A message from Ms. Kanoon and Mrs. Kurtz

Dear Einstein Community,

It’s been a busy week of learning as we are getting back into routines and schedules a few days off. We want to thank the parents/guardians who came to Student-Led Conferences last week. We had a tremendous turnout; it is so nice to see all our families. Thank you for the continuous help and support you give your child(ren). Einstein would not have the success it has had without your support. Read below for important information and dates for upcoming events.

Schaumburg Parent University – February Classes

Schaumburg Parent University (SPU) is designed to involve more parents in the life of the school, to strengthen family relationships, and to improve parenting skills that will ultimately result in improved student success academically, socially and emotionally. There are three evening programs for parents only scheduled for February in the District 54 Professional Learning Center, 522 E. Schaumburg Road in Schaumburg.

Youth Suicide: A Community Conversation about Awareness and Prevention on Feb. 5
Tell Me More about This New PARCC Assessment on Feb. 10
The In’s and Out’s of the IEP (Individualized Education Program for students with special needs) on Feb. 26

If you are interested in attending these events and would like more information, please select the flyers to the right. Youth Suicide, PARCC, IEPs.  Childcare will be available. For more information about Schaumburg Parent University and to register, visit our website by clicking here.

5Essentials Survey

As a way to continuously improve, District 54 has chosen to provide the optional 5Essentials parent survey.  The parent survey is only 26 questions and the state estimates you can complete it in 10 minutes. The survey is available in English and Spanish.

If you have more than one child at a school, you should complete only one survey for that school. In addition, only one parent or guardian per household may participate in the survey. Parents with children enrolled in multiple schools may take the survey for each school. Schools are listed alphabetically by their full names (for example Albert Einstein would be listed under A, not E for Einstein).

If at least 20 percent of our parents complete this survey, a parent supplement will be generated. The parent data will not be reported on the State Report Card. Last year, when the number was 30 percent, none of our schools met this target. We are hoping to meet the target this year.

To take the parent survey, please click here between Jan. 12 and March 13, 2015.

Important Dates

January 28- Donut with Dads/Special Person at 8:00 AM in Einstein’s gym
February 9- PTA Meeting in Teacher’s Lounge at 7:00 PM
February 11- No School in PM for students in grades 1-6; No School for kindergarten
February 12- Kindergarten Registration
February 13- Valentine’s Parties in PM
February 16- President’s Day- No School
February 17- Du Page Children’s Museum Science Night for grades 4-6
February 24- Kindergarten Information Meeting for Parents at 6:30 PM (details to follow)

Family Movie Night featuring DESPICABLE ME2

Dear Einstein Community,

We hope this finds you well. Please click here for the flyer from our PTA about movie night this Friday, January 23, 2015.  Enjoy your day and we hope to see you Friday night.

Ms. Kanoon and Mrs. Kurtz

A Message from Ms. Kanoon and Mrs. Kurtz

Dear Einstein Community,

We are looking forward to seeing everyone at parent/teacher conferences today or tomorrow.  It is a great opportunity to discuss the progress of your students as well plan for a successful second half of the school year. The staff and students have worked hard to prepare for these conferences. I know you will be impressed and informed.

Science and Math Nights with the Du Page Children’s Museum-New Dates

The inclement weather has forced us to cancel our Math night two times now! Here are the new dates:
Science Night for grades 4-6, February 17^th from 6:00-8:00 PM in Einstein’s gym
Math Night for grades 1-3, April 23^rd from 6:00-8:00 PM in Einstein’s gym
Details will follow. Thank you for your flexibility as we get this scheduled!

Parking Reminders

Please remember to follow the signs for parking and dropping off students in the front and back of Einstein School. The south entrance has been patrolled by the Hanover Park Police this week and they are issuing tickets. The police are out to ensure the safety of all our students and parents. Remember you may not park or stop in the turn around. In order to park you have to come north, circle the turnaround and park on the west side of the street. This parking/dropping always seems to become an issue in the winter. We appreciate you following the signs and ensuring the safety of the students.

5Essentials Survey

As a way to continuously improve, District 54 has chosen to provide the optional 5Essentials parent survey.  The parent survey is only 26 questions and the state estimates you can complete it in 10 minutes. The survey is available in English and Spanish.

If you have more than one child at a school, you should complete only one survey for that school. In addition, only one parent or guardian per household may participate in the survey. Parents with children enrolled in multiple schools may take the survey for each school. Schools are listed alphabetically by their full names (for example Albert Einstein would be listed under A, not E for Einstein).

