Terrace Families,

I have been meaning to introduce to you our new art teacher this year, Mrs. Stiebris. She has been here for a couple of weeks getting to know our students, and if you attended curriculum night, you may have met here then. She comes with a rich background teaching art in many different settings. She is very excited to be here at Terrace!

Next week we have several PTC activities going on that we hope you participate in. Monday evening at 6:30 is PTC's first meeting of the school year. Immediately before that at 6:00, PTC will be hosting a Kindergarten Mixer for our new kindergarten families. This is a great way for the am/pm families to get to know one another! In addition, the Book Fair begins on Thursday the 27th and will run through Pancake Breakfast on Saturday the 29th. We hope you can join our community for these special events.

Finally, a special kudos go out to some of our Terrace families who participated in painting a mural under the viaduct for the Cumberland Train Station. Several Terrace (and Chippewa) families lent a hand, and we are certainly proud of their efforts in giving something back to beautify our community. Next time you are around there, please give it a look. Some pictures can be found on our Facebook page.

Please read the following updates and information:

Chronic Absenteeism:
At the end of last school year, I included an attachment in a May 31 email to you with information about D62 BOE policy changes for the 2018-2019 school year. One of those changes was regarding chronic absenteeism. Last night at Curriculum Night, I discussed this in more detail.

Essentially, students who are absent 10% or more of school days during the current academic year, including absences with and without valid cause as well as out of school suspensions, will be considered “chronic absentees”. District 62 will collect and review its absence data regularly and determine what systems of support and resources are needed to engage chronically absent students and their families to encourage daily attendance and promote success.

As an example: District 62 has a total of 174 student attendance days in a school year. If a student is absent for 17.4 days (10% of 174 days) during the 2018-2019 school year, they would be considered “chronically absent”. Again, this is for excused and unexcused absences and would include a student who is sick, on vacation, out of the country, has  a doctor or dentist appointment, misses school due to a death in the family, parent has car troubles and cannot get to school, etc.

This will impact all schools in the state of Illinois, and it is important for you to know that all schools are all in the same situation. A new federal program called the Every Student Succeeds Act or ESSA (and formerly known as No Child Left Behind) is calling for schools and school districts to pay closer attention to student attendance data as one of many indicators that create and impact designations of a school’s success.  

In summary, all D62 schools are encouraging and expecting families to do all that they can to see that our students attend school every day that they are well enough to attend. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.
​
​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.
​

Congratulations to these terrific Terrace students for setting a positive example of what it means to be safe, to be respectful, and to be responsible! Also, congratulations to Mrs. Schaefer’s class for earning the Courageous Cardinal!

Please read the following reminders:
​
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:

1. Open the app, and tap the WeatherBug icon in the upper left corner to expose the main app menu.
2. Select “Sign in”
3. At the bottom of the login screen, tap “Sign up” and either login using your Facebook account or by creating a WeatherBug account.
4. Then go back into the main app menu and select “Communities”
5. Tap “Terrace Elementary School” – the plus sign should turn into a check mark – hit “Close”
6. 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.

​Have a great weekend!

​Terrace Families,

We had a wonderful week with beautiful weather! We are extremely fortunate to be able to go outside and utilize or playground area and green space so our students can burn off some energy. If you checked out our Facebook Page, you may have even seen that we had a fine feathered friend join us at recess this week!

Many of you who came to Curriculum Night last week really enjoyed to video I showed you made by some of our fifth grade students along with Mrs. Raczkowski. If you would like to view it again, please click here. To take our technology even further into the future, next week Mrs. Raczkowski and Mrs. Lopatka will be rolling out our new video morning announcements. Each week they will film our morning announcements with our students, which can then be shown daily in each classroom at the most appropriate time when teachers have their students' attention. I am excited to see how it turns out!

Families, don't forget you have one more week to order your Terrace spirit wear. For more information, please contact Lindsay Garcia at Linds90774@aol.com.

Please read the following updates and information:

Chronic Absenteeism:
At the end of last school year, I included an attachment in a May 31 email to you with information about D62 BOE policy changes for the 2018-2019 school year. One of those changes was regarding chronic absenteeism. Last night at Curriculum Night, I discussed this in more detail.

