News From The Nest

Good evening Graham Families!

We had a week full of love around here at Graham School! Students had a lot of fun "hugging" another class by secretly gifting them with a bag of goodies in their classroom, once they received a "hug" they paid it forward to the next class. Thank you to Mrs. Gresher for planning such a fun way to show each other some love! This week showed me again just what an amazing community we have here at Graham.

A shoutout to our amazing parents who volunteered for our final party of the school year, our Friendship party. The students had a blast with all of the fun activities that were planned. Thank you!

Today in lunch we rocked out to some music, just because! It was a great way to wrap up the week and head off into a 3-day weekend!

Enjoy the day off on Monday!

Go Falcons!

Rachel Witkowski

• February 19th | No School, President's Day
• February 23rd | iReady scores released in ParentVUE, 4:00pm
• February 23rd | PTA GLOW Party!, 6:00-7:30, 7:30-9:00
• February 26th | 2nd Grade Musical, 6:30pm
• February 27th | Falcon Family Picnic
• February 29th | No School, Parent/Teacher Conferences, 1:00-8:00
• March 1st | No School, County Wide Institute Day for teachers

GRAHAM PARENTS!!! Are you tired of hearing about the 5Essentials Survey?! Well, we need your help! We need at least 20% of parents to respond, but I know Graham is better than that, we can get WAY more than 20%. Please help us out!

So far we have 96% of our staff and 97% of our students who have taken the survey. We only have 16% of our parents.

As a parent, your voice is essential! All survey responses will be kept confidential.

To take the parent survey:

1. Visit IL 5Essentials Survey Link or scan this QR code
2. Type and select “Dupage” as "County." (The county is the location of the school district's main office.)
3. Type your school's name into the "School" field and select your school.
   
   

If we hit 50%, we'll have a school-wide GLOW LUNCH for the students. PLEASE take a few minutes to complete the survey!

Come on, Falcons!!! Let's GLOW!

Graham 2nd Grade Musical: “This is a School”

Monday, February 26th

6:30 pm

Graham Elementary Gym

We are so excited for all second grade students to perform the songs they have been learning in class together. More information will be sent home after winter break. We are looking forward to sharing our performance with you!

Melissa Plaskota, Graham Music Teacher

melissa_plaskota@ipsd.org

Spring conferences will be held on February 29th between 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm. Spring conferences are scheduled on an as-needed basis. Unlike the Fall, only 1 day off of school (February 29) is dedicated to spring conferences, so appointments are limited. Teachers will reach out to families with whom they feel a conference is necessary.

If your child’s teacher does not feel a conference is necessary at this time, but you have a concern, please reach out to your child's teacher to let them know and they will reserve a remaining conference time for you. Remember our staff is always available via email or phone any time you have questions or concerns.

Don't miss out on the memories - Order your yearbook today!

What better way to remember the 2023-2024 school year than to order a yearbook for your child! Yearbooks can only be purchased online through the HR Imaging website. Yearbook orders will not be accepted at school.

Order Deadline: March 1st

Cost: $18.00

Website: https://book.hrimaging.com/book/school.aspx

Questions? Please contact Darlene Stone, Graham Student Services Coordinator at darlene_stone@ipsd.org

February 2024

Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s):

During the period beginning Monday, March 4 and ending Friday, April 19, Indian Prairie

Community Unit School District 204 students enrolled in third through eighth grade will be

completing the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) assessments. Alternatively, students

with significant educational needs in grades three through eleven will complete the

Dynamic Learning Maps – Alternative Assessment (DLM-AA) within the Wednesday, March

13 through Wednesday, May 8 window.

The IAR assessment is an online group-administered achievement test designed to

measure student proficiency relative to the Illinois Learning Standards. The DLM-AA

measures student performance on standards aligned to the Common Core Essential

Elements. As mandated by the United States Department of Education, public school

districts in the State of Illinois are required to assess all students in the above grade levels

for the purpose of educational accountability.

Students will be assessed in the achievement areas of English Language Arts/Literacy

(ELA/L) and Mathematics. Individual students are not engaged in assessment during

the entire test window.

• Additional information concerning the IAR Assessment including test format,

sample test items, and notes about scoring is available online at

https://il.mypearsonsupport.com/practice-tests/

• Additional information concerning the DLM-AA is available online at

dynamiclearningmaps.org.

Please encourage your child to demonstrate his or her academic knowledge and skills

through these tests.

Thank you for your positive support of our district during the administration of these

important assessments. If you have additional questions regarding the IAR or DLM-AA

assessments, please contact your school’s principal.

Regards,

Charles Sprandel

Executive Director of Research and Assessment

Indian Prairie Community Unit School District 204

Graham School 24-25 Kindergarten Preview Night is scheduled for Tuesday, April 23 from 6:00-7:00pm.

Our Future Falcons Storytime has been scheduled for Friday, May 3 from 1:30-2:00.

Please make sure to let your neighbors know!

We are so excited to meet our Future Falcons!

