William Hatch Elementary School PTO
William Hatch Elementary School PTO
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September 2010Greetings from Hatch School! It is a pleasure to welcome everyone to another exciting year!
We have many innovative projects and activities scheduled for this new school year. I hope every family will take the opportunity to participate in these worthwhile events. We encourage everyone to become active members of the Hatch School Community.
The Bank at School Program will begin Friday, October 2 for students holding saving accounts. Applications for new accounts will be available during Fee Day, Thursday, September 3. This program is sponsored through the State of Illinois and The Fifth Third Bank of Oak Park.
It is our goal to provide a comfortable, relaxed and safe noon hour for our children. Our program's guidelines are as follows:
To hear weekly activities and meetings at Hatch School, please call the Hatch School Voice Message System. Use the message system to leave messages for our faculty and staff. Dial 524-5830, listen to the prompts, and then press the teacher's four-digit number. The teachers' voice message numbers will be included in the fee day packet.
I know, as a former teacher, that reading stimulates the mind. Students increase their learning in so many ways, when they are actively involved in reading at home. Students improve their critical thinking ability, comprehension, and verbal skills by simply investing the time to read.
Therefore, we are looking for students who enjoy reading at home. The goal is for students to earn a minimum of 176 points during the school year by reading at home. The added goal is to celebrate the joy of reading, while earning points. Students [who] love to read will enjoy getting this deserved recognition. I know we have students [who] will earn more than two thousand points during the school year! The flyer will be in the Fee Day Packet. Many parents will receive the letter through email.
The P.T.O. World Language Program will begin the week of October 5. We will offer German, Spanish, and French. Please watch for more information on Fee Day.
This is a reminder that school starts at 8:00AM. The first bell rings at 7:57AM. Excessive tardiness is unacceptable. As adults, we need to help students develop good habits to carry them through life. Please be sure your child arrives on time each day! I have an open door policy. If you have questions or concerns, please call me at 524-3095.
We hope to see everyone on Fee Day, Thursday, September 3 from 2-7 pm in the lunchroom!
Let's make it another great year!
Sincerely,
Sheila Y. Carter
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Otober 2010Congratulations to the students and parents/guardians who worked many hours planting and harvesting the Hatch Patch. The many hours devoted to our garden during the summer months were greatly appreciated. The exceptional harvest not only provided a wonderful dinner this fall, but also enabled our parent volunteers to donate many pounds of vegetables to the Oak Park Food Pantry this summer. Congratulations to Mrs. Knickrehm, Ms. Moriarty and your team of volunteers. I am so proud to be a Hatch Tiger!
Wow! Thursday, September 23 was a great day for Hatch School! We hit a grand slam! Congratulations to the many chefs, parent volunteers and students who spent many hours preparing the food and centerpieces for this mega event! There were at least 450-500 people on the playground enjoying the dinner and great company. Congratulations Mr. Bill Pantazopoulos. Let's do it again next year!
For the last twelve years, we have told students not to bring toys to school. We are continuing this policy. Parents, please help your children understand that their toys should be kept at home.
I am also asking parents to make sure students are not bringing skateboards, scooters, roller blades and bicycles to school. A busy playground is not the place for these potentially dangerous toys. Please help us keep everyone safe at school.
Again this year, we successfully combined our annual "New Parents' Night" with our first P.T.O. meeting. The attendance was impressive! Our P.T.O. President, Carrie Tran, warmly welcomed the parents and invited everyone to participate in our PTO activities. If you missed New Parents' Night and would like to learn more about Hatch School, please call the school office.
Our Ice Cream/Smoothie Fridays are fun for the students at Hatch School. The money collected is used to:
Teachers are now busy planning field trips for the first part of the school year. Parents will be receiving information and permission slips to sign as the trips are arranged. Field trips take learning beyond the school and into the community. These trips are taken in conjunction with teaching units and are part of your child's educational experiences at Hatch. We are fortunate that, again this year, our PTO is supporting all field trips by paying for the buses. This generous gift enables us to provide many exciting field trips for our students.
On Friday, October 29, our daily schedule will be adjusted to give students more hours of academic time and less party time. All students will have a longer morning and a shorter afternoon. The schedule for October 29 is as follows:
(Snacks will be provided for the students at 10:00AM.)
