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Avoca West News
October 23, 2023
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🍁 Building Connections - Gearing Up for Fall Conferences 🍂
We have been welcoming community members to our buildings in the past few weeks for our "All In Avoca" Open Houses and look forward to connecting with caregivers at this week's Fall Conferences. As a reminder, Wednesday and Thursday will be half days attendance for students (11:45 dismissal) with no school on Friday. Wednesday's conferences will be in person and Thursday's conferences will be done virtually.
Our teachers are eagerly preparing for the time together and look forward to connecting with caregivers to discuss the shared goal of making sure each student feels successful and welcomed here at Avoca West. According to the Child Mind Institute, when parents and teachers work together, everyone benefits:
- Students tend to earn higher grades,
- Perform better on tests,
- Attend school more regularly,
- Have better behavior, and
- Show more positive attitudes toward themselves and toward school
How can you prepare for a successful conference with your child's teacher(s):
- Talk with your child before the conference to learn what they think about what's going well in school and if they have any concerns about learning or friendships.
- Jot down any questions you have for your child's teacher. These can be questions about expectations, behaviors, friendships, successes, struggles, or specific supports that might be in place or available at school. Perhaps you're interested in learning about any resources or recommendations that your child can work on at home. We're here to help!
- Note any updates from home that might be helpful for your child's teacher to know about. You are BEST connected to your child and have their overall development. Share your expertise with our staff so that we can learn from you!
Most importantly, please know that this is just one moment in time for us to connect in a formal way. Every day is a potential parent-teacher conference day. We pride ourselves on our home-school connections and our committed, engaged families and know that takes effort on both sides. Many thanks for your ongoing partnership!
Nurture Diversity -- Fall Celebrations
Next Tuesday marks Halloween and a chance for many to toss on a costume and scurry around in the search for candy! At Avoca West, we have had many different variations of celebrations with students and families over the past ten years, making adjustments for weather, safety, COVID, and much more. We continue to revisit and revise our practices in the service of making sure that school is a safe, welcoming space for students to gather -- not just on October 31st, but on every day of the school year!
This Tuesday, October 31st...
Our PTC room reps have been busy preparing for classroom celebrations which will take place from 1:30-2:30. In order to keep things as predictable, safe, and low key as possible, we will plan to have our parade inside for students and staff only. The 2:30 end time will allow our volunteers (4 per classroom max) to move their cars and to open up the traffic flow for our usual dismissal.
Halloween is not traditionally celebrated in all cultures, so students are absolutely not required to dress in costume. If your student is dressing up:
- Toy weapons or look-alike weapons are not allowed at school.
- Gore, fake wounds, fake blood is frightening for our younger students. Please save that for outside of school.
No hair color/spray put on at school -- it makes it pretty tough to breathe those fumes and some students are allergic to these products
- Please be mindful of our diverse community and cultural backgrounds. Costumes should not depict cultural stereotypes.
Students should NOT come to school in costumes. They should have a costume that they can just pull on over their clothes or change into quickly and independently. Supervision will not be provided to help students change into costumes.
Finally, our District administration team knows that classroom parties are not for all of our students and will be helping to staff a separate space at school for students who do not wish to take part in the classroom parties. We will have games, snacks, and a mellower space together for anyone who needs it!
Getting Ready to Gather Together
Avoca PTC's 2023 Intercultural Night
Avoca's biggest and most beloved community-building event of the year is right around the corner - Intercultural Night! Mark your calendars for November 11, 2023, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Marie Murphy, as we celebrate our diverse cultures and strengthen our bonds. This year's theme is All ONE Avoca 37. Expect an evening filled with an array of cultural performances, music, dance, food from around the globe, a World Market, and much more!
The Intercultural Registration Form is now open. Please complete this form if you plan on attending, contributing food, signing up for the Talent Show, and/or volunteering by Friday, October 27. Ticket prices and payment options are listed on the form. The easiest and preferred method is through the Membership Toolkit via credit/debit card (no transaction fee).
One More Chance Left! Your Engagement is Critical!
Viking VIPs - Stay Tuned for Next Week's Newsletter!
Mark Your Calendars
Mark Your Calendars!
Wednesday, October 25th -- Half Day Students (In Person Conferences 3-7)
Thursday, October 26th -- Half Day Students (Remote Conferences 3-7pm)
Friday, October 27th -- Teacher Institute Day -- NO students
Monday, October 30th -- Glenview Fire Department Visits - Fire Safety Month
Friday, November 10th -- Veteran's Day Breakfast (at Marie Murphy) - See Information Above!
Saturday, November 11th -- Intercultural Cultural Dinner and Talent Show (at Marie Murphy)
For future dates, see the Avoca West and District calendars on our website!
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Questions? Comments?
Website: http://avoca37.org/avocawest/
Location: 235 Beech Drive, Glenview, IL, United States
Phone: 847-724-6800
Twitter: @AvocaWest37