Steele Family Newsletter

Mrs. Grice, Dean of Students

Mr. Orellana, Dean of Students

Mrs. Knuth, Nurse

Mrs. Hickey, School Counselor

Ms. Fones and Ms. Howerter, Front Office Assistants

Email: kcoate@galesburg205.org
Website: https://steele.galesburg205.org/
Location: 1480 West Main Street, Galesburg, IL, USA
Phone: (309)973-2016
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steele205/
X: @wearesteele

Instagram: @205steelestars

If times are tough and you need help securing a jacket for your child, we recently received donations in various sizes. Reach out to the teacher or office and what size you need.

Our Steele Stars have an opportunity to let their creativity shine in Sandburg’s “WE ARE PROUD OF YOU! GO CHARGERS!” Coloring Contest! Students in kindergarten through fourth grade will color a special page featuring Charlie, Sandburg’s mascot, and a message of encouragement. Five students from each grade level will be selected for recognition and prizes, with a special visit from Charlie and Sandburg representatives planned for November. This partnership celebrates students’ creativity and effort while reminding them that their community is cheering them on. We are proud of you, Steele Stars! ❤️💙

Galesburg Promise is built on the belief that education is the key to regional vitality and economic development. It was established by the City of Galesburg — through a two-percent hotel/motel tax which goes directly to the Galesburg Community Foundation — and offers an incentive for students to graduate from high school and an opportunity for a post-secondary education to increase the pool of college graduates who can be gainfully employed in Galesburg and the surrounding area.

Galesburg Promise pays up to 16 credits of tuition (excludes books and fees) per semester based on the number of years (full grades) you attended Galesburg District 205, Galesburg Christian School, Costa or were homeschooled in the city of Galesburg, as verified through school or home-school records*.

Once again, we would like to recognize any current or past members of the military that are related to our Steele Stars. Please send in a digital photo of the person, their name, and branch of service and how they are related to a student at Steele. These can be emailed to Mrs. Coate at kcoate@galesburg205.org. We will need these by November 9th.

We will display yard signs with the photo above and the photos of all of veterans on our front lawn for the next 2 weeks to honor their service. Check it out!

We will welcome Growl's Rockin' Growth Mindset to Steele on November 16th for an all school assembly. During the show, Rick performs as Growl, the lead singer of Shoe Biters, the animated rock band on YouTube. I've found that when kids have already seen a few of the videos and heard some of the songs before the assembly, they're much more excited and engaged when I arrive. Please review the songs/videos with your child.

All meetings are held at Steele in the library. Meetings run from 5:30 - 6:30 PM and are on the first Tuesday of the month.

A Google Meet will be set up for those of you that want to attend but cannot be in person.

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/jms-yjdu-agj

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 678-487-9512‬ PIN: ‪356 280 867‬#

For our concert during the school day: We will have an all school assembly starting at 2:50pm on Thursday, November 19th. This is where our kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students perform for all their peers. We will be recording this performance, as well as offering families to attend during this time. Space for this concert will be limited as our students will be sitting on the floor.

For our after school concert: Kindergarten will perform at 5:30pm, 1st grade will perform at 6:00pm, and 2nd grade will perform at 6:30 pm here in Steele Elementary’s gym. Please have your student here no later than ten minutes prior to their concert time.. Students and families will enter through the cafeteria doors. Students will sit with their class in the cafeteria. If your student is wearing a coat or jacket, please take it with you into the gym so they don’t have to hold it. At the end of the concert, we will have our students join their families in the gym and exit out the front doors. If you have another student in 1st or 2nd grade, you may walk your child to the cafeteria while the rest of your party stays seated.

Students may dress up however you wish, as long as their outfits are appropriate, not distracting, and won’t inhibit their ability to stand on our stage.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email – clopez@galesburg205.org

I’m so excited to show you the work these students have done for our winter concert! Hope to see you there!

Mr. Chris Lopez

Students in grades K–6 are invited to submit original nonfiction, fiction, poems, or graphic novels. Selected Honored Authors from each school will receive a certificate and attend an April luncheon with other young writers. Important dates: November 23, 2026—program begins; February 26, 2027—stories due to the school office; March 26, 2027—school judging deadline; tentative April 22, 2027—Young Author Event at Galesburg Public Library, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Students must draw their own illustrations; internet images or pictures created by others will not be judged. Writers are encouraged to plan, draft, reread, revise, and edit before preparing a final copy and adding illustrations.

Galesburg Young Authors Rules/Guidelines. Books must be written in the student’s own words and individually authored; books by two students are not accepted. Young children may dictate their story to an adult. Parents and teachers may help with grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, editing, and typing but may not alter the plot. Stories may be legibly handwritten or typed. Optional illustrations must be drawn by the student using any art medium; internet graphics are not allowed. Participation may be a home assignment or classroom activity; teachers should inform parents if completing it in class. Each school will judge stories using the Book Evaluation Continuum. A typed Author Information Form must be attached inside each manuscript’s cover before judging. Submission deadline: Friday, February 26, 2027.

