Friday Focus

• A Message from Marcie - Picture Day is on Tuesdsay!
• Bus Seating
• Front Circle Drop Off Reminders (2nd Posting)
• Join the Library Advisory Team (2nd Posting)
  
• Join South Park Singers (3rd Posting)

Check out the PTO Spotlight here:

• PTO Meeting, 9/18 at 9am
  
• Chicago Wolves game fundraiser, 11/17 at 3pm
  
• DPN Tweens and the Social Scene, 9/17 at 7:30pm
  
• Volunteer to be a LMC volunteer
  
• and much more...

Thanks for a great week, South Park!

As we wrap up our fourth week of school, it's wonderful to see our students settling into their routines. They’ve built strong relationships with their teachers and are making new friends, helping to create a fun and predictable environment where students can thrive. If your child is still adjusting, please don't hesitate to reach out to their classroom teacher so we can support them during this transition.

A quick reminder: Picture Day is on Tuesday, September 17th. Except for the afternoon Early Learners classes, all students will have their photos taken before heading outside for recess. We’ll do our best to keep everyone looking their best before it’s time to smile for the camera!

Have a wonderful weekend!

-Marcie

On Wednesday, we assigned seats for all three of our bus routes. In one of our first newsletters sent out to South Park families, we shared that assigned seats should be expected at some point in the year.

For the past several years, we have assigned seats on South Park routes to help reduce peer conflicts and safety issues on the bus. In our experience, the predictability of where students sit helps them feel more comfortable and less anxious about who they will sit with each day. In addition, moving certain students closer to the driver or breaking up clusters of students who have a harder time following expectations when seated together has led to a more positive and safe bus riding experience for students.

We do not anticipate changing bus seats unless there is an issue that needs to be addressed. If there is an ongoing issue, please let Dr. Faust know.

We would like to remind anyone in grades K-5 who utilizes the front circle for morning drop off to follow the guidelines below:

• Pull your vehicle all the way up toward the front entrance of South Park and let your child get out of your vehicle unassisted.
• All drivers should stay in their cars while students exit their vehicles.
• If your child needs help getting out of the car, please pull all the way up and past the front entrance of our school to help them.

On cold and rainy days, we will let children through the front door of the school so that they don't have to walk too far to their grade level door. We must ask that everyone pull up to keep the traffic flowing!

id you know that South Park is home to an Illinois Exemplary School Library? We’re proud of that achievement, but we can always get better!

Mrs. Jahng, the South Park Library Information Specialist, is looking for a few more parents to join the Library Advisory Team to provide feedback and ideas on current goals and initiatives for the South Park library. This team will meet once each quarter: fall, winter, and spring, at a mutually convenient time for its members. If you would be interested in joining this group, please complete this form.

Contact Kelly Jahng (kjahng@dps109.org) with any questions.

It's not too late! Our new music teacher, Ms. Taylor Woods, is excited to be taking over the South Park Singers this year! South Park Singers is an extracurricular chorus open to all 3rd-5th grade students.

Rehearsals will be after school from 3:30-4:00 pm on MONDAYS beginning on September 30th.

The fee of South Park Singers is $40. The fee includes our uniform T-shirt and covers the cost of music. Fees will be collected at the start of the 2024-25 school year.

Click here to sign up for South Park Singers no later than September 23rd.

This week, students continued engaging in their construction unit. Teachers read different versions of The Three Little Pigs and practiced various literacy skills such as retelling and comparing and contrasting. Students also built houses that they used when acting out the story with peers. In math, students are learning about shapes! They practiced drawing various shapes and using them in their drawings throughout the week.

Today was Dot Day! Students listened to a read aloud of the book The Dot by Peter Reynolds. Throughout the day, students participated in many dot themed activities. Be sure to look at the pictures below to see students decorating large dots with their small dot stamps!

As a reminder, we would like to invite ALL Early Learners and South Park parents and guardians to join us on Tuesday, October 1st from 7:00-8:00 p.m. in the South Park library to take part in a conversation centered around the book The Anxious Generation. Please reference Dr. Faust's most recent communication for more information.

• 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, September 17

• Picture Day

• The Anxious Generation Community Conversation 7:00-8:00 (RSVP Here)

Thursday, October 3

• No School - Rosh Hashanah

• No School - Columbus Day

• K-5 Students Early Dismissal 11:40 a.m.
• Parent Teacher Conferences 1:00-8:00 p.m.
• Early Learners - Non-attendance Day, Tentative Family Event TBD

• Non-attendance Day for all students
• Parent Teacher Conferences 8:00-11:00 a.m.
  

• Halloween Parade 2:00 p.m. (Livestream available for working families)

2024-25 Music Concert Dates:

• 5th Grade - Wednesday, January 29th @ 6:00

• 4th Grade - Wednesday, February 12th @ 6:00

• 3rd Grade - Wednesday, March 19th @ 6:00

• 2nd Grade - Wednesday, February 12th @ 5:00

• 1st Grade - Wednesday, January 29th @ 5:00

• Kindergarten - Wednesday, March 19 @ 5:00

• Early Learners - Thursday, May 1 @ 5:00

On Saturday, September 21st, we will have a booth at the farmers market, which so happens to also kick off the Harvest Fest! We’re excited to have our superintendent join us, along with a few board of education members. There will be a coloring table, stickers, and an EyeSpy game. If your eye spies all the listed items, there may be a special prize! We look forward to seeing you there!

Have you checked out our new AI chatbot, Scout? Visit dps109.org, and Scout will appear on the bottom left-hand corner of your screen. Scout is on a two-month trial from now until the end of September. The more you help train him (ask him questions), the faster he learns and "scouts" our website to help find the answers to your questions! Please use the feedback button and star rating system to help us decide if Scout is here to stay.

As last week's events have shown us, we need to be able to reach you in case of unexpected news! Some families still need to complete the quick process of verifying their information for this year. It's also an easy way to read and acknowledge our handbook and review district opt-out forms. Please head to Skyward to get started today!