Friday Focus

• A Message from Marcie
• VIP Day Details
• G.O.P.E.N.G.U.I.N.S. Spirit Days!
  
• Parker's Picks

• 2025-2026 Fees & InfoCheck

• Family Access will be closed from May 21 until June 6

• Instrumental Music Message for 3rd Grade Families

• Tech Tip Hub

• This Week in Pictures
• News from Early Learners
• Other Important Info

Check out the PTO Spotlight here:

• Culver's Dine & Donate - 5/19
• Volunteer for Helping Hands Day- 5/30
• Order 2025-26 School Supplies
• Volunteer for 2025-26 PTO Committee
• Sign up to be a 2025-26 Room Rep
• Buy tickets for the Cubs game on 6/1
• End of the Year Bash 6/6, 12-2pm

Dear Families,

As we move through the final stretch of the school year, I want to take a moment to reflect on something that comes up frequently in school communities—and perhaps even more often at home: the stories our children tell us.

When children come home and share something upsetting—especially a conflict with a peer—it’s natural for parents to feel concerned, protective, or even angry. Your child’s perspective is real and valid. It reflects how they experienced the situation in that moment, and it’s a meaningful window into their world.

At the same time, it’s important to remember that there are almost always other perspectives in any situation. This is particularly true when children are navigating social conflicts, misunderstandings, or hurt feelings. It can be easy to hear one version of a story and feel like you have the full picture—but often, another child (or adult) involved experienced the situation very differently.

One of the most powerful things we can do for our children is to help them learn how to consider other perspectives, build resilience, and develop the tools they need to problem-solve, reflect, and grow. These skills aren’t just important for school—they’re essential for life.

Here are a few simple ways to support your child in these moments:

• Listen first, reflect later: Let your child share their story, and affirm how they feel without immediately reacting or trying to “fix” the problem.

• Ask guiding questions: Try, “Why do you think that happened?” or “What do you think the other person might have been feeling?”

• Help your child name the problem: Was it a misunderstanding? Hurt feelings? Unkind words?

• Coach problem-solving skills: Ask, “What could you try if this happens again?” or “Who at school could help you with this?”

• Encourage perspective-taking: Remind them that others may see things differently and that this doesn’t mean their own feelings aren’t real.

Most importantly, as hard as it can be, sit with your child in their discomfort. This may be one of the most critical things you will ever do as a parent. You do not need to—and should not—solve every problem for your child. Supporting them emotionally while giving them the space to work through challenges builds strength, self-awareness, and confidence.

And when those tough moments come? Remind yourself gently: this too will pass.

With gratitude for your continued partnership,
Marcie

Important Note:

This message was sent to all listed VIP email addresses; however, some emails bounced back. We kindly ask that parents/guardians forward this information to their child’s VIP just to ensure everyone receives the details they need to attend.

We’re excited to welcome all of our guests to South Park for VIP Day next week—Tuesday, May 20 and Thursday, May 22!

Each grade level has a designated time for VIPs to visit:

• Kindergarten: Tuesday, May 20 | 2:30–3:00 p.m.

• 1st Grade: Thursday, May 22 | 9:30–10:00 a.m.

• 2nd Grade: Thursday, May 22 | 10:30–11:00 a.m.

• 3rd Grade: Tuesday, May 20 | 1:30–2:00 p.m.

• 4th Grade: Thursday, May 22 | 1:30–2:00 p.m.

• 5th Grade: Tuesday, May 20 | 10:30–11:00 a.m.

South Park Elementary School is located at 1421 Hackberry Road, Deerfield. Please plan to enter through our front entrance off Hackberry Road.

Pre-Check Information (Available Now!)

To help speed up check-in on VIP Day, VIPs are still welcome to stop by the front office before VIP Day between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to have their driver’s license or state ID scanned in advance.

Even if you complete the pre-check, you must bring your ID again on VIP Day.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What time should I arrive if I completed the pre-check?
Arrive 5–10 minutes before your scheduled VIP time. You’ll still need to show your driver’s license or state ID at check-in.

2. What if I can’t come in ahead of time for pre-check?
Please plan to arrive 15 minutes early on the day of your visit to allow enough time to check in. A driver’s license or state ID is required.

3. Where should I park?
Parking is available in our lot off Birchwood Avenue and along Hackberry Road or Birchwood Avenue (please check street signs for restrictions).
Please do not park in the front circle drive.

Let’s wrap up the school year with a little fun each day! Here’s what’s coming:

Friday, May 23 – G: Glitter & Glow Day
Wear neon or glittery clothes to shine bright!

Tuesday, May 27 – O: Outside Day
Enjoy extra outdoor time all day long (weather permitting)!

Wednesday, May 28 – P: Pajama Day
Get comfy and wear your favorite pajamas to school.

