Bobcat Blog

• April 7: No School
• April 10: Choral Fest @ OPRFHS, 6p
• April 19: Beye School Reading Olympics
• April 20: District Reading Olympics
• April 26: Talent Show, 5:30p
• May 6: (Saturday) Plant Sale Pick-up
  

***Please label all student water bottles, lunch boxes, sweatshirts, coats, etc. We want to reduce the amount of things we have in lost and found this year. Thank you.

We hope you all had a wonderful Spring Break!

Thank you for helping prepare your child(ren) for their Spring MAP Testing ~ NOW thru April 14th. Eating a healthy breakfast and getting a good night's sleep on the day before their test, every bit helps. We appreciate your partnership!

The Fitness & Nutrition Group is recruiting students to train to participate in The Good Life Race.

Here is a link to the Permission slip with more information.

The Beye Talent Show is right around the corner! If your child is participating in the show, please add the dates below to your calendar.

Note: Stunt Compilation Videos (any sports tricks/talents that can't be performed on a stage) can be turned in any time up until April 14th--- that form can be found here.

Beyond Hunger’s CAN DO Community Challenge is a local hunger relief campaign designed to heighten awareness about local food and nutrition security. The Challenge encourages schools, organizations, and individuals to become more involved with Beyond Hunger by participating in a fun, community wide competition.

In 2019 Beye School won the award for "Most Improved!"

Donations of canned goods can be brought to school during the month of April.

Monetary donations can be made online, here is the link.

SMART is a program created in 2022 to provide after-hours math classes over Zoom for 1st through 5th graders. It is funded by registration fees for participating, and financial aid is available to all who request it. Our goal has been to make this accessible to every student who could benefit. SMART Hephzibah offers both “regular” and “advanced” classes. The regular classes will focus on strengthening knowledge of grade-level material and the advanced classes will go beyond the grade-level curriculum. NEW this term is a parent-child class for 1st graders.

SMART has “regular” and “advanced” math classes. The “regular” classes will practice grade-level material, and the advanced classes will go beyond grade-level material. The 7-week winter program for 1st through 5th graders will have classes in the afternoons and early evenings starting the week of April. The 1st grade class is for students to attend with their parents. Sessions will be taught by D97 teachers over Zoom. The cost is $84, and financial aid is available. For more information and to register by Friday, March 24, visit www.smart-oakpark.org.

District 97 wants to ensure that our students who observe Ramadan (March 22-April 20) are supported and comfortable. Please click on this link to let us know how we can best support your student during this month

The purpose of this form is to understand how we can best accommodate our students' needs during this time. Our goal is to provide a safe and inclusive environment that respects religious observances, while also ensuring that students have access to necessary resources and support.

If your student does not observe Ramadan, or if they do and do not need an accommodation, you do not need to complete this form.

On Monday, April 10, District 97 will begin accepting applications for the early childhood blended classrooms at Whittier Elementary School for the 2023-24 school year. There will be a limited number of spaces available. Click here to view the 2023-24 D97 Blended Preschool flyer >>

District 97 is seeking students who:

• are non-IEP students who will be between the ages of 3 and 4 years by Sept. 1, 2023;

• demonstrate age-appropriate language and social skills;

• are Oak Park residents;

• are not enrolled in a preschool program.

The registration window will be open April 10, 2023, through May 19, 2023. For more information about the Early Childhood Blended Program or to apply, please visit https://www.op97.org/teach-learn/ecblended.

Oak Park and River Forest High School will host an in-person parent university session on Wednesday, April 19, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Topics will include student mental wellness, substance use prevention, and more. The event is open to all families in Oak Park, River Forest and the surrounding communities.

• Event Flyer

• Registration Link

District 97's Single Subject and Whole Grade Level Acceleration process for students for the 2023-24 school year is now open!

District 97 believes that all students should be challenged and supported to develop to their maximum potential. For students who demonstrate they may benefit from accelerated placement, we provide opportunities to participate in an instructional setting that is usually reserved for students who are older or in higher grades than the child. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Single subject acceleration
• Whole grade acceleration

In accordance with the Illinois Accelerated Placement Act, District 97 has continued to refine procedures to ensure equitable access to acceleration opportunities for all students. Continuing this year: all students who are grade eligible to take the Illinois Assessment for Readiness (IAR) must participate in the assessment in order to be deemed eligible for acceleration. The IAR is a critically important measure in determining the mastery of grade level standards and must be considered by the school team along with other sources of data.

