Viking Family Digest

The Viking sports and clubs are up and running! Volleyball and Cross Country have started to compete with games at home and away. Viking Clubs have also started this week, with some new additions! Be sure to visit our website for a list of clubs and watch the daily news under "daily announcements". An important part of middle school, is trying new opportunities - and our clubs and sports are a great way for our Vikings to do this. We encourage our families to partner with us and talk with your Viking to see how they can get involved!

-Ms. Marks

• 09/11 - 09/22: Fall 2023 FastBridge Assessments
  
• 09/12: PTO Chipotle Fundraiser
• 09/13: PTO Meeting
  
• 09/13: District 47 Job Fair
• 09/15: District 47 Job Fair
• 09/18: Be Seen/Be Heard
• 09/19: SOS @ RBMS 7th Grade
• 09/20: Early Release @ 1pm
  
• 09/21: SOS @ RBMS 8th Grade
  
• 09/27: Secure and Teach Drill
  
• 09/29: End Term One
• 10/03: Ukrainian Lunch Bunch
• 10/05: Fall Picture Day Retakes
• 10/06: Year Book Orders Due
• 10/09: Columbus Day - No School
• 10/11: Lockdown Drill
• 10/11: PTO Meeting
• 10/18: Early Release - 1pm

Bernotas Sports Calendar
District 47 2023-2024 School Calendar

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and next week is National Suicide Prevention Week. As we all know the pandemic has impacted everyone's mental health, especially adolescents. Many citizens have felt isolated and alone during these times. This is why, now more than ever, it is important to be aware of warning signs and ways to help those in need. This article identifies warning signs and actions you can take.

Bernotas students will be taking FastBridge assessments at least 3 times this year. Our first screeners will be taking place on Tuesday, September 12th and Thursday, September 14th. Here are some tips to help your child be successful with showing their full understanding of the content being assessed:

• Ensure your child charges their Chromebook the night before testing

• Get a healthy and filling meal for dinner the night before and breakfast and lunch the day of testing

• Turn off technology early and get a good night’s sleep

• Remind your child to do their best so we can best support their learning and meet their needs

One of the tools we use to support students in having a voice is talking circles. Talking circles can be about any topic and give us the opportunity to listen to others with the purpose of understanding. We have been utilizing talking circles recently to create respect agreements.

Respect agreements address behaviors that rules can’t: our pet peeves. In a classroom, most problems are caused by people, students and teachers, unknowingly getting on each other’s nerves. Creating a respect agreement is a collaborative process that requires the input of the group it is intended for. Once created, the respect agreement is a visual reminder of the implicit understandings reached by the class.

Ask your student if they have been involved in a respect agreement talking circle and what they think and feel about the process. They have so many wonderful ideas to share!

In accordance with a state mandate regarding Erin’s Law (Public Act 96-1524), Crystal Lake Elementary District 47 will be teaching the Be Seen and Heard©2.0 curriculum, a prevention-oriented child sexual abuse awareness program for students in grades K-8. Be Seen and Heard©2.0 is an age-appropriate, engaging curriculum created by professional speaker Victor Pacini that focuses on the difference between safe and unsafe touch and the importance of having trusted heroes, someone the child trusts and can turn to for help. To learn more about Erin’s Law or the Be Seen and Heard©2.0 curriculum, visit www.erinslaw.org or www.victorpacini.com. Victor has created an informational video for families regarding his Be Seen and Heard©2.0 curriculum. To view, please go to:

• Peace of Mind Video for Parents - English
• Peace of Mind Video for Parents - Spanish

It is important to emphasize that, due to the sensitive nature of this topic, the information associated with this program is presented thoughtfully and varies depending upon a student’s grade level. Bernotas will present this program on Monday, September 18th.

If your child is not in attendance on the day and time of the presentation and we have not received an opt out notice from you, your child will be scheduled for a make-up presentation with a school clinician sometime within a few weeks of the above presentation date. For any questions about the content of the program or Erin’s Law, please contact Dr. Carolyn Stadlman in the Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment at (815) 788-5036.

• As a reminder, cell phones and all mobile devices, including smart watches, MUST be TURNED OFF and put away in their locker from 7:40am-2:14pm.
• If your child needs to contact you, please remind them to come to the office and ask for permission. If they follow this expectation, we will happily let them use the phone. If we find that the students are using their phones without permission, we will enforce our school procedures.
• Cell phones and mobile devices can be turned on at the end of the school day (after dismissal bell) and should be used primarily to communicate with parents/friends who are assisting with transportation.
• Cell phones and mobile devices may not be used during transition times or between classes.
• Consequences of cell phone violations can be found here.

School Event Safety

At school events, the district is investing in enhanced communication and signage, an app that allows attendees to report concerns at events, and additional security guards at home football games. District 155 will not allow anyone to re-enter school events and no bags, no balls, no outside drinks or food will be allowed (unless for medical purposes). The Crystal Lake and Cary police departments will continue to have a police presence at District 155 home football games. At Crystal Lake Central, middle and elementary school students will need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian in order to enter the stadium.

• All ELA classes visited the LMC for a library orientation

• Students are allowed to checkout two books for three weeks

• Primary + Secondary Source lessons in 7th grade SS classrooms
  

• Paraphrasing and Citation lessons in 8th grade SS classrooms

• Small groups and large groups visited the LMC for various learning opportunities and activities (read aloud, extra support, etc.).

• Science Fiction books will be our SPOTLIGHT genre!

To check out the clubs and activities, click here!

Golf Club is starting up in September. Please completed the Golf Club Permission Slip. There is a cost of $5.00 per session. Students will ride the school bus to Turnberry Golf Club 9600 Turnberry Trail, Village of Lakewood at 2:15pm. Students will need to coordinate rides home promptly at 3:30pm. Please contact Mr. Krol.

Does your student stay after school for sports or clubs? We offer activity buses. Activity buses run on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. All activity buses leave Bernotas Middle School at 4:15 pm from the front of the building and all drop off times are approximate. Activity Bus Schedules.

Car Pick Ups: If you are picking up your student from a sport or club at 4 pm please be aware of the elementary buses that are loading. If the STOP sign is out and the lights are flashing, do not pass the bus.