Message from 03/03/2023

03/03/23
 
Our current school-wide PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention System) focus is kindness, and our Creative Kindness Leaders were busy this week! They made a loop around the outside of our school, ‘hiding’ clay hearts and circles that they made. Each member made, glazed, and used a paint pen to write a positive message on them. The hope is that if someone finds one, it will make them feel special. Please join in the fun by talking as a family about how you can spread kindness at Hatch and in the community!


 

Please check out the highlights from our Black History Month door decorating contest. Our student-designed themes are pretty impressive! 

Hatch BHM.mp4
 

We need your support! 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, and we are currently at 18%! 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

Link to survey: http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/
 

All About IAR!

Each Spring, all District 97 students in Grades 3 to 8 take federally-required assessments to help us understand their academic growth. Since 2019, the state has utilized the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) to assess students’ knowledge and skills in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics and their progress toward the long-term goal of college and career readiness. 5th Grade students will also take the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA). The IAR will be administered to Hatch students this year between March 14th and 17th. ISA will be the week before the 5th grade.

Illinois Science Assessment (ISA)- 5th Grade Only

Thursday 3/9 AM ISA #1
Friday 3/10 AM ISA #2
Friday 3/10 PM ISA #3

Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) 3rd-5th Grade Only

Tuesday 3/14 AM Math #1
Tuesday 3/14 PM ELA #1
Thursday 3/16 AM Math #2
Thursday 3/16 PM ELA #2
Friday 3/17 AM Math #3

Check out our “5 Things to Know About IAR” document to learn more about this year’s assessment!

 

Maya and the Robot Trailer contest -  Did you love reading Maya and the Robot together as a family? Consider making a movie trailer together to win a robot! Check out the guidelines here. This is a Hatch-specific contest! Entries are due March 17th- questions to Nefret Stringham at [email protected]

 

Jacob Grant Author Visit: All K-2 students will attend an author visit with Jacob Grant on Tuesday, March 21st! This is an amazing opportunity for our students. If you want to purchase a signed book, please fill out the attached form and pay here (or use the QR code linked in the form). This form will also be going home with your students. Make sure to check their take-home folders! 

 

Student Council’s March Madness of Fun! March is here, and we are ready to celebrate! Hatch School will celebrate “Read Across America” the week of March 6th. Check out our week of Reading Spirit Days! The week of March 13th, the Student Council will sponsor a fundraiser for the Oak Park Animal Care League. Check out the Animal Care League’s Wishlist.

Did you know that March is Music In Schools Month? We will celebrate the week of March 20th with music-inspired spirit week. Check out our Music Spirit Days!
 
Check out our Music Newsletter from Ms. Duran here: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_V6pR5hNFJfqUYlo2aYl_sfwGc0DkRgp/view?usp=sharing

Hatch Music Newsletter February.pdf

 

Second Step - Child Protective Unit It is important for students to understand that safe touches are positive, caring touches. It is also important for students to understand what an unsafe touch is so that they can recognize unsafe situations. Lesson 3 in the Child Protection Units taught students that unsafe touches are touches that hurt our bodies. This concept is particularly important in teaching students not to participate in unsafe touching with other students. This lesson also helps students develop skills to say no to a touch they don’t want, whether it is safe or unsafe. Teaching students to be assertive and refuse any touch they do not feel comfortable with from anyone will help them protect themselves. Our Kindergarten through third graders referred to these as “safe or unsafe touches,” and our fourth and fifth graders referred to them as “unsafe and unwanted touches.” Here are the home links for this week:
 
First Grade -  Safe and Unsafe Touches
Second Grade - Safe and Unsafe Touches
 
Sarah Mendez
Hatch School Principal 
1000 N Ridgeland Ave
Oak Park, IL 60302
(708) 524-3095
 
 

D97 Updates/Reminders:

 

In District 97, we understand and appreciate that it will take all of us—families, staff, and community members—working together to have a safe and healthy winter. As we continue through the winter months, we want to remind you of a few preventative measures our school community can take to reduce the spread of illness in our schools:

  • Wash hands often, especially before eating and after using the bathroom.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. These are the most common ways for germs to enter the body. 
  • Cover your mouth and nose with your arm when you cough or sneeze. 
  • Get plenty of sleep! 
  • Eat whole, unprocessed foods and include fruits and vegetables at each meal. 
  • Stay up to date on your vaccinations.

Should students get sick, they should not come to school. Please do not send your child to school with any of the following symptoms:

  • Constant coughing
  • Constant “runny” nose, especially with yellow or green mucus
  • A temperature of 100 or higher
  • Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
  • Rashes or any scratching for unknown reasons, with or without fever
  • Watery, itching eyes that have drainage or are crusted shut upon waking

If your child tests positive for COVID-19, please report the illness by completing District 97’s Positive Case Notification form. Thank you for sharing this responsibility with us to Be Safe and Healthy by looking out for the community's collective care this winter!

 

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 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.

 

Acceleration Opportunities in District 97: District 97’s Single Subject and Whole Grade Level Acceleration process for students for the 2023-24 school year is now open! District 97 believes all students should be challenged and supported to develop to their maximum potential. For students who demonstrate they may benefit from accelerated placement, we provide opportunities to participate in an instructional setting that is usually reserved for students who are older or in higher grades than the child. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Single subject acceleration
  • Whole grade acceleration

In accordance with the Illinois Accelerated Placement Act. District 97 has continued to refine procedures to ensure equitable access to acceleration opportunities for all students. Continuing this year: all students who are grade eligible to take the Illinois Assessment for Readiness (IAR) must participate in the assessment in order to be deemed eligible for acceleration. The IAR is a critically important measure in determining the mastery of grade level standards and must be considered by the school team along with other data sources.

 

Pre-applications for single-subject and whole-grade acceleration will be accepted from March 1st to May 15th of each school year. The general process is outlined HERE.

 

Information about the District 97 Accelerated Placement Program, including definitions and timelines, can be found at http://www.op97.org/acceleration.