Letters from Limestone Walters

My name is Stefanie Pitzer and I'm the new principal for Limestone Walters. This is going to be my 16th year in education. I taught 2nd grade at Dunlap Grade School for 11 years, and the last 4 have been spent as an instructional coach for the Dunlap School District. An instructional coach serves as a resource for classroom teachers by providing them instructional support, resource gathering, and targeted professional development. I have my master's in educational leadership from Western Illinois University and I'm excited for this opportunity to be a Rocket.

My husband, Derek, is from Bartonville and he graduated from Limestone High School. We actually first met there at a Snowball event. He currently works for Caterpillar as the Morton DC Dealer Engagement Coordinator. He hosts guests who visit from all over the world and provides them with a tour and information regarding the functions provided in Morton.

I thought who better to introduce me further than my two boys, Jaxon and Oliver. They made this video for you to learn all about me:

Once a month, you will receive Letters from Limestone Walters. This newsletter will provide you with important information in regards to your child's life here at school. It will include upcoming dates, important events, pictures, and updates to help make your life a little easier.

August 19th: No School! Teacher's Institute

August 20th: First Day of School (7:50am-11:20am *No Lunch Served)

August 23rd: Full Days Begin (7:50am-2:40pm)

August 27th: School Picture Day!

I know there are a lot of feelings from kids and adults as we get ready to enter the 2021-2022 school year. I share and understand all of these feelings. One thing I know for sure, we love our students and can't wait to see them! Although we will continue to be looking for guidance from IDPH, please be patient with us as we navigate though all of the recommendations and changes that present unique challenges to schools. Our focus will be to keep everyone safe and create an engaging learning environment. Rest assure that a love and excitement for learning are always valued here.

Our reopening committee is in the process of finalizing our reopening plan. However, there are a few items I wanted to put on your radar:

• we will be returning to full in person days (7:50am-2:40pm)
• lunch will be served on site and is free to all students this year
• for the time being there will be no extras served at lunch
• Governor Pritzker has mandated that all P-12 schools must follow the CDC guidance of universal masking regardless of vaccination status
  
• a school bus is considered public transportation and will follow masking policies
• no longer at 50 capacity on the bus but we do encourage you to bring your child to school
• please continue to self-certify that your child is symptom and fever free before getting on a bus or arriving at school

More information and details will be coming with our finalized and approved plan.

We have a couple changes in our staff. Limestone Walters now will have a principal who will work alongside Mr. Dotson, our superintendent. Our kindergarten teacher, Miss Bryant, got married over the summer so she will now be Mrs. Morris!

This summer our gym is getting a “facelift.” A new wood floor with a great logo has been installed! We anticipate new bleachers arriving soon, but we have encountered a delay with the shortage of steel. The walls were painted and we will also have new mats and ramps to access the wood floor. Funds for this project came from three sources: 1) State Maintenance Grant, 2) Health/Life Safety Funds, and 3) Peoria County Facilities Sales Tax (CFST). We did not need to issue bonds for this project. I will provide more information on the CFST next month but we encourage you to shop local in Peoria County because Limestone Walters is a direct recipient of those sales tax dollars.

Every classroom has been equipped with new SMART Displays. These will allow for more interactive learning experiences for our students, provide clearer visuals, and give the teacher the ability to control everything from the board versus a separate device.

Students in grades 5-8 will be using brand new Chromebooks and new cases this year. In an effort to minimize damage, students will be required to keep their Chromebook in their cases.

We now how have a new Facebook and Twitter account. I want to give a shout out to Mr. Martzluf for creating these when our website was updated. These are great ways to get a peak into what life is like as a Rocket. Please be sure to like and follow along with our story by clicking the buttons below:

Remember

I have been enjoying meeting the Limestone Walters community and have very much appreciated the welcoming atmosphere here. I also was able to meet my first student this week which has me excited to welcome and meet all of the students into the building on August 20th.

Gratitude

I am grateful for Mr. Dotson, Mrs. Powers, and Mrs. Rose as they have answered all of my questions and helped ease me into office routines.

Goals

My current goals are to meet and connect with every staff member, share our school's story on our social media accounts, and to continue learning all of the wonderful things Limestone Walters has to offer.

I'm looking forward to a wonderful year!

~Stefanie Pitzer, Principal

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 grateful to be back, in-person, full-time!! While last year was a challenge on many levels, we also learned a lot about ourselves. That is, we are resilient and that we can do anything – even run a marathon!!!

The Superintendent’s Corner will be a monthly column that will provide the opportunity to share details about the district with regards to finance, curriculum, and the history of how Limestone Walters came to be.

Welcome Mrs. Stefanie Pitzer

We are very excited to welcome Mrs. Stefanie Pitzer as our new principal. This year will mark the first time that Limestone Walters will have a full-time principal. Welcome to the Limestone Walters family, Mrs. Pitzer!!

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 greatest gift you can give your son or daughter is your time.

Sincerely,

Tim Dotson, Superintendent

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