All parents are invited to go to the auditorium or remain on the playground to watch the Halloween Parade at 1:20PM. Classroom parties take place after the parade.
Our Thirteenth Annual Hatch School Pumpkin Festival is scheduled for October 28 and 29. The Pumpkin Festival is a pumpkin decorating contest with four categories: grades K-1, grades 2-3, grades 4-5, and the family category. Watch for the flyer or email during the week of October 11.
All of our Curriculum Nights were well attended. Thank you so much for your ongoing participation in school activities.
For the past five years, I have visited classes in grades K-5 to talk about bullying. It has been successful in giving students the tools to identify and deal with bullying. If you would like a copy of the packet, please call the school office.
In the past few weeks, we have reviewed school safety rules with our students. We emphasized safe conduct in the lunchroom, on the playground, on buses and walking to and from school. I would like to remind parents of the following procedures:
Thank you for helping support a healthy, happy, and safe environment for your children.
Sincerely,
Sheila Y. Carter
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November 2010Conferences were held during the week of October 18. We had between 95-100% parent participation! If you did not get the opportunity to meet with your child's teacher, please call the school. It is important that parents participate in their child's education by conferencing with their child's teacher. This offers an opportunity for sharing information and planning the best educational program for each child.
We want all parents to be actively involved in their child's education by:
On Friday, October 1 at 3:30PM, we welcomed back the class of 1960. They were given a tour of the school and spoke to Tom Holmes, an Oak Park Historian. On Friday, October 8 at 3:30PM, we welcomed back the class of 1956 for a tour of the school. This tour was hosted by Jan Dressel, who is also an Oak Park Historian. Everyone had a great time returning to [his or her] elementary school!
On November 16, Monika K., will be honored at the Oak Park-River Forest Optimist Club annual luncheon. She will receive a plaque for being an outstanding citizen. Students from all public and private schools in Oak Park and River Forest are eligible. The fifth grade teachers selected Monika for demonstrating leadership in the school and maintaining a high scholastic average. Congratulations, Monika! We are very proud of you.
Ella W., third grade student in Ms. Lyles' class, is one of the winners in the Annual Fire Prevention Poster Contest. Ella and her family were invited to attend a dinner at the fire station. Great Job, Ella!
The twenty-third annual District #97 Young Authors Conference was held Saturday, October 23, at Lincoln School. Many Hatch students were given the opportunity to participate this year. Thank you for your support of this excellent conference for students!
Adult supervision on the playground is necessary for student safety. Students should not be on the playground before 7:45AM, unless they are participating in the breakfast program. Supervision on the playground begins at 7:45AM. After school, there will be supervision until 3:10PM (2:10 on Wednesdays).
Important: For the security and safety of the students and staff at Hatch School, the playground doors will be locked at all times. Please use the doorbell by the lunchroom to participate in the breakfast program. You may also go to the main entrance to enter the building each morning.
Many parents are on the playground to greet their children at the end of the school day. They are not there to supervise any students. If students wish to play on the equipment after school hours, it becomes their parents' responsibility to see that these children are properly supervised. We want all students to feel safe at Hatch School.
The PTO sponsored, tuition-based, World Language Program is also doing well. We have excellent instructors. Mrs. Lisa Peters teaches German, Ms. Isabelle Henry teaches French, Ms Olga Callupe teaches Spanish, and Ms. Jenny Chen teaches Chinese. All classes meet on Tuesday during the lunch hour
A reminder! Parents need to call the school office (524-3095) when their child is absent from school. The office opens at 7:30AM.
The Homework Helper Program began October 4. This program is designed for students who may need additional support in completing homework assignments. We also create packets of additional work in language arts and math for students to complete once they have completed their assignments. We are selecting students based on teacher and parent recommendations. The program meets on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, from 3:15-4:15PM. If you would like your child to participate in this program, please call the school office.
The following staff members participate in this program: Mrs. L'Heureux, Ms. Winfield, Ms. Stack , Mr. Swick, Ms. Quickery, Mrs. Wolowitz and Ms. Lyles. We want to make every effort to help students complete their homework assignments and to realize the importance of academic achievement.
