
Letters from Limestone Walters
September 2021
๐๏ธ Important Dates to Remember
September 2nd: Softball and Baseball pictures after school
September 3rd: House Shirt Day and Half Day of School for students (7:50am-11:20am *No Lunch Served)September 6th: No School! Labor Day
September 27th: Board Meeting @6pm
๐ซ First Weeks of School
๐ Arrival and Dismissal
๐ท Masks
๐ฝ๏ธ Lunches
A big shout out to our cafeteria staff, custodian, and lunchroom supervisors who have been hard at work establishing new routines, ensuring social distancing, and cleaning between each lunch time. If students eat in the cafeteria, they have assigned seats and are all facing the same direction. If students eat in the art room they are two at a table, facing the same direction, and also have assigned seats. I have been very proud of how well students have adjusted and have been able to follow directions. I just know they can keep that up.
In an effort to minimize quarantines, we are also trying to get students out of the cafeteria within 15 minutes and out to recess. However, if students need to finish up they are allowed to do so and we make sure to remind them before dismissing. To help students focus on eating the lights are turned off and voices are off for the last 5 minutes of their lunch. Please remember there are no extras this year.
In the Cafeteria:
1st-2nd Grade: 11:20am-11:50am
3rd-4th Grade: 11:55am-12:25pm
7th-8th Grade: 12:30pm- 1:00pm
In the Art Room:
Kindergarten: 11:20am-11:50am
5th Grade: 11:55am-12:25pm
6th Grade: 12:30pm- 1:00pm
๐โฐ After School Help Grades 5-8
๐ Limestone High School Football Games
๐ Points from our PTO
๐ญ๐ฅฐ๐ฏ Principal Ponderings
I thoroughly enjoyed being able to paint my own canvas along with 8th graders this last week for the abstract art project.
Gratitude
I'm so grateful for candy apples, sunflowers, and notes of appreciation that have made me smile ear to ear this past week. Each of those were perfectly timed and exactly what I needed at that moment.
Goals
I am currently working on getting to know all of our student's names and visiting classroom's throughout the day to see learning in action.
~Stefanie Pitzer, Principal
๐ผ Superintendent's Corner
Welcome Back!
I want to take this opportunity to welcome everyone back to a new and exciting school year, and a special welcome to families who are experiencing Limestone Walters for the very first time. We are extremely excited to be back to full days and serving lunch on site. Why this year may seem more of the same from last year, we are making progress. The vaccine is now available to ages 12 and older (with a possibility of late fall for ages 2 โ 11), we are back to full days of instruction, lunch is being served โhotโ on site, and our extracurriculars are starting on time! So, we are trending in the right direction!!!
Our gym is getting a โmakeoverโ and should be completed by the end of this week. I am also happy to share that for the very first time, Limestone Walters will have a full-time principal. Her name is Stefanie Pitzer โ please give her a warm, Limestone Walters welcome! Mrs. Pitzer will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of our school and is looking forward to being a Rocket!!!!
Lunch Program
For the second year in a row, lunch is being provided to all families at no charge. For years, Limestone Walters has never made money on the lunch program. When you only charge $2.50 per lunch, with .25 of that accounting for the milk, you can see with food, utilities, and wages, there is no profit margin. By school code, we are not allowed to make money on the lunch program. However, that can all change this year if families take advantage of the free lunches that are being provided. Currently we are being reimbursed $4.35 for each lunch that we serve. If your son or daughter orders lunch, you are not only helping you own family, but you are helping your school as well! We hope that families will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. Our intent is to use any additional revenue from this school year to update our kitchen with new appliances. That is, we intend to put these funds back into the lunch program so we can make it better for our students. I donโt anticipate this program to continue beyond this year, so please consider having your son or daughter order lunch this year. Remember โ packing a lunch will be one less thing you have to do!!!
Peoria County Facilities Sales Tax
Speaking of our gym, the Peoria County Facilities Sales Tax (CFST) has been a great new revenue source for Peoria County Schools, and especially Limestone Walters. Since July 1, 2017, Limestone Walters has been a recipient of the CFST. These funds can only be used for facilities or to pay off any bond debt. Through May of 2021 (we receive our payments three months in the rear) Limestone Walters has received $240,601.09 in CFST funds. Expenditures that normally would need to come from our Operation and Maintenance Fund (sometimes referred to as the Building Fund) can now be paid for by the CFST funds. Since 2017 we have used those funds for:
Air conditioning in the classrooms (2017)
Asbestos tile removal in hallways and classrooms (2018)
New carpet and tile in all classrooms (2018)
New security door system and 18 new cameras (2019)
New gym floor and bleachers
The sales tax revenue is distributed to each district based upon their districtโs enrollment. That is, the more students you have, the more funds you receive. Anyone that shops in Peoria County, whether it be residents or visitors, help support the CFST.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at any time. You may reach me by phone at 697-3035 or by email at tdotson@limestonewalters.com.
Remember that the best gift you can give your son or daughter is your time.
Sincerely,
Tim Dotson, Superintendent
Limestone Walters School District #316
Email: spitzer@limestonewalters.com
Website: https://www.limestonewalters.com/
Location: 8223 West Smithville Road, Peoria, IL, USA
Phone: 309-697-3035
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LWrockets316
Twitter: @lwrockets