Picking Up Food Items at School Buildings

We ask for your help when picking up a previously-ordered hot lunch for a child who is absent. Please notify the front office that you will be picking it up by noon and pick up the lunch by 1 p.m. This structure is being put into place out of courtesy for our school staff and in accordance with food safety practices.

Wear Pink on December 8

An international Say No to Bullying Day began when two high school students in Nova Scotia, Canada witnessed a new classmate being bullied for wearing a pink shirt. The two students bought all the pink shirts they could find and distributed them for others to wear and show that bullying wasn’t okay. Throughout the world, school communities carry on this tradition by celebrating Pink Day. Our school community will be a sea of pink on Thursday, December 8.  We encourage students, staff members, and community members to wear pink and Say No to Bullying.

While we celebrate and wear pink on December 8, we remind our staff and students that kindness can make a difference every single day. Choosing kindness is free and can make a positive impact in our school and community.

COVID-19 PCR Testing - CANCELED

December 6th: Due to minimal interest and participation, District 35 is CANCELING COVID-19 PCR testing at Misner Auditorium.

A Collection of Resources for Parents

At last month’s board meeting, we shared an overview of the parent learning interests from our parent education survey.

In response to the interests in the survey, we have curated a collection of resources for parents and caregivers to browse for easy-to-access news and information.

Click here for a collection of articles, podcasts, and videos on the following topics:
—Navigating technology and social media
—Supporting children’s social and communication skills
—Understanding child development and supporting children in managing emotions
—Nurturing independence, confidence, and resilience

Looking for more information about MAP testing? In his presentation, Taking the Mystery out of MAP, Mr. Ben Baird, Director of Assessment, Data, and Tiered Supports, created a presentation to answer common questions about MAP testing. Click here to view.

Important Dates to Remember

Please mark your calendars:

Friday, December 23 - Winter Break Begins - No student attendance on Friday
Monday, January 9 - School resumes
Monday, January 16 - No School - Dr. Martin Luther King Day

Sustainability Tip

Collect your bread tags for a good cause. This holiday season, collect your bread tags to support Danielle Cares for Chairs. Danielle’s foundation collects the tags and turns them into a recycling company for funds that support mobility devices for those in need. The goal is to collect 1 million bread tags this year across our region. Help us reach our goal. We are collecting bread tags in the front office of each school building.

Upcoming Family Action Network Events

Tuesday, Dec. 6 & Wednesday, Dec 7, 2022 at 7 p.m.  - Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life’s Fundamental Bond, featuring Lydia Denworth. Click here to learn more about these in-person events. The Dec. 6 event is also live-streamed through this site. 

Monday, December 12 at 7 p.m.  - You Need a Manifesto: How to Craft Your Convictions and Put Them to Work. Join Charlotte Burgess-Auburn,MA, director of community at Stanford University’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (the “d.school”) as she show viewers how to craft a personal creed to help you face daily tasks and roadblocks and create more purpose in your work.  For more information, click here. Click here to register for this free webinar.

Bread Bag Tag Recycling Program

District 35 is pleased to partner with the Village Sustainability Task Force and SCARCE to support Danielle Cares for Chairs. The goal is to collect 1 million bread tags this year across our region. Danielle’s foundation collects the tags and turns them into a recycling company for funds that support mobility devices for those in need.

Add the Bread Tag Recycling Program label that was sent home to a jar and collect the bread tags all year. We will share reminders about turning in collected bread tags later this year. Thank you for your support!

Online Absence Forms

Did you know you have the option to report your student’s absence via an online form?  Please use the links below to report an absence before 9:00AM.
- South School Absence Form
- West School Absence Form
- Central School Absence Form
Absences can also still be reported via the absence call line if preferred to the online form.

Visitor Procedures

We thank our parents for partnering with us as we reset visitor procedures in the schools. Please note the following updated procedures in place in each school beginning on Thursday, August 25, 2022. We ask that all visitors:

1. enter via the main entrance, buzz at the door, wait to be greeted by a staff member over the intercom, confirm your appointment/meeting
2. if you have a confirmed appointment, please be ready with your license so we may screen with our visitor system
3. please wear your visitor lanyard at all times while in the school for a pre-scheduled appointment
4. return to the main office, return your lanyard, collect your license, and exit via the main entrance

If you are simply dropping a lunch or item for your child, please do so in the vestibule. School staff will be monitoring for items throughout the day and ensure items are brought in for your child.

Our commitment to student safety is unwavering as we embark upon the 2022-23 school year. Thank you for working with our school teams as we implement these new procedures.

TrueNorth 804

Our district is a member of TrueNorth Educational Cooperative 804. We share resources with 17 other school districts in our region so that we can provide every student the opportunity to learn and reach their full potential. Through TrueNorth, our students can access academic and behavior support, and our staff can engage in high-quality professional learning that impacts student growth here in District 35. TrueNorth (formerly NSSED, or Northern Suburban Special Education District), is committed to the possibilities in every learner, every day. Please visit truenorth804.org to learn more about the cooperative and watch an introduction video.