Welch Parent News
Week of October 27, 2025
On the Prowl... What is coming up at Welch?
Friday, October 24th -
- Picture Retake Day! If you want your child to have their picture retaken, please complete this form by 9:00 AM tomorrow AM - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScPGryxIGJ-t1PhQJ89o2ZunX7sgO7wb4XwUavKR-hoB9wUbg/viewform?usp=header
Monday, October 27th -
- Mathletics Club 3:35 - 4:30 PM
- Report Cards Live in ParentVue 4:00 PM
Tuesday, October 28th -
- 5th Grade Chorus 8:00 AM
- Club Elevate 3:35 - 4:45 PM
Wednesday, October 29th -
- Mathletics Club 3:35 - 4:30 PM
If you do not wish for your child(ren) to participate in the celebration on Friday, 10.31, please complete this form by the end of the day today, Wednesday, October 29th:
Thursday, October 30th -
- Camp Connections Club 3:35 - 4:30 PM
Friday, October 31st -
- Fall Costume Parade 2:00 PM
- Fall Celebrations 2:15 - 3:00 PM
Fall Celebrations and Costume Parade
On Friday, October 31st, all students/staff will be invited to dress up! Students may choose to wear a *costume, fancy clothes, or Welch spirit wear or Welch colors (green/white). Students that choose to wear costumes should follow the guidelines below:
Student’s heads and faces must not be covered
Costumes should not be scary or gory.
Costumes should not impact a student’s ability to learn
Props including look-alike weapons are NOT allowed at any time during the school day.
We will have a parade in the back of the building where parents are invited to come to view at approximately 1:55PM on Friday, 10.31. All students will participate in the parade. Students will be coming out of door #8 in the rear of the building and will be walking the blacktop before going back into the building via Door #4, located by the playground. We are excited to celebrate fall and continue this fun tradition! We ask that families refrain from picking their children up after 1:45 PM on this day to ensure the safety and security of all Welch White Tigers. In the event of inclement weather the outdoor parade will be canceled. I will notify families of any changes by 1:30 PM that day.
Following the parade we are THRILLED that we will be having fall celebrations in each of our classrooms. From 2:15 - 3:00 PM all Welch White Tigers will be participating in fall games and a craft. Parties will end by 3:00 PM and we ask that parents refrain from taking their child(ren) with them at the conclusion of the parties. All students will be dismissed at the end of the school day.
If you do not wish for your child(ren) to participate in the celebration, please complete this form by the end of the day on Wednesday, October 29th:
This year our amazing PTA will be providing the games and crafts for each of the classroom celebrations, so volunteers do not need to plan for these - they are invited to sign up, attend and enjoy! Parents/Guardians that are interested in volunteering for these fun celebrations should sign up at the link below:
These celebrations are such a fun time for the students and it is essential that we have three volunteers for each classroom to make them a success! Please consider volunteering!
Welch CARES
We’re pleased to share that the IPSD CARES Clinic is back in operation for the new school year and will be offered at Welch Elementary School! This year, students will have access to six no cost after-school visits with a licensed therapist. Clinics will run at Welch on Wednesdays from 5:00-8:00. For more information, please visit https://referralgps.com/ipsdcares/.
School Lunch Menu
Fall CogAT Results
This fall second and/or fifth graders completed the Cognitive Abilities Test, (CogAT). The CogAT appraises the cognitive development of students by measuring learned reasoning abilities. The questions on the CogAT require students to demonstrate their reasoning abilities in each of three symbol systems most closely related to success in school: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and nonverbal reasoning.
What is Measured?
The student profile summarizes your child’s performance across the Verbal, Quantitative and Nonverbal domains. In addition, this report provides a Composite summary score incorporating all three domains. To clarify interpretation, average Standard Age Scores range from 84 to 116 corresponding to the 16th to 84th national percentile ranks. Generally, I recommend interpreting age scores (instead of grade scores) as this compares your child’s performance to children of the same chronological age. As with other assessments of academic functioning, these results should be interpreted within the context of other academic performance indicators (daily classroom functioning, work completion, teacher judgment, etc.). The results of this assessment are used to identify individual learning strengths and weaknesses and determine student program placement. Please contact Julie Vogel, SSC, should you have any additional questions concerning this assessment.
How to access my child's scores
PDF score reports for the CogAT assessment will be available in ParentVUE beginning November 7, 2025. To access the report, click on the “Documents” section in ParentVUE then look for “CogAT Student Profile”.
Additional Lunch
Please complete this form if your student has permission to purchase a second lunch entree and/or second meal. Each student will need this form completed in order to purchase a second entree or meal. The cost is as follows: Breakfast - Second Meal $3.75; Lunch - Second Entree - $4.40 and Second Meal - $5.75; regardless of Free/Reduced Lunch status, EVERYONE who takes a second entree and/or meal will be charged these amounts.