If at least 20 percent of our parents complete this survey, a parent supplement will be generated. The parent data will not be reported on the State Report Card. Last year, when the number was 30 percent, none of our schools met this target. We are hoping to meet the target this year.

To take the parent survey, please click  here between Jan. 12 and March 13, 2015.

Schaumburg Parent University – January Classes

Schaumburg Parent University (SPU) is designed to involve more parents in the life of the school, to strengthen family relationships, and to improve parenting skills that will ultimately result in improved student success academically, socially and emotionally. There are two classes scheduled for January that both involve parents and children learning together. Both will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the District 554 Professional Learning Center, 522 E. Schaumburg Road in Schaumburg.

• Family Math Night on Jan. 13: The District 54 Math Team will lead parents and their children (early childhood through eighth grade) as they explore activities and games that support mathematical learning.  Please click here for more information on Family Math Night.
• Family Literacy Night on Jan. 21: The District 54 Literacy Team and Schaumburg Township District Library are hosting this event for parents and students in early childhood through second grade. Families will engage in a variety of fun activities that revolve around reading and writing.  Please click here for more information on Family Literacy Night.  Please click here for the Spanish version.

If you are interested in attending either event, please see the attached flyers. Childcare will be available. For more information about Schaumburg Parent University and to register, visit our website.

Important Dates

January 15- Conferences in PM; student dismissal at 11:40; No School for kindergarteners
January 16- Conferences, No School for all students
January 19- Martin Luther Jr. Day, No School
January 23- PTA Family Movie Night at 7:00
January 28- Donut with Dads at 8:00 AM in Einstein’s gym

New hot lunch order forms

SPRING HOT LUNCH FORM

Click here for the HOT LUNCH ORDER FORM for the 2^nd half of the school year.  Before you fill out the form, please read the following:

• Return the attached form with your payment to school by Fri., Jan. 30th.
• Please make checks payable to Einstein PTA. If you’re paying with cash, please send in the exact amount. Anything extra will be considered a donation to the PTA.
• Please put your order form, along with payment in an envelope marked “HOT LUNCH” with your child’s name and room number.
• For families with more than one child, please include a separate order form for each child but one check can be submitted for payment. 

In light of the fact that this food is prepared off site, trace amounts of peanuts and other nuts may be present. If your child is allergic to nuts or other food substance(s), caution should be exercised.

If your child is absent on Hot Lunch Day, you may come in to pick up your order.  It is not our policy to issue refunds for absentees since we have already placed our order with the vendor.

REMEMBER THAT ALL ORDERS MUST HAVE A PARENT SIGNATURE OR WE CANNOT SERVE YOUR CHILD THEIR LUNCH.  Additionally, the hot lunch informational letter and form can be found here on Einstein’s web page under Family Resources and then selecting PTA Forms and Information.

Please keep the following dates as your reference:

2/17,   3/3,   3/17,   4/7,   4/21,   5/12

Mrs. Morrissey

Illinois offers 5Essentials Survey

Teachers, parents, guardians and students across Illinois are encouraged to participate in the Illinois 5Essentials Survey, to share their thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness and help guide school improvement.

The 5Essentials Survey will be administered online on behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education. The survey identifies five indicators that can lead to important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains. Research has shown that schools strong on these indicators are 10 times more likely to improve student learning. The five indicators are effective leaders, collaborative teachers, involved families, supportive environments and ambitious Instruction.

All District 54 parents are encouraged to take this optional survey – whether your child is in an early childhood program, elementary school or junior high.

If parents have more than one child at a school, they should complete only one survey for that school. In addition, only one parent or guardian per household may participate in the survey. Parents with children enrolled in multiple schools may take the survey for each school.

The state is not providing hard copies of this survey; however, our schools will make computers available to parents. Call your child’s school if you are interested in taking the survey at a District 54 school.

The parent survey results will only be generated by the state if at least 20 percent of parents at a school respond to the survey. Last year none of our schools met this target. If at least 20 percent of parents participate, this data will be made available to principals

To take the parent survey, please click here and complete before March 13, 2016. When searching for your school’s name, look up the full name (for example, look under J for Jane Addams Junior High School, not A for Addams).

Student Survey – for 6th through 8th grade

The state is only allowing students in grades 6 through 12 to take the survey. Students are required to take the survey at school and will be given time in District 54 during the week of Feb. 2.

Teacher Survey

All District 54 teachers will be asked to take the survey on Jan. 28. The State Board of Education is only administering the survey to certified teachers whose primary responsibility involves teaching students for the majority of the school day and year.

The identities of anyone taking a survey will be kept completely confidential and survey responses will not be linked to any individual. More information can be found online by clicking here.

