Welcome back to all of our families! It was great to see so many of you in the pick-up and drop-off lines this week. Our fantastic staff is ready and excited to give your children their absolute best. The energy is high and we are eager to make this an outstanding year!

In 2022-23, we will focus on recalibrating and going deeper in our work. That includes filling in gaps that may have occurred over the course of the past few years. One central area of focus is safety. Our staff has spent considerable time reviewing safety plans and creating basic best practices that must be followed each day. These critical discussions will be revisited on a regular basis.

My door is always open to you. I welcome candid conversation and am working toward establishing a true partnership with families this year. There are multiple ways for us to meet:

• Schedule a 1-on-1 meeting by filling out a form
• Come say hello at your school's Open House
• Email me at jmegerle@rtsd26.org
  
  

I look forward to getting to know you better and to a great school year at River Trails!

August 22: First Day of School for Pre-K

August 24: River Trails Middle School Open House

August 25: Euclid and Indian Grove Open House

August 30: Picture Day (All Schools)

August 31: Prairie Trails Open House

September 5: Labor Day (Schools are closed)

The Board of Education is seeking to fill a vacant seat following the resignation of Dr. Susan Stolzer. This is an excellent opportunity to serve the community and help shape the future of RTSD26. The chosen candidate will serve the remainder of the term that expires in May 2023. The deadline for application submissions is Friday, September 2 at 4:00 p.m. To learn more or to apply, please visit our website. Applications will also be available at each school's open house.

Our district is prepared to act in the event that an emergency or crisis situation occurs in or around each of our buildings. With the assistance of the Mount Prospect Fire Department and Police Department, the district has designed a Crisis Plan that will allow us to effectively respond to a potential incident. This plan is regularly reviewed.

Parents and guardians have the right to opt their child(ren) out of emergency drills. To do so, please contact your school's principal.

Our district is looking for teachers, custodians, teacher assistants, substitutes, and more. Come join our family!

• Check out this year's breakfast and lunch menu
• Learn how to add funds to your MyMealTime account

This week's produce basket included... baby carrots, sliced apples, corn on the cob, grapes, celery, garden salad, strawberries, bananas, peaches, cucumbers, broccoli and cole slaw.

• Upcoming Assessments in August and September (exact dates will be shared by schools):

  • 2nd through 8th grade -- MWEA Map Growth assessment
  • Kindergarten and 1st grade -- Aimsweb assessment
• Full Assessment Calendar for 2022-2023

• Math pilot: This year we will be participating in an elementary math pilot in grades K-5. A pilot means we will be trying out some new curricular materials to support our standards-based instruction.
  
  

Visit our website for more curriculum updates.

Need technology support? Fill out a support form and someone from our technology department will be in touch.

Our technology vision is to transform the community into personalized learning environments where stakeholders are empowered to be innovative, responsible, global digital citizens. In an effort to do so, the district has implemented a 1:1 Chromebook initiative for all students in grades K-8. This initiative will help provide tools and resources to the 21st-century learners.

Students are responsible for bringing their Chromebooks to school each day, fully charged.