Clow School News

• A Message from Mrs. Bennett
• Important Upcoming Dates
• New School Playground Excitement & School Grounds Safety Reminders
• Plans for Back to School Meet & Greet (August 21st)
• Directions for Viewing Teacher Assignments in ParentVUE
• Tentative Grade Level Teachers & Room Assignments
• First Day of School (1st - 5th Grades)
• Plan for Kindergarten First Day (with Parent/Guardian)
• Curriculum Night Details
• Arrival/Dismissal Procedures
• Arrival & Dismissal Map
• Arrival/Dismissal Information Form (for parent completion!)
• Directions for Viewing Transportation Information in ParentVUE
• Information on MyStop Mobile App
• School Hours
• District 204 Visitor Procedures
• Reporting School Absences
• Lunch & Snack Information
• School Supplies

Clow families,

While we still have several days of summer vacation left to enjoy, the new school year is right around the corner! This week's newsletter is once again filled with very important information regarding plans for our first few days and the school year ahead. I do promise that these updates from school will get shorter! If you did not have a chance to thoroughly read and review the last School News, you have another opportunity this week to review this important information.

I want to highlight one very important section of this newsletter. If you have not yet completed the ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL INFORMATION FORM (linked here and below) for each of your children who will attend Clow, please complete it today! Currently, we only have this information for 40 students. Knowing how everyone will arrive and depart each day is a high priority in keeping all students safe. Thank you for completing this today! I encourage you to review our Arrival and Dismissal Plan, too! This information has been updated and will be a good refresher for all.

Please reach out to our office if you have any questions. See you all very soon!

Take care!

Katie Bennett

katie_bennett@ipsd.org

Thursday, August 17th - Teacher Assignments Available in ParentVUE (4:00 pm)

Monday, August 21st - Meet & Greet (see details below)

Thursday, August 24th - First Day of School (full day) for Students in Grades 1-5

Thursday, August 24th - Kindergarten Orientation Visits (see details below)

Friday, August 25th - First Full Day of School for Kindergarten Students

Wednesday August 30th - DELAYED START WEDNESDAY (Bus Service and Start of School delayed by 10 minutes every Wednesday)

Wednesday, August 30th - Curriculum Night for Parents/Guardians (see details below)

Friday, September 1st - Spirit Day (wear green/gold or school spirit wear today!)

Monday, September 4th - No School (Labor Day)

Tuesday, September 5th - No School (Institute Day for Staff)

Our newly renovated school playground is nearly complete! Through a grant submitted by State Representative Janet Yang Rohr, IPSD 204 received $1 million to support playground renovations at nine elementary schools, ours included. Additional funds for the project were provided by IPSD 204. Thank you Representative Rohr and IPSD 204!

If you live nearby or have passed by this summer, I'm sure your student(s) have enjoyed watching the new playground come to life! I certainly have too. The staff and I are excited to see our students play and explore on the first day of school.

We anticipate that the fencing around the playground will come down just before students return on August 24th, so that our very own Clow Cougars are the first to experience the new play space. On the first day of school, students and teachers will review the playground expectations. With new swings, new slides, new spinners, new music makers, and new climbers there will be a lot to enjoy and we also want to ensure that students and visitors use it well. We want this new playground to be enjoyed for years and years to come. I ask that you talk to your child(ren) to remind them about the expectations for public playground use, etiquette and enjoyment.

As an important reminder, staff supervision of the playground is NOT available before or after school. Students will always be supervised by teachers and staff when they use the playground during school hours. Students will be expected to follow all safety rules while they play. Students should NOT arrive to school earlier than 8:50 am (9:00 am on Wednesdays) nor should they stay at school after the 3:35 pm bell. Only those students with a supervising parent/guardian may be on school grounds before or after school and it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to monitor students' play.