Graham Families,

We are wrapping up the Ozzie Reading Club. This is a partnership with the Kane County Cougars Baseball team and Graham to encourage reading. Their mascot is Ozzie.

Ticket forms were sent home to all students on 2/12/24. Students must turn in the free ticket form if they want a ticket.

Graham’s Main Game: Thursday, May 23rd at 6:30. The Graham Chorus will sing. Graham Staff are encouraged to attend.

Second Game: Saturday, May 25th

Timeline:

Ticket Forms went Home 2/12/24

Ticket Order Forms Due 2/23/24, extra tickets ordered on Pushcoin.

Tickets will be sent home before the May 23rd Game - They will be packed in labeled envelopes.

Volunteering at Graham is a rewarding experience and a chance to feel the energy in the building. We welcome parents, grandparents, and community members. Children smile and feel proud when they spot a loved one volunteering at their school.

In January, we welcomed back several volunteers we haven’t seen in a while! It was exciting to catch up and see them enjoy their time in the building. Thank you for renewing your commitment to volunteering.

Makerspace - No training or experience required. Support students as they explore the makerspace in small groups. Students will enjoy having an encouraging word and teacher’s appreciate the support with collaboration and behavior expectations.

Makerspace: Sign Up Here

LMC - Training will be provided. Help maintain the library and create resources for teachers. Sign up for a Wednesday or Friday shift your first time so we can show you the ropes. Tasks will be tailored to your skill set and abilities.

LMC: Sign Up Here

District 204’s second annual Mental Health Symposium will be held on Saturday, March 9 at Metea Valley High School from 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM. This event is free, open to the public, and will feature a variety of mental health resources for parents and students in grades 8 – 12. The Mental Health Symposium will include a keynote session by author Dr. Devorah Heitner who is the author of Growing Up in Public and Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World. Dr. Heitner's work has appeared in the New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street journal and CNN Opinion. She has a Ph.D. in Media/Technology & Society from Northwestern University and has taught at DePaul and Northwestern. The keynote will be followed by a panel discussion with local experts to discuss the relevance of Dr. Heitner’s presentation in our schools and local community.

Attendees can anticipate a variety of breakout sessions tailored to both adults and teens, covering topics ranging from practical strategies for managing anxiety to embracing resilience and self-esteem. The event will also feature a book fair, a community resource fair, and childcare services for children aged three to ten.

View the Adult Breakout Sessions

View the Teen Breakout Sessions

For more information and registration, visit the Mental Health Symposium webpage.

If there is a change in your typical dismissal routine, please be sure to email your child's teacher the night before. If it is a last minute change, please CALL the main office. Any changes to dismissal after 3:00pm are difficult to accommodate, so to avoid frustration please make all attempts to minimize changes to your typical dismissal routine.

Thank you for your understanding!

• Regular elementary school hours are 9:05 am – 3:35 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Students may begin arriving each of these days at 8:50 am.

• Wednesday school hours are 9:15 am – 3:35 pm. This late start allows time for staff to engage in professional development opportunities. All arrival procedures, student supervision, and bus service will be delayed by 10 minutes every Wednesday of the school year.

• Regular preschool hours are: AM Session: 7:40 - 10:30, PM Session: 12:00 - 2:50.

• Please be sure to follow the preschool calendar.

In an effort to maintain a safe environment for staff and students, District 204 adheres to the following practices during arrival and dismissal.

Arrival Procedures:

• During the period of time when children are arriving in the morning, no adults, without an appointment, will be allowed into the schools. Children will be allowed in through normal procedures.

• Any adult, without an appointment, who wishes to go into the school to talk with the administration or drop something off at the school will need to wait until arrival procedures are completed for the students or call the office for assistance.

For all elementary schools, adults without an appointment will not be allowed between 8:50 am - 9:05 am Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. On Wednesday, that time is 9:00 am - 9:15 am.

Dismissal Procedures:

• At dismissal time, no adult will be allowed into the school during the time that students are being dismissed.
• Parents who need to speak with the office staff will need to wait until the dismissal process is completed for all students.

Any changes to dismissal plans need to be communicated to the school staff before 3:00pm. Any students being picked up for early dismissal should be picked up before 3:00pm.

Thank you, in advance, for adhering to these important safety procedures.

If your child will be absent from school for any reason, please remember to call the school office to report the absence (630-428-6900, press option 3). Please also share the reason for the absence, as our attendance system requires that a reason for the absence be entered. If you report the absence on voicemail, please include both your child's name and the reason for the absence. If our school nurse should need additional information, she will reach out to you directly.

V. Blanche Graham Elementary School is a Prekindergarten through 5th grade school located in South Naperville. Opened in 1996, Graham is fortunate to have supportive parents and dedicated staff and students who come prepared and eager to learn. We are part of Indian Prairie Community Unit School District #204, which is dedicated to the mission to "Inspire all students to achieve their greatest potential."

Email: rachel_witkowski@ipsd.org

Website: http://graham.ipsd.org/
Location: 2315 High Meadow Rd, Naperville, IL 60564, USA
Phone: 630-428-6900
Twitter: @GrahamElem204