September Newsletter

What an exciting start to the 2026–2027 school year!

There is something special about the beginning of a new school year—the excitement in our hallways, new friendships being formed, familiar faces reconnecting, and the opportunity for all of us to begin again together.

This year, our Waltham family has grown! We are excited to welcome 15 new staff members, 8 new families, 15 new students, and a whole new preschool crew to our Hawk family. Each brings new experiences, talents, ideas, and perspectives to our school, while becoming part of the traditions and community that make Waltham such a special place.

We're also putting an even greater emphasis this year on something we're calling The Hawk Way. The Hawk Way isn't a new program or another initiative. It's simply a way of putting into words who we want to be as a school community—how we treat one another, how we respond when things are difficult, how we celebrate success, and how we make decisions with students at the center.

You'll hear much more about The Hawk Way throughout the year, but it always comes back to the promise that has guided Waltham for years:

Where Kids Come First.

We have so much to look forward to this year. Thank you for trusting us with your children, supporting our school, and being an important part of our Waltham family.

Here's to a fantastic year of learning, growth, relationships, laughter, and plenty of Hawk Pride! ❤️🖤

Melanie Lukacsy
Principal, Waltham School

You may hear us talking a lot this year about The Hawk Way.

The Hawk Way isn't a new program, curriculum, or set of rules. It is simply the way we describe who we are and how we do things at Waltham School.

It begins with our longtime promise:

Where Kids Come First.

For our students, The Hawk Way means:

Take Care of Yourself.
Make choices that help you learn, grow, and be successful.

Take Care of Others.
Be respectful, responsible, safe, and kind. Include others, lend a hand, and speak up when something isn't right.

Take Care of Waltham.
Take pride in our school, our belongings, our community, and the people who make Waltham special.

Own Your Choices.
None of us is perfect. We make mistakes, take responsibility, make things right, learn, and move forward.

For our staff, The Hawk Way means being present, building relationships, maintaining high expectations while leading with compassion, supporting one another, communicating with families, adapting to meet students' needs, and continually asking:

"Is this what's best for kids?"

The Hawk Way is found in the little things—a student inviting someone into a game at recess, a teacher making a positive phone call home, an older Hawk setting an example for a younger one, a staff member stepping in to help a colleague, or someone choosing kindness when it would be easier not to.

It isn't about perfection.

It's about making Waltham better because you're here.

That's The Hawk Way. 🦅

Where Kids Come First.

Each year, we identify schoolwide priorities that help focus our professional learning, conversations, resources, and improvement efforts. For 2026–2027, our work will be guided by The Big 5.

These priorities aren't separate initiatives—they work together toward one shared goal: providing the very best experience possible for every Waltham student.

📚 1. Strengthen Literacy Through the Science of Reading

We are continuing to strengthen English Language Arts instruction using research-based practices grounded in the Science of Reading. Our goal is to build strong foundational literacy skills while developing confident, capable readers and writers at every grade level.

❤️ 2. Strengthen Climate, Culture, Safety & PRIDE

Students learn best when they feel safe, connected, supported, and valued. We will continue reinforcing our expectations of being Respectful, Responsible, Safe, and Kind, while building positive relationships and strengthening The Hawk Way throughout our school community.

🏫 3. Improve Student Attendance & Engagement

Every day matters. We will continue working with students and families to promote regular attendance, identify barriers when they arise, and help students feel connected and excited to be at school. Strong attendance and strong relationships go hand in hand.

🤝 4. Maximize Our In-House Expertise & Resources

Some of our greatest resources are the talented people already within our school. This year, we will intentionally create opportunities for staff members to learn from one another, share expertise, collaborate, and grow together so that our students benefit from the collective strengths of our entire team.

💬 5. Strengthen Communication & Collaboration

Strong schools are built through strong communication. Our monthly all-staff meetings will provide dedicated time for staff to share information, problem-solve, celebrate successes, collaborate, and remain connected around our schoolwide priorities. We will also continue strengthening communication with our families and community throughout the year.

🦅 Five Priorities. One Purpose.

While The Big 5 gives us focus, everything ultimately comes back to one question:

"Is this what's best for kids?"

If the answer is yes, we're headed in the right direction.

Where Kids Come First. ❤️🖤

September is already shaping up to be a busy month!