Essentially, students who are absent 10% or more of school days during the current academic year, including absences with and without valid cause as well as out of school suspensions, will be considered “chronic absentees”. District 62 will collect and review its absence data regularly and determine what systems of support and resources are needed to engage chronically absent students and their families to encourage daily attendance and promote success.

As an example: District 62 has a total of 174 student attendance days in a school year. If a student is absent for 17.4 days (10% of 174 days) during the 2018-2019 school year, they would be considered “chronically absent”. Again, this is for excused and unexcused absences and would include a student who is sick, on vacation, out of the country, has  a doctor or dentist appointment, misses school due to a death in the family, parent has car troubles and cannot get to school, etc.

This will impact all schools in the state of Illinois, and it is important for you to know that all schools are all in the same situation. A new federal program called the Every Student Succeeds Act or ESSA (and formerly known as No Child Left Behind) is calling for schools and school districts to pay closer attention to student attendance data as one of many indicators that create and impact designations of a school’s success.  

In summary, all D62 schools are encouraging and expecting families to do all that they can to see that our students attend school every day that they are well enough to attend. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.
​
​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.

Congratulations to these terrific Terrace students for setting a positive example of what it means to be safe, to be respectful, and to be responsible! Also, congratulations to Mrs. Djurdjevic’s class for earning the Courageous Cardinal!

Please read the following reminders:
​
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:

1. Open the app, and tap the WeatherBug icon in the upper left corner to expose the main app menu.
2. Select “Sign in”
3. At the bottom of the login screen, tap “Sign up” and either login using your Facebook account or by creating a WeatherBug account.
4. Then go back into the main app menu and select “Communities”
5. Tap “Terrace Elementary School” – the plus sign should turn into a check mark – hit “Close”
6. 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.

​Have a great weekend!

Terrace Families,

Thank you to all who were able to attend curriculum night. Our staff takes a lot of time to prepare for this event, and we appreciate your thoughtful comments and questions. It's always nice for us to see one another at the beginning of a school year.

Please remember that there is a half day teacher institute day next Thursday, September 13. Dismissal will be at 12:00. Please make arrangements for your child or children to get picked up on time as we have meetings promptly after school is dismissed. There is no school for kindergarteners that day, as well.

Please read the following:

Chronic Absenteeism:
At the end of last school year, I included an attachment in a May 31 email to you with information about D62 BOE policy changes for the 2018-2019 school year. One of those changes was regarding chronic absenteeism. Last night at Curriculum Night, I discussed this in more detail.

Essentially, students who are absent 10% or more of school days during the current academic year, including absences with and without valid cause as well as out of school suspensions, will be considered “chronic absentees”. District 62 will collect and review its absence data regularly and determine what systems of support and resources are needed to engage chronically absent students and their families to encourage daily attendance and promote success.

As an example: District 62 has a total of 174 student attendance days in a school year. If a student is absent for 17.4 days (10% of 174 days) during the 2018-2019 school year, they would be considered “chronically absent”. Again, this is for excused and unexcused absences and would include a student who is sick, on vacation, out of the country, has  a doctor or dentist appointment, misses school due to a death in the family, parent has car troubles and cannot get to school, etc.

This will impact all schools in the state of Illinois, and it is important for you to know that all schools are all in the same situation. A new federal program called the Every Student Succeeds Act or ESSA (and formerly known as No Child Left Behind) is calling for schools and school districts to pay closer attention to student attendance data as one of many indicators that create and impact designations of a school’s success.  

In summary, all D62 schools are encouraging and expecting families to do all that they can to see that our students attend school every day that they are well enough to attend. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.
​
​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.

Congratulations to these terrific Terrace students for setting a positive example of what it means to be safe, to be respectful, and to be responsible! Also, congratulations to Mrs. Ales’s class for earning the Courageous Cardinal!

Please read the following reminders:
​
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:

1. Open the app, and tap the WeatherBug icon in the upper left corner to expose the main app menu.
2. Select “Sign in”
3. At the bottom of the login screen, tap “Sign up” and either login using your Facebook account or by creating a WeatherBug account.
4. Then go back into the main app menu and select “Communities”
5. Tap “Terrace Elementary School” – the plus sign should turn into a check mark – hit “Close”
6. 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.

​Have a great weekend!

