Crystal Lake Library / Crystal Lake Dawnbreaker Rotary Club Read, Write & Win Contest
Calling all Crystal Lake students in grades 3 - 8: the 2012 Read, Write & Win contest will begin February 12!
Get all the information and brochure byclicking here
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Additional Early Release Days Approved for 2011-2012
Additional Early Release Days Approved for the 2011-2012 School Year- Facts and Schedule
Purpose
During this past April's Board of Education meeting, the Board approved the implementation of five early release days for the 2011-2012 school year for the purposes of engaging District 47 teachers in structured and targeted staff development from which we hope to improve student learning outcomes. While the concept of staff release time being utilized in this capacity is new to District 47, it is a relatively common practice in many neighboring school districts including our local area high school district.
Click Herefor All NCLB Information including
School Choice and Supplemental Educational Services
New District 47 Birthday Treat Procedure
In order to promote and foster healthier student choices and to a be mindful of the many students in District 47 with severe food allergies, we respectfully request that parents provide only non-food items when celebrating birthdays (book donations, pencils, stickers, etc.).
Additionally, parents are strongly encouraged to provide healthy food choices for classroom celebrations/holiday parties.
This procedure became effective as of January 4, 2012. We thank you for your full cooperation
North's Phone & Attendance Numbers!
The district has converted to the new phone system. The new phone number for North Elementary School is (815) 356-3450.
We also now have a phone number dedicated solely to attendance calls, and that number is (815) 356-3499.
When calling this number, we kindly ask that you leave all of the following information: student's name, teacher's name and a specific reason or illness, with symptoms, as to why the student is absent.
*Feel free to leave a message at any time, even during the middle of the night, as our answering machine is on 24/7
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How Can I Help My Young Writer at Home?
•Give them the tools that they need to succeed Provide your child with a safe and inspiring space as well as the materials they may need to write. Ideally, a writer’s space should be quiet and must have interesting materials to engage them in the writing process. Some ideas to place in their “writing center” could include: pencils, markers, stencils, large paper to create “big books,” favorite books that spark ideas and personal photos that children could create narrative stories from.
• Model writing for your child every day Children need to see you writing in practical ways and on a daily basis (e-mails, thank you cards, notes to community members, grocery lists). It is crucial to show children that writing is everywhere and show them that writing is a process. It is acceptable to let them know that you have a difficult time to write for a specific audience and discuss how you work through these challenges.
This fun day will be held on Friday, June 1. The students will rotate with their classrooms through stations of various games, relays, and other activities throughout the entire day. Remember to wear clothes that you can move in, and wear gym shoes. Please bring a water bottle with your name clearly marked. Should it rain that day, Field Day will be moved indoors.
Field Day Volunteers will be responsible for working with other parents to help run a station. Please plan for an 8:45a.m.-2:15p.m. time frame. A half day option is available for kindergarten parents. We welcome grandparents, and older siblings to volunteer too.
We are looking for Parent Volunteers for this wonderful event. Should you be interested in volunteering, please open one of the links below. Thank you!
Here are just a few educational websites that are available for students to use from home!
Tumblebooks This site accessed through the Crystal Lake Library Kids page offers hundreds of interactive books with related games and puzzles, read alongs and non-fiction selections. There are also books available in Spanish.
Everyday Math Online Everyday Mathematics is the math curriculum for District 47. For 3rd-5th grade students, this website supports the curriculum and provides on-line math games, an interactive student reference book, and parent information about the program. Contact your child's teacher for his or her username and password.
Pets on School Grounds
We want to make our parents aware that there is a McHenry County Animal control ordinance that prohibits pets, even if they are a leash, from being on school property.
Section 5.13 reads, "It shall be unlawful for any dog, cat, or other animal even though on a leash, to be present at or upon any school premises, public playground park, public beach, or public swimming pool, unless permission is granted by the agency which has jurisdiction over same. The provisions of his Section shall not apply to working support dogs."
While we know that many people would prefer to include their pets on their walk to and from school, we need to ask your cooperation in making sure that pets are not on school property. Thank you in for your cooperation with this ordinance.
