River Trails Monthly

November 2022

River Trails Monthly November 2022

Last month, I highlighted the revival of all the wonderful school events that we have missed for the past several years. I didn’t realize in October that it would be a nice foreshadowing of this month’s message. With the arrival of November and Thanksgiving next week, we typically hear an increase in words and phrases such as thankfulness, giving, gratitude, etc. For me, there is no better time for gratitude and thankfulness.


We are one third into the school year and I couldn’t be more thankful for surviving my first few months. While I say that jokingly, I really am thankful for the opportunity to serve River Trails School District as superintendent. I love coming to work every single day and spending time with the students and staff in new and exciting ways. I believe in the work we are doing to make this district better and I have truly enjoyed meeting all the parents and families so far this year.


I typically approach my work with an optimistic attitude and try to approach problems from a strengths perspective. I know the scientific benefits of daily gratitude and have had many workshops and training on how to continuously keep my mind positive. While it’s not always easy, here are a few of my favorite gratitude tasks. I hope you can try a few of these as we approach the season of giving.


Gratitude toward others:

  • Take a minute today to send someone an unexpected positive text message, letting them know how much you appreciate them, using specific details or examples.

  • Say “thank you” to everyone today who does something for you, no matter how small the gesture.

  • Send a nice email to one of your children’s teachers, providing specific details or examples.

  • Find opportunities throughout the day to do something nice for someone- a random act of kindness. (Holding the door open, picking up something that fell, letting someone in line ahead of you, etc.)


Gratitude toward self:

  • Write down three positive ways to describe yourself. Put them somewhere where you will see them every day.

  • At the end of the day, take five minutes to reflect on something you did that made you proud.

  • Today is a no-complaining day. Feeling gratitude and positivity is all about your mindset. It’s okay to feel down, but try your best not to verbalize negative thoughts today. We all need to let it out from time to time, but constantly complaining actually makes you feel worse. Try your best to suppress negative words today.

  • Take a 15 minute walk. Just 15 minutes a day of exercise has a positive effect on your brain.


I hope everyone has a nice Thanksgiving and enjoys the time off next week!

What we're thankful for...

RTSD26 Thanksgiving Video

What are you thankful for this year?

We would love for you to take a quick moment to let us know what you are thankful for this year! You can quickly submit an anonymous response in the Google form below. Answers will be compiled and shared throughout the district. Thank you for participating!

11/21: Parent-Teacher Conferences (School is in session)

11/22: Parent-Teacher Conferences (No school)

11/23: Non-Attendance Day

11/24: Thanksgiving

11/25: Non-Attendance Day

12/13: Board of Education meeting


More events can be found on your school's online calendar:

Each year, November 15 is recognized as School Board Members Day across the state.


At RTSD26, we are so fortunate to have seven board members who are committed to the community and to ensuring our children receive the education they deserve. We thank them for their dedication and service to the district!


To learn more about our board, visit rtsd26.org/schoolboard

Front Row: Janine Freedlund (Vice President), William Grimpe (President), Donna Johnson (Secretary)

Back Row: Louis Camardo, Robert Rognstad, Becky Pfisterer, Frank Fiarito

Event Information

Next Board Meeting

When?

Tue, Dec 13, 2022, 07:00 PM

Where?

River Trails Middle School and streamed at www.rtsd26.org

location_on Open maps

River Trails Middle School Celebrates Hero Night

Eighth grade students at River Trails Middle School read their self-written poems about personal heroes in front of fellow students, family and community members as part of the school’s annual Hero Night. The event was started by teachers after the September 11 terrorist attacks to give students an opportunity to identify heroes in their lives.

Prairie Trails

Euclid


Indian Grove

River Trails

Help the district's music program flourish! Donations will ensure we can continue to offer a well-rounded musical experience for students. Money will go toward scholarships, instrument repairs and engaging musical opportunities. Click here to donate.


Thank you for your consideration!

Winter is coming. As we all know, that also means freezing temperatures, ice and snow. Last week, Dr. Megerle emailed families with details about our plans for inclement weather and potential building closures. You can review those details or find our eLearning plan on our website.

Student Wellness Committee

We are looking for interested students, parents, teachers and community members to be part of the Student Wellness Committee. School wellness policies aim to promote sound nutrition, student health, a reduction in childhood obesity, and transparency to the public on the school wellness environment.


We meet three times each school year. Our first meeting this year will be on Wednesday, November 30 at 4:00 p.m. at Prairie Trails School. If you are interested, please contact Kelly Diaz at kdiaz@rtsd26.org.

Fist Bump Friday

After previously visiting Euclid and RTMS, in November officers from the Mount Prospect Police Department welcomed Prairie Trails and IG students to school with fist bumps. Thank you to the MPPD for helping to start our Fridays with smiles and for being tremendous supporters of our district!

Check out our Community Wall for local programs and events that might be of interest to your student or family.

Dr. Megerle helps serve lunch at River Trails Middle School.

Menu Changes

There will be a change to lunch menus for Monday, November 21...


  • Euclid, IG and Prairie Trails: Cheesy bites with marinara sauce
  • RTMS: Pepperoni pizza
  • Allergens for both items are wheat and milk


Following the Thanksgiving break, there will be additional updates to the school menus. These will be shared with you before we return on Monday, November 28.

Do you have questions about breakfast or lunch? Contact Kelly Diaz, director of food services, at 224-612-7675 or by emailing kdiaz@rtsd26.org.
  • Next week is our first round of parent-teacher conferences. A healthy parent-teacher relationship has an amazing impact on student well-being and growth. Our teachers look forward to seeing you next week!

  • During the month of December we will be taking a few assessments to monitor progress and growth. Kindergarten and 1st grade students will be given the Aimsweb assessment in reading and math. Students in 2nd through 8th grade will take another series of MAP tests in reading and math. Watch for assessment reports to come home in January.

  • Our elementary math materials pilot is going very well. In grades 1 through 5 we are transitioning to our second set of pilot materials. We hope to bring a recommendation to the Board of Education by March.


If you have any questions about our district's curriculum, please contact Assistant Superintendent Kristy Seifert at kseifert@rtsd26.org.

Interested in choosing your own hours and making a difference in our students' lives? Consider becoming a substitute teacher for RTSD26! Visit the district website to apply. You can find information about licensure by visiting the Illinois State Board of Education website.

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ABOUT US

Location: 1900 E. Kensington Road, Mount Prospect, IL 60056

Phone: 847-297-4120

Email: rtsdinfo@rtsd26.org

Website: rtsd26.org

Facebook: facebook.com/RTSD26

Twitter: @RiverTrailsD26
River Trails School District 26
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River Trails School District 26 provides a healthy and diverse learning environment for more than 1,500 students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Serving parts of Mount Prospect, Prospect Heights and Des Plaines, the district's four schools -- Prairie Trails, Euclid Elementary, Indian Grove Elementary and River Trails Middle -- allow students to grow academically and emotionally so they can become "Life Ready."