Graves (K-5) Sailor Newsletter

*Para español por favor haga clic en "Translate” en la esquina superior

There is no school on Monday, February 16th in observance of Presidents' Day.

See everyone on Tuesday! Have a great 3-Day weekend.

No habrá clases el lunes 16 de febrero en conmemoración del Día de los Presidentes.

¡Nos vemos el martes y que tengan buen fin de semana de 3 días!

Please see the following newsletter for important information.

Monday, February 16: Presidents' Day (No Classes)

Tuesday, February 24: 2nd Grade Field Trip: Dupage Children's Museum (school uniform required)

Wednesday, February 25: Student of the Month

Thursday, February 26: PBIS Glow Dance Party (See flyer below for more information)

Thursday, February 26: END OF 2nd TRIMESTER

Friday, February 27: Teacher Institute Day (no classes for students)

Monday, March 2: Casmir Pulaski Day (No Classes)

Please remember that every Wednesday is a late start 8:50AM-2:50PM

All meetings are scheduled for 7pm on the second Wednesday of the month.

JOIN US!

March 10, 2026

Wharton Elementary School (Wharton Spotlight)

April 14, 2026

Admin Center

May 12, 2026

Graves Elementary School (Graves Spotlight)

June 9, 2026

Admin Center

Black History Month was created to focus attention on the contributions of

African Americans to the United States.

See the following video for more.....

Parents, we need your help!

Please remember to help us by completing the following survey. We are currently at 13% response rate and need to get to 20%, we can do this!

To take the survey please visit http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/ and select the appropriate survey to begin. As a reminder, your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.

Thank you for support!

P.S. - Thank you to the parents who've already completed the survey!

Check out our attendance percentages for the month of January!

As a school our goal is to get to 95% or better.

We appreciate everyone's efforts in making sure our Graves Sailors are present and ready to learn!

They couldn't have done it without their parents help!

We've noticed an increase in tardies these last few days.

Regular daily attendance and arriving on time are

critical components of the educational process.

Please remember that our doors open as early as 7:30/8:30(W) to avoid any traffic/morning rush.

It is important for students to arrive on time so that they begin their day on a positive note.

Arriving a few minutes late may not appear to be a big problem, but when the student enters the classroom the rest of the class has already begun their daily morning routines.

Class instruction begins as soon as the bell rings, and it is not possible to recover all the learning that takes place in the classroom when multiple tardies have been accumulated.

Letters for excessive tardies have been sent home.

Additionally, research indicates that a student who has excessive tardies

will eventually begin having additional absences.

It is crucial that your child gets to school on or before

7:50AM (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays) & 8:50AM (Wednesdays).

As a reminder, students will be receiving a district attendance letter and/or referrals

for having excessive tardies.

We want your child to be successful.

Please help us make a change. Every minute late is a missed learning opportunity!

The winter weather is here! Students will continue going out for recess when the weather permits and dismissal every day. Please make sure that your child wears appropriate jacket to school.

Per Illinois State Guidelines

- if the REAL FEEL is 32 degrees or higher, students will have OUTDOOR RECESS.

- if the REAL FEEL is 31 degrees or lower, students will have INDOOR RECESS.

1. Erin's Law is a vital piece of legislation designed to empower children with knowledge about child sexual abuse prevention and awareness. This age-appropriate curriculum, tailored to different grade levels, equips students with the skills to recognize, understand, and respond to potentially unsafe situations. It teaches them:

   • Body safety and boundaries: Recognizing their own bodies and understanding personal privacy, appropriate touch, and unsafe situations.
   • Identifying trusted adults: Knowing who they can confide in if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
   • Safe communication: Learning how to express concerns and say "no" if something feels wrong.

   We believe informed children are empowered children. Erin's Law will give our students the valuable tools they need to navigate their world with confidence and self-awareness. We'll be starting implementation soon, and parents will be kept informed with detailed information and resources.

   In the meantime, we encourage you to:

   • Start conversations at home: Talk to your children about body safety, trust, and appropriate touching in an open and age-appropriate way.
   • Create a safe and open space: Let your children know they can always come to you with any concerns, worries, or uncomfortable experiences.
   • Familiarize yourself with Erin's Law: Visit https://www.erinslawillinois.org/ for more information and resources.

   Together, we can create a culture of safety and empower our children to make informed choices and protect themselves. Let's work hand-in-hand to keep our kids safe and happy!

• “Beware this Friday the 13th… the real horror is the germs lurking in the classroom! 🩸🦠The Health Office continues to stay busy (156 visits so far this week) mostly related to cold and flu-like symptoms, and many fevers. Please refer to the nursing handout and talk with your children about steps they can take to help prevent the spread of illness.

• Norovirus season is also in full swing, and handwashing is key. Please encourage students to wash their hands with soap and water, especially after using the restroom and before eating. Hand sanitizer is not effective against norovirus. Students should be symptom-free for at least 24 hours before returning to school.

• Please contact the school nurse if your student has had an injury or a significant health update, including a new medical diagnosis or an upcoming surgery. We are happy to assist with what is needed for a safe and successful return to school.

• Now is a great time to begin scheduling required physicals for students entering kindergarten or 6th grade in the fall.

• Ronald McDonald Care Mobile will be returning to HMS/Graves on March 4, 2026. They will be providing school physicals and immunizations for students with state-provided insurance or those who are uninsured. Please contact the school office for additional information.

Nurse Tina, Nurse Anita & Ms. Oli

Charity Collins was Chicago’s first African American school nurse and a pioneer in school health services! Working during segregation, she provided essential care, prevented disease, and supported families who had limited access to healthcare. Her work helped remove health barriers to learning and advanced equity in school nursing, laying groundwork that continues to shape the profession today!

GRAVES K-5 Student Dress Code

SHIRTS/TOPS

Plain maroon collared polo or dress shirt with long or short sleeves is required. Plain black or white undershirts may be worn under the maroon collared shirt. Shirts must extend to waistline. Plain black or maroon sweaters or sweatshirts may be worn over the collared maroon polo or dress shirt or over a plain white or black undershirt. *Only maroon hoodies are allowed.

PANTS

Must be black or khaki and worn at the waist. This includes shorts (knee length), capri pants, and skirts (knee length). Leggings may be worn, but only when a shirt extending to mid-thigh is worn as well.

FRIDAY SCHOOL SPIRIT

Students may wear any shirts given or bought through Graves School with Jeans.

*Please note that blue jeans are only allowed on Fridays with a school shirt.

PBIS FUNDRAISER & HOLIDAY DRESS-DOWN DAYS

There will be days when students will be allowed to come without uniform due to PBIS activities or holidays. A flyer will be posted via Seesaw when those days occur.

For child's safety no crocs are allowed, unless its a special dress down day,

such as Pajama Day.

Thanks for your cooperation as we want to make sure students are safe during

their time in our school building.

In the event of any absence, the student’s parent or guardian is required to call the school before 8:00 a.m. to explain the reason for the absence. If a call has not been made to the school by 10:00 a.m. on the day of a student’s absence, a school official will call the home to inquire why the student is not at school. If the parent or guardian cannot be contacted, the student will be required to submit a signed note from the parent or guardian explaining the reason for the absence. Failure to do so shall result in an unexcused absence.

Student attendance is critical to the learning process. A parent or guardian who knowingly and willfully permits a child to be truant is in violation of State law. Truancy is therefore a serious issue and will be dealt with in a serious manner by the school and district.

Students who miss more than nine regular school days without valid cause are chronic truants. Students who are chronic truants will be offered support services and resources aimed at correcting the truancy issue. A student who misses 10 consecutive days of school without valid cause and who cannot be located or, after exhausting all available support services, cannot be compelled to return to school is unenrolled.

D104 Action Plan for Truancy:

The District has a truancy intervention plan in place which will be implemented via social worker and administrators after a student starts being truant. For example, truancy letter sent home, student and parent meeting, and more. For more information, please look over our districts handbook.

9 days of absences

o A truancy letter regarding absence concerns (indicating the dates of absences) will be mailed. A copy will be placed in the student’s temporary file.

o Meeting with the student (when appropriate)

18 days of absences

o A truancy letter will be mailed and added to their file.

o The building administrator will contact the family/guardian regarding concerns.

o Future absences will be marked as Truant unless accompanied by a doctor's note.

o An attendance intervention plan can be implemented via social worker and administrator.

21 Days of absences

o A truancy letter will be mailed on each subsequent absence and added to the file.

o The building administrator will facilitate meeting with parent to discuss concerns.

o Social worker will provide resources for student and/or family counseling as well as agency support.

o Attendance intervention plan will be restructured as needed. o Potential Involvement of the

Summit Police Department

o Contact the Intermediate Service Center for truancy

Please review this months lunch menu with your child.

Stay connected - find all district and community events all in one place.

Check out the following page for links and details on upcoming workshops, as well as

fun Family and Community events!

Please remember that the previous information is for students in grades Kindergarten-5th only.

For more information about our PreK program please contact the

Pre-School Director, Kathleen Dunn at 708-546-7151 or at kdunn@sd104.us