Please read the following updates and information:
5Essentials Survey: Families, thank you to all those who stopped at our tables at conferences to do the survey. We are over our goal of 110 surveys completed! However, if you have not taken the brief survey yet, there is still time, and we'd still like to hear from you. There are also about 25 surveys that have been started and not completed. Please check to ensure you take the survey all the way through. If you are not sure whether you completed it, please click the following link and run through it once more to make sure you are all done. Remember, each parent in a household can take the survey. It will take no more than five minutes. To begin, click here: bit.ly/625EssentialsParent. You DO NOT need an email address to complete the survey. Make sure you choose "Cook" for the county. THANK YOU!!!
Early Learning Center Toy Drive:
If you have any new, unwrapped toys that you wish to donate to district families in need, we are collecting in our lobby through December 14. Toys to be donated should be appropriate for 3 & 4 year-old children. Thank you!
Winter Concert:
- On Tuesday, December 18, please join us for our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade winter concert. Showings will be at both 2:10 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. (students should arrive at 6:15 p.m. for the evening performance; students should go directly to classrooms). Doors will open at 6:15.
- Students are expected to attend both performances. If your student cannot attend a performance, please contact Mrs. Prost at [email protected] as soon as possible (as speaking parts and solos are being decided). Thank you, and we all hope you enjoy the concert!
Snow Day Update:
On Monday, November 26th, 2018, District 62 schools were closed due to the heavy snowfall. Due to this closing, and in accordance with Illinois school code, Monday, April 22nd, 2019 will now be a student attendance day for all kindergarten through 8th grade District 62 students.
Chronic Absenteeism:
You may have received a letter from me if your child has reached 6 absences or more already this school year. This is due to the federal Every Student Succeeds Act or ESSA (formerly known as No Child Left Behind), and it calls 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. I will be sending letters at the 6, 12, and 18 days absent marks to all families if their student reaches those marks.
If you recall, 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”. Terrace and all District 62 schools will collect and review 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.
If you take your child out of school on a vacation and they start to amass absences at a rate that will put them on pace of missing 10% of the school year (18 days), you will get a letter from me regardless of the reason. These absences can actually impact our school designation negatively, so I ask that you please try not to schedule your vacations when school is in session. Thank you.
Be Prepared for Cold Weather:
Families, please take note of the changing weather. The temperature is now much cooler, so please dress your children appropriately. Please make sure children have an extra pair of gym shoes to change into after they take their boots off. They cannot participate in PE class if they do not have gym shoes.
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 [email protected], and she can check for you. You may also apply online at the following website by clicking here.
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:
- 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 weekend!