Please keep these important dates on your family calendar:

• Friday, September 4 — 11:35 a.m. dismissal for K–8 students; No School for PreK
• Monday, September 7 — No School PreK–8 in observance of Labor Day
• Tuesday, September 8 — International Literacy Day! 📚 Find a little extra time to READ!
• Every Wednesday — 2:10 p.m. dismissal for PreK–8 students
• Wednesday, September 23 at 6:00 p.m. — Board of Education Meeting

📌 And there’s more! Be sure to check out the Booster Club and PTCC information below for additional September events and important dates.

Students and staff members are encouraged to show their school pride every day, but especially on Fridays! Spirit wear is now available for purchase for students, families, and community members. Click here to shop: https://thesudco.com/collections

We are excited to once again celebrate our students and staff with our Monthly Attendance Celebrations! These celebrations are a fun way for our entire student body and staff to come together, end the month on a high note, and recognize the importance of being at school and learning together.

Every student participates in the monthly celebration and dance! ❤️🖤 In addition, students have opportunities to earn special recognition and prizes for positive attendance.

🌟 Perfect Attendance: Students with perfect attendance for the month will receive a ticket for our prize drawings and a chance to have their name selected on the Wheel of Prizes! We understand that appointments happen, so half-days for appointments will still count as a full day toward perfect attendance.

📈 Attendance Growth: Just like last year, we will also celebrate students who demonstrate improved attendance from year to year. Progress matters, and we want to recognize students who are making positive strides!

🔄 A Fresh Start Every Month: The best part? Every new month is a new opportunity! Attendance resets for our drawings each month, giving every student another chance to earn tickets, prizes, and recognition.

More than anything, these celebrations are about being together. Every day our Hawks are here is another day to learn, grow, build friendships, and be part of our school community. Being here makes an impact—and every Hawk matters.

❤️🖤 It’s a great day to be a Waltham Hawk! 🦅

Our Attendance Committee meets bi-weekly to review schoolwide attendance trends, celebrate student progress, and identify students who may benefit from some additional encouragement or support.

In accordance with Illinois attendance requirements, families will receive attendance letters as students reach 5, 10, and 15 days of absence. These letters are intended to be helpful reminders so families can keep track of how many school days their child has missed. We know that illnesses, appointments, family circumstances, and other situations arise. If there are circumstances affecting your child's attendance that you would like us to know about or discuss, please reach out directly to Mrs. Lukacsy. We want to work together with our families.

Some students with a higher number of absences may also be invited to participate in our attendance intervention, affectionately known as our “Binder System.” This is not intended to be punitive. Instead, it gives students a little extra encouragement, accountability, and a staff member in their corner cheering them on. Students set attendance goals, track their progress, and earn their own incentives and motivators as they reach milestones.

And perhaps the best part of the Binder System? The meaningful relationships that develop between our students and staff. Sometimes knowing that someone is waiting for you, noticing when you arrive, celebrating your progress, and believing in you can make all the difference.

We love having our Hawks here with us each day. Every day at school is another opportunity to learn, grow, connect, and belong!

Our first Student Attendance Celebration will be held on Wednesday, September 30th! We are inviting local businesses, families, and community members to partner with us as we continue our mission of increasing student attendance and engagement.

We’ve already secured some exciting prizes and experiences from Medieval Times, Illinois State University, Kane County Cougars, the Chicago Wolves, and more! We are also excited to be partnering with the Utica Fire Department this year for some fun student experiences—more information to come! 🚒

Now, we’d love to add even more local involvement and community support to make our program something our students look forward to each month!

❤️🖤 Become a Monthly Attendance Sponsor!

Businesses, families, organizations, or individuals can sponsor one month of our attendance program with a minimum $100 donation.

Sponsorship funds are used to purchase gift cards, prizes, and other student incentives that help us recognize and celebrate students for showing up and putting in the work to be at school.

As a Monthly Sponsor, you’ll receive:

• Recognition on our school social media, in our family/community newsletter, and at our monthly AttenDANCE
• The opportunity for your child, grandchild, or special Hawk to help emcee the monthly AttenDANCE!

🎁 There Are LOTS of Ways to Help!

Not ready to sponsor an entire month? We would still love to have you involved! Our attendance program thrives on fun prizes, experiences, and creative ideas that get our students excited.

