Many thanks to everyone who attended our Curriculum Night! We had a wonderful turnout and have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from both parents and teachers. Our dedicated teachers did a fantastic job. If you were not able to make it to Curriculum Night, please feel free to contact your child’s teacher for the information you missed.
Many of our students attended lessons in the Hatch Patch and participated in harvesting over the past couple weeks, and our 5th graders worked with our kindergarten students to make prints of vegetables from this year’s harvest! Thank you to our parent volunteers for their hard work in making this experience possible. We are looking forward to seeing everyone at our annual Taste of Hatch Patch next Thursday at 5:30pm! See the PTO Reminders for more information.
You may have noticed a new addition to our Hatch Patch. Students and staff worked hard at the end of the last school year to create the ceramic pieces you see fit together to form our beautiful new mosaic, located in the Hatch Patch. After each student cast their vote for their inspirational word of choice, the consensus was CREATE. Can you find the word entwined in the artwork? “Leaf-ing” fifth graders used texture and stamped a positive intention into the front of their leaf. Grades K through 4 chose a unique stamp or their fingerprint to make their mark on the pebbles around the tree. OPRF Art Teacher, Tracy VanDuinen, with assistance from his students, glazed the ceramic pieces. Middle school participants in BASE camp through the Oak Park Education Foundation arranged the parts together in preparation for installation. At the end of the summer, Tracy and Ms. Klemp assembled the artwork using mortar, reflective glass and colorful grout. A special thanks to Tracy and the Oak Park Education Foundation for arranging this community opportunity across the district!
Over the summer, our Building Leadership Team wrote our yearly School Improvement Plan and one new area we are focusing on this year is school arrival. In order for students to have a successful day at school, it is vital that they are on time each day. Ten minutes late might not seem like a lot, but as this table shows, it adds up significantly.
|
He/she is only missing just... |
That equals... |
Which is... |
After over 13 years of schooling that’s... |
|---|---|---|---|
|
10 mins per day |
50 mins per week |
Nearly 1 ½ weeks per year |
Nearly ½ year |
|
20 mins per day |
1 hr. 40 mins per week |
Over 2 ½ weeks per year |
Nearly 1 year |
|
30 mins per day |
Half a day per week |
4 weeks per year |
Nearly 1 ½ years |
|
1 hour per day |
1 day per week |
8 weeks per year |
Over 2 ½ years |
Attending school has a huge impact on student success. This year we want to make sure every student misses no more than 9 days of school, or 1 day a month. We need your help.
Some Attendance Tips to Promote Student Learning:
- Make sure your students keep a regular bedtime and establish a morning routine so they are rested and alert when they get to school.
- Turn off all electronics including TVs, phones and tablets at bedtime.
- Make sure clothes and backpacks are ready the night before.
- Check with our school nurse or office staff if you are not sure about when to keep your child at home due to illness.
- Avoid scheduling vacations or doctor’s appointments when school is in session.
- Talk to teachers and counselors for advice if your student feels anxious about going to school.
- Develop back up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, neighbor, or another parent to take your student to school.
Please let us know how we can best support you and your student so that they can show up for school on time every day!
Dental Clinic, October 3 and 4:
The dental clinic is back again this year! Take advantage of this free service offered by The Children's Clinic of Oak Park. Free exams and sealants will be provided. For students in Kindergarten, 2nd, and 5th grades, this covers your dental form requirement. Any questions, contact Nurse Rossi 708-524-3093 or [email protected]. Please click here for the dental clinic info and permission form and click here for the Hatch dental flyer. If you have not received a permission slip by Monday, September 16th, please contact Nurse Rossi.
Birthday Books for 2019-2020
The Birthday Book program started up again this week at Hatch! Every year we honor students on their birthday by having them check out a brand new hardcover book from the Hatch Library! We take their picture and put a sticker in the book to commemorate the special day. (Take a look back at all the great birthday books from last year here!) Please fill out this form and return it to school with $20 to help keep getting new books in the hands of the Hatch students. Thank you for your continued support!
Oak Park Public Library Book Bike
As long as the weather cooperates, the Book Bike will be at the Taste of Hatch Patch. Be sure to swing by and say "Hi" to the great Oak Park Public Librarians and also checkout a book or two to bring home and enjoy!
Attention All 3rd-5th Graders
Please be sure your 3rd, 4th or 5th grader has an active Oak Park Public Library Card. The students should know their 4 digit pin associated with the card. (It is typically the last 4 digits of their phone number.) You can test it out by logging into your account here. If you need to reset your pin you can call the Oak Park Public Library at 708-383-8200
Purchase the 2019-2020 Yearbook by September 30 and receive a 15% discount! See flyer for more information and go directly to Treering.com to purchase a Yearbook.
Hatch Gear for Sale! Please visit this website to order our AWESOME new Hatch clothes!
https://hatch19.itemorder.com/sale
Sarah Mendez
Hatch School Principal
1000 N Ridgeland Ave
Oak Park, IL 60302
(708) 524-3095
PTO Reminders
Join the Hatch Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) for our kickoff meeting September 17 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. in the library/media center. Our speaker is Principal Mendez. Learn best practices for helping students at home; equity in the classroom, and safety & security at Hatch. Free childcare is provided. We also need volunteers to chair events and fundraisers during the year. We’ll share specifics at the meeting. Questions? Email [email protected].
Volunteer for Hatch Patch Harvesting with your student! Thank you to all the parents who have helped so far - we've already harvested over 400# of food! Just 5 more classes to go next week! Please sign up to help if you can. Thank you!!
Get your tickets and volunteer for the 2019 Taste of Hatch Patch! Join fellow Hatch parents, teachers and friends of Hatch on Thursday, September 19, from 5:30-7:00 p.m. on the Hatch blacktop for a community building night. The Taste features dishes and desserts crafted by local restaurants, and volunteers, from the Hatch Patch harvest. Enjoy music by a New Orleans brass band and a raffle. Visit http://www.hatchpto.org/taste-of-hatch-patch1.php Get tickets in advance if you are planning to Taste. Only limited number of food tickets will be sold at the door.
The Taste of Hatch Patch committee needs lots of volunteers to assist with prep, serving and cleanup. Please sign up for a shift.
Order Hatch wear for yourself or your child! Orders taken online. The Fall sale closes September 22. https://hatch19.itemorder.com/sale
Diversity Committee Karaoke fundraiser. Eat, drink, mingle and maybe even sing with other Hatch parents while giving back to your child’s school! Saturday, October 5, at Amy’s Winehouse in Forest Park. Cost: $40. To buy tickets Zelle to [email protected] (Zelle) or Venmo @Kavita-Vermani Please include your full name and note Divco fundraiser.
PTO sponsored world language enrichment classes will be running November - April, on Tuesdays during lunch. We offer classes in French, German and Spanish, open to all students, but recommended for grades 2-5. No prior experience necessary. Look for a registration paper to come home in your child's take-home folder in late September. Questions? Contact Christine Wehman at [email protected].
The student Green Team is for students in grades 1-5 who would like to learn more about the Earth and work on projects that help make our planet and school greener, cleaner and more environmentally friendly. Green Team meets during lunchtime once or twice a month. However, to help prepare for the Taste of Hatch Patch, the first meeting is Thursday, Sept. 19. Sign up your child for student Green Team.
Questions? Contact Sarah Child at (708) 646-6210 by phone or text (text preferred).