, and Vander Pas.
• Friday, Feb. 8: School Valentine's Dance. Purchase tickets.

In the fall, teacher conferences were moved from November to October, providing an earlier opportunity for families and teachers to connect about student progress and goals. While report cards were shared in November, the earlier timing of conferences allows for discussions and strategies to support student success earlier in the year. Please complete this short anonymous survey to provide your feedback on this change and its impact on communication and planning for your student’s success.

PowerSchool has now made additional details available on their website in regards to the data breach. We will continue to provide updates as new information or resources become available.

In the coming weeks, families will receive information about an exciting school-wide initiative: The Sprague School Souper Bowl! This fun event ties into the American Football Super Bowl and encourages our students to get excited about reading, giving back, and celebrating teamwork.

Here’s how it works:

Reading Challenge: Students will be encouraged to read and track their minutes at home. Our school will set a collective reading goal, and classrooms with the highest minutes will win prizes!

Soup Donation: Students will be encouraged to bring in a can of soup to school and cast their “vote” for which Super Bowl team they think will win by placing their can in the corresponding bin. All donations will go to support local food banks.

Parent Request: Families, please support the reading challenge with our young learners by purchasing an incentive from the Amazon wishlist. Please drop off prizes at Sprague by Friday, Jan. 31.

Please share this communication with your D103 friends so they know that families may now register their preschool student for D103's Early Childhood program.

• Award-winning school district
• Certified teachers
• Extended and half day classes
• Extended hours: 8:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Monday through Friday
• Half day hours: morning 8:15 to 10:45 a.m. or afternoon 12:15 to 2:45 p.m. Monday through Friday
• Bus transportation available
• Drop off at local day cares
• Competitive tuition

Get ready to celebrate friendship and fun at the Sprague Valentine Dance, hosted by Sprague School and the D103 PTO!

When: Saturday, Feb. 8th, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Where: Sprague School

Attire: Dress to impress!

This special event is the perfect way to kick off Valentine’s season with your family and friends.

Tickets:

• $15 for one Sprague child and two grown-ups.
• $5 for each additional Sprague sibling.

(Tickets include a Valentine’s craft, music, games, and photo fun!)

Extras:

• Snacks and water will be available for purchase (cash only).
• Valentine Grams will be on sale for your little ones to share some love.

Note: Space is limited to the first 250 families, so secure your spot before it’s too late!

Let’s make this Valentine’s celebration one to remember. We can’t wait to see you there! ❤️

👉 Purchase your tickets today @ dub.sh/QkdbDBs

We’re looking for volunteers to make crockpots of chili or soup (your recipe of choice!) with at least 10 servings for our staff luncheon on Friday, Feb. 7.

Details:

• Drop-off: By 9:30 a.m. (in a crockpot with your name and ingredient list.)
• Pick-up: After 1:30 p.m.
• Please use crockpot liners for easy cleanup.

We also need desserts and volunteers for serving and cleanup. Not a chef? Donations are welcome to help with salads, décor, and extras.

Thank you for helping us show appreciation for our amazing D103 staff! ❤️

👉 Volunteers needed for this event. Sign up -> dub.sh/D103SignUp

Please join us for coffee or breakfast at 9:00 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, as we discuss areas we need support for our children with IEPS and/or 504s receiving accommodations in D103. All are welcome. We are looking to make friendships and to help each other through our unique journey of parenting. Please respond to our invitation and let us know if you can attend.

Join us on Friday, Jan. 24, between 10:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. at the Vernon Hills Shake Shack, 864 E. Townline Road.

Here’s the deal: Mention “Donation Day” when you order (or use promo code DONATE online, in the app, or at the kiosk), and Shake Shack will donate 25% of your total meal purchase to the District 103 PTO!

Grab a burger, some fries, and your favorite shake, and help support our amazing PTO. It’s a win-win! Spread the word—see you there!

The Run for D103 5K Run/Walk is a family-friendly, annual fundraising event held in the spring that enables the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) to provide District 103 with programs and equipment for the benefit of our children. This race is representative of our district's commitment to foster both healthy minds and healthy bodies in our children and to instill a lifelong passion for education and exercise.

Whether you're an experienced runner or just starting out, this is the perfect opportunity to challenge yourself, meet new people, and have fun! We can't wait to see you at the starting line!

👉 Register today @ runford103.org

Join Dr. Aliza Pressman, New York Times bestselling author and host of Raising Good Humans, for an insightful webinar on parenting strategies at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 5, on Zoom. She’ll share her "5 Principles of Parenting," relationship, reflection, regulation, rules, and repair, to help parents navigate raising resilient, well-rounded children while normalizing imperfection.

This event is free and open to all. Registration is required: Register on Zoom Today The event is presented by District 96, District 102, District 103, and Vernon Area Public Library. Take this opportunity to learn practical strategies and strengthen your parenting approach!

Jordan's Journey Blood Drive

Saturday, Jan. 18, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Midtown Athletic Club, 2211 Waukegan Rd., Bannockburn

Please sign up in advance to donate blood.

District 103's Transportation Department encourages students in grades k-8 to participate in the "Safety First - Safety Always" Illinois Association for Pupil Transportation Poster Contest. Get all the contest information on the Illinois Association for Pupil Transportation website. The submission deadline is April 18.

Calling all junior entrepreneurs! Do you want to learn real-life business and money management skills? Apply for Kid Market at the Vernon Area Public Library (open to grades 2-8)! Successful applications can sell their wares at a table at the Kid Market on Saturday, April 5, and will receive business coaching from the library's business librarian.

Applications are accepted now through Monday, Jan. 20. Find more details about Kid Market on the library's website.

Congressman Brad Schneider is launching the sixth annual "Brad's Bookworms" program to encourage reading and learning for elementary school students (grades K-5) and their families!

Children participating in the program are asked to read and log 10 books with help from parents, grandparents, older siblings, or other family members, and track their progress toward this goal. Young people who meet the 10 books goal will be invited with their families to a recognition ceremony with Congressman Schneider to celebrate their achievement. The deadline to complete logs is Sunday, Feb. 2.

• Calendar of School Events
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• Principal Ann Hofmeier
• Assistant Principal Jennifer Arroyo

• 847-945-6686
• Ls_attendance@d103.org