Terrace Families,

It has been a very busy week here at Terrace! Students began their benchmark assessments, and when completed, that data will help teachers to tailor and adapt their instruction to meet the needs of every learner. Remember, this year only grades 3-5 students will take MAP, as K-2 students will be taking the new FastBridge assessment. Like MAP, FastBridge has a reading and a math component, but the testing time is much shorter than MAP, which is much better for our students' stamina. K-2  students will take FastBridge three times per year just like they did with MAP in the past. Grades 3-5 students will also take two FastBridge assessments along with their three yearly MAP assessments, one at the beginning of school and one near the end. You will learn more from the classroom teachers this coming Thursday night at Curriculum Night.

One other change I would like you to know about is that this year, for the first time, Terrace Elementary School is receiving federal Title One funding. Title One funds are offered to schools that have a fairly high percentage of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch. All District 62 schools are Title One schools. These funds provide students and their families with additional resources in order to help close the achievement gap. This year these funds will primarily be used for parent outreach, additional materials to help support students and their families, and specific student interventions with highly qualified teachers. If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call.

Please remember that there is no school on Monday. Please click here to read the first Terrace Times of the school year.

Curriculum Night:
Curriculum Night will be Thursday, September 06, from 6:00 - 7:20. As we have in the past, we will all meet in the gym at 6:00 for some brief words from me and from our PTC president. At approximately 6:20, you will be asked to go to Session I in the classrooms. At 6:40, Session II will begin. This session is in our TILE space right outside the gym and will feature our specials teachers as well as other related services and resource staff. Finally, at 7:00, Session III will begin back in the classrooms. This final session is for our families who have more than one student attending Terrace. This way, they can try and get to meet both teachers. We look forward to seeing you on September 06!

​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.

Congratulations to these terrific Terrace students for setting a positive example of what it means to be safe, to be respectful, and to be responsible! Also, congratulations to Mrs. Nielsen’s class for earning the Courageous Cardinal!

Please read the following reminders:

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:

1. Open the app, and tap the WeatherBug icon in the upper left corner to expose the main app menu.
2. Select “Sign in”
3. At the bottom of the login screen, tap “Sign up” and either login using your Facebook account or by creating a WeatherBug account.
4. Then go back into the main app menu and select “Communities”
5. Tap “Terrace Elementary School” – the plus sign should turn into a check mark – hit “Close”
6. 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.

​Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday!

What a wonderful first week of school we had this week. I am so impressed with how seamlessly the school year has started. There were times on the first couple days of school when I walked into classrooms and it felt like it was March. The students were working hard, and the teachers were instructing with their usual passion. It makes me so proud that I get to participate in their education.

Over the next couple of weeks we will be conducting some benchmark assessments with all of our students. The information we learn from the data will help us to tailor and adapt our instruction to best meet the needs of your children. This year, we are introducing a program in the mornings called "WIN". "WIN" stands for "What I Need". Every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday morning we will have building-wide time carved our for students to work with teachers on skills they need additional support with. Additionally, some students will have opportunities to extend their learning during this time if they have already mastered the skills that are being taught in their classes. We are really excited to be able to give our students even more support in the areas that they need. You will here more about this from the teachers at Curriculum Night on September 06.

For our new families, please remember that we have a district policy that we cannot celebrate birthdays or holidays with food in our schools. For birthdays, teachers will have "birthday fun" activities that the students can choose from. For other celebrations such as Halloween and the winter holidays, we can celebrate but without food.

Please remember to send your child with a healthy snack every day. All classrooms have a snack time, as we feel it is important to keep your children engaged with their learning. Fruit, vegetables, yogurt, and other healthy snacks are recommended.

Families, if your child or children buy school lunch, please note that lunches this year are $2.85. Last year it was $2.75, however, the price is now $2.85. Thank you.

Curriculum Night:
Curriculum Night will be Thursday, September 06, from 6:00 - 7:20. As we have in the past, we will all meet in the gym at 6:00 for some brief words from me and from our PTC president. At approximately 6:20, you will be asked to go to Session I in the classrooms. At 6:40, Session II will begin. This session is in our TILE space right outside the gym and will feature our specials teachers as well as other related services and resource staff. Finally, at 7:00, Session III will begin back in the classrooms. This final session is for our families who have more than one student attending Terrace. This way, they can try and get to meet both teachers. We look forward to seeing you on September 06!

​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.

Congratulations to these terrific Terrace students for setting a positive example of what it means to be safe, to be respectful, and to be responsible! Also, congratulations to Mrs. Butera’s class for earning the Courageous Cardinal!