We welcome donations such as:

• High-demand student prizes like NeeDohs and other popular items
• Gift cards to local restaurants, stores, entertainment venues, or businesses
• Tickets, passes, or experiences we can raffle to students
• Family experiences that encourage parents and students to participate together
• Unique opportunities your business or organization might be able to provide
• Or something we haven't even thought of yet!

Have a fun or creative idea? Please reach out! Some of the best opportunities come from community members simply saying, “Hey, what if we did this?” We are always looking for new ways to make showing up to school something worth celebrating.

📣 Help Us Spread the Word!

If you, your family, your employer, or your business would like to sponsor, donate, or partner with us, please contact Mrs. Lukacsy at 815-667-4417 or mlukacsy@wesd185.org.

And please feel free to share this opportunity with employers, friends, local businesses, organizations, and on your own social media pages.

When our school and community work together, our students win. Hawks show up—and Hawks take care of their own! ❤️🖤

We are excited to recognize Pezanoski Farms & Trucking as our September Attendance Sponsor!

When we asked why they wanted to support our attendance program this year, their answer made us smile—their daughter loves our monthly attendance celebrations, and their family wanted to be part of the excitement and help make those celebrations special for all of our Hawks!

We are incredibly grateful to Pezanoski Farms & Trucking for sharing in our mission of encouraging every student to show up, give their best, and know that their presence at school matters.

Community partnerships like this help us celebrate our students, encourage positive attendance habits, and remind our Hawks that there are people throughout our community cheering them on.

Thank you, Pezanoski family, for investing in our students and helping us make attendance something worth celebrating!

❤️🖤 Show up. Give your best. Make an impact. It’s a great day to be a Waltham Hawk! 🦅

September is always a busy month as we transition from summer fun into fall routines—and yes, the return of back-to-school germs.

Please remember our illness policy:

• Students must be 24 hours fever-, vomit-, and diarrhea-free before returning to school.

• A doctor’s note is required if a student is absent 3 or more consecutive days due to illness.

• Students absent for any part of the school day due to illness may not attend school events that evening—this applies to both participants and spectators.

We encourage everyone to wash hands often and cover sneezes and coughs to help keep our school healthy.

Student Absences

• If your child/children are going to be absent for the day, for any reason, please contact the office directly at 815-667-4417 or email both tlewis@wesd185.org and tgaughan@wesd185.org.
• Do not contact your child's teacher directly with daily absences.
• Any absences for extended periods of time (including vacations), please communicate with homeroom teachers AND the main office.
• Any student absences not communicated to the office by 10 a.m. will receive a phone call from the school.

Student Arrival

• Students that do not ride the bus should be dropped off/picked up in the car line in the front of the building. When entering the parking lot, cars should veer to the right and enter the pick-up/drop-off line. (Preschool may have an alternate plans with families.)
• The car line will begin moving at 8:00 a.m.
• PreK-8 students should not arrive before 8:00 a.m. Students can be picked up at the same entrance at the end of the school day.
• Please stay in your car after you pull up in front of the building during arrival.

Student Dismissal

• Unless written notice or a phone call from a parent/guardian is received by the school office one hour prior to dismissal, students will be sent home on the bus.
• Cars should not line up for the end-of-day car line until 15 minutes prior to student dismissal. If you arrive early, you may be asked to park your vehicle in a parking space until the appropriate time.
• If you need to buckle a child into your vehicle, please pull forward into a parking space after they get into your car. We need to keep our car line moving at a steady pace.
• Please stay in your car after you pull up in front of the building during dismissal.
• It is important that you pass this information along to anyone who may be picking up your child at the end of the day.

Tardiness / Early Departure

• Students will be marked tardy if they are not in their classrooms, ready for learning, at 8:10 a.m.
• If your child needs to be picked up early, please pull up to the front of the building and call the office at 815-667-4417. We will sign your child out and send them out to your car.
• If you are dropping a 5th-8th grade student off late, they MUST enter the building through the office. No students should go directly to the trailer after 8:10 a.m. without first stopping in the main building.
• We ask that you please make every effort to make appointments for your children before or after school to minimize disruptions to the learning environment and office.

No students will be dismissed in the final 20 minutes of the school day unless they are leaving for a Waltham-sponsored event.

