Principal's Newsletter

As we “step into kindness” throughout the month of October, our school is also coming alive with the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. The hallways are filled with vibrant colors, artwork, and cultural displays, while classroom doors are beautifully decorated to honor and showcase the rich traditions, history, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities. Thank you to our teachers and students for putting so much creativity and heart into making our school an inspiring and welcoming place to learn and grow.

I want to take a moment to reassure you that Onahan Elementary is a safe, welcoming place for every student and family. We understand that recent events in Chicago have raised concerns among some families, and I want you to know that Onahan has strong policies and procedures in place to protect our students and families from any federal interference during the school day. It is safe for you to send your child to Onahan and learn in person. We have not seen a decline in our attendance due to the recent events in Chicago, and there are measures in place to keep everyone safe.

CPS has made it clear that federal immigration agents, including ICE, are not permitted to enter school buildings unless they present a criminal judicial warrant signed by a federal judge. Administrative warrants, detainers, or other civil immigration documents do not authorize entry into CPS facilities. If any federal agent approaches the school, staff are trained to follow CPS protocol. This means the staff will not allow access to the building, will immediately contact CPS’s Law Department and the Office of Safety and Security, and will ensure that students remain safe and learning continues uninterrupted.

CPS and Onahan also follow state and city laws, including the Illinois Trust Act and Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance, which provide additional protections for immigrant families. Importantly, CPS does not ask for or share information about a student’s immigration status, and student records will never be released to any agency without a court order or parent/guardian consent.

Our School Safety Committee reviews these and other security procedures to make sure our entire staff knows how to respond calmly and appropriately to any situation. These protocols are not new, but have been in place for years, and continue to be reinforced through CPS guidance and training.

We are committed to keeping all families informed and supported. If you have any questions or would like to discuss your family’s concerns, please reach out to me directly at (773) 534-1181 to make an appointment. Onahan will continue to be a safe, inclusive, and caring school community where every child is valued and protected.

With care and reassurance,
Marianne Patten
Principal

Register your trunk: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSen8owHlGU-3KajTICzFsb3uBRooxLXU0CU_QXIS8HiAp9cCg/viewform

Sign up to volunteer: https://forms.gle/9Aw3irKEdEKXQabM7

Donate a Treat: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/UA5B5PUQNK6H/ref=hz_ls_biz_ex

Students in K-3 will be treated to an in person author visit. Look out for hyped up kids about this popular author. Wouldn't it be cool to have a signed book? Thank you PTO and Megan Freeley for arranging this special treat.

The Scholastic Book Fair will be at Onahan November 5th and 6th. Volunteers are needed to help set up and take down as well as assisting during the school day while classes come in to buy books. Please consider signing up to help. Sign up here!

Do you want to help out the school but don't have time to spend on location? Do you drink Starbucks everyday, shop at Target frequently or buy gas? You can use reloadable gift cards and give money back to Onahan, ALL YEAR LONG!

If you haven’t already, please take a moment to pay your school fees. The fees help support our new HMH Into Reading and Into Literature curriculum—resources not fully covered by our budget. Thanks to the PTO and Friends of Onahan, we’ve received generous support, but family contributions are still needed to ensure all students have what they need. If your child qualifies for free lunch, you can request a waiver from the main office. Thank you for helping make this possible!

To pay student fees go to Epay (or go to onahanschool.org main page, very top corner) and use the chart below. You can select the option of One Time Payment rather than creating an account or logging in. You will need one student ID, and if you are a current student, that can be found on Aspen’s parent portal, a progress report or report card. If you are not able to pay the fees, please contact the main office at (773) 534-1180.

Student Fees Pay For:

Text books

Buses

Field Trips

Consumable Workbooks

Classroom Magazines

Novel Sets

Classroom Instructional Supplies

Personnel

Professional Development

Contracts

Web-based Subscriptions

Office Supplies

Furniture

Safety Equipment for entry and dismissal

Incentives

Tech repair

Caught Loving Math in 205

Cross Country Meet @ Notre Dame High School - Patsy and Sebastian both took 10th place

Community Project - Dykstra Family is Collecting Plastic Bags for Mats

Plastic bags may be delivered to the office for the collection. If you want to know more about the making mats, read this information.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PldR-qVpwfhukFO0z_1O2sL71k67Blwe/view?usp=sharing

We would like to invite your 7th and 8th grade students to Notre Dame College Prep Hockey Homecoming on October 18th at Heartland Ice Arena. JV game starts at 1:20, Varsity game starts at 2:50. The first 15 grade school students to attend will receive a FREE ND hockey shirt. Please announce this to your students and staff, we would love to see them there to cheer on our Dons!

There will be lots of swag for sale, Pink the Rink for Breast Cancer awareness, among other fun festivities to made this event memorable!