December 2018 eNewsletter
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District 181 would like to wish all of our staff, families, students and neighbors a happy holiday season and safe winter break! Below are recent school highlights — stay tuned for a special eNews edition in early January, packed with all the wonderful holiday events held at our schools.
Have stories or photos to share? Simply reply to this email to reach Communications Director Jamie Lavigueur.
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Monroe Hosts Cultural Night
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Monroe students and families experienced cultures from 25 countries (covering six continents!) at their Cultural Night. Attendees enjoyed food, dance, games, language and more.
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Elm Fourth-Graders Give Back
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Elm School fourth-graders collected and donated 15 boxes of food to the People's Resource Center to help DuPage County families in need during the holidays. Thank you to all who supported and to our generous Elm fourth-graders!
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Family Literacy Night at Prospect
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Students at Prospect School enjoyed games including word patterns, vocabulary, and comprehension skills. Families were able to take the games home to continue to practice literacy skills at home.
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Fifth-Graders Visit Mexican Art museum
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Fifth-graders from all six D181 elementary schools traveled to the
National Museum of Mexican Art
in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood to view the famous
Día de los Muertos
/Day of the Dead exhibit and enjoyed lunch at a local family restaurant,
La Cebollita.
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Band Students travel to U of I
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Band students from all D181 elementary schools and several sixth-graders from CHMS traveled to U of I to hear the Marching Illini in Concert. Three buses took the group of more than 140 students, parents and teacher-chaperones down for the trip.
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Middle School Band Students Selected for Elite Performances
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Samuel Chung, Michael Shao and Joshua Yan of HMS
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Congratulations to eighth-grade band students Samuel Chung, Joshua Yan, and Michael Shao of Hinsdale Middle School, and Juliana Norman, of Clarendon Hills Middle School, who were selected to take part in elite performances at the state level due to their outstanding musical talent.
Samuel and Joshua will perform at the 2019 All-Illinois Junior Band performance at the University of Illinois on Feb 8-9. Samuel was selected as the No. 3 alto saxophone and Joshua was chosen as No. 1 baritone saxophone. Michael (who plays tuba) and Juliana (who plays bassoon) were selected by the Northshore Concert Band and will play in the 'Lifetime of Music Initiative' Feb. 10 at Northwestern University.
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CHMS Students Spend Weekend Serving Others
Thirteen Clarendon Hills Middle School 7th and 8th grade students were selected to participate in the elite “Civil Action Weekend” hosted by Northwestern University's Center for Talent and Development.
CHMS students were selected to participate based on their application and an essay expressing their interest. Projects included working in urban gardens and soup kitchens.
The program is designed to introduce students to contemporary social issues facing urban communities, and to promote civic engagement and leadership among promising young people. The weekend took place November 2 -3 at University of Illinois Chicago. Thank you to our students who participated!
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Holiday Letter from Superintendent Dr. Hector Garcia
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Dear District 181 Community,
We began the start of this school year with a few key principles in mind: to focus on helping every student learn at higher levels; to build strong relationships; and to enhance our collaborative work. I’m pleased to share we have diligently adhered to those values in our classrooms and throughout the District every day.
Before we go on holiday break, I want to highlight just a few of our Districtwide successes since the beginning of this year.
Looking ahead, we’ll kick off the new year with a special, much-anticipated event: the on-time and under-budget opening of the new Hinsdale Middle School. All are invited to celebrate with us at the Ribbon Cutting Jan. 17 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Please feel free to bring your friends and family to this event — all are welcome!
From all of us at D181, we wish you and your family a safe and happy new year. We’ll be working hard to keep the positive momentum going!
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Cold Weather Tips for Students & Parents
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Please make sure your child remembers their winter coat, hat, gloves and boots on cold days.
In particular, when it is snowing or snow is suspected, please send your student with snow pants and boots so they can participate in outdoor recess.
It may be a good idea to send additional sets of gloves, and for younger students, attach gloves to their coat sleeves. Students without proper cold weather/snow attire will not be allowed to participate in outdoor activities in inclement weather.
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SAFETY TIPS
Remind your child to be mindful of ice, and not to run on surfaces where ice might be present. Children (especially younger children) should always travel in groups of 2-3 for safety in cold and inclement conditions. Review emergency procedures with your child including how to find the house key or enter their home if they are locked out, and which neighbors can be contacted in case of a lock-out situation.
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Social & Emotional Learning Toolkit
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Families play an essential role in children’s social and emotional development. By understanding the specific goals of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and showing children how we as adults use the skills effectively, children can more readily develop the social and emotional skills they need to learn and have to be successful in life.
When families partner with schools, children receive a more consistent and easily understood message. Today, we'd like to share an article with you that we found especially interesting. From the NBC Parent Toolkit, "
Make Your Hopes for Your Kids Reality.
"
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HMS Ribbon Cutting
6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 17. New Hinsdale Middle School Gym. Open to the public. A brief ceremony will be held from 6:30-7:00 p.m. Open-house style self-guided tours will follow.
Community Speaker Series: Dr. Lisa Damour
"
Untangled: Guiding Girls Through Seven Transitions into Adulthood"
Dr. Damour draws on decades of experience and the latest research to reveal the seven distinct – and absolutely normal – developmental transitions that turn girls into grown-ups. Providing realistic scenarios and welcome advice on how to engage daughters in smart, constructive ways,
Untangled
gives parents a broad framework for understanding their daughters while addressing their most common questions.
Presentations are free and open to all. Space is limited. This series is made possible through a partnership with D181, District 86, and The D181 Foundation.
7-8:30 p.m. Jan. 23
at the Hinsdale Central Auditorium. To register:
click here
.
9:30-11 a.m. Jan. 24
at the Hinsdale South Auditorium. To register:
click here
.
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COMMUNITY CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL DISTRICT 181
115 West 55th St. Clarendon Hills, IL 60514
© District 181. All rights reserved.
PH:
630.861.4900
FAX:
630.887.1079
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