Woodland Primary School

12/6 SIP day/Early Release at 10:40 a.m. For EC/WELE only PM attends.

12/8 Hour of Code!

12/14 PTA Meeting

12/15 Winter Parties

12/20 Wildcat Wednesday

12/21 Early Dismissal at 12:40 for kindergarten. For EC/WEL only AM attends & they have a normal release time at 10:20 a.m.

12/22 Winter break begins

1/8 Staff Institute Day-No student attendance

1/9 School resumes

Link to Special Attendance Calendar

As we head into the month of December, we know this month can be very busy and sometimes stressful for students and families. Schedule changes, special gatherings and getting to bed late, are all factors that can make us feel overwhelmed or not at our best. We put together some easy ideas for you to try as a family to have the best December ever! Click on the picture below to see the activities in English and in Spanish.

On Tuesday, November 28th, we completed a successful parent program called the Latino Literacy Project. These dedicated teachers and parents have been meeting weekly at night since the end of September and they have done a wonderful job of attending each week and participating in discussions.

This program engages our parents of English Learners by involving them with reading comprehension strategies and vocabulary development to support their student in literacy. The program is taught in Spanish with bilingual materials. The program involves parents in reading with their children, reflects the experiences of Latino families and is centered around universal themes.

Each family received a certificate and a literacy bag full of materials to continue the learning and support at home. Our families celebrated with a wonderful feast and we are proud of the connections our teachers and families built throughout this process. Great teamwork!

December 4-10 is Computer Science Education Week where we participate in the Hour of Code! Students learn about what coding is and get to practice basic coding. Ms. Dalessandro, our Primary Media Specialist, will be leading our students as they explore creativity and imagination while programming using our technology tools. It's an exciting lesson and coding also gives students a chance to problem-solve and work with commands as they are exposed to basic programming.

During the month of December, our kindergarten students will be taking the MAP assessment in both reading and math. In addition, students are assessed using Fastbridge. This is considered our winter assessment window and scores will be sent home in late January at the same time you access your child's report card in Skyward. Our goal is to utilize these assessments to drive our instruction in order to meet the needs of all of our students. Our students are doing a great job of learning that assessments just tell us how to help them and they see it as a check-in on their progress. Learning is ongoing and we want them to have a positive mindset surrounding taking assessments during their academic journey.

Winter temperatures and snow are here and we will go outside each day for 30 minutes unless the real feel temperature is below 10 degrees. Students that don't wear boots or snow pants will have to stay in the black top area of the playground. Students are not allowed to stay in from recess without a note from their doctor. If you need assistance with any of the outdoor clothing for your child, please reach out to your child's teacher or me and we will help as needed.

It's also a great idea to practice with your child on how to put on all of their gear. We want to encourage independence with not only our winter gear, but tying shoes, buttoning pants and other daily routines. They are so proud when they master these skills!

Below are the links to order breakfast and meals for the month of December that start December 4th. the November order form had December 1st on it.

Kindergarten Breakfast Form

EC/WELE Form

Be sure to place your order before December. Menus for the month of December can be found HERE.

Last Tuesday our students brought in their change to support our Primary families in need! Students brought in coins and really had fun putting them into our team jars! Between our monolingual kindergarten, Dual Language kindergarten and our EC/WELE students, they raised $441.10! Every coin brought in made a difference! This money will go towards purchasing food gift cards for 4 of our Primary families in need. Thank you for supporting this cause and helping us model the joy of giving to help others.

Save the Dates!

INTERNATIONAL NIGHT, Friday 12/1 6-8pm at Woodland Middle School in Cafeteria A. Everyone is welcome to attend this FREE family event showcasing the cultures, talents and foods of our Woodland community. More Details.

HOLIDAY SHOP!! Thursday 12/7 and Friday 12/8, 5:30-8:00pm at Woodland Intermediate Multipurpose Room. ALSO, all Intermediate students will be able to shop during their PE class on both days. More Details. VOLUNTEERS Needed!

Save the Date: December Second Tuesday Fundraiser: Lou Malnati's GRAYSLAKE, 12/12 4-10pm. You must mention Woodland PTA when ordering over the phone or enter code GRPRSFUND23 online. More Details.

Save the Date: December PTA Meeting, Thursday 12/14 at 7pm via Zoom. REGISTRATION Required.

Principal

Woodland Primary School

Email: standerson@dist50.net
Website: www.dist50.net
Location: 17366 West Gages Lake Road, Gages Lake, IL, USA
Phone: 847-984-8702
Twitter: @StaceyJAnd