Please read the following updates and information:
5Essentials Survey: Families, you are rocking it with your completion of the 5Essentials survey! We currently have 64 surveys completed, and we need to get to at least 110 to get credit on next year's school report card. At conferences next week, we will have a couple tables set up and will be asking each parent to take the survey before they leave (if you haven't already). 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!!!
Family-Teacher Conferences:
- Conferences begin Monday from 2:00 - 8:00 and will continue on Tuesday from 8:00 - 2:00.
- If you have not already signed up for a conference time, please go to https://terrace62.youcanbook.me/ to register for one 20-minute conference time with your child's teacher on either Nov. 19 or Nov. 20. The conference sing-up will close this Sunday at 12:00 p.m.
Report Cards:
Report cards are coming home today. Please remember that they are standards-based report cards. Your child's teacher will go over these with you next week at conferences. Parents of students in grades 3-5, there will also be a letter explaining a change in how the grading system looks. Please read that letter, and if you have any questions, the teachers can explain that to you next week, as well.
Cultural Arts Assembly:
Thank you to the D62 Foundation and the Terrace PTC for bring in a science assembly for he students. It was a wonderful way to our your children how important, interesting, and fun science can be!
Railroad Safety:
This week I brought in Joel Kirchner from Union Pacific to do an Operation Lifesaver presentation for all Terrace students. He discussed railroad safety and what to look for when they are ever near railroad crossings. It was was an important presentation, and the students all walked away with some great information and some cool gifts.
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!
Reward Day:
This afternoon our students earned a reward for earning nearly 1500 cardinal cards to date. Students earn cardinal cards when they are safe, respectful, and responsible. Students in grades K-2 and students in grades 3-5 got together in their pjs and watched a movie. We are so proud of all of our 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. If your children attend early SPARK, they will sometimes play outside. Please make sure you are sending them with something warm to wear also.
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 and holiday next week!