Please read the following reminders:

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:

1. Open the app, and tap the WeatherBug icon in the upper left corner to expose the main app menu.
2. Select “Sign in”
3. At the bottom of the login screen, tap “Sign up” and either login using your Facebook account or by creating a WeatherBug account.
4. Then go back into the main app menu and select “Communities”
5. Tap “Terrace Elementary School” – the plus sign should turn into a check mark – hit “Close”
6. 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.

​Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday!

We had a wonderful turnout for Supply Drop-Off! For that I thank you. It was so awesome to see all of you! So many of our students came and were extremely excited to return to school. If you can't tell, I'm just as excited as they are! We have a lot of great work ahead of us, and all of your students are in the perfect environment with the most dedicated and caring staff to help them to achieve all of their goals.

Remember, school starts Monday for grades 1-5. I can't wait to see everyone at 8:45 outside on the blacktop ready to go. Don't forget that Monday dismissal is at 3:15, like it is every Monday. Kindergarten students, we will see you on Wednesday, August 22.

To our bus riders, please be patient with our buses the first few days. They are figuring out stops and traffic patterns, and it may take the first week to get into a good groove. If you have any questions or concerns this week with the bus, please let Mrs. Manna in the office know so she can work on getting it taken care of promptly.

The August lunch menu is linked above, and if you still need a supply list, please click here.

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.

Happy new year, and have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Friday!

Letters were sent home on Wednesday via US Mail with FINAL classroom assignments as well as a letter from me reminding you about Supply Drop-Off next week. Supply Drop-Off will be Thursday, August 16, from 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. This is for grades 1-5 only. Kindergarten families will meet with Mrs. Nielsen (formerly Ms. Lotfalizadeh) on Aug. 20-21, and at that time they will bring in their school supplies.

Please remember that Supply Drop-Off is designed so that you may briefly meet the teacher, see the new classroom, and drop off your child's supplies. The kids are welcome to come with you! I also ask that you please refrain from trying to have a parent-teacher conference at that time, as it will be very busy with other families present. If you need to speak with your teacher specifically for a reason, please arrange a phone or in-person conference for another time.

​If you do not receive your letter by Monday, you can check online in Tyler or please feel free to call the office.

Our staff is already hard at work preparing their classrooms, and we are looking forward to seeing all of our grade 1-5 students on Aug. 20 and our kinder students on the 22nd.

The August lunch menu is linked above, and if you still need a supply list, please click here.

TONIGHT: Join Des Plaines families for Back To School Night during the City of Des Plaines Summer Series, Friday Nights Live! This is a special night geared towards families featuring live musical entertainment, interactive games, prizes and fun! There will be hula hoops, giant Jenga, bean bag toss, and so much more! Festivities begin at 5:00. While you are there, grab a quick bite at the Tap House, show the flyer linked on our Facebook page (link above), and 15% of sales will go back to the District 62 Foundation!

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.

Online Registration:

• You will need a Tyler Parent Portal account. If you have not created this account yet, please fill out the following form: bit.ly/62parentportalform. If you already have an account, please visit: bit.ly/parentportal62.
• Additional information about District 62’s online registration process including frequently asked questions can be found here: bit.ly/62registrationinfo.
• Please call our office with any questions.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Terrace Families,

It has been another wonderful year here at Terrace. As I reflect on my 9th year as principal here, I am left with the conviction that not only are your children learning what it means to be critical thinkers and problem-solvers, but they are also learning how to be good friends and citizens.

This year we stressed restorative practices all across the board rather than exclusionary practices. Teachers were trained on how to lead class circles and also how to use those circles to resolve conflicts by restoring harm to the person who may have been "hurt". What the class circles did was really to help us get to know your children much better, and it helped their classmates get to know one another better, too. This is important because the better we know your children, the better we can teach them and reach them. We also learn about how they are feeling, whether they are worried about being left out by their friends, sad because of something going on at home, or excited because they are going to become a big brother or sister or got a new Star Wars tie (wait, that was me...). By them feeling comfortable talking about their feelings, the more quickly and adequately we can respond when they may need our support.

