Tiger Prints

Athletics: A Shout-Out to Our Girls Basketball Teams! Let’s take a moment to celebrate our girls basketball teams for an awesome season! Their hard work, teamwork, and dedication were on full display, and they represented our school with pride and sportsmanship. Whether it was on the court or in practice, these athletes showed resilience, determination, and Tiger pride. A huge thank you to the coaches, families, and fans who supported them every step of the way. Great job, Tigers! 🏀

Priorities and Academics: Peer pressure remains one of the biggest challenges for many intermediate and middle school students. Adolescence is a time of self-discovery, but it’s also when the desire to fit in can strongly influence behavior. With teens’ brains still developing—especially the areas responsible for decision-making and impulse control—peer influence can often outweigh good judgment, leading students to take risks or act against their values.

While peer pressure can encourage teamwork and leadership, it can also push students into uncomfortable situations. Factors like self-esteem, social skills, and the desire to belong make it harder to say no. The constant presence of phones adds another layer of complexity, with 50% of teens feeling addicted, according to Common Sense Media, amplifying social pressures beyond the classroom.

This ties perfectly into what our 8th graders are exploring in their reading of The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. The novel dives into themes of identity, conformity, and peer pressure, prompting students to reflect on questions like: How much of who we are is shaped by what others expect? and What does it really mean to be “perfect” or “normal”? These conversations help students better understand the choices they make and the influence of their peers.

To further support these reflections, we use Reallyville.com as an educational tool when students earn a detention. The platform offers targeted lessons on decision-making, peer influence, and personal responsibility, giving students the opportunity to think critically about their actions and how they can make better choices moving forward.

How Parents Can Support:

• Talk About Values: Use The Uglies as a conversation starter about staying true to oneself.

• Discuss Social Dynamics: Help your child recognize and navigate peer pressure with confidence.

• Encourage Critical Thinking: Ask how the book’s themes relate to real-life situations.

• Support Healthy Friendships: Highlight the importance of positive, respectful relationships.

5 Essentials Parent Survey

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We invite you to participate in the 5 Essentials Parent Survey, a significant opportunity to share your thoughts on your child’s school environment. Your feedback helps us understand our strengths and areas for improvement, ultimately enhancing the educational experience for all students.

Survey Details:

● Who: Parents, guardians, or caregivers with a child in grades Pre-K through 12

● Languages: Available in English and Spanish

● Time Commitment: Approximately 10 minutes

● Survey Window: February 19 – March 28

● Link to Survey: Click here to participate

Additional Information:

● If you have more than one child attending the same school, you may complete the survey multiple times if you choose.

● If you have children enrolled in different schools, we encourage you to complete the survey for each school.

● Only one parent per household may submit a survey for a given child.

● You will have the option to provide your email address to receive confirmation of survey completion. This is optional, and you may leave the text box blank if you prefer.

Your voice matters! We appreciate your time and input in helping us improve our school community. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

Thank you for your support!

Thank you to everyone for contributing to our donation drive for the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans in Wheaton. Collectively, we took in more than 1,000 donations! Student Leadership Team will announce the three classrooms who have donated the most (a Primary, Intermediate, and Middle school winner) next week. We are so proud to be part of such a generous school community.

A county wide teacher institute day is being held on Friday, Febuary 28th.

There will be no school on that date.

Winfield Energy Club will host a Family Energy Fun Night on Wednesday, March 12th from 5:30-6:30 in the Central Cafeteria for students in grades K-5. Come out and enjoy some make and take STEM activities. This is a free event, however donations to help offset the cost of the Energy Club's trip to the National Youth Awards Conference in Washington DC this summer are greatly appreciated. Please note that we can only accept personal checks made out to Winfield School. Register here!

The monthly PTO/WEF Meeting will be held on Wednesday, µarch 12 at 7…00

Click the Virtual Backpack Link to see the archive.

Chicago Wolves Game - Get your ticket orders in by this Friday, 2/28!

Join us on Sunday, March 16 at 3:00 p.m. for Family Fun Day at the Chicago Wolves game! Tickets are at a discounted group rate of $25 for 100-Level Center Ice tickets (normally $32) and you can purchase a hot dog/soda voucher for $6.75. Everyone will be seated in the same section and receive a Wolves knit hat. Please see the ticket form for more information on how to order and pay for your tickets. All orders must be submitted by 2/28. Contact Angie Adams (ang1404@yahoo.com) if you have any questions!

