Thank you to all the teachers and families who helped out at our materials pick up this week. It was great to see so many familiar faces behind those masks! We appreciate our teachers coming out after school to be able to wave to their students and provide additional instructional materials to support the learning. Thank you also to our amazing PTO for providing a pumpkin for each student at Hatch. Please feel free to decorate them as a family and share your creations at the Halloween Zoom celebrations!
Thank you also to those of you who attended our virtual Coffee with the Principal this morning. It was wonderful to have a moment to chat with you and get some face time with families!
Conferences are next week! If you have not done so already, please sign up for a time to meet with your child’s teachers regarding their progress thus far. This is an important opportunity to partner in supporting our scholars!
Hatch Library Book Checkout: The new library at Hatch is all unpacked and we are ready to get Hatch Library books into your student's hands! Just follow these steps to checkout books if you would like:
Please fill out this form if you'd like to check out from the Hatch Library. We are happy to pick out books for your child or if they have a specific title in mind we can pull that book for them if it is available. See what books we have available.
We are asking that all requests be made by Tuesday, October 20th, so the books can be pulled and ready for pick-up on Monday, October 26th!
Mrs. Howe or Mrs. Sordilla will email you when the book(s) are ready to be picked up.
The pick up time, for now, is Mondays 11AM - 12PM and again 3PM - 4PM. Your books will be on the book cart outside Hatch School’s main door on Harvey Ave., arranged by student last name, for you to pick up.
When walking up to the main doors, please follow social distancing protocols and wear a mask.
If you have any Hatch Library books to return, please place them in the return bin outside the main door during the pick up time.
Please email the Hatch Library at [email protected] with any questions or see this FAQ sheet about Hatch Library Book Checkout. Happy Reading!
Digital Citizenship Spirit Week is the Week of October 19th! To celebrate Digital Citizenship Week next week, students are asked to participate in our first Spirit Week! Every day, students will dress in different outfits to help remind them how to be a good digital citizen. Click here to learn more and see different days. Please share your family's Spirit Week fun on this Padlet!
The District, Hatch and our Hatch DivCo is focused on creating a learning environment where we learn about each other's differences, embrace them and be more understanding and accepting of all. Did you know that October is National Learning Disability Month? Let's start learning more about our fellow students and community members. Our very own Mrs. Howe has put together this wonderful resource of recommended books to read as a family or for students so they can learn more about the different ways students learn and some of our invisible disabilities. Start the dialogue on how we can be more understanding and accepting of the different ways our friends learn. Click here for some great reading options. National Learning Disability Month Reading List
Art Supplies have arrived with your grade level materials. Please help your student pick a spot to keep these materials handy for art class or to make a plan to bring them along if they are in a learning pod.
Art Alternative Lunch Clubs are up and running-
Kindergarten, first and second grade students who are interested in art related activities can pop into the Zoom between 11:05am and 11:55am on Mondays using this link:
https://op97-org.zoom.us/j/8056946924?pwd=SEpZNVIwODlDakJJTTBVWDkraUhldz09
Third, fourth and fifth grade students who are looking for a studio space can pop in between 11:05am-11:55am on Thursdays using the following link:
https://op97-org.zoom.us/j/8056946924?pwd=SEpZNVIwODlDakJJTTBVWDkraUhldz09
Sarah Mendez
Hatch School Principal
1000 N Ridgeland Ave
Oak Park, IL 60302
(708) 524-3095
D97 Updates/Reminders:
Halloween: Our goal in District 97 is to create a positive learning environment where all students, staff and families feel a sense of belonging. In that spirit, we have put together information and resources regarding culturally-sensitive Halloween costumes. We appreciate families being proactive with their children in making thoughtful costume choices. Click here for more information >
Village of Oak Park- Hours for Trick-or-Treating: Official trick-or-treating hours will be 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. this year in Oak Park as public health officials offer guidelines and recommendations on how to celebrate as safely as possible with COVID-19 still present in the community. Guidelines issued by the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention share a common theme - reducing close contact with those outside of a person's household, which officials say is essential to reducing the risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19. Local officials also are urging trick-or-treaters to respect the properties of those who do not wish to participate in the traditional ritual of handing out candy. More information is at www.oak-park.us/halloween.
Next Meal D97 Meal Distribution- Tuesday, Oct. 20: Meals will be provided free of cost this fall to any District 97 student in need. Each bag of food will contain five breakfasts and five lunches. Meal distributions will be held every Tuesday, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Longfellow Elementary School (for Julian and feeder schools), 715 S. Highland Ave., and Brooks Middle School (for Brooks and feeder schools), 325 S. Kenilworth Ave.
D97 Breakfast/Lunch Menus - October 2020
'Stamped' Family and Community Discussions: District 97 students, families and community members are invited to participate in a three-session discussion on the book Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. Attendees will join together for a presentation followed by discussions in separate breakout rooms. In conjunction with Brooks and Julian middle schools' fall curriculum read, the sessions will follow along with the chapters being read by students and staff. Breakout sessions will be led by students from Dominican University, who will follow a peace circle format and draw on the Stamped Educator's Guide.
Events will be held:
Tuesday, Oct. 20 - 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (click here to register)
Tuesday, Nov. 17 - 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (click here to register)
Tuesday, Dec. 1 - 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (click here to register)
These sessions are made possible with the support of: District 97 staff; Oak Park and River Forest School District 200; the Oak Park Public Library; the E-Team of Oak Park; and Dominican University’s Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) group.
Continued Social-Emotional Wellness Check-Ins for Students: District 97 school psychologists and nurses have collaborated to offer access to virtual mental health wellness checks at each school this fall. Parents may sign up children for 25-minute Telehealth sessions where they can access an open ear for their sources of stress and learn self-care and coping strategies. Students may attend up to three sessions per trimester and may then be referred for other school-based supports if needed. To sign up or learn more about these services, please visit https://bit.ly/3m3Xece. If your child is experiencing an immediate mental health crisis, please do not use this service and instead call the Thrive 24-Hour Crisis Hotline at 708-383-7500. You may also refer to this local resource guide created by the Community Mental Health Board of the Oak Park Township.
"Mindful Middle-Schoolers" Program: The Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township, Oak Park Elementary School District 97, and DePaul University’s Community Counseling Center have partnered to deliver a vast array of educational and therapeutic services to staff, families, and youth through the “Mindful Middle-Schoolers Program.” Below is a list of upcoming VIRTUAL talks, which will be held via Zoom. Registration via the Eventbrite links below is requested. Once you register, a link will be emailed to you four hours prior to the start of each event.
"Mindful Middle-Schoolers" Community Talk Flyer
Wednesday, October 21: Mindfully Coping: Strategies for Children and Families During a Pandemic https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mindfully-coping-strategies-for-children-and-families-during-a-pandemic-tickets-124150095277
Thursday, October 29: Strategies to Support Executive Functioning and Self-Regulation https://www.eventbrite.com/e/strategies-to-support-executive-functioning-and-self-regulation-in-youth-tickets-124164006887
Wednesday, November 4: Mindfulness-Based Strategies and Their Applications in Academic and Home Environments https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mindfulness-based-strategies-in-academic-and-home-settings-tickets-124164791233
Thursday, November 12: Technology and Mental Health: Strategies to Promote Mindful Digital Citizenship https://www.eventbrite.com/e/technology-and-mental-health-strategies-to-promote-mindful-tech-use-tickets-124165523423
Wednesday, November 18: Understanding Depression in Youth and Strategies for Treatment and Support https://www.eventbrite.com/e/understanding-depression-in-youth-and-strategies-for-treatment-and-support-tickets-124167264631
Tuesday, December 1: LGBTQ Youth: Understanding and Supporting Mental Health and Well-Being https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lgbtq-youth-understanding-and-supporting-mental-health-and-well-being-tickets-124167752089
Wednesday, December 9: Understanding Anxiety in Youth and Strategies for Treatment and Support https://www.eventbrite.com/e/understanding-anxiety-in-youth-and-strategies-for-treatment-and-support-tickets-124168632723
PTO Reminders:
Hatch Diversity Committee together with other D97 DivCos invite you to a Kids March for Black Lives Matter tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 17 from 3 - 5 pm at Holmes Elementary School. This is a family friendly event to show solidarity for Black Lives. Masks are required throughout the event and social distancing will be practised as much as possible. Details on Facebook.