Take Home Tuesday

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Updates from the principal's office

Greetings Sward Families:

It is hard to believe that we are already in the middle of February and that our snow-filled eLearning days are now almost 2 weeks behind us. Please remember that everyone's attendance had automatically defaulted to "present" during those 2 days with the expectation of having submitted the completed assignments within 5 days. If your child has not yet submitted their school work from those 2 days, you will see a change in their attendance on Skyward to "absent" within the next couple of days. If you are unsure as to whether or not your child has submitted their completed work, please reach out to your child's teacher and they will be able to let you know.

Thank you very much!

Your partner in education,

Mrs. Candy Kramer

Sward School Principal

Family Conferences

The conference scheduling for Family Conferences on Feb. 24th and 25th is now open in Skyward. Parents can schedule their own conference time. The format will again be virtual so you will be able to attend your family conferences from a place that is convenient for you. Click HERE for more information as well as helpful videos. If you run into any obstacles, please contact the Sward main office at (708)423-7820.

5Essentials

Students, teachers, and parents/guardians across Illinois now have the opportunity to participate in the ninth annual statewide Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of your child’s school. As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and anonymous. To get started with the survey head to d123.org/five. Right now, Sward has a 6% response rate to this survey. We need a 20% rate in order to receive a report. Your voice matters.

Vaccination Clinic

THIS SATURDAY, February 19 - District 123 & IDPH Vaccination Clinic

Feb 19, 2022
10am - 4pm
OLHMS - 5345 West 99th St

The vaccination clinic is open to any community member and all vaccination types (Pfizer, Moderna, J&J) will be available. This will include 1st dose, 2nd dose, and booster doses if applicable.

BOOK APPOINTMENT - d123.org/vaxclinic2022

Click HERE for the flyer.

Spring Picture Day

Spring picture day is Friday, March 18th. Information is being sent home in today's THT. This is the picture time that sibling photos can be taken (but, only siblings that are current Sward students). If you would like your children to take their picture together, please complete the form that was sent home today and return it to school. The children must have the form submitted to be pulled for a sibling photo. If the form is not filled out, they will simply be pulled for individual photos. If siblings have their picture taken together, they will not be photographed individually.

Kids' Heart Challenge

Want to join us in having a happy and healthy heart!? There is still time to jump on board and join our school's heart hero team! You won’t want to miss out on learning 6 ways from our heart heroes on ways to keep your whole heart healthy!! This is the LAST WEEK of our challenge, so don’t forget to register for FREE to join us!

We are so proud of our students for taking ownership of their health this month, we can’t wait to share and celebrate our results!

Update from Nurse Dina

Ever wonder why skin, especially on hands, is so dry in the cold winter months? Well, it is because there is a lack of moisture. During the winter the humidity outside decreases and inside it is even drier because of indoor heating. This lack of moisture can leave hands dry and cracked. In some cases they may also bleed. Some tips to combat dry skin on hands are as follows... dry hands completely after washing, use mild soap when possible, apply lotion to hands often and cover open skin with a bandaid to prevent infection. All of these little steps can really help our skin stay healthy during the winter.

Registration

The open enrollment for the 2022-2023 Tuition Preschool Programs began on January 19. A link for the registration can be found at: https://www.d123.org/departments/teaching-learning/programs/tuition-preschool

Kindergarten registration for the 2022-2023 school year also began January 19. A link for the kindergarten registration can be found at: https://www.d123.org/departments/teaching-learning/programs/kindergarten

Quarantine Homework Help

...just another friendly reminder that we have after school virtual homework help for the students who are currently in the quarantine protocol. If you would like your child to partake in this, please email ckramer@d123.org and ask for a link to that afternoon's Google Meet. The links change daily and the homework help is from 3:30-4:30.

If your child is absent

If your child will be absent:

Please call the Sward main office to report an absence (708)423-7820. There will be questions that must be asked during this time of pandemic protocol.
Keep in close contact via email with your child's teacher. They will be able to inform you of the work your child will miss during the absence. They might provide links for your child to access on their device, a packet to pick up in the office, or a mix of both.
Many days, there will be virtual homework help opportunity for the absent children from 3:30-4:30. Please email ckramer@d123.org for additional information or a meeting link.

SHIELD Program

We have begun the COVID-19 SHIELD testing at SWARD. This will only be for those that have already completed the OPT-IN form and signed their student up in Skyward Family Access.

The SHIELD Illinois program is a quick, simple, and non-invasive COVID-19 screening test. Students that have opted-in to the program will provide a small amount of saliva that is tested at a professional lab. Results of the test are then provided to families (if the results are positive) and our school district within the days following. The program offers students the opportunity to reduce or waive quarantine requirements in the event of close contact with a positive case or if the student demonstrates symptoms. You can opt-in to the program at any time by accessing Online Forms in Skyward Family Access. More information about the SHIELD Illinois program can be found at: d123.org/shield-illinois-testing-program If you choose to remove your child from the program after they have already been in the program, please call the Sward main office at (708)423-7820 to ensure that they have been removed from the system.

Upcoming Dates

Wednesday, February 16- Kindness Week theme of the day- "Be a good sport" and wear your favorite sports jersey
Thursday, February 17- Kindness Week theme of the day- "Pajama day" and wear your pajamas all day
Friday, February 18- Menu Change today: Today's lunch choices will be BBQ Rib Sandwich (pork) OR Hot Dog (beef)- there will not be pizza today
Friday, February 18- Kindness Week theme of the day- "School spirit day" and wear your school spirit gear and/or Sward blue
Saturday, February 19- D123 and IDPH Vaccination Clinic 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. at Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School
Monday, February 21- No School- Presidents' Day
Tuesday, February 22- PTA Meeting 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, February 23- Menu Change today: Today's lunch choices will be Hamburger OR Chicken Sandwich- there will not be pizza today
Thursday, February 24- Early Dismissal for students due to Family Conferences (Students are dismissed at 11:30. There is no lunch served today.)- Virtual Family Conferences 5:00-8:00 p.m.
Friday, February 25- No School for Students due to Family Conferences/ Virtual Family Conferences 11:30 a.m.- 6:30 p.m./ End of Trimester 2
Monday, March 7- No School- Casimir Pulaski Day

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