Every Wednesday will be a 2:10 p.m. dismissal for all PreK-8th grade students.

Early Release Days for K-8 Students

• Students will be dismissed at 11:35 a.m. on the following days:
• Friday, September 4th,
• Friday, October 30th,
• Friday, January 15th,
• **K-8 Final Day of School, 2027 (**date based on number of emergency days taken)

Non-Prescription Medicines

• Non-prescription medications will not be dispensed by school personnel. If students need non-prescription medicine during the school day, a parent/guardian is required to come to school and administer the medicine.

Student Lunch Information

• K-3 lunch will be from 11-11:30 a.m.

• 4-8 lunch will be from 11:40-12:10 p.m.

• Daily Lunch – Students must bring their own lunch to school each day.

• Monthly Hot Lunch – Once a month, students will have the option to order Pizza Hut pizza, organized by our PTCC.

• Drinks – Only water or milk are allowed at school. Other drinks such as juice boxes, Gatorade, soda, colored/flavored waters, etc. are not allowed at school.

• Milk at School – Milk can be purchased at school for $0.40 per carton. Please send exact change if possible.

School Day Disruptions

• In order to minimize disruptions in the classrooms, we request that items (i.e., lunches, P.E. clothes, uniforms, instruments, homework, etc.) be dropped off in the office. Office personnel will make sure the item gets to your child.

Cellphones and Wearable Technology

• During the school day, which is the time between 8:05-3:10 p.m. on regular school days, electronic devices such as cell phones, smart watches, and earbuds/headphones must be kept powered-off, and in locker/backpack.

Earlier this year, we reached out to our Hawk families and community asking for help stocking our new Student Pantry—and once again, you showed us just how special this community is.

Thanks to your incredible generosity, our pantry is stocked and officially up and running! We are so grateful for the snacks, food items, and supplies that poured in to help make sure our students have access to a little extra when they need it.

At this time, we are set on donations, but we will reach out again when our supplies begin to run low.

We continue to be overwhelmed by the generosity, kindness, and genuine care our families and community show for our students. When there is a need, you show up—and that means more than we can say.

Hawks take care of their own. ❤️🖤

We truly have a top-notch school community, and we are so grateful to be part of it. Thank you, Hawk Family!

The Waltham Booster Club is incredibly grateful for the continued support of our parents, student-athletes, families, and community members! Your support helps us continue to enhance the experience of our Waltham athletes.

We’re excited to share that we are currently working toward the purchase of a new scorer’s table and chairs for our gym! 🎉

Fundraising will continue throughout the year, and we have two great opportunities coming up this month:

• 🍽️ Skoog’s Night
• 🌮 Habaneros Night

We hope to see lots of Waltham families come out, enjoy a meal, and support our Booster Club!

Want to Get Involved?

We are always looking for volunteers, fresh ideas, and new voices! Whether you have a lot of time to give or just want to help when you can, we’d love to have you. Please reach out to any Booster Club officer to learn more.

Thank you for supporting our athletes and helping make Waltham a great place for our Hawks!

Your current Booster Club Board is:

Sara Burd, President/Treasurer

Kathleen Diluciano, Vice President

Nina Mitchell, Secretary

👑❤️Come join us for the Queen of Hearts Raffle at Joy & Ed's Thursdays at 7 p.m.!

One ticket for $5 or 6 for $20! 👑❤️

Hello Waltham Families,

Monday, September 14th, is our first Hot Lunch Pizza Day of the year! Sit back, relax, and enjoy not packing those lunches. We’ve got it covered!

Our first meeting of the year will be Monday, September 14th, at 6pm in the River Commons.

Other meeting dates this year include:

• Monday, October 19th
• Monday, November 9th
• Monday, December 14th
• Monday, January 11th
• Monday, February 8th
• Monday, March 8th
• Monday, April 12th
• Monday, May 10th

We hope to see you there!

Thanks,

Waltham PTCC

Heidi, Christy, Kylie & Kelsey

walthamptcc@gmail.com

• Android: https://bit.ly/3fezeBS or
• iPhone: https://apple.co/2QoGMIC

Follow us for up to date news & information:

• Website: www.wesd185.org
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/WalthamPride
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/walthampride185
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/walthampride185/