Our staff here at Terrace is a special one. Every person who works here knows that my number one objective is that we care about our students and that they come first. This means that we strive to get to know them, to keep them safe, and to help them learn and grow. I believe we do an excellent job in these areas. We take our work home with us, and not just the papers we grade. We think endlessly about your children...how they are doing in school, at home, and with their social relationships. Sometimes we even neglect our own responsibilities at home because we are so concerned about our responsibilities to your children here at school. I am so proud to work with a staff that embodies this mindset, and I hope you can join me in appreciating the amount of work it takes to make the decisions we have to make in the best interests of all of our students.

I want to take one last opportunity to recognize Val Hartley and Joanne Spachner as they begin their retirements. Val has been a dedicated paraeducator for about 20 years, and now she will begin the next phase of her life as she enters retirement. Thank you, Val, for all you have done for all of our students and staff over the years, both at Terrace and in the other D62 schools you have been a part of. Joanne has been teaching here at Terrace for about 20 years (and in the same classroom she tells me!). Joanne has been a model teacher, a mentor to many, and a friend to all. If your child has ever had her, you most certainly have heard the birthday song! Thank you both for all you have done for our students over the years. We will miss you both and hope to see you back here in the future in some way, shape, or form.

To all of you, have a wonderful summer with your kiddos. Thank you for sharing them with us. We will miss them and look forward to seeing them in August.

~Dr. Stein

​Congratulations to these amazing Terrace students for being recognized for demonstrating expected behaviors!

​Please read the following reminders:

Online Registration:

• It is necessary for parents to sign up their child for bus transportation at this time.
• You will need a Tyler Parent Portal account. If you have not created this account yet, please fill out the following form: bit.ly/62parentportalform. If you already have an account, please visit: bit.ly/parentportal62.
• Additional information about District 62’s online registration process including frequently asked questions can be found here: bit.ly/62registrationinfo.
• Please call our office with any questions.

Arrival Parking Lot Safety: Last week we had three unfortunate incidents in our parking lot during morning drop-off. Two different students were almost hit by cars running to their lines and a third fell in the middle of the parking lot running to the line-up area while cars were driving through the lot. These incidents were due to the fact that people are dropping their children off in the middle of the parking lot rather than coming through the front circle despite being asked many times over the years not to do so. In the interest of student safety, we are now putting cones at the north end of the parking lot to prohibit cars from entering to just drop off. Families will have to drive through the front circle to drop off. If you feel you need to park and walk your child to his or her line, please park on the west side of Westgate to do so. We apologize if this is an inconvenience to you, however, the safety and well-being of our students is our number one priority above all else. I spoke with the Des Plaines Police, and this change was thought to be an excellent idea. Thank you for understanding.​

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:

1. Open the app, and tap the WeatherBug icon in the upper left corner to expose the main app menu.
2. Select “Sign in”
3. At the bottom of the login screen, tap “Sign up” and either login using your Facebook account or by creating a WeatherBug account.
4. Then go back into the main app menu and select “Communities”
5. Tap “Terrace Elementary School” – the plus sign should turn into a check mark – hit “Close”
6. 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.

​Have a great summer!

Terrace Families,

​On May 29 we will be having our Student Recognition Ceremony. Here we recognize students who have given back to their school community. These students have participated in Student Council, Student Patrols, and as PE Helpers. If you have a student who participated in any of these three programs, please feel free to join us at 10:00 on the 29th.

Lost and found items will be displayed in the foyer of the school next week. If you would like to look through it for a lost item, please sign in the office and feel free to peruse.

If you have a 1st grader going into 2nd grade next year, please remember they need to have a dental exam to enter 2nd grade. Also, all 5th graders entering 6th grade need a physical AND a dental exam.

Supply lists will be finalized shortly and will come home with your child's report cards. 2018-2019 classroom teacher assignments will be sent home in August.

Again, please remember that supervision at school begins at 8:45. We have several students being dropped off way too early, and we simply can't supervise them. Sometime we do not even know that there are children outside as early as 8:15 waiting for school. Again, in the interest of their safety, please drop off as close to 8:45 as possible.

Online Registration:

• It is necessary for parents to sign up their child for bus transportation at this time.
• You will need a Tyler Parent Portal account. If you have not created this account yet, please fill out the following form: bit.ly/62parentportalform. If you already have an account, please visit: bit.ly/parentportal62.
• Additional information about District 62’s online registration process including frequently asked questions can be found here: bit.ly/62registrationinfo.
• Please call our office with any questions.

