Dear Eisenhower Families,
The New Year is upon us and the students have come back well rested and ready to learn. In the spirit of the New Year, we would like to encourage you to sit with your child to set goals for their learning. Whether it be chores around the house, tying shoelaces, coloring, cutting, drawing, printing, learning sight words, reading 100 books with them, or making good choices, etc., setting goals provides a strong foundation in developing a growth mindset.
Growth Mindset is premised upon the belief that we all can accomplish goals and improve ourselves through dedication, grit, hard work, perseverance, and resiliency. More importantly, it is all of our jobs to encourage and instill this belief in the children. When others believe we can get "smarter", "improve" ourselves, or accomplish greater things, we rise to the occasion and give greater effort. However, it all starts when believing in and encouraging others to reach their full potential.
If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to set goals with your child and create expectations that will have a resounding impact on the outlook and lifelong learning of your child.
Also, there will be winter days where the weather will be conducive to going outside for recess. We just want to remind you to please send your child with winter boots, hat, gloves/mittens, scarf, and snow pants.
Your Eisenhower Family
We want you to be aware of some procedures that we are putting in place to help expedite our contact tracing process.
Students who are in close contact with a COVID positive individual 14 DAYS PAST their 2nd Dose do NOT have to quarantine if they are asymptomatic.
We are asking parents to share their child's vaccination card directly with the school nurse so that we can begin to track vaccination status and continue to limit the number of exclusions.
Copies of vaccination cards can be emailed directly to the school nurse or sent to school with your student.
A photocopy or PDF of your child's vaccination card may be sent to:
Luke Lambatos, Ed.D., Ed.S.
Principal
Please remember, if you have any
questions or concerns, do not
hesitate to contact me at
(847) 870-5040 or
As we move into the colder months, please make sure your child is dressed for the weather. Elementary students have outdoor recess whenever possible. Students perform better when they get outdoors, even if only for a few minutes. We follow the recess guidelines below:
- Outdoor Recess: 10 degrees F and higher (including wind chill)
- Inside Recess: below 10 degrees F (including wind chill)
When the weather turns snowy, students must have boots, gloves and snow pants to play in the snow. Those who don’t must stay on the blacktop area. Parents should assist children in preparing and wearing appropriate clothing for the weather conditions.
Second Step SEL Program
In our bi-monthly newsletter, you'll see summaries and activities for the upcoming weeks' lessons in kindergarten and first grade. The activities below will allow you to reinforce Second Step language, skills, and goals at home. If you have any questions about Second Step Elementary, please don’t hesitate to contact me or your child’s teacher for more information. Thank you for your support as we work to build a safe and supportive school community.
Kindergarten
Lesson 16: We Can Say the Problem
Summary
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn how to state a problem without blame or name calling. They’ll practice identifying problems in given scenarios, listen to their teacher state the problem, and then repeat the statement.
Try This at Home
Children may be tempted to blame others when they’re upset about something. Encourage your child to avoid blame by describing what happened without focusing on who is at fault.
Translate
Lesson 17: Ready to Solve Problems
Summary
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn that taking time to feel calm before reacting is a helpful first step to solving a problem.
Try This at Home
Let your child see you taking a moment to feel calm at home when things are busy or stressful. For example, say, “Today was a really busy day. I’m going to take a few slow breaths to help me feel calm.” Invite your child to join you.
Imagine Neighborhood
First Grade
Lesson 16: How to Say the Problem
Summary
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn how to state a problem in a respectful way, without blame or name calling. They’ll practice identifying problems and then state the problem respectfully.
Try This at Home
Children may be tempted to blame others when they’re upset about something. Encourage your child to avoid blame by describing what happened without focusing on who is at fault.
Imagine Neighborhood
Lesson 17: Was It an Accident?
Summary
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn helpful ways to respond to a problem caused by accident. They’ll practice phrases for apologizing: "I’m sorry. It was an accident. Are you okay? How can I help?"
Try This at Home
When accidents occur at home, take time to apologize and encourage your child to do the same, using the new phrases they learned at school this week.
Imagine Neighborhood
Also, please like us on our Facebook page @PHSD23.
Also, if you haven't done so already, please sign up and follow us on Twitter @D23Eisenhower.
The link below will show you how to create your own Twitter account.
Inspiration + Dedication = Growth