Viking Newsletter

Mr. Calabrese is still monitoring the cold weather and communicating with area superintendents regarding the potentially cold weather for Tuesday. He anticipates a decision regarding school on Tuesday to be made in the afternoon tomorrow at which point a communication will go out to all parents.

In the mean time staff did spend some time on Friday preparing students for eLearning with their devices and other materials. Our K-2nd grade teachers sent home information regarding logging in at 8:30 AM. Students in 3rd-8th grade should have all of their login information in Google Classroom. Again, we are just trying to make sure we are prepared if needed. Please be on the look out for a message regarding any decision tomorrow afternoon.

The Taft PTA is hosting Candy Bar Bingo on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 starting at 6:00 PM on the Auditorium Stage. Please bring one regular size candy bar for each player and plan to come out and join in on the fun.

For being such a small school we have quite a few sets of twins. While we know how different twins can be, Ms. Governale couldn’t nominate one twin without the other. 8th Graders, Max and Emi, are always polite, respectful, and kind whenever I see them. Here are the wonderful things Ms. Governale said about both of them. Max and Emi are the dynamic duo of the 8th grade. They were both new to Taft this year, but have settled in well and are excellent students. They are both very hard workers and always complete their assignments on time and with excellent success! I cannot wait to see what their future holds for them! While they are not in school, they both love to play soccer and hope there will be a school team. We are double proud! Keep up the great work.

Every year we have a committee made up of teachers, parents, and administrators to review our handbook. We want a team to collaborate, review, update, and refine the school’s handbook, ensuring it reflects our shared values, promotes a positive environment, and provides clear guidance for students, parents, and staff. It's a great opportunity to contribute your ideas, represent diverse perspectives, and make a meaningful impact on the daily life of our school. If you are interested, please email me at K.Thompson@taftsd90.org.

The boys basketball team had 3 games this week. They played Rockdale, Elwood and Fairmont. Both teams won all 3 games. Great work boys. They play Monge at home on Tuesday and at Richland on Thursday. Good luck boys.

The girls volleyball team played Richland and Laraway this week and the 7th grade participated in the Richland tournament. The 7th grade team was victorious over Richland and Laraway. The 8th grade came up short in both games. The 7th grade team also won 2 out of 3 games in their tournament and finished as consolation champions. Great work ladies.

The Moose Lodge's Women of the Moose have graciously organized a Bunco fundraiser for our school with all proceeds going to our needy fund. Help us spread the word

The Illinois State Board of Education requires school district's to submit their eLearning plan for approval on a three year cycle. As part of that requirement the school district must hold a public hearing and give notice in a newspaper with a circulation in the school district's area and notify both the parents/guardians and the teacher's union either electronically or with a letter at least 10 days prior to the public hearing. Please accept this as our electronic communication that the Taft Board of Education will hold a public hearing on January 23, 2025 at 6:10 PM in the school's library.

Teachers and Administration have been addressing social media challenges. We cannot do this alone and need support from home. We understand that social media is a significant part of their social world. While platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat can be fun and engaging, they also come with risks that require careful attention and guidance.

Here are some tips to help keep your child safe online:

1. Open Communication
   Talk openly with your child about their online activities. Ask which platforms they use, who they interact with, and what they post. Creating a judgment-free space encourages them to share concerns or ask for help if needed.

2. Address Negative Posting or Commenting
   Talk to your child about the impact of posting or commenting on content in a way that isn’t nice. Explain how words can hurt, even online, and encourage them to pause and think about how their comments might affect others. Reinforce that being kind and respectful online reflects positively on their character.

3. Privacy Settings
   Help your child enable privacy settings on their accounts to limit who can see their posts and send messages. Regularly review these settings as platforms often update their features.

4. Recognize Red Flags
   Teach your child to identify and report inappropriate behavior, such as cyberbullying or messages from strangers. Let them know it’s okay to block someone who makes them uncomfortable.

5. Lead by Example
   Model healthy social media habits. Be mindful of your own online behavior, and show your child how to use social media responsibly.

Junior high is a time of growth and discovery, and social media can play a positive role when used thoughtfully. By working together, we can help ensure our students stay safe while enjoying the benefits of technology.

If you have any questions or would like additional resources, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Attached is the January look ahead calendar for your review. From time to time we may send an updated calendar if there are any changes.

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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.

  
  

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