The Election Results.....

Elizabeth Ide students had the opportunity to vote for the President.  Mrs. Schlagbaum, our Instructional Media teacher,  read election and voting books to her students and then held an "election" last Thursday and Friday.  The results mirrored the actual Presidential election with Barack Obama beating Mitt Romney 188 to 77.  Congratulations Ide students - good predicting!

FALL IS HERE

The beginning of this school year has flown by.  I can't believe we are in the middle of October already.  The staff have definitely created smooth routines for their classrooms and the students have adjusted to being in school beautifully.  October is a busy month, but make sure to stop and look at the beauty of Fall.  The leaves are bright, the wind is brisk and the sun is shining.

I will be out of the district from October 17th - 24th.  My office staff will be able to assist you while I am away.  This is going to be a bittersweet trip as I am going with friends to take Gary's ashes to his favorite fishing spot.  I remember his joy the first time he went deep sea fishing and how much fun he said he had - the giant fish on the wall at home is proof that he really did catch "The Big One"!   The good memories are really flooding in this week and I am so glad that I have them. 

Make some fun Fall memories with your friends and family - there are plenty of fall festivals around; take time to enjoy each other!

THE SCHOOL YEAR BEGINS

I cannot believe we are at the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year already.  I hope you all had a wonderful summer full of fun with family and friends.  My summer was very busy here at Ide but I managed to have a few days off to enjoy with my son Marc.  As of June 1st he became an official Hansen and I am so excited to be an "official" mom.  Below is a poem that I think fits the philosophy of Center Cass District 66 and the staff of Elizabeth Ide School.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do and I am looking forward to working with all of you and your children this year.

Wait Until They Get Back

Schools are like jigsaw puzzles

Each edge piece of a puzzle interlocks with two others to form the puzzle's framework 

and give structure and support to the puzzle as a whole

Each piece has a unique design and cut that ensure just the place  

to fit within the puzzle

Each morning, staff members form the edge pieces that interlock to create a safe

environment and give support to each and the whole

Each morning, they provide just the right place for each of the students 

to fit safely and securely

The staff members of Elizabeth Ide are the strength and stability, and like the

edge pieces, they do not stand alone in this responsibility, remember you are 

with us every step of the way

YOUR CHILDREN ARE OUR CHILDREN

SUMMER IS DRIFTING BY

We are almost at the end of June - can you believe it?  Summer always goes by so quickly.  Our custodial staff is diligently working to get Ide ready for the Fall and the arrival of our students.  I hope you have all had  opportunities to spend time with friends and family and relax.  If it hasn't happened yet make the time; before you know it school will be back in session and regrets may form.

I will be out of the office from Friday, June 29th - Monday, July 2nd and then I will be in intermittently the following week.  Please call the district office at 630-783-5000 if you have any questions or concerns and can't reach me.  

HAPPY SUMMER

Today we celebrate our last full day of school.  We celebrate with a good-bye to our wonderful 2nd graders, a can't wait to see you next year to our terrific first graders and a graduation ceremony for our adorable kindergartners.  This has been another successful year at Elizabeth Ide.  We hope you all have a wonderful summer full of relaxation and enjoyment.  Please feel free to call or email me during the summer if you have any questions or concerns.  I look forward to seeing you all again in the Fall.

ONE YEAR

This Memorial Day weekend I had a lot to think about.  Besides being grateful to all of our Veterans and current military who keep us safe and free everyday at the risk of their own lives, it was the one year anniversary of losing Gary.  I can't believe a year has gone by; I can't believe all that has happened this year.
Marc's brain surgery, my 5th year as principal, the selling of my horse Dreamy, the finalization of Marc's adoption - an emotional roller coaster ride for sure.  I have learned that with the love and support of friends and family anything is possible.  I have learned to enjoy every moment and to tell those you love how you feel everyday.

This year 6 Ide staff members are retiring; Mrs. Amish, Mrs. Bouton, Mrs. Cornfield, Mrs. Kreps, Mrs. Mazurowski and Mrs. Sis.  Each of these women brought something special to Elizabeth Ide and they will be truly missed. I thank them for their devotion and dedication to our students and to the teaching profession.  I thank them for their friendship and support and I wish them nothing but happiness and enjoyment in the "stress - free" years ahead.

Also, retiring this year is Dr. Jay Tiede, our superintendent.  I don't even know where to begin with this one.  Dr. Tiede was principal at Elizabeth Ide when I was hired as a fourth grade assistant.  I loved my job and was thrilled to be given the opportunity.  When a fifth grade teaching position opened, Dr. Tiede hired me on as a teacher.  It is because of his support and his faith in me, that I am in the Elizabeth Ide principal position today.  I will always be grateful to him for this and have enjoyed working for him these past fourteen years.  His devotion and dedication to Center Cass District 66 will be sorely missed.  I wish him many, many years of happiness with friends and family.  He truly deserves it!

Appreciation

This week we are celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week!  The teachers and staff at Elizabeth Ide truly care about our students and go above and beyond to give them the optimal educational experience.  I cannot thank them enough for all of their hard work and dedication.  I truly appreciate each and every one of them!  


We also appreciate all of the volunteers who are making this week so special by setting/cleaning up and cooking and/or sending in delicious food and beverages to make the lunches this week so wonderful.  We thank you so much - you have no idea how nice it is not to worry about packing a lunch.  

Also, don't forget about MOTHER'S DAY Sunday, May 13th.  Make sure to show your moms, grandmas, aunts and others who have represented a mother figure in your life how truly special they are.  This day was created so we could show these women how much they mean to us. 



