Terrace Families,
The end of another school year is upon us. As I reflect and look back at the 2018-2019 school year, I am filled with appreciation to be the principal of a school as amazing as Terrace.
The interconnectedness between teaching and learning is powerful, yet at times challenging. In an ever-changing social landscape that includes lightning-fast access to digital content and social media, our children are being brought up in the 21st century needing to learn the skills necessary to live in a more global society. Not only do they need to learn reading, writing, math, science, and social studies, but we must teach them how to be socially conscious and care about their schools and larger communities. Our mission is to teach the whole child. Every child. Just as our district mission states, we exist to empower "confident, future ready learners and productive citizens". We take this mission seriously.
Many students in the country, in big cities and in rural towns, and even here in Des Plaines, view their schools as the place that is predictable, where they know they will receive one to two meals every day. I applaud our student council and all of you who over the course of the year donated canned goods to our local food pantry. So many students come to so many schools without snacks and waiting for that hot lunch each and every day. Think about how difficult it must be to try and sit in a classroom and learn when you are hungry. I am so proud of what we do for our students and our entire community, so I want to thank you all for being a part of that.
I have been humbled by the compassion that I have witnessed over this school year from everyone. I have seen students helping one another in the classroom and outside of it. I get to see how dedicated our teachers are...all of them...in what they give of themselves and their time each and every day so your children can learn. I have heard from parents throughout the year who have expressed love and compassion for other students and families who may have been in need. How amazing is it that we are all here for one another?! I never would have imagined I could be so lucky.
So as you gear up for the summer break with your children and families, I ask you to reflect as well. We are fortunate to have this school as the center of this neighborhood...of this community. There is a special feeling that one feels inside of this building, and I know you feel it outside of this building, too. So many of you are friends with one another. Your children are friends. We are in this together WITH you. When your children feel joy, we feel joy. When they hurt, we hurt. Terrace is filled with love and compassion, and that is exactly how it should be. I would want my children to go to a school like Terrace, in a district like D62. We are your partners in your children's education. That is our job, and we take that job to heart. Let's continue to be partners with one another as we continue to do everything we can to prepare your children for the future world and beyond.
I hope you all enjoy the time together as families this summer, and I look forward to seeing you all in August.
Teaching Teams 2019-2020: There will be a couple new hires next year, and we have shuffled some staff around to different grade levels for next school year.
Kinder: Mrs. Nielsen
1st Grade: Mrs. O'Brien 7 Mrs. Schaefer
2nd Grade: Mrs. Butera & Mrs. Sharko
3rd Grade: Mrs. Hanstad
4th Grade: Mrs. Djurdjevic & Mrs. Turner
5th Grade: Mrs. Ales & Mr. Becker
I am happy to announce that we have hired Ms. Lauren Cipkin to teach art next year. We have also hired Mrs. Mindy Capper to be our new health clerk. As many of you know, Mrs. Manna is retiring, and I am pleased to announce that Mrs. Bojarski is moving from the health office to the front office to take her place. We are all so grateful of Mrs. Manna's work and presence in the main office for the past three years, and I hope you join me in wishing her a relaxing and enjoyable retirement.
You will all receive your students class assignment is August before school starts, so stay tuned! =-)
Online Registration for the 2019-2020 school is open for all returning students entering grades 1-8. Any new students or students entering Kindergarten will still use the existing paper registration process. We ask that you register your child(ren) by June 1. So far we only have less than 50% of Terrace families registered for next year. Last year at this time, we had over 50%. New this year is that District 62 will begin collecting next year's fees during registration. All of next year's fees remain unchanged. It is also necessary for families to sign up their child(ren) for bus transportation at this time. Additional information about District 62’s online registration process including frequently asked questions can be found here: bit.ly/62registrationinfo. Please take some time this weekend to register.
The end of another school year is upon us. As I reflect and look back at the 2018-2019 school year, I am filled with appreciation to be the principal of a school as amazing as Terrace.
