Willow Parent Bulletin #28

March 25, 2022

Spring fever:

Here it comes...sunshine, baseball, and end of the year activities. Once we return, we only have about 8 more weeks with your Wildcat. We will be packing on the learning in combination with fun activities. With all of this going on, keeping your Wildcat on a set schedule will be more important than ever. Web MD says 3-6 year olds should get 10-12 hours of sleep each night (7-12 Years Old: 10 - 11 hours per day). A good night's sleep maximizes their ability to attend and participate.

Students should be here by 8:00 AM each morning. All perimeter doors are locked at 8:05AM, which is when your child should be in their classroom. When your students comes in late, his/her whole day starts off kilter. It's a disruption for your child as well as the other students in the classroom. If there are no staff in neon vests at the curb when you pull up, you need to walk your child into the office and sign in.

We love seeing so many parents/guardians walking their Wildcats each day. Please remember that biking to school starts when they go to Churchill. Dogs, unless service or therapy, should not be on the school property.

Be sure to check the signs in the areas where you park and be considerate of our school neighbors. The cul-de-sac in the northwest corner of the property on Highland is for buses only. It's not safe for cars and students to be in that area. We also ask that when crossing the street you use the crossing guards. Keep in mind that we are setting examples for students at all times.

We hope your break is full of fun! School resumes on Monday, April 4th. The Office will be closed during break, but I can be reached by email, if needed. See you soon!

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ISO: Kindergarten students for next year

If you have a child who will turn 5 on/before September 1, 2022, he/she is old enough to become a Wildcat! Here are some important things to know:

You can pick up a Kindergarten packet starting Monday, April 4th in the Willow Office
Online registration begins Monday, April 11th
Evening packet pick-up from 3-6:30 PM will be on Thursday, April 7th.The nurse will also be here that evening if you have any questions regarding forms, allergies, etc.
Please let us know you have a future Wildcat by completing this brief survey: https://forms.office.com/r/9rGzSuvER8
There will not be an in-person Kindergarten Orientation this year for safety reasons. You can, however, learn all about next year on this video from our staff: https://youtu.be/zJQ1YQW3OBk

PreK Screening dates:

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Book Blurb: "Sprouting Wings; The True Story of James Herman Banning"

I enjoy finding biographies for the children to read and learn from, and this title,

Sprouting Wings: The True Story of James Herman Banning is a gem of a find. He was the first African American pilot to fly across the United States. We first meet James as a five-year-old boy and what inspires him to learn to fly. He never gave up his dream, even in times of adversity, he persevered. Authors Louisa Jaggar and Shari Becker took their 7 years of research, an interview with James’s great-nephew, Floyd Cooper’s beautiful illustrations and turned it into this truly worth reading biography. You may check this title out through the Homewood Public Library.

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Shout Outs:

The extra down time over break is a great opportunity to let the staff at Willow know they do a great job. You can give them a "shout out" on the link below. I share all of these with staff each week.

https://forms.office.com/r/Y0XRxP45ys

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Erin's Law presentation:

Our Social Worker, Mrs. Gatewood, and Counselor, Mrs. Lang, will be continuing their lessons on child safety soon. This is the last in the series of 3 lessons.

This last lesson will take place after spring break. During this lesson the students will hear use of proper anatomical language. All lessons will have home links for parents to follow up with at home. If you feel this state mandated part of the curriculum is not something in which you want your child to participate, please notify the Willow School Office.

You can find more information at:

http://www.erinslawillinois.org

https://www.secondstep.org/child-protection

Parent Instructions on how to access Home Links and Resources after Erin’s Law presentations:

1. Go to website, http://www.secondstep.org/

2. Enter the Kit Activation Code as assigned by your child’s grade level;

Early Learners (Preschoolers): CPUE FAMI LYGE

Kindergartners: CPUE FAMI LYGK

First Graders: CPUE FAMI LYG1

Second Graders: CPUE FAMI LYG2

3. Go to Second Step Child Protection Unit.

4. Click on View Family Resources on the Family Resources tab.

5. Click on your child’s grade level tab.

6. Click on Home Links & Family Resources.

7. Click on Lessons 4 Home Links for details on lessons being taught as well as activities you can do with your child to reinforce the concepts taught.

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Parent Music Association (PMA):

Looking to get more involved in your student’s music education and participation? The Homewood Parent Music Association, a non-profit organization, has been supporting the outstanding music program in District 153 from pre-K to 8th grade. PMA is looking for new members and nominees for our Executive Board! Contact homewoodpma@gmail.com to express your interest or if you know of someone who would be a good fit for positions like Treasurer, Secretary, Fundraising and Properties (Uniforms).

Last day to order your Butter Braids:

Friday, March 25th is the last day to order Butter Braids online. Please visit this link to register your child and place your Butter Braid order.

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Coming this spring: May 2- May 6

Screen-Free Week is an annual invitation to play, explore, and rediscover the joys of life beyond ad-supported screens. During the first week of May, thousands of families, schools, and communities around the world will put down their entertainment screens for seven days of fun, connection, and discovery. More information to come!