We know many families are facing tough times, and a little extra support can make a difference. Blessings in a Backpack provides students with a grocery sack of food to take home on Fridays to help with meals over the weekend. We are grateful to Knox College for helping pack these bags for students at Steele and other area schools. If your family could benefit from this support, please contact Melissa Hickey at mhickey@galesburg205.org or call the school office at 309-973-2016. We are here to help!

We are looking forward to focusing on Gratitude this month! One way to think about Gratitude is “choosing to appreciate the people and things in our lives.” Practicing Gratitude can increase our well-being and even our happiness! Gratitude is 1 of 3 traits we will focus on throughout the year that helps students Be Well. Across grade levels, students will be developing skills like emotion regulation, positive self-talk, and stress-management.

Can you share or show what it means to practice Gratitude?

What is something you are Grateful for every day?

Have some fun connecting as a family this month while practicing Gratitude. Here are 2 “Purposeful Pursuits” you can complete together!

What are some small, specific things that you are Grateful for? Maybe it is your favorite water cup, the way the cat sleeps on the chair, or when your grandma bakes banana bread. Spend some time as a family trying to think of at least 10 small things that you have Gratitude for and then choose to notice them this week with a smile.

Review Gratitude as a family! Remember that Gratitude is choosing to appreciate the people and things in our lives. Find a place in your home to display a glass jar. Cut up small slips of paper and place them next to the jar. Use the jar to collect special people, places, events, and memories that your family is thankful for. Find a time each week to add slips of Gratitude to the jar and assist students in writing or drawing gratitude as needed. Having a gloomy day or a challenging time as a family? Pull out the slips of Gratitude and read them aloud together as a reminder of your Grateful moments.

Our Family Check-In gives families easy-to-use tools to support the same skills students are practicing at school. Families can use the visuals together to name emotions, work through problems using the Tree of Choices, and practice breathing strategies to regulate emotions.

The Shine in #205 program is a way for you to salute any CUSD #205 employee who goes above and beyond what is expected. Whether you are a parent/guardian impressed with that special touch your student's teacher added to a moment, a coworker who thinks their colleague doesn't hear often enough about the great job they are doing, or a community member who witnessed a staff member's commitment to students-you can submit a Shine nomination!

#Shinein205 link https://forms.gle/d5iCyxiBXmjq421K6

Please download the Class Dojo App. This will be our primary mode of communication with families this year. More information will come from your teacher.

As we prepare for the start of the new school year, we'd like to remind families about FIRSTview, our school bus tracking app.

FIRSTview allows parents and guardians to track their student's school bus in real time, receive notifications, and stay informed about their child's transportation throughout the school year.

Whether you're returning to FIRSTview or using the app for the first time, please review the attached letter for information on downloading the app, setting up your account, and connecting to your student's bus route.
We encourage all families who utilize district transportation to take advantage of this free tool to stay informed and connected.

For summer birthdays, we will celebrate your child's half birthday. For instance - if your birthday is August 1st, we will celebrate it on February 1st.

Our district takes student attendance very seriously and we are committed to seeing that every child is at school unless there is an excused reason for absence or tardiness. Studies have shown that when students are consistently at school they are more likely to achieve their dreams.

What Parents and Students Can Do:

• Ensure children arrive to school on time.

• When absent, be sure to make up missed work.

• Communicate with school and seek support when needed.

• Call when your child is absent from school or unavoidably late ASAP at 309-973-2016.

• Know attendance is required on early dismissal days.

• Return to school after appointments.

• Plan appointments outside of school day.

• Call within one hour of the start of school or send a note within 48 hours of the return to school.

• For minor health issues—come to school.

Each month students will focus on monthly themes . Teachers will provide explicit, direct skill instruction in these areas so that our school community as a whole becomes stronger. The month of August is our Kindness Kick off!

View more: htpp://schools.mealviewer.com/school/SteeleElementarySchool

Whether this is your first year at Steele or you have been here for multiple years, we want to welcome you all to the 26-27 school year. We are the "STARS" and we shine bright!

Galesburg 205 Vision Statement: Empowering students to realize their potential to Thrive.

Steele Vision Statement: Creating learners who make wise choices, embrace challenges, and own their future.

Galesburg 205 Mission Statement: Through collaboration with families and our community, our schools will develop the potential of students in a safe, equitable, and engaging learning environment, which advances high performance and excellence for all.

Steele Mission Statement: Diversity is who we are. Equity is what we strive to provide. Inclusion is how we achieve our goals. Together we inspire dreams, celebrate learning and embrace the future.