Schools closed January 9

All District 54 schools will be closed again tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 9. The National Weather Service is calling for wind chill values as low as -21 in the morning, when children will be walking to school or waiting at bus stops.

We know that it’s frustrating to have three days off this week, especially after two weeks of winter break and especially for working parents. The District 54 staff wants students in the classrooms learning.

However, our number one priority every day is keeping children safe. We have about 8,000 students who ride a bus. The other 6,500 students either walk or get a ride to school. We cannot assume that all students can get a ride to school on a cold weather day. We also can’t assume that all children will be dressed appropriately for this weather.

The Hoffman Estates Park District and YMCA have announced that they will be offering child care for elementary school students when schools close for cold weather days. We hope that this will help out some of our families. For more information, visit the websites below.

• Hoffman Estates Park District
• Campanelli YMCA

All after-school and evening activities are canceled as well. The Rafferty Administration Center will be open. Thank you for your understanding and support.

Schools closed Thursday, January 8

All District 54 schools will be closed on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2015, because the forecast continues to call for dangerously low wind chills. All after-school and evening activities are canceled as well. The Rafferty Administration Center will be open.

The decision to close school is not one we make lightly. Our top concern is whether we believe the more than 14,000 students we serve can get to school safely (whether they walk, take a bus or ride in a car).

District 54 makes every effort to keep our schools open, but circumstances beyond our control (such as extreme cold) sometimes dictate that we close. Thank you for your understanding and support. The decision to close schools is made one day at a time.

Schools closed Jan. 7

All District 54 schools will be closed on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015, because the forecast calls for dangerously low wind chills. All after-school and evening activities are canceled as well. The Rafferty Administration Center will be open.

The decision to close school is not one we make lightly. Our top concern is whether we believe the more than 14,000 students we serve can get to school safely (whether they walk, take a bus or ride in a car).

District 54 makes every effort to keep our schools open, but circumstances beyond our control (such as extreme cold) sometimes dictate that we close. Thank you for your understanding and support. The decision to close schools is made one day at a time.

A Message from Ms. Kanoon and Mrs. Kurtz

Dear Einstein Community,

Welcome back and happy 2015! Our first day back went so well. We had a refresher “Boot Camp” this morning reminding students about following the 3Bs in all settings. They did a great job!

• Please Note: Due to the predicted snow and very frigid weather, we are going to reschedule our Science Night that was planned for this Wednesday, January 7^th. We apologize for the inconvenience and will let you know asap when we reschedule.
• Please click here for this month’s Hoot. Please read for important items of information.

Stay Warm!

A message from Ms. Kanoon and Mrs. Kurtz

Dear Einstein Community,

We want to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a happy holiday season. We hope you are taking time to relax and enjoy the time off.

Holiday Dinner and Workshop

Thank you to all of the families who joined us at the annual holiday dinner. Fun was had by all. We want to thank our PTA for organizing the dinner, running fun games and of course for the visit by Santa! We also want to thank the PTA for running the Holiday workshop so the students could buy gifts for their family and friends.

School Sing-a-long

A big thank you to Ms. Ceballos for organizing our school sing-a-long on Friday afternoon. It was a nice way to end the day before winter break!

Schaumburg Parent University

The next semester of classes has been released for District 54’s Schaumburg Parent University (see attached). Schaumburg Parent University was created to strengthen family relationships and to improve parenting skills that will ultimately result in improved student success academically, socially and emotionally. Research is clear that parental involvement is critical for children’s academic success, as well as for developing strong internal values and sense of self that results in a healthy, well-adjusted citizen. Schaumburg Parent University offers Time Together classes, such as the Family Literacy and Family Math nights planned for January. We also offer Practical Parenting classes, including a session on the new PARCC assessment and another on school-related anxiety. Please check out the complete list of classes by clicking to the right for English and Spanish, or visiting us online by clicking here .

Du Page Children’s Museum Science Night

Just a reminder that the rescheduled Science Night with the Du Page Children’s Museum will be January 7th from 6:00-8:00 PM in Einstein’s gym. You can stay for the whole time, or come for a bit. We look forward to a great night.

Lunches

Our office has been very busy with families dropping lunches off to their children.  Please work with your child to prepare these lunches in advance so the students came come to school ready for the lunch period.  Thank you!

Important Dates

January 5- School Resumes
January 7- Science Night
January 12- PTA Meeting at 7:00 in the teacher’s lounge
January 15- NO SCHOOL in PM/Conferences
January 16- NO SCHOOL-Conferences
January 19- NO SCHOOL- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Observed
January 23- PTA Family Movie Night

Have a wonderful two weeks off… Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!