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
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:
- 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.
Have a great summer!