Finally, May 9 - 11 I will be out of the district.  If you have any questions or concerns please call my office staff and they will help you or you may email me at jhansen@ccsd66.org and I will get back to you at my earliest convenience.  I hope you all have a wonderful week.   

PATIENCE PAYS OFF

The Big Day is Here

On Monday, Marc and I will be going to the Daley Center for the last court date needed before his adoption is final. The completed paperwork will take an additional four to six weeks, but then we are done. We are both so happy this day is finally here although it is bittersweet. I am definitely missing Gary right now; when I got the phone call about the court date I wanted to be able to call him with the good news. He was so excited about Marc and they shared a special bond in the short time they had together. So once again my message to all of you is - enjoy every moment you have with the people you love. Appreciate everything and don't let the little things get to you! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

What's Blooming???

April showers bring May flowers along with many happenings at Elizabeth Ide.....

Friday, April 13th - WHITE SOX Home Opener

(Just an FYI from your principal)

Monday, April 16th - Friday, April 20th

2nd Grade OLSAT testing

Wednesday, April 25th - Early Dismissal

AM Kindergarten Only Attends

Everyone is dismissed at Noon for buses

Pick-Ups are at 12:10

Thursday, April 26th - OPEN HOUSE/Book Fair

6:30 - 8:00 PM

Friday, April 27th - Reading Incentive Rain Day

Friday, May 4th - Movie Night @ PV 6:45

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE.....

This is a saying that we have heard numerous times and it is definitely true. You need patience to survive the daily grind, as well as getting through the difficult times. It is something that is very hard to teach, but we can model it for our children and students to help them gain this skill.

With Marc's adoption taking longer than expected (now we are looking at a late May/early June date) I have learned the importance of patience. With Gary's estate account still in a mess I have learned the importance of patience. Next week your children will be off for spring break, you will learn the importance of patience. This will be a good time to practice and model patience. Count to 10, walk away (not too far) or take a deep breath when things become tough. If you do lose your cool, shake it off and move on. Don't beat yourself up for it; learn from it. Each experience you learn from makes you a better person.

I hope you all have the wonderful and relaxing spring break you deserve.

Another Successful Conference Week

This week we held our Parent-Teacher conferences. I would like to take this opportunity to thank both our teachers and parents for taking the time to meet. By working together we can provide the best education possible for our children/students. I hope you all have a wonderful and relaxing extended weekend.

Upcoming Events

Friday, March 9th - No School - P-T Conferences

Tuesday, March 13th - School Board Meeting @ PV 7:00

Friday, March 16th - Movie Night @ PV 6:45

Tuesday, March 20th - No School - Teacher Institute

Wednesday, March 21st - 1st Grade Music Concert @ LV 7:00

(Students should arrive at 6:45)

Monday, March 26th - Friday, March 30th - SPRING BREAK

LEAP into March

2012 is a Leap Year

• Leap year consists of 366 days, as opposed to a common year, which has 365 days.
  During Leap Years, we add a Leap Day, an extra – or intercalary – day on February 29. Nearly every 4 years is a Leap Year in our modern Gregorian Calendar.

• Leap Years are needed to keep our calendar in alignment with the Earth's revolutions around the sun. It takes the Earth approximately 365.242199 days (a tropical year) to circle once around the Sun.

• However, the Gregorian calendar has only 365 days in a year, so if we didn't add a day on February 29 nearly every 4 years, we would lose almost six hours off our calendar every year. After only 100 years, our calendar would be off by approximately 24 days!

• Julius Caesar introduced Leap Years in the Roman empire over 2000 years ago, but the Julian calendar had only one rule: any year evenly divisible by 4 would be a leap year. This lead to way too many leap years, but didn't get corrected until the introduction of the Gregorian Calendar more than 1500 years later.

ARE WE SURE THIS IS WINTER?

Wow!! I don't think we could have asked for a milder winter. I will definitely miss this in July when everyone will be complaining about Chicago humidity!

February is a busy month at Elizabeth Ide; below is a list of the happenings taking place.

Saturday, February 4th - Market Day @ PV 9:30

Wednesday, February 8th - 100th Day

Don't forget "LEND A HAND, GIVE A CAN"

Wednesday, February 8th - Ide PTO Meeting @ 7:00

Friday, February 10th - District Fundraiser @ Cabana Charley's

Tuesday, February 14th - Valentine's Day Parties

Tuesday, February 14th - School Board Meeting @ PV 7:00

Monday, February 20th - NO SCHOOL - President's Day

Thursday, February 23rd - Spring Picture Day

Saturday, February 25th - Snowflake Ball - 6:30 - 8:00

Tuesday, February 28th - Early Dismissal @ Noon

PM KINDERGARTEN ATTENDS

JANUARY BENCHMARKING

Benchmarking

During the past two weeks our students have completed their January benchmarking. Students who are currently being progress monitored, who are not meeting targets or who are changing RtI groups will receive a letter and/or scores next Friday, January 27th. All other students will receive their benchmark data with the second trimester report cards.

Also, Mrs. Nessling our reading specialist will be on a medical emergency leave for the next couple of months. Mrs. Zurales is her substitute. If you have any questions about this situation or benchmarking please feel free to contact me at 630-783-5200.

WELCOME TO 2012

So far, so good!!! The beginning of 2012 has started out very well; we are back in full swing and will start the winter benchmarking session this week. I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday break and had some time to relax.

January is a busy month; below is a list of upcoming happenings

Tuesday, January 10 - School Board Meeting at PV @ 7:00

Monday, January 16 - NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Wednesday, January 25 - Early Dismissal

ONLY AM Kindergarten attends

Dismissal is at noon ; Pick-ups are at 12:10

Friday, January 27 - Reading Incentive - Pajama Day