The interconnectedness between teaching and learning is powerful, yet at times challenging. In an ever-changing social landscape that includes lightning-fast access to digital content and social media, our children are being brought up in the 21st century needing to learn the skills necessary to live in a more global society. Not only do they need to learn reading, writing, math, science, and social studies, but we must teach them how to be socially conscious and care about their schools and larger communities. Our mission is to teach the whole child. Every child. Just as our district mission states, we exist to empower "confident, future ready learners and productive citizens". We take this mission seriously.
Many students in the country, in big cities and in rural towns, and even here in Des Plaines, view their schools as the place that is predictable, where they know they will receive one to two meals every day. I applaud our student council and all of you who over the course of the year donated canned goods to our local food pantry. So many students come to so many schools without snacks and waiting for that hot lunch each and every day. Think about how difficult it must be to try and sit in a classroom and learn when you are hungry. I am so proud of what we do for our students and our entire community, so I want to thank you all for being a part of that.
I have been humbled by the compassion that I have witnessed over this school year from everyone. I have seen students helping one another in the classroom and outside of it. I get to see how dedicated our teachers are...all of them...in what they give of themselves and their time each and every day so your children can learn. I have heard from parents throughout the year who have expressed love and compassion for other students and families who may have been in need. How amazing is it that we are all here for one another?! I never would have imagined I could be so lucky.
So as you gear up for the summer break with your children and families, I ask you to reflect as well. We are fortunate to have this school as the center of this neighborhood...of this community. There is a special feeling that one feels inside of this building, and I know you feel it outside of this building, too. So many of you are friends with one another. Your children are friends. We are in this together WITH you. When your children feel joy, we feel joy. When they hurt, we hurt. Terrace is filled with love and compassion, and that is exactly how it should be. I would want my children to go to a school like Terrace, in a district like D62. We are your partners in your children's education. That is our job, and we take that job to heart. Let's continue to be partners with one another as we continue to do everything we can to prepare your children for the future world and beyond.
I hope you all enjoy the time together as families this summer, and I look forward to seeing you all in August.
Teaching Teams 2019-2020: There will be a couple new hires next year, and we have shuffled some staff around to different grade levels for next school year.
Kinder: Mrs. Nielsen
1st Grade: Mrs. O'Brien 7 Mrs. Schaefer
2nd Grade: Mrs. Butera & Mrs. Sharko
3rd Grade: Mrs. Hanstad
4th Grade: Mrs. Djurdjevic & Mrs. Turner
5th Grade: Mrs. Ales & Mr. Becker
I am happy to announce that we have hired Ms. Lauren Cipkin to teach art next year. We have also hired Mrs. Mindy Capper to be our new health clerk. As many of you know, Mrs. Manna is retiring, and I am pleased to announce that Mrs. Bojarski is moving from the health office to the front office to take her place. We are all so grateful of Mrs. Manna's work and presence in the main office for the past three years, and I hope you join me in wishing her a relaxing and enjoyable retirement.
You will all receive your students class assignment is August before school starts, so stay tuned! =-)
Online Registration for the 2019-2020 school is open for all returning students entering grades 1-8. Any new students or students entering Kindergarten will still use the existing paper registration process. We ask that you register your child(ren) by June 1. So far we only have less than 50% of Terrace families registered for next year. Last year at this time, we had over 50%. New this year is that District 62 will begin collecting next year's fees during registration. All of next year's fees remain unchanged. It is also necessary for families to sign up their child(ren) for bus transportation at this time. Additional information about District 62’s online registration process including frequently asked questions can be found here: bit.ly/62registrationinfo. Please take some time this weekend to register.
Thanks to Mr. Lair, our teachers, and our parent volunteers for making Field Day a great success. The students had a ton of fun, and we were fortunate to have a beautiful day outside on top of that.