Please be reminded of these other important safety practices while on school grounds:

• Students (and accompanying parents) are asked to walk their bikes while on school property. Please talk with your students about this important safety reminder.
• Arrival and dismissal is a busy time on school property. While we understand that our furry family members may enjoy walks this time of year, it is best if pets do not accompany your student for drop off or pick up. If they do, leashed pets should be kept away from school sidewalk areas, entry/exit doors, congested areas, and the playground.

Thank you, in advance, for helping us maintain a safe environment for all students.

As a school community, we are invested in the development of positive relationships and connections between our students and teachers. As we look forward to the new school year, we also look forward to having an opportunity to invite students in to meet their new teacher and to drop off school supplies before the year begins. We have scheduled our Back to School Meet & Greet for Monday, August 21st from 2:15 pm - 3:00 pm.

Please keep the following in mind as you plan your visit for Meet & Greet:

• We will have multiple doors open to enter and exit. Doors 1, 3, and 4 will be opened for entry at 2:15 pm. Families may choose to enter at any of these doors.
• Staff will be available to direct you to classrooms. Room assignments will be provided prior to August 21st, so that you know where you are headed when you arrive.
• Students are encouraged to bring school supplies on August 21st. Teachers will provide families with directions on how to unpack the supplies in the classroom.
• After meeting your child(ren)'s teacher(s) and unpacking supplies, we invite families to socialize outdoors, after your visit, if you choose. We hope your child(ren) will enjoy a cold treat (freeze pop) when outside, too!
• If you are unable to attend on August 21st, students will be assisted in finding their classrooms on the first day of school and may bring their school supplies on that day!

Please look for further communication the week prior to August 21st to confirm these details and plans!

Kindergarten

• Mrs. Miller (Room 109)
• Ms. Notariano (Room 112)
• Mrs. (Sherpan) Rosanova (Room 108)

1st Grade

• Mrs. McLearen (Room 102)
• Mrs. Stipp (Room 101)

2nd Grade

• Mrs. Hogan (Room 150)
• Mrs. Mulacek (Room 141)
• Ms. Siegler (Room 113)

3rd Grade

• Mrs. Berta (Room 209)
• Mrs. Park (Room 210)
  

4th Grade

• Mr. Andrews (Room 201)
• Mr. Mackowiak (Room 211)
• Mrs. Street (Room 202)

5th Grade

• Mr. Martin (Room 208)
• Mrs. Waller (Room 204)

RISE Team

• Mrs. Fasel (Room 153)
• Mrs. Guleserian (Room 155)
• Ms. Johnson (Room 154)

Suggested Entrances for Grade Levels for Meet & Greet:

• Kindergarten - enter through Door 2 (front of building, to left of main entrance when facing the building)
• 1st Grade - enter through Door 1 (front of building, main entrance)
• 2nd Grade - enter through Door 3 (back of building, entrance nearest to bike racks & Dewhurst Lane)
• 3rd Grade - enter through Door 4 (back of building, entrance nearest to playground) & take any stairwell to the upstairs - all 3rd grade classrooms are in the north hallway
• 4th Grade - enter through Door 1 (front of building, main entrance) & take stairwell nearest office - all 4th grade classrooms are upstairs
• 5th Grade - enter through Door 2 (front of building, to left of main entrance when facing the building) & use any stairwell for upstairs - all 5th grade classrooms are upstairs
• RISE Classrooms - enter through Door 1 (front of building, main entrance) and walk down main hallway to far north hallway of the building for RISE classrooms

If you have multiple students, you are welcome to choose the entrance that works best for you! Staff members will be available at these entrances to assist and guide you to classrooms.

Students in grades 1-5 will begin with a full day of school on Thursday, August 24th. We will follow the regular school hours of 9:05 am - 3:35 pm on that first day. Our first bell will ring at 8:50 am and students may begin to enter the building at that time.

Due to safety/security practices and procedures, only students will be allowed in the building on the first day of school. Staff will be available to assist all students with entering the building and finding classrooms. We understand that some students may feel anxious on this first day. Know that our staff will happily assist with the transition between saying goodbye to their loved one and getting to their classroom on this big day! Please understand that parents/guardians will not be admitted into the building. Thank you for your understanding.

