Take Home Tuesday

Dear Sward Families:

When will I use that in "real life"? This is a question that many teachers and parents hear when a child is learning something new... especially in math. It is always fun to make the connections between the learning occurring in the classroom and what happens outside the 4 walls of Sward School.

We are looking to bring these math connections into our building. If you "catch" your child or family using math outside of the schoolwork they bring home, please snap a photo and send it with a brief description to ckramer@d123.org so I can post these photos onto an empty bulletin board that is waiting to be filled with lots of math learning! Is your child calculating an estimated time of arrival, checking to be sure a receipt is correct, counting the amount of blue cars they see on the road, or making sure they have enough money to pay for the pizza delivery??? Snap a quick photo and send it to me :)

It is amazing how much we use math in our everyday lives!!

Your partner in education,

Mrs. Candy Kramer

Sward School Principal

Tomorrow is our PTA Muffins with Misses event from 8:50-9:20 a.m. in the Main Gym. Please use the main doors on Brandt to enter the building. We do have limited parking here at school, so if you are able to walk to this event, please do so. At 9:20 a.m., the "Misses/Adults" will be dismissed through the main doors. Following the adult dismissal, when the students are dismissed, they will go directly to line up in the hallway outside their classroom door.

If you are looking to place funds into your child's Skyward lunch account, you have a few options. You are able to place funds electronically into their account through the Family Access portal. Here is also where you will able to see when your child has made a purchase of a meal or milk. If you prefer to send cash, we ask that you send a minimum of $20 with your child to cover multiple meals. The cash deposits frequently take longer to be reflected in the accounts which can sometimes cause confusion. If you have questions or would like guidance through the process, please call the Sward main office at (708)423-7820.

Please be aware that if you do qualify for the free or reduced lunch and your child orders ONLY a milk (rather than the whole lunch), they will be charged the cost of the milk on their Skyward account. The cost for the milk is 60 cents.

Sward now has our very own Twitter handle. Throughout the weeks, you will see postings of exciting things happening throughout our building. It is always fun to have a glimpse into the learning or our students. Be sure to check us out at @D123Sward or scan the QR code to the side!

District 123 6K Run/Walk with World Vision: On Saturday, September 17th at OLHMS, District 123 will once again be hosting our annual 6K walk/run in conjunction with World Vision to raise funds for clean water projects and education for the children of Africa. The 6K distance represents the average distance young children in some African communities must walk to retrieve dirty, contaminated water for their families. We are encouraging all students, staff, community members, families, and friends to join us in this endeavor. The cost is $25 per participant. Registration includes a t-shirt, race bib with a photo of a child you will be assisting, and a finisher's medal. Online registration is open and available. Go to www.teamworldvision.org/team/D123 and click “JOIN OUR TEAM” to register. We are also in need of volunteer support, namely as course monitors who work from 8:30AM-11:00AM to help keep our participants safe.

Breakfast is available to our students before the school day begins. If you would like your child to eat breakfast at school, they will enter through the 98th St. door #11 as early as 8:10 a.m. and no later than 8:20 a.m. The charge for the breakfast is $1.50 and will be charged to their Skyward account. When they are finished eating breakfast, they will go to join their class. The September Breakfast Menu can be found below.

Attendance and punctuality are important. The bell rings for the students to enter the building at 8:25 a.m. and school begins promptly at 8:30 a.m. Please click HERE for attendance procedures.

Please mark your calendars. Sward Open House will be held on Wednesday, September 14 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Please remember that this is a general overview of the curriculum and procedures for the year and not an individual conference time. Our Family Conferences will be held on the 13th and 14th of October.

There are specific requirements for students entering preschool, kindergarten, second grade and sixth grade, as well as for all new students. Visit our Health Forms & Guidelines page for more information. Please note that these vaccinations and/or health examinations are required by state law.

Join us for our first PTA meeting of the year. Wednesday, September 7. We will be meeting in the Sward main gym at 6:30 p.m. Be the first to sign up to volunteer for classroom parties and committees for fun events :) Hope you can join us!

Families of students in all grade levels can sign up for the device insurance program for only $25/year by adding the optional “Student Device Insurance” fee through Skyward Family Access. You have until September 30 to purchase device insurance every year. Additional information about the student device insurance program and deductibles can be found at: https://d123.org/about/technology/student-device-insurance/

Please view either the written or video tutorial on how to add Chromebook / iPad insurance to your student's account.

• Wednesday, September 7- Districtwide Late Start- School Begins at 9:30 a.m.- Muffins with Misses event 8:50-9:20 a.m.- PTA Meeting 6:30 p.m. Welcome new and interested members (parents may sign up for classroom parties at this time)
  
• Wednesday, September 14- Open House 6:30-8:00 p.m.

Website: d123.org/sward
Location: 9830 Brandt Avenue, Oak Lawn, IL, USA
Phone: 708-423-7820
Twitter: @d123sward

Email: ckramer@d123.org
Website: d123.org/sward
Phone: 708-423-7820
Twitter: @MrsKramerD123