Anne Sullivan Panther Post 2/28/2020

Panther Post

February 28, 2020

Message From the Principal

Dear Sullivan Families,

Although the calendar is turning to March next week, we are continuing our February Love of Reading month into next week in honor of Read Across America week and Dr. Seuss' birthday. Each day, we have a different reading activity planned. Monday, Sullivan students will vote on their favorite Dr. Seuss book, and their classroom teachers will read a Dr. Seuss book with the class. Tuesday, all classes will visit a guest reader in the Innovation Lab. On Wednesday, classrooms are invited to the Innovation Lab to read something new. Thursday students will share some poetry with a friend, and on Friday, we are combining the reading fun with our PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention System) trimester celebration. Students will rotate through stations to play beach games, we will participate in an all-school read, and students can bring their favorite beach read and wear tropical attire for our PBIS spirit day!

Thank you to those who joined us for parent teacher conferences and visited the book fair over the past two Thursday evenings. Our teachers always appreciate the time to connect with families and to work as a team to foster growth in our students.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Warmly,

Traci Meziere

Principal

Anne Sullivan School

Click here to go to the Sullivan Virtual Backpack

Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR)

and

Illinois Science Assessment (ISA)

The testing windows for the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) and the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) March-April this year. All 4th and 5th grade students will be taking the IAR in April. Please see the letter from Dr. Zaher below regarding the IAR. At Sullivan, students will participate in IAR testing April 6th - 17th. Students will participate in five testing sessions during that time. Classroom teachers will send home specific testing dates via Class Dojo later in March.

All 5th grade students will take the ISA on March 9th. 5th grade classroom teachers will be sending home information via class Dojo regarding the ISA next week.

Arrival and Departure Reminders

Please remember that drop off and pick up can take a little longer in inclement weather. Please drive slowly in our parking lots and follow the directions of school staff who are there to ensure the safety of our kids. Please also do not pass buses that are parked and unloading students in the turnaround between MacArthur and Sullivan. Taking a few extra minutes will help everyone arrive to and depart from school safely.

PAWSITIVE PANTHERS

Bianette always puts fourth her best effort. She has an excellent growth mindset and doesn't give up! She comes to school everyday ready to challenge herself and try her best.

Each week, a student from each grade level is recognized for their PAWSITIVE Panther attitude and for making our Sullivan community a better place to learn.

Angela comes to school each day ready to learn. She is kind, helpful and someone her classmates can count on. Angela strives to be the best she can be! She is Pawsome!!

Liana has been putting forth extra effort and making great strides academically. She is helpful and kind to her classmates.

Omar demonstrates kindness, respect, and a great work ethic every day. He faces obstacles with a positive attitude and doesn't give up.

Sullivan Snapshots

Breakout Math

4th Grade students work in teams to solve math problems and be the first to open the locks on their breakout boxes.

5th Grade Field Trip

Our 5th Grade students enjoyed their trip to Naper Settlement to experience life in the 19th Centuty.

Service Learning

Mrs. Brusso's class enjoys their visit with our friends from Grandbrier.

This month, students and residents participated in chair yoga and exercise before sharing some coloring and conversation.

D23 Ca$h for the Cure Fundraiser

We could not be more overwhelmed by the response and participation in our Ca$h for the Cure Fundraiser. We want to thank everyone for their support in our efforts to raise money for cancer research through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We are pleased to announce that we have met and exceeded our goal of raising over $3,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Not only did we meet our goal, but we far exceeded it by raising over $10,000. We raised $10,598.62 to be exact. Who knew what a difference such a small district could make?

While the amount of money we raised for this outstanding cause was an amazing accomplishment in itself, it is far from the most important achievement of our fundraiser. The ability to empower our students in making a difference in the lives of others, reaching for a goal, and spreading kindness with the world around us are some of the greatest achievements of our fundraiser. Thank you to everyone for your enthusiastic support of our D23 Ca$h for the Cure Fundraiser. Thanks to your participation through spreading the word, generous donations, and cards of warmth for patients, we TRULY MADE A DIFFERENCE in the lives of others. # Proud2BD23

As you probably know, there were also some rewards to be handed out at the conclusion of our fundraiser. We had advertised that the top fundraising class at each school would receive a pasta party from Olive Garden for their entire classroom. And the Sullivan winner is:

Mrs. Travis's Class ($322.03)

We had also advertised that, if we had reached our goal of raising over $3,000 for our phenomenal cause, our students would have the privilege of taping their principal to the wall of the school. Honestly, this doesn't sound very respectful, responsible, or safe to me but I suppose I'll have to follow through. We are planning our Taped to the Wall Reward and pasta party for Friday, March 6th.

Neighboring District Shares Community Alert

Wheeling District 21 shared that a small group of children were approached by a man and woman in a black sedan as their students were walking home from their bus stop in Wheeling. The driver asked the students to get in the car, but the students refused and are safe.

The parents also reported this to the Wheeling Police Department. The Wheeling Police Department is increasing its patrols. While this did not occur within our District 23 boundaries, it did occur in our community.

These students are safe today because they ignored the man in the car and told trusted adults about the situation. Please continue to talk with your children about safety tips for before and after school and make sure they know to never talk to or approach a stranger. Also, please remind them to always walk with other students as much as possible.

If you see anything suspicious in our community, or have any other details about this incident, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the police department.

Tis the season...Flu season

With the recent reporting and heightened awareness of the Coronavirus, we want to take this opportunity to share some info and a few good reminders:

First, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) shared guidelines with Illinois schools regarding the disease. There are NO reported cases of Coronavirus connected to District 23 or our surrounding Districts and the recommendation from IDPH is to continue regular best practices for preventing cold and flu season. The information shared by IDPH outlined guidance that all District 23 schools are following, including:

Encouraging staff and students to wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Asking staff and students to avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Asking staff and students to avoid close contact with people who are sick
Instructing staff and students to stay home when you are sick or until you have been fever free for at least 24 hours.
Asking staff and students to cover their cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

We will continue to follow all recommendations from federal, state and local entities concerning the Coronavirus, flu and other issues and hope that you and your family remain healthy this flu season.

Supplies Needed

Our next Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) meeting is fast approaching. It will be held on Thursday, April 30th. For one of the family engagement activities we are planning for the night, we are in need of as many empty cereal boxes as possible. If you have any at home to donate, please bring them to school as soon as possible. Thank you for your assistance in helping this project come to fruition.

We're Hiring!

Looking to pick up a few hours this school year?

Sullivan is in search of lunch supervisors! Our lunch supervision is from 11:30-12:30 each day. Work one day to five days a week supervising lunch and recess with our 4th and 5th grade students. These are great jobs for parents and grandparents who are looking to pick up a few hours and a few dollars each week.

CLICK HERE for our current vacancies