HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Oh No! That crazy time of year is back again - this is all I hear people saying. Oh yes, the complaints about the cold weather have begun too! First and foremost, we live in Chicago, it is going to get cold in the winter - so let's think of the nice things that accompany cold weather.

1) There is no humidity!!!!! (Remember - It's not the heat, it's the humidity)

2) The snow makes everything look frosted. (Who doesn't like frosting?)

3) Sleds and ice skates are being used instead of just sitting in a closet and kids are smiling!!!


Yes this time is busy but think of the good things the holiday season brings.

1) Yummy treats we only get once a year (mmmmm those Cookie Calories).

2) Kids smiling in wonder at Santa.

3) People helping others in need and showing their caring ways.


Remember to always look for the positive in things; by doing this now the weather and the season will just seem better!! I hope you all take some time to relax, enjoy your families and have a wonderful holiday.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving Day is one of those joyous events we celebrate with lots of love and gratitude. Be thankful for the time spent with family (even if it's a little stressful). Don't sweat the small stuff, take time to appreciate the people in your life and the things you have. Remember the good times when you're going through the rough times; friends and family will help you through.


I am thankful for so many things this year: First and foremost, the wonderful addition to my family, Marc, who has brought so much joy and happiness to our home. My friends and family for all of their love and support. The students at Elizabeth Ide for making me smile each and everyday with their kind words and friendly smiles. The link below will take you to a fun fact page at TheHolidaySpot. This site is happy to bring you facts associated with Thanksgiving celebrations such as Thanksgiving turkey trivia, pilgrims, and Thanksgiving as a national holiday. These facts and trivia will not only enhance your knowledge about Thanksgiving Day, but will also let you share them with everyone you enjoy the day with.
http://www.theholidayspot.com/thanksgiving/trivia.htm

I hope you and your families all of a wonderful Thanksgiving!

END OF TRIMESTER

On Friday, November 12th the first trimester ended. The staff and students have worked diligently these past three months building upon skills learned last year. Report Cards will be sent home Tuesday, November 23rd to show the strengths, as well as areas of concern, for your children. Parent-Teacher Conferences will take place the week of November 30th. Teachers have sent home conference reminder slips; please make sure you send them back to confirm your appointment. We look forward to the second trimester and our continued work together for the benefit of our students!

NEW STANDARDIZED TESTING BEGINS AT IDE

MAP TESTING

MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) is a new test to District 66 this year and will replace the IOWA test which was given in years past. We will 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 math, reading and language arts. The test is taken on the computer.

MAP tests are unique in that they adapt to your child’s level of learning. As a result, each student has the same opportunity to succeed and maintain a positive attitude toward testing. With the use of MAP tests, we can administer shorter tests and use less class time while still receiving detailed, accurate information about your child’s growth. Over the next few weeks, your child will spend a total of about two to three hours completing these tests. Each school year, students in grades 2-8 take the tests in fall and again in the spring. This fall the 2nd grade test is being piloted. We are administering the test at this time to familiarize the students with the testing procedures therefore the results will not be sent home. The spring testing results will be sent home with the final report card.

We are truly excited to begin a new era that focuses on every child’s individual growth and achievement. Partnering to help all kids learn, parents and teachers can have a profound positive effect on the lives of our children. For more information on resources for parents, download the Parent Toolkit at www.nwea.org >> Partner Support.

Please feel free to call me at 630-783-5200 with any questions.

Mrs. Hansen

LOOKING TOWARDS OCTOBER

It's hard to believe that September has come to a close and the first month of school is over. Now we can look forward to October and the beautiful Chicago Fall weather, football, basketball and hockey (unfortunately no baseball :( - there's always next year)!

October Events at Ide

Monday, October 11th - NO SCHOOL - Columbus Day

Tuesday, October 12th - School Board Meeting @ PV 7:00

Wednesday, October 20th - Early Dismissal @ 12:00

All students are dismissed at noon and only AM kindergartners attend.

Thursday, October 21st - Ide PTO Meeting @ 7:00

Friday, October 22nd-Family Halloween Party 6 - 8

Tuesday, October 26th - School Board Meeting @ PV 7:00

Friday, October 29th - Classroom Halloween Parties and Parades

CHARACTER COUNTS AT ELIZABETH IDE

PBIS

Later this year, Elizabeth Ide will be implementing an approach to discipline called Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). PBIS is a proactive systems approach to establishing the behavioral supports and social culture needed for all students in a school to achieve social, emotional, and academic success.

As a Response to Intervention model, PBIS applies a three-tiered system of support, and a problem-solving process to enhance the capacity of schools to effectively educate all students.
Data-based decision-making aligns curricular instruction and behavioral supports to student and staff needs. Schools applying PBIS begin by establishing clear expectations for behavior that are taught, modeled, and reinforced across all settings and by all staff.

While we are being trained to implement this program, we will continue our Positive PAWS (Positive Amazing Wonderful Students) Program. Our students can earn pawprints for demonstrating the Pillars of Character (Trustworthiness, Responsibility, Respect, Fairness, Caring, Citizenship) anytime during the school day. The paws are brought down to the office and six lucky students are drawn each month to win a certificate and other "pawsitive" items. One student each month wins a Character Counts t-shirt or poster. All of the paws are hung on the Positive PAWS bulletin board at the end of the month.

RtI Begins Again

RTI

RtI will begin for our first graders on Monday, Sept. 13th and on Monday, Sept. 20th for our second graders. Letters went home today stating who your child's reading teacher will be. Our entire teaching staff works together to make this education initiative as productive as possible for our students. Therefore, your student may have a classroom teacher or one of our specialists as their reading teacher. Who the teacher is does not reflect on your child's abilities, but enables us to have teachers work with smaller groups of students to enhance their educational experience at Elizabeth Ide. Kindergarten RtI will begin after the first trimester. The following link will take you to a brochure created by District 66 to better explain RtI to you; http://www.ccsd66.org/Montes%20Website/HomePage.html . Please scroll down to "RtI: A Parent's Guide."


I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and if you have any questions please feel free to email me at jhansen@ccsd66.org or call me on Monday at 630-783-5200.