Stay Connected - New IPSD 204 App!
Stay connected with school news, calendars, and important updates - all on your mobile device! For instructions and more information, please visit BIT.LY/204-CONNECT
Securly Home
Keep your students safe online with Securly Home! Getting started is easy; simply use your ParentVue school email to create your account. You will be able to monitor your child's online activity with the securlyhome app, receive weekly email reports summarizing internet activity, and use insights to start conversations and support your child's digital well-being.
For more information and instructions, please visit bit.ly/ipsd-securly
Wickedly Wonderful PTA Updates
Charleston Wrap Fundraiser – We are in our final week of the Charleston Wrap Fundraiser. If you haven’t had the chance to place your order yet, please do so! Every order helps us inch a bit closer to our goal. The holidays are right around the corner…knock out some shopping early for a stress free season ahead!
🎃 Fall Classroom Parties – Friday, October 31st at 2:15pm
Our Fall Classroom Parties are coming up, and we still have several classrooms in need of parent volunteers! The PTA will be providing all games and crafts — we just need your help to make the celebrations run smoothly and be extra fun for our students. The following classrooms are still in need of parent volunteers:
· Daly (3 Needed)
· Kapple (1 Needed)
· Karimi (1 Needed)
· Leon (3 Needed)
· Luporini (3 Needed)
· McKinney (3 Needed)
· Nickel (1 Needed)
Sign Up here👉 https://signup.com/go/mYJPzgJ
Thank you for helping keep these classroom celebrations festive and memorable!
🥖 Texas Roadhouse Fundraiser! October 17th through November 5th🍯
It’s time to stock up on your favorite Texas Roadhouse rolls, honey cinnamon butter, and gift cards!
The site is now live and will remain open through November 5. Items will be available for pickup on November 19 from 3:30–5:30 PM at Welch Elementary.
Perfect for family dinners and holiday gatherings—plan ahead and don’t miss out!
- One dozen frozen rolls – $6
- One 8oz. honey cinnamon butter – $2
- Gift cards – face value
Click here to place your order! 👉 https://bit.ly/4hjm1pK
Give Back Night at Feed My Starving Children 🍽️💙
Join your Welch Elementary friends and families for a heartwarming evening of giving back! We’re teaming up to pack nutritious meals for children and families in need through Feed My Starving Children in Aurora.
📍 Where: Feed My Starving Children, 555 Exchange Court, Aurora, IL 60504
📅 When: Friday, November 14th
⏰ Time: 5:00–6:30 PM
This hands-on volunteer experience is a wonderful way for kids and adults to make a real difference—together! Spots fill up fast, so gather your family and sign up today to be part of this meaningful event.
👉 Sign up here: Feed My Starving Children – Welch Give Back Night
Let’s show our Welch spirit by helping feed kids around the world! 🌎💛
💚✨ Welch Read-A-Thon: “Reading is Wicked Fun!” 📚 💚
Something Wicked is coming to Welch… our first annual Read-A-Thon!
Grab your broomsticks, books, and a little bit of magic—students will log their reading minutes and collect donations to support our school. Every page you turn helps Welch soar!
There will be spellbinding prizes for both minutes read and funds raised, with teachers joining the fun too. Who will be our most wickedly good readers this year?
Stay tuned for all the enchanting details on how to sign up, track your minutes, and help make this year’s Read-A-Thon the most magical one yet. Want a sneak peek? Defy gravity and soar on over to our Campaign Page to learn more.
Because at Welch, it’s good to be wicked… good at reading! 💚📖
Other reminders for October:
EcoClean Fundraiser runs October 1st to 31st. Use code Welch25 when you book your cleaning so 20% comes back to Welch.
Your Welch PTA
Pop Tabs
Start saving those shiny little pop tabs! We’re gathering them to help families stay close to their sick or injured children at the Ronald McDonald House. Every tab you bring in adds up—and with the help of United Scrap Metal, each pound of tabs helps raise money for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana. Bring your tabs to the office or classroom 239 in the 5th grade hallway, and let’s see how many pounds we can collect together!
Bread Tags
Welch will be collecting plastic bread tags to donate to SCARCE for recycling in partnership with Danielle Cares for Chairs. Plastic bread tags are those square clips commonly used to seal bags around a loaf of bread, bagels, or even produce. If you are trying to reduce your plastic use, they can be hard to avoid. Further, plastic bread tags are not recyclable in your curbside recycling bin. Therefore, millions end up in landfills each year, just adding to our disposable plastic problem. it takes about 260,000 bread tags to purchase a basic wheelchair – so every bread tag counts! We will have collection bags at Welch, so please feel free to bring yours in or send them with your child!