Please read the following reminders:
School Volunteer Info:
Attention Volunteers! Please fill out the online volunteer application if you do not currently have one on file. In order to volunteer at school during the day or at any school function (field trips, popcorn day, etc), you must have an application on file. If you are not sure if you have completed one, please email Mrs. Lopatka at lopatkak@d62.org, and she can check for you. You may also apply online at the following website by clicking here.
Arrival Parking Lot Safety: Families should drive through the front circle to drop off students. The parking lot IS NOT a place to drop off students. If you feel you need to park and walk your child to his or her line, please park on Westgate to do so. The safety and well-being of our students is our number one priority above all else.
Dismissal Parking Lot Safety: Please remember that the safety and well-being of our students and staff are our #1 priority. After school you are welcome park your car in a designated spot in our lot and walk to the front to pick up your child. Or, you may drive through the front circle and pick up your child in the pickup line. DO NOT double park your car in the lot and ask your child to run over to your car. I have personally seen students do this and nearly get hit by a car in the lot. Please listen to and work with our traffic supervisors. We need you working together with us to ensure students and staff are safe. Thank you so much.
WeatherBug:
Please download the WeatherBug app and set Terrace as your home page. Here are the directions to download:
Internet Safety:
Families, as your children are getting older and are having more exposure online, a host of questions can arise about Internet safety. If you would like to learn more about what your children may be doing or what you can do as a parent/caregiver to protect them, please click here to read more.
Additional Notes:
Please read the following reminders:
School Volunteer Info:
Attention Volunteers! Please fill out the online volunteer application if you do not currently have one on file. In order to volunteer at school during the day or at any school function (field trips, popcorn day, etc), you must have an application on file. If you are not sure if you have completed one, please email Mrs. Lopatka at lopatkak@d62.org, and she can check for you. You may also apply online at the following website by clicking here.
Arrival Parking Lot Safety: Families should drive through the front circle to drop off students. The parking lot IS NOT a place to drop off students. If you feel you need to park and walk your child to his or her line, please park on Westgate to do so. The safety and well-being of our students is our number one priority above all else.
Dismissal Parking Lot Safety: Please remember that the safety and well-being of our students and staff are our #1 priority. After school you are welcome park your car in a designated spot in our lot and walk to the front to pick up your child. Or, you may drive through the front circle and pick up your child in the pickup line. DO NOT double park your car in the lot and ask your child to run over to your car. I have personally seen students do this and nearly get hit by a car in the lot. Please listen to and work with our traffic supervisors. We need you working together with us to ensure students and staff are safe. Thank you so much.
WeatherBug:
Please download the WeatherBug app and set Terrace as your home page. Here are the directions to download:
- Open the app, and tap the WeatherBug icon in the upper left corner to expose the main app menu.
- Select “Sign in”
- At the bottom of the login screen, tap “Sign up” and either login using your Facebook account or by creating a WeatherBug account.
- Then go back into the main app menu and select “Communities”
- Tap “Terrace Elementary School” – the plus sign should turn into a check mark – hit “Close”
- You should see the Terrace Elementary School Community card.
Internet Safety:
Families, as your children are getting older and are having more exposure online, a host of questions can arise about Internet safety. If you would like to learn more about what your children may be doing or what you can do as a parent/caregiver to protect them, please click here to read more.
Additional Notes:
- If you are on Facebook and would like to see what is going on at Terrace, be sure to check out the Terrace Facebook page. Pictures are regularly posted to better give you an insight into all the great things that go on at school each and every day. Remember to click the "like" button so our updates appear regularly on your feed. Or, under the school address near the top left of this page, you can click Facebook, and it will direct you straight to the page.
- It is important for us to have a current email address and phone number for you at all times. If you want to ensure that you receive emails and notifications from Terrace and D62, please make sure our office has your most current email and phone numbers on file. If you send us your contact information, I ask that you please write very neatly so we can make sure we are entering the correct information in our student information system.