Ten Reasons to Read Aloud to Children
1. To hear new words
2. To develop sentence sense and an ear for rhythm
3. To enjoy and compare diverse writing styles
4. To create common connections to ideas
5. To use reading as a springboard to discussion and writing
6. To gain new knowledge and understanding
7. To hear standard forms of English
8. To learn about a variety of genres
9. To feel things never felt before
10. To share a wonderful time with you and books
Raz-Kids - Interactive E-books for your child!
Our Star Huskies now have access to Raz-Kids! This is a reading opportunity with a school/home connection for families. Your child will be able to access books online that are at his/her independent reading level.
Independent level means a level in which a student can read each word with little or no difficulty on their own. This also develops reading fluency and a love for books. Independent reading is one of the most crucial elements of reading progress.
Another option is that students are able to listen to the stories. We would actually recommend that your child listens to the story first and then reads it. We will also be able to monitor each student’s progress and activities.
You can also visit this website from any computer that has web access, including the public library too!
District 47 offers free screening services for children 3-5 years of age as a means to assist parents in sorting concerns or questions they may have regarding their child’s development. A screening is not a comprehensive or in-depth evaluation. It may assist in ruling out certain concerns or providing direction for further investigation. If any areas are identified as a concern, parents will be offered ideas, suggestions, and/or recommendations including possible further evaluation.
If an evaluation suggests a child may be in need of formal developmental support, a variety of services are provided through District 47’s Early Childhood Special Education program, including speech-language therapy, motor services and preschool developmental classrooms.
If you have concerns regarding your preschooler’s development, please call (815) 477-6968 to begin the screening process. You will be sent a packet of information to fill out and return in order to gather initial information about your child’s development.
Reading Like A Writer
A powerful way for your child to improve his/her writing is by noticing the craft of other writers. The books you read aloud to your child are wonderful models “Mentor Text” of skillful author’s craft. As you are reading to your child, you may want to discuss: • The interesting words the author uses in place of
common words like‘said’, ‘happy’, ‘good’ or ‘nice’.
• How a writer organizes his or her ideas in writing.
• Powerful leads that grab a reader’s attention right
from the beginning.
• Powerful endings that get the reader thinking
more deeply about the storyor thinking in new ways.
• Different types of print the author uses for different purposes.
• Specific words (ex. scarlet red) used to describe
people or things in the story.
• Strong verbs the author uses to create excitement and
to hold the reader’s interest and attention.
“Reading like a writer” will also develop a love for reading and writing as well as to deepen understanding of what he/she reads.
Lunch Ticket Price for 2011-12 School Year
Lunch ticket prices have increased for the 2011-12 school year. Daily lunch prices are $2.10 per meal, per day which includes milk. The price for a carton of milk purchased separately will be 55 cents.
10-Day ticket $21.00
20-Day ticket $42.00
Tips for Reading with Your Child
Please remember to read with your child every day. He/she should be bringing independent and familiar books home from their classroom or the school library. Teachers at North have talked to their class about the importance of thinking while reading. You can support your child in their use of the comprehension strategies by asking these kinds of questions:
Schema/Connections: Is there a part of this story or piece that reminds you of an experience you had or a friend has had? Did you have any schema (background/prior information) about the topic? If so, how did you use that information to help you understand what you were reading?
Questioning: Can you show me a part in the text that you had a question about? What were you wondering about?
Visualizing: Were there places in the text that you made a picture or visualized in your mind as you were reading? What specific words helped you create those images?
Inferring: What do you think will happen next in this piece or what do you expect to learn about in the next section? Can you find a place in the text where you had to combine your schema with the author’s clues to ‘figure out’ something that the author was trying to tell you?
Determining Importance: What message do you think the author wants you to get from this piece? What clues did you ‘notice’ to help you figure out what is important in this piece? What do you think is most important to remember in this piece?
Synthesis: Can you tell me what this piece is about in just a few sentences? Can you show me a part in the text where your thinking changed? Do you have any new ideas or information after reading this piece?
Self-Monitoring: Is there anything that you were confused about when you were reading? What did you do when you were confused? Let’s see if we can clarify your confusion together.
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Kimberly Hornberg- Principal
Guy Sromek Asst. Principal
500 Woodstock Street
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
815-356-3450 (Main)
815-479-5111 (Fax)
815-356-3499
(Attendance)
Educational excellence for all students is our passion and commitment.