Pre-applications for single-subject and whole-grade acceleration will be accepted from March 1 to May 15 of each school year. The general process is outlined HERE.

Information about the District 97 Accelerated Placement Program, including definitions and timelines, can be found at http://www.op97.org/acceleration.

In District 97, we understand and appreciate that it will take all of us—families, staff, community members—working together to have a safe and healthy winter. As we continue through the winter months, we want to remind you of a few preventative measures our school community can take to reduce the spread of illness in our schools:

• Wash hands often, especially before eating and after using the bathroom.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. These are the most common ways for germs to enter the body.
• Cover your mouth and nose with your arm when you cough or sneeze.
• Get plenty of sleep!
• Eat whole, unprocessed foods and include fruits and vegetables at each meal.
• Stay up to date on your vaccinations

Should students get sick, they should not come to school. Please do not send your child to school with any of the following symptoms:

• Constant coughing
• Constant “runny” nose, especially with yellow or green mucus
• A temperature of 100 or higher
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
• Rashes or any scratching for unknown reasons, with or without fever
• Watery, itching eyes that have drainage or are crusted shut upon waking

If your child tests positive for COVID-19, please report the illness by completing District 97’s Positive Case Notification form. Thank you for sharing this responsibility with us to Be Safe and Healthy by looking out for the collective care of the community this winter!

CELL PHONE/MOBILE DEVICES: OFF and AWAY DURING THE DAY

Reminder: Cell phones/Mobile Devices are not to be used during school hours. This includes calling parents/guardians due to illness, requesting items to be dropped off, etc.

• Students can ask a teacher to use the classroom phone or the phone in the main office if needed.

• Parents can call the main office to relay any urgent messages.

Cell phones are to be turned off upon entering the school building and not used until the dismissal bell rings. Our School Board Policy 7:190 - Student Behavior, Prohibited Student Conduct, #5, addresses cell phones during the school day. Also, Board Policy AP5 - Administrative Procedures

Thank you Beye Green Team for extending this throughout the year. Old sneakers can be brought to school and then dropped off in the office vestibule. Check out the photo of the latest batch of shoes going to be recycled instead of going into the landfill.

Recycle your old sneakers and earn money for Beye School!

Bring any and all sneakers, in any condition, to the school for donation through the end of the school year. Athletic shoes only please.

The Beye Green Team has partnered with gotsneakers.com to keep sneakers out of landfills and earn money for Beye!

We want to show our Beye Spirit by encouraging students and staff to wear Beye Wear or blue and white colors each Friday or the last day of the week.

If you are looking to purchase Beyewear, please contact the office and we can let you know what sizes and styles are still available. If you haven't joined Konstella, a way for families to connect with one another, consider signing up.

The breakfast and lunch menus for our elementary and middle schools are available at http://www.op97.org/business-office/food-service. During the 2022-23 school year, students may:

• Bring a nut-free lunch from home.

• Order school lunch.

PLEASE NOTE: During the 2022-23 school year, all students will be required to pay for their breakfast and lunch meals unless they are directly approved by the State of Illinois or approved after completing the 2022-23 Free and Reduced Meal Application.

Process for Reporting Positive COVID-19 Cases to D97 Schools
If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, they must complete the following steps:

1) In order to notify the school nurse and receive a return-to-school date, families/staff must complete the confidential COVID-19 Positive Case Notification Form as soon as possible following the positive test. Information provided will also be shared with the Oak Park Department of Public Health.

2) Families must continue to report student absences via the school attendance line, and staff must enter their absences in Frontline.

To see the rules for isolation and quarantine, click here. Additional resources are linked below.

• Summary of District 97's COVID-19 Mitigations
• 2022-23 COVID-19 Health and Safety Plan

Cheryl Sullivan

Beye Principal

csullivan@op97.org

Location: 230 North Cuyler Avenue, Oak Park, IL, USA
Phone: 708- 524-3070
Twitter: @MrsSullivand97