Dear Families,
It was great to pop into classrooms this week and see all our Wildcats hard at work for a full week of school! I’m continually in awe of our teaching staff and how they create authentic learning opportunities for our students. In addition, it’s so nice to see our students following the K,R,R,R (Kind, Respectful, Responsible, and Ready to Learn) and show excitement over our PAWS reward program. Ask your child about blue and gold paws!
Please see detailed information below about upcoming Halloween festivities at Ivy Hall School.
Have a great weekend,
Mike Senatore
NEW *Upcoming Dates in October*
- Tuesday, October 24 ~ Early Release
- Friday, October 27 ~ PTO hosts Wildcat Willy’s Chocolate Factory!
- Tuesday, October 31 ~ Halloween Parade and Parties
NEW *Halloween Festivities on Tuesday, October 31*
The Halloween Parade will begin at 1:40 pm outside of Door #6 also known as the “Buffalo Doors”. The parade route will run counterclockwise around the building. Parents are not allowed in the building during the parade.
Parents can enjoy the outside parade. We encourage you to wave and take pictures of your child during this time. Students will use the sidewalk to follow the parade route around the school.
Once students have walked around the school, they will come back inside the building for their class party. Only Halloween party volunteers will be allowed in the building after the parade. If you are a parent volunteer for the Halloween party, you must enter through the front door and sign in as usual. If you have questions about being a party volunteer, please reach out to our PTO. As a reminder, there is no outside food allowed at Halloween parties.
If the weather does not cooperate and we are unable to have the Halloween parade outside, we will email parents before 1:00pm notifying you that the outdoor parade has been canceled.
NEW *IMPORTANT NOTES FOR PTO PARTY VOLUNTEERS*
Parents attending the parties may not bring additional family members, other children, etc. We need everyone to abide by this and will have to ask you to leave if you come with other attendees.
Every PTO volunteer approved to come into our school MUST have their license or ID scanned through our security system to enter. The PTO has shared a google form with parent volunteers so that the school can pre-print name tags in advance. If you have never volunteered at Ivy Hall, then you must come in to scan your ID or license ahead of the party even if you have filled out the PTO google form. You have to bring this with you or you will not be able to enter. There is typically a very long line to enter at this first party, so please anticipate this. The more people who come and complete this early, the shorter the line will be on October 31st.
NEW *FAMILY READING ADVENTURE PART 2*
Join us and mark your calendars for Thursday November 16th, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Get cozy, wear pajamas, bring your favorite bedtime stuffie, and join us in an adventurous reading night at Ivy Hall. This year we have a new book swap and any Ivy Hall student attending will earn a raffle ticket for the book machine!
I have a new addition to add to the post from last week’s principal message! Each week I will feature a new book and session offered at our Reading Adventure Night. This will help inform your decision for which two session you would like to attend the night of! There are four offered this year. If you would like to know about previous sessions, visit the last principal’s message.
This week I introduce to you, Chez Bob, by Bob Shea.
Welcome to Chez Bob, which seems like a real restaurant...until you realize...it's on an alligator's NOSE! Bob's got a hidden plan for his customers: "Birds will come to eat, but I will eat the birds!" As they fly in from all over the world to dine on Bob's face, something starts to happen that takes the lazy, hungry reptile by surprise—the birds stay. "More yummy birds!" he rejoices—he'll want for nothing! But when the time is right, will Bob make the right choice?
The activities for this book are:
- Make your own restaurant menu
- Spot the difference
- Design and draw your own next to make the perfect perch for Bob and his friends.
REMEMBER to RSVP and register early to receive a cookie and milk straws! YUM!
Can’t wait to see you there! - Mrs. Heimer
NEW *Lightspeed Systems Weekly Student Online Activity Report*
Dear Parents and Guardians,
As a part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring a safe and secure online environment for our students, we are excited to announce that we will be offering the Lightspeed Systems Weekly Student Online Activity Report to all parents and guardians of our school community.
You will receive an email from District 96 that will enable you to register for the Weekly Student Online Activity Report. Once you receive the email from our school district you will have the ability to register. Simply choose to register and follow the prompts to sign up for the Weekly Student Online Activity Report.
The Lightspeed Systems Weekly Student Online Activity Report is a valuable tool that will allow you to gain insights into your child's web history while using the school's iPad. This report will provide an overview of the websites visited by your child while using the iPad. The report is designed to promote transparency and communication between parents and the school, fostering a safer digital learning experience for our students.
The weekly activity report is only accessible to parents and guardians registered for this service. It will not be shared with any external parties, and the data collected will be used solely for the purpose of improving the online safety measures at our school. Parents/guardians will not start begin receiving weekly reports until their child has at least a week's worth of browsing data.
Lightspeed Parent/Student Enrollment Email Schedule: Families will begin to receive LightSpeed Parent report emails from Lightspeed. This email correspondence will allow you to enroll and begin receiving your child’s reports from Lightspeed for the following grades on or near the following dates below.
- October 23, 2023 (8th Grade)
- October 30, 2023 (7th Grade)
- November 6, 2023 (6th Grade)
- November 13, 2023 (5th Grade)
- November 20, 2023 (4th Grade)
- November 27, 2023 (3rd Grade)
- December 4, 2023 (2nd Grade, 1st Grade, Kindergarten)
Please note that while we encourage parents to use this tool to stay involved in their child's online journey, it is essential to have open conversations with your child about their internet use. Establishing trust and communication around digital practices will enhance the overall safety and well-being of our students.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Weekly Student Online Activity Report or need assistance with the registration process, please feel free to reach out to the IT department at [email protected].
Thank you for your continued support in creating a secure and nurturing learning environment for our students.
REPEAT *Halloween Costumes*
Our Halloween festivities will be here before we know it. We look forward to students dressing in their Halloween costumes for our Halloween Parade and classroom parties on Tuesday, Oct. 31st. Please help us with the following costume guidelines. Students will change into their costumes after their lunch period at school. Please ensure that your child can get the costume on with no or minimal help.
Costumes must be appropriate for school. If costumes are not school-appropriate the student will be asked to remove their costume.
- Please no masks, blood, super scary stuff, general ickiness, or weapons
- Please no cigars or cigarette items
- Please no bare tummies
- Please keep hair coloring and make-up simple
*REPEAT* 4th/5th Grade Creative Writing Club
Calling all 4th and 5th graders! That's Write, it's the Creative Writing Club! Our club will focus on the creative writing process and will explore different writing prompts. We will also be sharing our writing with each other and doing some peer editing. If you are interested in learning more about the club and having your child participate, please fill out this permission slip.