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Gower West News
January 11, 2024
Emergency School Closing
Friday, January 12 - eLearning Day
Gower West & Gower Middle will be closed
Gower School District 62 eLearning Day Schedule
- 8:00 am - 8:30 am - Teacher planning/preparation
- 8:30 am - eLearning modules and/or assigned work posted and period of availability, student engagement, instruction, supervision and support as needed begins
- 8:30 am - 11:30 am - 3-hour block of student engagement, instruction, supervision, monitoring and support as needed (adjusted due to scheduled Early Release Day)
- 11:30 am - 12:00 pm - Teacher duty free
- 12:00 pm - 3:45 pm - Verification/assessment of student work/engagement and professional responsibilities
Winter Break Upgrades
Making our School Building Safer & Brighter!
There was no rest or relaxation for the Gower West Building Attendants during the two weeks of Winter Break! Pictured above are the newly installed exchange tray and package pass-thru which complete the renovation project and make our school even safer! Visitors are able to conduct business without even having to enter the office!
The classrooms and learning areas received a deep clean, floors were polished and several maintenance projects were accomplished. Most exciting, and thanks to the generosity and support of the Gower PTO, two pretty cool murals were installed on the walls in the new building addition! These murals near the Gym and STEM Lab add some excitement and color to the wall space and provide direction to our visitors. We can't wait to add two more murals to celebrate music and art!
MAP Testing Next Week!
Winter Assessment Window Begins
During the weeks of January 15 and January 22, 1st - 4th grade students at Gower West (NO winter testing for Kindergarten) will take computer-based tests called Measures of Academic Progress™ (MAP). We give students MAP tests to determine their instructional level and to measure academic growth throughout the school year, and from year to year, in the areas of reading and mathematics.
You can help your child to do his/her best on the test days by:
making sure, if possible, that your child attends school on the days of the testing;
making sure that your child gets a good night’s sleep each night before testing;
letting your child know that you are confident in his/her ability to do his/her best; and
advising your child not to worry about the test, but to do the best that he/she can.
Additional information about MAP testing and a detailed explanation of results can be found on the Gower West website under the Academics tab, and clicking on Assessment & Grading. A summary report about your child’s performance on this year’s MAP assessments, fall, winter and spring, will be sent to you at the end of the school year. Mid-year results are not sent home in January as a practice, but parents may request the results following the winter assessment window if they would like to.
Classroom teachers will communicate dates/times for MAP testing. Thank you for your cooperation and support.
Purchase GW Spirit Wear!
Save the Date!
Gower's Annual Science Showcase & STEM Night!
Gower 62 is hosting our annual Science Showcase and STEM Night on February 15th from 6:00-7:30 pm at Gower West Elementary School! This event is for all students in grades K-8 and their parents. The 4th-8th grade students who registered their Science Showcase projects will have the opportunity to share their projects in an "open house" format from 6:00-7:00 pm; and the Gower staff will be facilitating 4 Survivor Family STEM Challenges from 6:00-7:30 pm. In addition, there will be outside guests from Indian Prairie Public Library, TinkRworks, the DuPage Regional Office of Education STEM Team, and more, with interactive STEM activities.
An RSVP Google Form link will be coming soon to register your family. Please join us for a great night of STEM learning and support our 4th-8th grade scientists and engineers!
Blood Drive at Gower West - 1/26/24
We are still looking for blood donors & event volunteers for the Gower West Blood Drive! DID YOU KNOW? We are currently in a national blood shortage and every donation helps! Every 2 seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood and or platelets. A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood. One donation can help save more than one life.
If you are able to donate blood, we ask that you consider signing up. If you are unable to or uncomfortable donating blood, we can still use your help in volunteering during the event.
When: Friday, January 26th from 1pm-5:45pm
Where: Gower West
How to Help: There are two ways to help for this important event:
1) Sign up to donate blood here!
2) Sign up to be a volunteer during the blood drive here!
Am I Eligible to Donate?
There are certain requirements that are necessary to be a whole blood or power red donor. You can find more information at this site: https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/eligibility-requirements.html.
What Happens After I Sign Up?
After you sign up, you will receive information from the Red Cross that will give you details on what to do before/after the donation, how to pre-register, and any other information you need.
What if I Have Another Question?
Feel free to email Maribeth Jankowski (imanot2@hotmail.com) or Meredith Mosconi (masigler@gmail.com) with any further questions.
Upcoming Events at Gower West
Please Mark Your Calendars
Monday, January 15
No School - M.L. King Jr. Birthday
Tuesday, January 16
MAP Testing
(3rd & 4th grades)
2:25 Spanish Club
2:25 2nd/3rd Brownies
Wednesday, January 17
MAP Testing
(1st, 2nd - Kurtz Nigro, Thompson,
Williams, 3rd, & 4th grades)
7:10 4th grade Chorus
2:25 Science Olympiad
2:25 Young Rembrandts
Thursday, January 18
MAP Testing
(2nd - Wander & 3rd AT Math)
7:10 3rd grade Chorus
2:25 Beginner Band rehearsal
Friday, January 19
College and Career Day
MAP Testing
(3rd AT Math)
6:30 - 8:30 PTO Family Dance @ Gower West
Join Us!
The Fun Fair is Coming Soon!
The planning committee will meet in January! Details TBA!
Do You Have Updates for the Parent Directory??
Please send any updates (address changes, additions or deletions) to gower62pto@gmail.com. If you did not receive the directory and would like to be added to the mailing list, please email the Gower PTO (gower62pto@gmail.com) with the subject: PARENT DIRECTORY 2024.
Looking for Parent Volunteers!
Junior Achievement Classes Start After the New Year!
We are looking for parent volunteers to help run the Junior Achievement program at Gower West! This is a great opportunity to work with students in your child’s classroom.
Junior Achievement presents an age-appropriate curriculum that teaches financial literacy, community connectedness, and entrepreneurship. Parent volunteers will work with the teacher to set up a weekly 45-minute session for 5-6 weeks. All materials and training are provided. Minimal preparation is required.
- FOURTH GRADE CLASS sessions will run in JANUARY-FEBRUARY.
- K-3 GRADE CLASS sessions will run in APRIL-MAY.
Follow the link below to sign up. We can only accommodate a maximum of 2 parent volunteers per class, so first come first served!
If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to Lynn at lsalahi@gmail.com. Thank you for your consideration!
Be a VIP at your child's next school event!
LAST CHANCE TO PURCHASE TICKETS FOR 2024 EVENTS!
DRAWING WILL BE JANUARY 15th!
Front Row Frenzy is still going strong!
Click the links below to purchase raffle tickets for VIP seating and parking at your child's 2024 school events! For the events with no seating, you can win one reserved premier parking spot. Each event will have 4 winners.
Text “Gower2023” or “Gower2024” to 33100 for direct links
Attention 8th grade parents, don’t miss out on your chance to win front row seats and reserved parking at graduation! Text “ GowerGraduation” to 33100 for direct links
Proceeds from these raffles will go to support The Gower Foundation's mission of providing enrichment opportunities for students and resources for Gower staff. Information about The Front Row Frenzy can also be found on the Gower Foundation Website.
Click here for 2024 events