Sincerely,
Sheila Y. Carter
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December 2010To improve the lunch hour, we provide a variety of activities for students during inclement weather. We offer:
Our lunch program is a fun time for students!
The Title I Meeting was well attended by Hatch families and teachers. We enjoyed a wonderful meal from Winberies of Oak Park. Families were given the opportunity to meet with their child's tutor in the media center to review the academic agreement. Mrs. Noel hosted a workshop entitled "Brain, Body and Learning" in the auditorium. Title I parents/guardians that did not attend the meeting, will be contacted by their child's tutor to sign-off on the Title I Compact/Academic Agreement.
Sincerely,
Sheila Y. Carter
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January 2011The staff at Hatch School wishes you a wonderful New Year. We want to renew our commitment to provide quality, educational experiences for each child.
As we start the New Year, I would like to remind everyone about some safety issues. The District's disciplinary policy states: "Any student who brings a weapon onto school grounds will be suspended and scheduled for an expulsion hearing before the district board." I wish to be very clear on this matter so that there is no misunderstanding on the part of students or parents. Even a small pen-knife attached to a key chain is considered to be in violation of our "no weapons" policy. It is extremely important that this message be understood by all. This school year, I have scheduled school-wide assemblies and classroom visits to review safety/discipline policies with students. Teachers have also reinforced safety policies with students in their classrooms.
In keeping with our concerns about safety, we are once again emphasizing that it is extremely important for every visitor to check in at the office and to wear a visitor's name tag.Parents, who volunteer in our school on a regular basis, must also follow this procedure.
Families have been complaining about dogs on school property. Please be aware that Oak Park has a Village Animal Control Ordinance which states: "It shall be unlawful for any animal, even though on a leash to go or be upon any school premises or Village maintained playground within the Village, or upon a path or sidewalk extending through or within any school premises or Village maintained playground within the Village, except for dogs used to accompany blind persons". The matter of guaranteeing a level of public safety is the issue here. Thank you for honoring this ordinance.
The Hatch School Faculty is requiring students to receive a Meets and/or Exceeds grade in every subject area of the curriculum. This includes the following specials: art, music, physical education and FLES (Spanish). We believe our students need to strive for mastery learning in all subject areas.
I will be meeting with every fourth and fifth grade student, who did not make the honor roll. We will talk about the importance of academic achievement, communication with their teachers, their motivation to do their best and their willingness to try to attain their goals. I truly believe every fourth and fifth grade student at Hatch has the skills and talent necessary for success! The second trimester will be a second opportunity for them to make the Honor Roll.
The Honor Roll certificates will be posted in the hallway by room 108. Please sit down with your child at this time and review your child's report card from the first trimester. The goal is to receive a 3 or 4 in every subject area.
An opportunity to participate in the District 97 Writing Talent Search will again be offered to all Hatch students (K-5). The categories for this contest are prose or poetry, narrative or expository, make believe/fantasy or true-to-life writing. Final choices will be selected by a panel of faculty members. These final entries will then be evaluated by a panel of District 97 judges. The winners and finalists will be honored at a writing festival in the Spring of 2011. An anthology of first place manuscripts will also be distributed.
The Homework Helper Program is going quite well for students that need additional support in completing homework assignments. We are selecting students based on teacher and parent recommendations. The program meets on Monday, Tuesdays and Thursdays, after school from 3:15-4:15. If you would like your child to participate in this program, please call the school office. Mrs. L'Heureux, Miss Stack, Ms. Quickery and Ms. Lyles will be working with students. We want to make every effort to help students get into the habit of completing homework assignments on time.
The World Language Program is off to a great start! There are 32 students enrolled in our Spanish, French, German and Chinese classes. The instructors are excellent and knowledgeable. The parents of enrolled students may stop by during the lunch hour to visit their children's classes and meet the language teachers.
District 97 is committed to providing all students with healthy meals during the school day. In honor of that commitment, Hatch School would like to reassure everyone that it is also against our policy to sell any unhealthy snacks/meals or beverages before, during, or after school. We are dedicated to providing our students with only healthy choices and we will continue to encourage a healthy lifestyle.
Our read-a-thon program is going very well! As of December 14, 59 students have met the goal of earning 176 points. There are 192 students presently participating in the program. It's not too late to join the fun! Stop by the office for more information.
