Message from 02/17/2023

02/17/2023

Thank you to those of you who braved the winter weather to attend “Coffee with the Principal” this morning! It was wonderful to touch base and chat about all the wonderful things happening at Hatch as we celebrate Black History Month and head into the second half of the school year.
 
Please be sure to complete this year’s Illinois 5Essentials Survey! This is a unique opportunity to provide feedback to the school and district and support Hatch on a larger scale. School-level reports will be generated if at least 20 percent of parents respond to the survey. We are already at 15%!  It should only take approximately 10 minutes to complete. If parents have more than one child that attends the same school, they may elect to participate multiple times. For parents with children enrolled in multiple schools, we recommend that they participate in the survey for each school. Thank you for your support!
 
2023 Illinois Parent Survey
 

One Book, One District: Elementary Edition: We hope everyone enjoys reading Maya and the Robot! Make sure to check out the website for reading schedules, family activities, read-aloud, and more. Don't forget our culminating event, a STEAM night at OPPL on March 2nd from 6-7:30. And please read below for important content warnings for this week's chapters...

Please beware that the book does include a sensitive topic in Chapter 14 about the death of Mr. Mac's son, Christopher. The district sent a Parent Introductory letter sharing the content guidance note (see below). 
 
"CONTENT GUIDANCE: The story invites us to explore themes of self-love, perseverance, problem-solving, and friendship, as well as sadness and grief. Please note that there is talk of gun violence in Chapter 14. Readers find out that the son of a character was shot and killed years ago. While it is spoken about, nothing explicit is shared. Although we feel that this book is appropriate for all ages, we want families to be aware of this sensitive topic so they can preview and approach it in a way that is best for their family."

 

Morning Car Drop-Off Lane Reminders: 

  • Please be patient in the drop-off line; we have long lines with colder temperatures.
  • Please have your child ready to leave your car; have their backpack and lunch box easily accessible. 
  • Please stay in your car; we have staff to help kids out of cars and with doors if they are unable to do it themselves.
  • Please let your child out of the car in front of the school at the main doors; please wait in line to let your child out until you are at the entrance. It is icy along the curb, and we do not want children hurt. 
  • Please have your student exit from the right side of the car. 
  • If you need to park, please pull up at or past the playground; there is ample parking available. 
  • If dropping off, please allow extra time. Speeding through drop-off is dangerous for students and staff. 

Thank you for your help in keeping our students safe!

This week we began using the Child Protection Units from Second Step to teach personal safety rules such as safety with guns, sharp tools, fire, and vehicles, as well as touching safety in which students learn about safe, unsafe, and unwanted touches as well as rules about touching private body parts. Your child will have an opportunity to use their assertiveness skills to practice asking for help, telling an adult about an unsafe situation, and getting out of unsafe situations.  This week our K-3 students learned the “Never Never Rules,” which can be found by clicking here. Our 4th and 5th-grade students learned how to recognize unsafe situations, whom to report to or contact for help, and how to refuse and say “no” in an unsafe situation.  We call those skills “Recognize, Refuse, and Report.”  We will teach a total of 6 lessons through the end of March. If you’d like to extend this learning into your home, here are the home links for this week’s lessons:

Kindergarten -  Ways to Stay Safe
First Grade -  Ways to Stay Safe
Second Grade - Ways to Stay Safe
Third Grade -  Ways to Stay Safe
Fourth Grade -  Keeping Yourself Safe
Fifth Grade -  Keeping Yourself Safe
 
 

4th and 5th Grade Parents/Guardians: 4th and 5th grades are starting recorders in February. We are using the “Angel Soprano Recorder” brand. If your students already have one of these recorders in a blue case, they can bring it to school to use it. Please order a recorder through the school store using the link below. The fee for a recorder is $6. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Ms. Duran ([email protected]). Thank you!

https://oakpark.revtrak.net/Elementary-Schools/Hatch-Elementary/hatch-miscellaneous/#/v/hatch-recorder

 

Sarah Mendez
Hatch School Principal 
1000 N Ridgeland Ave
Oak Park, IL 60302
(708) 524-3095
 
 

D97 Updates/Reminders:

 
In honor of Black History Month, our school and district will be celebrating the remarkable lives, histories, and contributions of the Black community. We'd love to hear how you and your family are celebrating, too! You can share your Black History Month stories, photos, and videos by tweeting (@OakPark97, using the hashtags #MyD97 and #OakPark97) or emailing [email protected]. 
 
Please see this flyer for the DePaul Family, and Community Services March Community Talk on Addressing Bullying.
 
February 22nd, 2023, The District office will have another evening background check event for parents. Please spread the word to our parents. They can sign up through sign up genius by using the link below. Thanks.

 

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. In order 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 provided 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.

 

Bravo Performing Arts Summer Academy is open to current 4TH GRADERS (will be 5th grade in Fall 2023) to current 8TH GRADERS (will be 9th grade in Fall 2023). Each session will work on a different musical. Students can sign up for both 3-week sessions and have the opportunity to participate in TWO different musicals in 6 weeks!
 
CAMP DAY: Monday-Friday - 9 am-3 pm. Campers arrive 8:45-8:50 am daily
CREW attends for a half day (12 pm-3 pm) the first week of camp and 9 am-3 pm the second week of camp
Performances are on Fridays & Saturdays at the end of each session.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: MARCH 10