Congratulations to these amazing Terrace students for being recognized for demonstrating expected behaviors! Congratulations to Ms. L's class for earning the Courageous Cardinal!

​Please read the following reminders:

Arrival Parking Lot Safety: Last week we had three unfortunate incidents in our parking lot during morning drop-off. Two different students were almost hit by cars running to their lines and a third fell in the middle of the parking lot running to the line-up area while cars were driving through the lot. These incidents were due to the fact that people are dropping their children off in the middle of the parking lot rather than coming through the front circle despite being asked many times over the years not to do so. In the interest of student safety, we are now putting cones at the north end of the parking lot to prohibit cars from entering to just drop off. Families will have to drive through the front circle to drop off. If you feel you need to park and walk your child to his or her line, please park on the west side of Westgate to do so. We apologize if this is an inconvenience to you, however, the safety and well-being of our students is our number one priority above all else. I spoke with the Des Plaines Police, and this change was thought to be an excellent idea. Thank you for understanding.​

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:

1. Open the app, and tap the WeatherBug icon in the upper left corner to expose the main app menu.
2. Select “Sign in”
3. At the bottom of the login screen, tap “Sign up” and either login using your Facebook account or by creating a WeatherBug account.
4. Then go back into the main app menu and select “Communities”
5. Tap “Terrace Elementary School” – the plus sign should turn into a check mark – hit “Close”
6. 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.

​Have a great weekend!

Terrace Families,

Next week will be a busy week between field trips and celebrations. Remember, Field Day is Thursday, May 24, from 1:00-3:00 (weather permitting). If we are due to have beautiful weather, make sure you look out for communications from your teachers about what to wear and bring to be prepared (such as sunscreen, etc.).

​On May 29 we will be having our Student Recognition Ceremony. Here we recognize students who have given back to their school community. These students have participated in Student Council, Student Patrols, and as PE Helpers. If you have a student who participated in any of these three programs, please feel free to join us at 10:00 on the 29th.

You may have received a communication about District 62 hosting a community engagement forum at 6:00 p.m., May 22, at Chippewa Middle School, for the purpose of seeking feedback regarding what you would like to see in the School Report Card. Please come to the forum so your thoughts can be shared.

Again, please remember that supervision at school begins at 8:45. We have several students being dropped off way too early, and we simply can't supervise them. Sometime we do not even know that there are children outside as early as 8:15 waiting for school. Again, in the interest of their safety, please drop off as close to 8:45 as possible.

Online Registration:

• It is necessary for parents to sign up their child for bus transportation at this time.
• You will need a Tyler Parent Portal account. If you have not created this account yet, please fill out the following form: bit.ly/62parentportalform. If you already have an account, please visit: bit.ly/parentportal62.
• Additional information about District 62’s online registration process including frequently asked questions can be found here: bit.ly/62registrationinfo.
• Please call our office with any questions.

Congratulations to these amazing Terrace students for being recognized for demonstrating expected behaviors! Congratulations to Mrs. Lopatka's class for earning the Courageous Cardinal!

​Please read the following reminders:

Arrival Parking Lot Safety: Last week we had three unfortunate incidents in our parking lot during morning drop-off. Two different students were almost hit by cars running to their lines and a third fell in the middle of the parking lot running to the line-up area while cars were driving through the lot. These incidents were due to the fact that people are dropping their children off in the middle of the parking lot rather than coming through the front circle despite being asked many times over the years not to do so. In the interest of student safety, we are now putting cones at the north end of the parking lot to prohibit cars from entering to just drop off. Families will have to drive through the front circle to drop off. If you feel you need to park and walk your child to his or her line, please park on the west side of Westgate to do so. We apologize if this is an inconvenience to you, however, the safety and well-being of our students is our number one priority above all else. I spoke with the Des Plaines Police, and this change was thought to be an excellent idea. Thank you for understanding.​

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:

1. Open the app, and tap the WeatherBug icon in the upper left corner to expose the main app menu.
2. Select “Sign in”
3. At the bottom of the login screen, tap “Sign up” and either login using your Facebook account or by creating a WeatherBug account.
4. Then go back into the main app menu and select “Communities”
5. Tap “Terrace Elementary School” – the plus sign should turn into a check mark – hit “Close”
6. 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.

​Have a great weekend!