Elmwood Express

Friday, September 6th, 2024

From the Principal's Desk...

Thank you to everyone for making the first few weeks a success! We would like to welcome Karin Wissmann who will be serving as the assistant principal while Mrs. Hagins is out on leave.

With over 20 years in education, Ms. Wissmann is committed to ensuring all students have a quality education. She has worked as an English teacher, instructional coach, and assistant principal in New York City and Chicago. She holds a Master of Science in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from CUNY-Lehman College and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Teachers College-Columbia University. While she has predominantly taught English Language Arts, she has coached teachers across multiple content areas and grade levels. She enjoys seeing those light bulb moments in classrooms, building strong partnerships with families, and creating positive experiences for kids. When not doing this amazing work, she enjoys reading, traveling, yoga, and exploring new playgrounds with her son. Ms. Wissmann looks forward to working with the wonderful Elmwood Park community!

Please say hello at arrival, dismissal, or at our Open House on September 12 from 5:00-6:30. Below you will find information on our picture day, lunchroom, and other important dates. Please take the time to read through it and reach out if you have any questions.

Thank you!

Mr. Lerner

Upcoming Events

September

🍁Monday, September 9th- Early Release- All students dismissed at 2pm
🍁Thursday, September 12th- Open House 5-6:30pm
🍁Monday, September 16th- National Hispanic Heritage Month Begins

🍁Monday, September 16th- Early Release- All students dismissed at 2pm

🍁September 16-27th- MAP testing
🍁Thursday, September 19th- Soft and Hard Lock Down Drills- more information to follow

🍁Friday, September 20th- Walk-A-Thon Forms are due
🍁Monday, September 22nd- Early Release- All students dismissed at 2pm

🍁Wednesday, September 25th- School Board Meeting at 7pm at EPHS

🍁Thursday, September 26th- Picture Day

October

🎃 Wednesday, October 2- School Custodial Workers Recognition Day

🎃 Friday, October 4- PATT Walk-A-Thon

🎃 Thursday, October 10- Fire Safety Presentation and Burn Box

🎃 Monday, October 14- No School

🎃 Tuesday, October 22- Special Education Parent Advisory at 5pm at EPHS

🎃 Wednesday, October 23- School Board Meeting at 7pm at EPHS

🎃 Thursday, October 31- Halloween

Open House

Open House will be Thursday, September 12th from 5-6:30 PM. We hope to see all of our families there!

Picture Day

Click below to see information on our upcoming picture day! Here are some quick tips-

📷 Mark your calendars for Thursday, September 26th

📷 Plan your outfit and hairstyle

📷 Avoid wearing green

pdf

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2024 Fall Portrait Day.pdf

Click here for information on our picture day!

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MAP Testing

During the weeks of September 16-27th, your child will take a MAP® Growth™ test from NWEA® on a computer. MAP Growth scores help teachers check student performance by measuring achievement and growth. Teachers use results to tailor classroom lessons and set goals for students. More information will be coming soon!

First Day of School

Check out this video that captures the energy on the first day!

Smart Watches

As a reminder, according to our handbook Apple Watches, Gizmos and other smart watches are not allowed at school. Just like cell phones, if your child brings these to school they must remain on silent in their locker during the school day. If you need to contact your child please call our school office. Any student keeping a device in their locker does so at their own risk. We are unavailable to retrieve devices for them outside of school hours if they leave them here, and we are unable assist them if they misplace the device. Their cell phones should be in their book bag upon entering the building and students must leave their phones in their book bags until they exit the building. Thank you for your cooperation.

Student Drop Off and Pick-Up

Teacher-Parent Communication

It is one of our goals to create a parent partnership with all families. In order to create this partnership we believe in two-way communication with parents and teachers. As a school, we send out a bi-weekly newsletter as well as announcements when needed using our Remind App. Your classroom teachers will also be sharing information and newsletters throughout the year. Our Kindergarten through second grade teachers communicate using the SeeSaw App. They will post assignments, announcements, and communicate via chat between 7:45am and 3:15pm. Our 3rd-5th grade teachers use the Remind App for communication as well between 7:45am and 3:15pm. You can set this up to receive text alerts, email alerts, and other information.

You can also always email our teachers or administration if you need help with anything.

Before and After School Care

We are excited to once again provide before and after school care for students at Elmwood School through Picket Fence Day Care Care. For more information or to enroll, please visit: https://www.picketfencelearningcenter.com/basec/

Lunch Information

Students will have lunch at the following times:

1st and 3rd grade- 10:40

2nd Grade- 11:10

Kindergarten- 11:50

4th and 5th Grade- 12:30

Please note that lunch times are sometimes changed without notice due to school activities.

Your child can bring a lunch to school or get a school lunch. If you do not wish for your child to get a school lunch, please make sure you communicate that with your child. We do not accept deliveries of fast food for students. If you forgot your child's lunch, you may drop it off in the office. Dropping off lunch at school disrupts student learning. Please only drop off a lunch in the case of emergency. Fountain drinks are not permitted.

If your child gets a school lunch, you can pay for lunch using your myschoolbucks.com account.

From August to June each school year, downloadable monthly meal menus for each of our schools will be available. Copies are also available in our school office. Please note that menu items are subject to change. New menus will be uploaded before the beginning of each month. Below is 2024-25 meal pricing information.

Breakfast is FREE for all District 401 students
John Mills & Elmwood Elementary Schools: $3.10

Free and reduced-price options for District 401 meals are available. Families interested in these options should complete an application to determine if they qualify:

Free & Reduced-Price Meals | Online Application Form

Applications for 2024-25 will be accepted beginning Aug. 1, 2024.

Our student meal operations are governed by District 401's policy on food services, which can be found in Section 4:120 of the Board of Education's District Policy Manual.

For the 2024-2025 School Year, EPCUSD401's food service will be provided by Quest Food Quest Management Services. Read more about their program here.