Take Home Tuesday

Dear Sward Families:

On behalf of Sward School and our Student Council, we would like to thank you for your generosity during our "SockTober" sock drive. Our goal was to collect 524 pairs of socks (which happens to be our student population). We surpassed that goal by collecting 783 pairs of socks!!! You read that correctly... 783 pairs of socks!! They were donated to Almost Home in Oak Lawn and will keep many feet warm as the cold weather approaches.

As a celebration of being able to help so many people, Student Council is planning for a Sward School CRAZY SOCK DAY this Friday, October 28. Wear your craziest socks... we can't wait to see them!

Your partner in education,

Mrs. Candy Kramer

Sward School Principal

Click for the various newsletters:

• Kindergarten
• Grade 1
• Grade 2
• Grade 3
• Grade 4
• Grade 5
• Art
• Library
• Music

Costume time is coming quickly. Please be aware of the Halloween costume guidelines:

• Monday, October 31 is a HALF DAY OF SCHOOL. Students will be dismissed at 11:30 a.m. There will be no lunch served at school on 10/31/22.

• Students are allowed to wear their costumes to school in the morning. All hairstyles must be completed at home (no sprays allowed at school).
  

• Costumes of a violent nature are strongly discouraged. Students may not carry weapons- either play or real- as props to their costumes. No roller skates or rollerblades, no sharp metal items, no full face masks.

• All students are encouraged to participate in the school’s “parade of costumes” at 9:30. If outside, we will make a complete lap around the entire block of the school. Visitors will be able to stand anywhere around the outside of the building as long as the sidewalk is free for children to walk. Friends and family are welcome to attend. For security reasons, visitors must follow the same costume rules as the students. If the weather is icky, we will not be having the parade outside. We WILL be having a "reverse parade" whether the weather cooperates or not. I will be creating a video of the children which will then be emailed out to our families so everyone will be able to enjoy the costumes.

• Students will be required to take off a full-face mask if they have brought one to school with their costume.

The Scholastic Book Fair is coming!

We will be collecting spare dollars and/or spare change in a "Bucks for Books" collection. All of the money collected will be put toward the purchase of books that will be donated to a children's hospital.

• Tuesday, November 1: Early Bird Sale from 3:30- 5:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, November 2: Students will shop with their classrooms at some point during the school day
• Thursday, November 3: PTA GRAND Event in the evening from 6:00- 8:00 p.m.

How has D123 formed meaningful learning partnerships with parents, families, and the broader learning community? School District 123 values the learning partnerships that are formed between our families, students and staff. Each year District 123 strives to ensure that all members of the learning community are able to connect with classrooms, and the school system in valuable and meaningful ways.

District 123 has intentionally created opportunities for connection including:

• Meet & Greet Opportunities
• School Open Houses
• Family Conferences (In-Person, Virtual, and Telephone)
• Remind, Seesaw, and Email Communication Tools
• Individual Classroom Curricular Newsletters
• Principal Tuesday Take Home Communication

District 123 is using ThoughtExchange so everyone has a chance to share their perspectives and understand what’s most important to our learning community. Please share your thoughts and then rate at least 20-30 of the thoughts that others have shared. Come back often until Nov 4, 2022 to rate new ideas. Your thoughts, ideas, and input are extremely valued and appreciated.

CLICK HERE TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

Healthy eating habits can be challenging for parents. Busy schedules, picky eaters and just not knowing what is healthy and what is not can be some contributing factors. Some strategies can help parents improve their child's nutrition and encourage healthy eating habits. One strategy can involve having regular family meal times. Even busy parents and children can try to do this at least three to four times a week. This is a great way for parents and children to catch up and maybe plan these meals together. Try to include fruits, vegetables and grains in each family meal. Click here for an example of My Plate from USDA. Another strategy is to be a healthy eating role model. Children learn so much from watching their parents and will follow their lead. Trying to eat healthy as parents will be sending a great message.

Our PTA is preparing for our annual pumpkin contest. Please click HERE for the details and guidelines.

The Oak Lawn Fire Department is having their coloring book contest for Grades K-4. The coloring books came home last week. Entries are due to the Sward Office by: Friday, Dec 2nd.

There are quite a few children using the playground after school. However, there are also quite a few asking to run in to use the restroom. We have many after school programs and clubs that occur on a daily basis. It is important for us to know who is in the building at any given time for safety purposes. For this reason, we ask that refrain from running back in to use the restroom from the park. This makes it difficult for us to monitor who is in the building and when they are here.

Our picture RETAKE day is Thursday, October 27. If your child was absent for the fall photos or needs to retake a photo, the photographers will be here on Thursday, October 27.

It is not too late... Please send your child's PTA Fall Party Permission form and party money to school as soon as possible. The fall party will be here before we even know it!

If you will be volunteering at the Fall Party, please come to the office to get your ID scanned. Even if you scanned your ID last year, we will need to do it again this year.

Dear D123 English Learner Program Families,

Please join us for a “Snack and Chat” gathering, to learn more about our Bilingual Parent Advisory Council (BPAC) and its role in supporting our students and their learning. You will also have the opportunity to meet other parents from our school district and share your ideas for this school year.

Date: Thursday, November 3, 2022
Location: District 123 Administration Center 4201 W. 93rd St. Oak Lawn, IL 60453
Time: 11:30 a.m.--1:00 p.m.

Please RSVP Anne Coffman, Interim EL Director by November 1: 708-423-0150, ext. 4297 or acoffman@d123.org

A flyer came home for our PTA Father/Son Game Day that will be taking place from 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 noon on Saturday, November 12. See the flyer that your child brought home last week for additional details.

The annual D123 Leaf Raking date has been scheduled for Saturday, November 12. Mark your calendars if you would like to participate in this wonderful event. Click here for additional details and registration information.

When you "catch your child" using real life math outside of school, please send a photo and statement of explanation to ckramer@d123.org . Check out this example of our Eagle adding up his score at the end of his golf tournament. The photos and explanations will be added to a "Math Outside of School" bulletin board for all to see.

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!

• Thursday, October 27- Picture Retake Day
• Monday, October 31- Early Dismissal (11:30 a.m. dismissal)
• Tuesday, November 1- Book Fair Early Bird Sale 3:30- 5:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, November 2- PTA Meeting 6:30 p.m.
• Thursday, November 3- Book Fair GRAND Event 6:00- 8:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, November 8- No School- Election Day

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