Thursday, May 29 – E: Experiment Day
Try a fun experiment in class or at home! Visit t.ly/9GzZ for ideas.

Friday, May 30 – N: No Backpack Day
Bring your things in anything but a backpack—get creative!

Monday, June 2 – G: Game Day (Tech-Free!)
Play board games, card games, or enjoy some outdoor fun—no screens allowed!

Tuesday, June 3 – U: USA Day
Show your spirit by wearing red, white, and blue!

Wednesday, June 4 – I: Inside Out Day
Flip your fashion—wear your clothes inside out!

Thursday, June 5 – N: New Name Day
Pick a fun new name for the day—nametags will be provided!

Friday, June 6 – S: Swing Your Way Into Summer
Celebrate the last day of school and a fantastic year!

This is a friendly reminder that Family Access will be unavailable from Wednesday, May 21, at 3:30 p.m. until Friday, June 6. During that time, teachers will be submitting their grades for the school year. During this window, you will still have the ability to log in to pay fees or review your account information. However, you will not have access to preview your student’s Portfolio, Grading, or GradeBook. Access to those, along with your student’s 24-25 report card, will reopen in Family Access on Friday, June 6, by 3:30 p.m.

Thank you so much to those who were in attendance at this week’s instrumental music open house. We loved the opportunity to meet with you to share information about our program and to feature our high school alumni performing on the instruments available for your child to select from this spring.

If you were unable to attend last evening, our instrumental music program website has now been updated to include our slide deck from the presentation. We hope this resource will help you develop a comprehensive understanding of our program!

Finally, we're excited to share that our instrument fitting signups are LIVE! Please take a moment to secure a 15 minute time slot for your child at next week's instrument fittings using this link. These will take place at Caruso Middle School from Tuesday, May 20th through Thursday, May 22nd and we hope to see you there.

If you have any questions, please direct them to eim@dps109.org and we will be happy to help!

The DPS 109 Instrumental Music Team

The highlight of the week in the Pre-K classrooms was our “butterfly picnic!” The children loved exploring the concept of symmetry as they created their very own butterfly wings. We enjoyed getting to see our butterflies up close before saying goodbye and watching them flutter away. We had a great time eating fruit salad and using a straw as a proboscis as part of our special picnic! It’s fitting that as our butterflies flutter away, our pre-K students also start to think about fluttering off to kindergarten. They loved their “Ready Set Kindergarten” experience visiting their future Kindy schools this week and are feeling excited for that next step.

Our Pre-K students have also been incorporating graphing skills into our ocean unit during math. We’ve used nonfiction tools such as books and the Pebble Go database to learn facts about a wide variety of ocean animals. The children are loving exploring concepts of depth, length, and weight as part of these discussions!

In our half-day classrooms, we wrapped up our butterfly unit by releasing the butterflies we had been observing. The 4's half day classroom, students enjoyed a fun butterfly picnic with the full-day classes and had a blast creating their own butterfly wings to wear while "flying" around the playground. As we continued our ocean unit, we made a starfish craft using Cheerios, which also served as a fun little snack during the activity. We explored different types of fish and discussed the unique attributes that make them similar or different. Our featured sea animal this week was the whale, and we learned about its size, how it breathes through a blowhole, and how it communicates using sounds underwater. In dramatic play, the center was transformed into a “beach,” where students used their sand toys, beach gear, and imaginations to pretend they were spending the day by the ocean. Our sensory bin is currently filled with sand and sand toys, making it fun as they get to scoop, dig, and build just like they would at the beach.

• All visitors to South Park School MUST bring a valid driver's license or state ID card to the main office before entering into the building. Beginning this year, we will collect IDs during your visit and return it to you as you leave.
• If your child is going to be absent from school, you need to call or email us by 9:00 that morning. ** Call 847-945-5895, ext. 2103 and leave a message OR ** Email Nurse Nora Moskos.
• Please follow our morning procedures, and drop your children off at their regular grade level doors. If you choose to drive through the front circle at arrival, kindly stay in your car when you drop off to help us reduce morning congestion.
• K-5 drop-off is between 8:35-8:45 a.m. Students who arrive after 8:45 a.m. will need to enter through the front door of the school, as all other doors will be locked.
• Dismissal for all Kindy and 1st-grade walkers and car riders will take place at their grade level door.
  
• Early Learners drop-off/pick-up info can be found here.
• When parking in our Birchwood parking lot, please remember that our preschoolers are dropped off and picked up by the west end (closest to the school). Sometimes, their parents' cars can block a parked car from exiting for a few minutes. To avoid that, we suggest that you park closer to Birchwood Avenue.

Tuesday, May 20th

• VIP Day for Kindergarten, Third Grade, and Fifth Grade

• VIP Day for 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, and 4th Grade

• No School

• Last Day - Dismissal at 11:40 a.m.