General school arrival/dismissal information procedures are linked below. Please begin to make a plan with your student(s) about how they will arrive and depart school each day. We understand that sometimes the plan for the first day of school is different than how the student will normally arrive and depart. Please talk about this with your student(s) so that he/she knows exactly how to go home on the first day, and every day thereafter!

We are excited to welcome our newest Cougars to Clow School on Thursday, August 24th, for a shortened visit! Please see below for important information regarding this special day:

• While Thursday, August 24th is the official first day of school in District 204, kindergarten students will only attend for a short period of time on this day. We believe it is important to use this day to help kindergarten students ease into their new learning environment.

• Kindergarten children and a parent/guardian (no more than 2 adults should attend with each kindergarten child) will attend a session based on the schedule listed below. Parents should arrange for childcare for younger siblings as they will not be permitted into the building for the visit. Thank you for your cooperation!

• Please use the information below to determine your scheduled visit time (thank you for adhering to this schedule):

Last Names beginning with:

• A-D (9:45 am - 10:30 am)
• E-J (10:30 am - 11:15 am)
• K-O (11:15 am - 12:00 pm)
• P-Z (12:00 pm - 12:45 pm)

Kindergarten students will begin with a full day of school on Friday, August 25th.

We are looking forward to meeting with parents on the evening of Wednesday, August 30th to share information about the learning opportunities each student will engage in this school year. The evening is structured in 30 minute sessions to provide options for parents. We invite you to choose one session to attend for each student you have at Clow. These sessions will take place in person at Clow School.

Please note that Curriculum Night is structured for adults. We ask that parents make arrangements for both your school-age children as well as younger siblings to stay home that evening while you attend the meeting(s). Students will have an opportunity to join you for a visit to school during the Spring Open House. The times for the Curriculum Night sessions are listed below.

Session One – 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm

Session Two – 6:40 pm - 7:10 pm

Early August is a good time to make plans for how your child will arrive to school and be dismissed from school each day. All families, new and returning, should review the Clow School Arrival/Dismissal Procedures (linked below).

An Arrival/Dismissal Information Form was included as part of the registration process. If you did NOT complete that during registration, we ask that you complete this form so that our teachers will know how your student(s) will arrive and depart each day. This form should be completed for each student you have at Clow School, prior to August 18th.

• Regular 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.

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 3:15 pm. Any students being picked up for early dismissal should be picked up before 3:15 pm.

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 (630-428-6060, 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.

LUNCH INFORMATION: Students may choose to bring a lunch from home or purchase a hot lunch at school each day. Lunch service will begin on the first day of school. The price for a paid lunch for the 2023-24 school year will be $3.15 per meal for elementary students. Milk may be purchased ala carte for $0.75 (white milk) or $0.85 (chocolate milk). School lunch and milk purchases are made through PushCoin. Details regarding the process can be found HERE. Further information about school lunch through Organic Life can be found on the district website and linked HERE. This includes the lunch menu and links to the application for free/reduced lunch waiver.

Grade level lunch schedule information will be shared prior to the start of the school year.

SNACK INFORMATION: Students may opt to bring a snack to eat at school either in the morning or afternoon (dependent upon when the grade level lunch is scheduled) following these guidelines: Snacks must be limited to fresh fruit or vegetable (no packaged foods, dips, sauces, chips, bars, etc.). This limitation to fruits and vegetables assists with creating a safe environment for all students in the classroom. Thank you for adhering to these guidelines if you do choose to send your child with a snack.

We encourage students to come to school each day with a water bottle. Students will have access to water filler stations, if they should need to fill their bottle during the school day.

While some families may have chosen to taken advantage of purchasing a school supply kit through our PTA, others may be purchasing supplies for your student at stores or online. Please use the link below to view the supply lists specific to each grade level and our RISE self-contained classrooms.