Words from Walsh March, 2021

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I can’t believe I am saying this already…but registration for next year is upon us! We will be continuing this year with our online registration process. Registration for the 2021-2022 school year will open on March 15th.

• Students who are 5 years old on or before September 1, 2021 will have to create a new account for registering.

• All current students will register as a returning student, updating their information following the prompts once the registration window is open. Returning students will log into their parent portal and open the registration application.

The district website will also have instructions to help parents navigate to the registration window. All new and returning students will have to prove residency; more details on this will be provided at a later date.

We encourage a quick turn around on registrations in order to plan for the next school year. If your student will be moving out of the district, please follow the prompts within the registration window to indicate your intentions and contact the school office to sign the necessary transfer forms.

Our spring break will be from March 29th through April 5th. This will be a great time to rest up and have some fun time with your family before you come back on Tuesday, April 6th.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

~ Mrs. Martin

Dates to Remember

1 - No School - Casimir Pulaski Day

1 - Yearbook Sale Ends

2 - Spirit Day - Dress as Dr. Seuss or Your Favorite Storybook Character

4 - Report Cards Issued

5,8,9 - Remote Learning Days

9 - D92 Parent University at 6:00 pm Via Zoom

11 - Supply Pick-Up from 1-3PM (Remote Only)

14 - Daylight Savings Time - Spring Ahead 1 Hour

15 - Picture Retake Day from 9:30AM - 3:30PM

15 - Kindergarten/Returning Student Registration Opens

16 - Board of Education Mtg. at District Office 7:00 pm

17 - Spirit Day - Wear Green

25 - Supply Pick-Up from 1-3PM (Remote Only)

29 - Spring Break Starts

April 5 - Board Holiday - No School

April 6 - Classes Resume

Remember to call the office by 9:00 a.m. if your child will be absent.

Office hours are 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. ~ 815-838-7858 www.d92.org

http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/

Please help us to improve our school by completing the 5Essentials Survey provided by the Illinois State Board of Education.

This survey focuses on the 5 indicators that affect and influence school success:

• Effective Leaders
• Collaborative Teachers
• Involved Families
• Supportive Environments
• Ambitious Instruction

We value your feedback and appreciate your willingness to participate.

Registration for the 2021-2022 school year will be open on Monday, March 15th. Please check the district website (www.d92.org) for updates and more information on how to register.

*More details about Proof of Residency dates to come

We have found some great activities to keep us moving and following the rules inside; it will be great to do even more when we get outside! If things go well, I hope to get the garden behind the school up and running again this year. February's weather has not been great, but if we're lucky, we will be outside in March. Please continue to dress the students appropriately for the weather.

Thank you!

Spring is in the air! This month, kindergarteners will have the opportunity to test the old saying that “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” Each day during our math number corner, we will classify the weather, enter the information on a graph, and write an equation to match. Additionally, we will explore weight and capacity concepts, build an understanding of place value, and solve addition and subtraction equations and story problems within 10. The digraphs sh, th, wh, ch and ck will be introduced at the end of the month in our phonics lessons. We will continue to practice tapping, reading, and writing words. Students will continue to practice retelling stories by referring to characters by name, and using the transition words, first, next, then and last, to help sequence the story. Furthermore, we will celebrate the birthday of Dr. Seuss by reading various books by this fun-loving author. We are so proud of all the hard work and many accomplishments each kindergartener has made so far this year!

Thank goodness March is a long month because we have a lot of learning going on in first grade! Our 2nd trimester has come to an end and report cards will be going home. We will be starting our 3rd trimester of the school year. In honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday, we will complete some reading and writing activities. We will honor the Polish heritage by learning about Casimir Pulaski. In March, we will learn about spring, as we welcome the season with open arms. Don’t forget to "spring ahead" 1 hour! We will also be doing some St. Patrick’s Day reading and writing activities. During math, we will finish working on story problems for basic addition and subtraction. We will explore one hundred and beyond in Math. Let's look forward to warmer weather!

The early childhood students are looking forward to springs arrival. As we continue working on letters Q, R, and S, we will also prepare for St. Patrick’s Day with many fun projects. A leprechaun will be bringing us gold coins, and we plan to catch him this year before he makes a mess in our classrooms! We will read many Dr. Seuss books in March to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday! In our Bridges Math program, we will learn all about shapes this month, along with sorting, patterning, counting, solving story problems, and collecting data. Thanks to our parents who work on academic skills at home to reinforce our work in school.

What a month of music-making in the Walsh classrooms!

Kindergarten: The students had an enjoyable time learning about coins in the song Ally Bally. What will Ally buy with her coins? Some student ideas were: magic turkey, little kitty, doll named Henry and Minecraft zombie (item must have the ending “ee” sound☺). We also tried different challenges with our beanbags. The students learned a mixer dance called Off to the Rodeo, with galloping and waving. The students also learned about penguins and practiced a penguin song with fishing in the ocean, and bringing the fish back for our teammates. I am looking forward to studying the form of the William Tell Overture, and learning about the famous Swiss hero, William Tell. We will also watch the conductor and play our instrument at the right time!

1st Grade: In February, the first graders practiced writing notes on a line and a space, and then transferred the notation to the song Baker’s Hat. What would you make if you were wearing the baker’s hat? A favorite song from February was Somebody’s Knockin’ at Your Door. The students knocked on various surfaces throughout the room to create different timbres. In the song, Early in the Morning, a jump roping song, the students had an opportunity to compose a rhythmic B section using syllables from the song, such as early morning, one letter, postman, and knock. A highlight of February was learning about instruments from around the world in a study of diverse music. In March, the students will be studying a song composed by Mozart, and responding to the music with animal icons.

In March, both the kindergarten and 1st grade classes will be studying the art of Claes Oldenberg, a Swedish-born American artist best known for his large sculptures of everyday objects. Inspired by his food sculptures, in particular, we'll be using our cutting skills and a variety of paper and cardboard to create pizzas in kindergarten and giant cheeseburgers in first grade.