Seeking 2025 Tiger Run Sponsors

Do you or someone you know own or work for a local business in Winfield or the surrounding area? We are looking for sponsors at all levels for this year’s Tiger Run, our biggest fundraiser of the year! Check out our Sponsor Letter for more details. Please email us at wef@winfield34.org if you are interested or if you have any questions. The Tiger Run is our biggest fundraiser and always well attended! Please confirm by March 31, 2025 to be included in printed marketing materials.

Cooks Night Out at Jersey Mike’s - TODAY (2/27) & TOMORROW (2/28)!

Our Cooks Night Out is going on NOW at Jersey Mike’s in Wheaton (2115 W. Roosevelt). From Wednesday, 2/26 through Friday, 2/28, 10 a.m.-9p.m., drop your receipt in the fundraiser box and Jersey Mike’s will donate 15% of the sales back to our school!

RMHC Pop Tab Recycling Program

Did you know that local Ronald McDonald Houses provide accommodations for 181 families every night, allowing them to stay close to their hospitalized children and access necessary healthcare providers and supportive services, ultimately saving families over $10 million in hotel and food costs annually? Your household pop tops donation to the school collection supports the RMCH cause, so keep collecting those pop tabs! Students can bring them right to their classrooms!

Staff Soup and Salad Lunch

Thank you to all who donated items for our Soup and Salad lunch for the teachers this past Monday! We received many thanks and compliments from the staff!

Next PTO/WEF Meeting: Wednesday, March 12th at 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend!

February is Dental Health Month! Last week our kindergarten classes enjoyed a visit from Bauer and Bauer Dentristy, learning about keeping our teeth clean and healthy!

This week, third graders are wrapping up their chapter on division fact fluency. In social studies, they are exploring biographies in preparation for our next research project. In 4th grade, students are learning about adding and subtracting fractions with like and unlike denominators. They have learned strategies for converting between improper fractions and mixed numbers. 4th graders are also finishing up their unit about how characters confront challenges through a character anatomy project that will be displayed in the hallway. This week in 5th grade, students analyzed and solved application-based word problems involving adding and subtracting mixed numbers. They also began a science project where they are making a brochure that highlights each of Earth's spheres.

This week in Spanish, 8th graders were either watching Moana in class as part of a class reward or using their knowledge of the clothing vocabulary to become models in our project! As part of the sports unit, the 7th graders were reading about two famous Hispanic golf players and comparing them. Meanwhile, the 6th graders this week were learning how to say and ask what they like to do.

Still room for the second session of Chess Club! 5th - 8th Graders only! Session begins Tuesday, March 11th.

Registration for Boys Volleyball (6-8th grades) is beginning. Registration Form or forms available in the Central Office. Boys Volleyball practice will begin Monday, March 3.

DuPage County - The DuPage County Health Department’s (DCHD) Protect Swimmers 10 Million (PS10M) Initiative is excited to share a funding opportunity designed to offer free swim lessons for Illinois children aged 3-5 years old through the Pool Safely Grant Program. This proactive effort aims to prevent fatal childhood drownings. This initiative is focused on public swimming facilities in regions with higher incidences of fatal child drowning.

Up to ten Illinois public swimming facilities will receive awards ranging from $2,000 - $4,000 each to provide free swimming lessons to Illinois children in need. Public swimming facilities include pools operated by civic and community organizations, schools, municipalities, park and recreation organizations, swim schools, residential communities, and health centers.

Applications are due by Friday, February 28, 2025, at 11:59 pm CST. Please note that applications received after this deadline will not be considered. Awards will be announced in March 2025.

To apply, those interested are encouraged to review the 2025 Protect Swimmers 10M Funding Opportunity Overview and complete the online application form: https://forms.gle/1egyEkYdRiTR7j4S9

DCHD invites all public swimming facilities in Illinois to take part in this opportunity. DCHD has been a proud recipient of the Pool Safely Grant Program since 2018.

For more information on the PS10M initiative, please visit: https://www.dupagehealth.org/231/Pool-Safely.

Together we can keep all Illinois children safer near water.

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DCHD Media Team
Phone: 630-221-7374
Email: media@dupagehealth.org