Sincerely,
Sheila Y. Carter
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February 2011We had a very successful celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King. Mrs. Mann, Mr. Jacobson, Ms. Lyles, Mrs. DePriest, our chorus and the entire student body contributed to this excellent program.
I would like to encourage parents to use our District Voice Messaging System. Each week the calendar is recorded on the Principal Message (524-5830) so that parents may check on field trips, assemblies, and special evening activities.
Your teachers' voice message numbers are listed in the Student Directory. Teachers check their messages daily so this is a convenient way to communicate with your child's teacher.
Wednesday, January 26 was our Annual Family Reading Night. This event is sponsored by the School Improvement Team. Many Hatch families attended, dressed in pajamas and carrying favorite pillows and stuffed animals. Ms. Margaret Burke was our featured story teller. We had a great time!
Thursday, January 27 was our Annual Coffee House Event. This activity is sponsored by our P.T.O. It was held in the auditorium. Students in grades K-5 and family members read stories and poems. It is always a very special event.
February conferences were held on the following days:
It is essential that every parent visits the school and talks with his/her children's teachers about their academic progress. When parents participate in these conferences, their children receive a clear message that their schoolwork is important to everyone. Parents and teachers are able to share concerns and strategies that will improve our students' academic achievement (performance levels).
Please contact your child's teacher if you missed your conference.
School starts at 8:00AM. The first bell rings at 7:57AM. There are a number of students who still do not arrive on time. This excessive tardiness is indicative of a negative attitude. As adults, we need to help students develop responsible qualities to carry them through life. Our goal is to have all of our students arrive on time, every day.
Our breakfast and hot lunch programs, which are run by Ms. Hood, Mrs. Space, Mrs. Moroski and Mrs. Aldridge are very popular with all of our students. We wish to thank our wonderful, lunch staff for their dedication and hard work.
Depending on the weather, we have set up a variety of indoor activities for students during the lunch hour: basketball, games (including rope jumping), computer lab, movies, coloring, bingo, a chat room, Walking Club, World Language Program, and the Math-a-thon Program. We also have a study hall in the media center for all students, who wish to read or use the computer to complete assignments. We want students to be active and engaged in healthy activities. Students appear to enjoy these choices, because these options improve the quality of their lunch hour.
Sincerely,
Sheila Y. Carter
... March 2011Please consider getting involved in some of the many activities sponsored by our P.T.O. We would like to thank the parents who volunteer so many hours of their time to support us. Hatch is a wonderful school because of the excellent parent support. Let's continue our successes. We need your involvement.
Thanks to all of you who have made an effort to keep our school safe. Again I am reminding everyone that when visiting the school, parents must stop by the office, sign in and wear a visitor's pass. I have asked all staff members to escort visitors without passes to the office.
There are many staff members in our building who do not know all of our parents. Unless parents wear a visitor's pass, the staff has no way of knowing who is authorized to be in our building.
Please do not just "run up to the classroom for a minute to talk with the teacher". First, you must go to the school office, sign-in, and wear a visitor's pass. All staff members, substitute teachers and teaching assistants wear badges while they are working at Hatch. We need the cooperation of everyone to keep our building as safe as possible.
The 2011 Summer School Catalog will be distributed to our families. The catalog has an excellent listing of classes for both morning and afternoon sessions. Registration will begin immediately following the distribution of the catalogs. Please do not delay; some classes will fill quickly! Any questions regarding the summer program may be directed to Stephanie Avila at the Central Office (524-7634) or Sheila Carter (524-3095) after 4:00pm.
For the twelfth year, Hatch School will once again sponsor our annual School-wide Read-a-thon II. This is a seven-week program for students who are not participating in the "Readers are Winners" program. (208 students are presently participating in this year's "Readers are Winners" Read-a-thon and 112 of those students have met the goal!) As in previous years, students will have to earn at least 60 points to go to the Naperville Gymnastics Club for a day of fun, fun, fun! Please watch for a flyer with more information.
The math-a-thon program is going very well. Many students from each grade level are participating. The Hatch Staff is working with the students during the lunch hour. It is not too late to join the fun! For more information, pick up a flyer from the information center located by the office.
Sincerely,
Sheila Y. Carter
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