9/16/2022
We had a wonderful week at Hatch! As teachers work on beginning-of-the-year assessments and gather data to guide our instruction. We have also been building relationships and working on creating a positive and productive classroom culture. Ask your children about their classroom meetings/circles and what they learned in our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum in Second Step!
We are lucky to have a social work intern in our school this year. Please click here to learn a bit more about Ms. Tencate!
Latinx Heritage Month: September 15th - October 15th. For this year's Hispanic Heritage Read-Aloud, Ms. Stringham will read the following two books: Biblioburro: a true story from Columbia by Jeanette Winters and Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt de la Peña.
Reminder: Just a reminder that toys from home are not allowed at school. Please remind your child to bring home any "extra" items they may have brought with them. Thank you!
Hatch Needs Room Parents! Please consider signing up to be a room parent. Each class needs three parent volunteers who will work together to plan class parties, gather funds, and purchase gifts for the teacher. This role requires a minimal time commitment and is a great way to get more involved at Hatch. There will be a brief orientation for all room parents in September, date TBD. Please send questions to [email protected]
If you want to be a room parent, please sign up with the PTO here!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805084da4ab2fa3f94-2223
Volunteer Opportunity! We would love more help during our lunch hour, and here is a link for a Sign-Up Genius. You can contact Ms. Winfield at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Second Step is the curriculum we use across our entire district to teach important social-emotional learning skills. This week students were taught lesson 3, and our Kindergarten, First and Second graders learned how important it is to repeat directions to themselves or use their "self-talk" to focus and follow directions. Our older students learned about being assertive and how they can express their needs and wants in the classroom calmly, firmly, and respectfully. Below are "Home Links" that provide some information about what your student learned and some possible ways you can extend that learning to your own home.
The Well-Read Tigers, a Hatch Tiger Bookclub: Do you have a 3rd - 5th grader who loves reading? We are starting our first ever Hatch book club, The Well Read Tigers! Ms. Stringham will host a monthly book club (during lunch/recess) for 3rd-5th graders starting in October. Click here for all the information and a list of the books, and parents/guardians can sign up here by September 30th.
Reading Olympics: 5th graders this week had an opportunity to learn about the Fall/Winter Reading Olympics! 5th graders may create groups of 2 or 3 to get all nine books to read on time. The Hatch Reading Olympics will take place on Friday, November 18th, and the all-district Reading Olympics will occur on Tuesday, December 6th. Hard copies of the contract with the list of books can be found in the Hatch Library. More information to follow! Email [email protected] with any questions.
Lost and Found: Please remember to label all items in the building. If it's lost, we can route the items to the students. If it's not labeled, the items will go into the lost and found, which students can check periodically.
Updates/Reminders:
Student and Family Handbook
This year, the district worked to merge the Effective Student Behavior Handbook and Family Handbook into one comprehensive resource, the Student and Family Handbook, to streamline information for families and staff. The new handbook contains important information regarding school policies, procedures, student rights and responsibilities, and important notifications required by state and federal law.
This handbook outlines the expectations for building an educational community where everyone feels safe, included, and able to learn. Having shared expectations, procedures and policies help us respect all members of the school community in which we learn and work daily. Please take the time to read through the handbook and review it with your child.
Meal Information for the 2022-23 School Year
Our elementary and middle schools' breakfast and lunch menus are available at: http://www.op97.org/business-office/food-service. During the 2022-23 school year, students may:
- Bring a nut-free lunch from home.
- Order school lunch.
PLEASE NOTE: During the 2022-23 school year, all students will be required to pay for their breakfast and lunch meals unless they are directly approved by the State of Illinois or approved after completing the 2022-23 Free and Reduced Meal Application.
Nut Safe Schools
Nuts and nut products are not allowed in any District 97 schools during the 2022-23 school year. This includes products labeled "processed in a facility that shares equipment with nut products." Our schools have been nut-safe for the past two years—helping to create safer, more inclusive environments for all our students. Please visit https://bit.ly/3AyGPpI for information about the district's food allergy management program and tips and options for identifying safe food for snacks and field trips. We appreciate your support of this critical initiative!
School Fees
The district is accepting fee payments for the 2022-23 school year. Full payment is due by September 30th, 2022. You can access the fee information by visiting https://www.op97.org/business-office/fees.
Process for Reporting Positive COVID-19 Cases to D97 Schools
If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, they must complete the following steps:
1) To notify the school nurse and receive a return-to-school date, families/staff must complete the confidential COVID-19 Positive Case Notification Form as soon as possible following the positive test. Information will also be shared with the Oak Park Department of Public Health.
2) Families must continue to report student absences via the school attendance line, and staff must enter their absences in Frontline.
To see the rules for isolation and quarantine, click here. Additional resources are linked below.