10/15/21
What a fantastic assembly we had on Wednesday to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month! Many thanks to Sra. Bruno and the PTO for organizing and supporting this experience for our students. It was wonderful to see their smiling faces and fabulous dance moves!
Conferences are next week! Our amazing teachers will be providing virtual appointments, Thursday the 21st, from 12:30-7pm. If you have not yet signed up for a conference time, please reach out to your child’s teacher. Students will be dismissed at 11:00am both Thursday the 21st and Friday the 22nd. We have wrapped up our fall assessments and teachers are busy preparing for productive conversations around each child’s learning. Please be on the lookout for your child’s NWEA MAP results which will be sent home today for our 2nd-5th graders.
Normally our weekly SHIELD testing is canceled during a week in which there is no school on Monday. However this week we were lucky enough to have an extra testing team be available and we were able to gather samples yesterday. The results are still rolling in. Please know you will be contacted immediately if your child has a positive result or is considered a close contact. If you do not hear from us today, your child is neither and no action is needed. For weekly updates on covid and quarantine numbers in our district please see the D97 Covid-19 Metrics Dashboard
Each night, ensure your child is ready to learn by charging their ipad, packing their snack and water bottle, any learning materials and 2 clean masks. We also encourage you to have your child check that their bag is prepared the night before as we work on our “Be Responsible” Hatch Habit. Due to the current no visitor policy, we are not able to accept items for drop off during the day. Thank you for your cooperation and patience as we continually strive to keep our students safe.
Please write your child’s name on any item that might find its way to the Lost and Found. Labeled items will be returned to students ASAP. If your child is missing an item, they can let their teacher know they need to check the Lost and Found. We will be rolling the lost and found rack outside the main doors next Wednesday-Friday so that families can pass by and check for jackets, etc. Items not claimed at the end of each trimester will be donated. Thank you!
Halloween: While our no visitors policy currently does not allow for parents to attend classroom parties, we will be continuing the tradition of our annual Halloween parade with some slight modifications. Classes will participate one grade at a time and parents can gather across the street to cheer on our tigers just as we did for our 5th grade clap out in the spring. Mark your calendars for Friday October 29th at 2pm. As we gear up for the 31st, here are a few
Halloween reminders:
- Students will change into costumes after lunch.
- Costumes need to be able to go on over students’ clothing and children should be able to put their costume on independently.
- The Parade will begin at 2:00. We will exit through the west playground doors and head south on Ridgeland, then east on Berkshire and then north on Harvey back to school. Please stand across the street to take pics and cheer us on!
- No weapons, scary masks/props, or culturally insensitive costumes. Please remember that cultures are not costumes.
- NO food items are allowed. Food free celebrations are part of our district wide policy. The safety of our students is of the utmost importance.
- Any families that prefer their child(ren) not take part in the Halloween celebrations please speak with your child’s teacher about the alternate activity.
Looking forward to celebrating with our amazing Hatch community!
Message from the PTO: Save those too-small coats, boots, scarves, etc.! Coming soon... Share the Warmth. The Hatch PTO is collaborating with PTOs across the district to collect new and gently used (no rips/stains/broken zippers) winter coats, jackets, and accessories for local families. If you have items in sizes baby through youth XL, please hold on to these items for a collection that will occur for two weeks in mid-October. The collection bin will be in the main entrance of Hatch school for collections beginning 10/12 and concluding 10/22. Thank you!
Would you like to have your VERY OWN HATCH TIGER PBIS SHIRT? (The shirt your student received.)
We have extras for Parents to purchase!!!!
We would like to sell these shirts for 10 dollars, in hopes that we can purchase shirts for some of our staff that haven’t received a shirt because of manufacturing issues. If there is extra money left over it will go to the PTO. We will also have more shirts available if you want a specific size that isn’t listed.The smallest order that we can make is 24.
Please fill out this google form to order your t-shirt.
Thank you for supporting PBIS and Hatch Students & Teachers!
D97 Updates
COVID-19 Symptom Checklist and Instructions for Symptomatic Students
In late September, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education released updated guidance and an updated exclusion decision tree. As a result, we have updated some of our protocols and required documents for symptomatic students. CLICK HERE for a one-page summary of the required steps for students who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.
Spaces Available in District 97 Early Childhood Blended Program
District 97 is currently accepting applications for the early childhood blended classrooms at Whittier Elementary School.
We are seeking non-IEP students who:
- Are between the ages of 3 and 4 years by Sept. 1, 2021;
- Are Oak Park residents;
- Are not currently enrolled in a preschool;
- Demonstrate age-appropriate language and social skills.
- Students must be available to participate in the afternoon session (12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.). In-person attendance will be required.
For more information on the District 97 Early Childhood Blended Program, or to apply, please visit https://www.op97.org/teach-learn/ecblended.
Superintendent Search Virtual Community Forum - Oct. 20, 7 p.m.
As you are aware, the District 97 Board of Education has initiated its search for a new superintendent of schools, and we want to hear your thoughts!
The search firm Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates (HYA) will be hosting a virtual community forum on Wednesday, Oct. 20, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The forum will be conducted using Zoom Webinar, which allows up to 500 participants (click here for details).
There are two ways to participate:
Via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81956079457
Via Phone: Dial 312-626-6799 (Webinar ID: 819 5607 9457)
Click here for the event flyer >
Reminder: Stay Home When Sick!
Staying home when sick is essential to keep COVID-19 infections out of schools and prevent spread to others. Symptoms that should be monitored daily by District 97 staff, families and students are:
- Fever (100.4 or higher)
- New cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue from unknown cause
- Muscle or body aches from unknown cause
- Moderate/severe headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea