The Eagle's Nest

Hello Walsh Families,

The staff of Walsh Elementary wishes our students and their families a wonderful holiday and best wishes for the new year. We are looking forward to all that 2026 has to bring us.

Have a wonderful holiday,

Ms. Smith

Monday, January 5

• School Resumes

Wednesday, January 7

• Late Start - 8:50 AM

Wednesday, January 14

• Late Start - 8:50 AM

Friday, January 16

• Progress Reports Sent Home

Monday, January 19

• No School ~ MLK Day

NO AFTER SCHOOL SMART PROGRAM, FOLKLORIC AND ART CLUB THE WEEK OF JANUARY 5-9

Intramural Basketball WILL be in session the week of January 5TH.

Hello! I am Ms. Watkiss, and I teach art to over four hundred students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade at Walsh, Walker, Wharton, and Graves schools. Previously, since 2001, I taught third and fourth grade at Walker. This is my second year as the itinerant art teacher for District 104.

My art background goes back to childhood in the 1970s when creating was my favorite thing to do. I would draw and color on scrap paper, make doll clothes from remnants, paint, turn boxes into things, etc. Crafts were big back then, too, and my mom was always crocheting, sewing, macramé-ing, painting, etc. In high school and college, I wanted to be an art therapist, but that did not work out. I was an Art/English major and had many drawing, painting, and design classes at Moraine Valley and UIC. My focus was portraiture.

I drew this picture of my dog from a photo on my phone; I was amazed how the zoom function can help with details that are hard to see.

I used good old Crayola crayons to draw this portrait while watching a live podcast.

Fast forward to today, I use the Illinois State Standards to develop lessons: https://www.isbe.net/Documents/Visual-Arts-Standards.pdf . Additionally, I incorporate the 7 Elements of Art: Line, Shape, Form, Color, Value, Texture, and Space and the 8 Principles of Design: Balance, Contrast, Emphasis, Movement, Rhythm, Proportion, Unity, and Variety. I also consider the materials available, administrative directives, and students’ needs/wants. This year I have been trying T.A.B. (Teaching Artistic Behavior) https://teachingforartisticbehavior.org/ which is a method that gives kids control of what they create. We’ve also learned about artists Lois Ehlert, Leonardo da Vinci, Norman Rockwell, and Pablo Picasso. We looked at the inspirational Mouth and Foot artists, too, https://mfpausa.com/ , people who make art without the use of their hands. Some of the skills we have practiced include clay work, weaving, painting, abstraction, and paper folding along with lots of drawing and coloring with crayons, markers, and colored pencils. Also, this year, there is a monthly “gallery” in the art room so each grade level can see other kids’ artwork. Here are a few student creations…

What’s next? Ed Emberley probably. He has a series of drawing books that simplify drawing and an amazing book about using circles that I thought would be good to try with tissue paper and matte Modge Podge. February is Black History month so I will build on who we learned about last year, Dave the Potter. Jacob Lawrence and Jean-Michel Basquiat will be explored. March is Women’s History month and last year we learned about Faith Ringgold, Frida Kahlo, and Georgia O’Keefe. Yayoi Kusama’s polka dot art is very interesting so she will inspire us. April is Poetry Month so…we will see! Last year we focused on the words and sketches of Shel Silverstein. And May? We’ll see what happens then.

I could write more about whether teaching art is about the process or the product or both, but I’d like to close on what I tell the kids if they ask me what I think about their art: Do you like it? Did you enjoy making it? Does it make YOU happy? I have seen so many kids who are their own worst critics. To me, the goal of making art is never perfection. Instead, it’s about expression. I think about cave art, which the younger grades studied last year. What caused early humans to record images on the walls of caves? To me, making art is making something that has personal meaning that pleases you, and if you don’t like it, relax and try again. Sometimes it is just the process, the feel of the clay, the color of the paint. Sometimes the product does turn out well and that is wonderful. Art, like anything, takes practice and patience.

Please reach out if you have any questions, comments, or concerns: kwatkiss@sd104.us

Students that are present at school all week and are ON TIME each day of the week receive a ticket each Friday to enter the drawing.

All Aboard....1st Grade took a trip to the Polar Express. Each student received a ticket to board the train. While on their trip, they enjoyed some hot chocolate, Rice Krispie treats, popcorn, and candy canes. Each student also received a silver bell! Just believe....

Cold weather temperatures are upon us. Please make sure your student is appropriately dressed for the weather as students go outside for recess. Remind students to wash their hands frequently as well as wipe down chrome books daily to prevent the spread of germs. Please refer to the info below about when to keep your student home when ill.

Dental day at Walsh will be on January 29th. Sign up today for a free exam from Miles of Smiles, that fulfills the kindergarten, second, and sixth grade registration requirements. Paper sign up forms were sent home again this week. You can fill them out and return to the school before winter break or use the QR codes below to sign up online.

Tier 1 or Universal

Communication and awareness are the primary Tier 1 or Universal Level interventions. This will be accomplished through PowerSchool and Attendance Intervention and Communication System.

• Daily, the office staff will attempt to contact the parents/guardians of the student(s) who are marked absent. Additionally, a daily reminder will be sent at 9:30 AM to parents, letting them know their student(s) has been marked absent.

• All student's attendance will be tracked through PowerSchool and Attendance Intervention of Communication. Attendance postcards will be sent electronically to all students at every 5 absences (5, 10, 15, 20, 25…).

Most students/families (80% or more) are expected to respond to the Universal interventions.

Tier 2

Students’ families that have between 9 and 18 absences will receive personal communication from the school and school principal.

• 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

• A truancy letter will be mailed and added to their file
• The building administrator will contact the family/guardian regarding concerns.
• Future absences will be marked as Truant unless accomplished by a doctor's note.
• An attendance intervention plan can be implemented via social worker and administrator.

Tier 3

Students that have 19 or more truancies

• 21-Days of absences o A truancy letter will be mailed on each subsequent absence and added to the file.

• The building administrator will facilitate meeting with parent to discuss concerns.
• Social worker will provide resources for student and/or family counseling as well as agency support.
• Attendance intervention plan will be restructured as needed.
• Potential Involvement of the Summit Police Department
• Contact the Intermediate Service Center for Truancy

Students WILL be charged fees for damage/loss of technology items.

Fees are:

• Device Sleeve/cover - $10
• Charger - $25
• Touch Screen - $115
• Chromebook Device Replacement Cost - $250/new device; $200/2 years old; $150/3 years old; $100/4 years old (new devices are provided to 1st and 5th grades every year
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Please download our free district app to stay up to date with district information. Search Summit School District 104 in your App Store.

E-mail: parenthelpline@sd104.us

Phone: 708-458-0141

Email: chsmith@sd104.us
Website: https://www.sd104.us/
Location: 5640 South 75th Avenue, Summit, IL, USA
Phone: 708-458-7165
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/summitschooldistrict104/