The Bulldog Briefs

Dear Families,

Welcome back! The last two weeks have been very eventful here at Walker. Students and staff are back in full swing. This upcoming week will begin MAP testing for all 1st through 5th grade students and ACCESS testing for all EL Learners. Please make sure your students are receiving planet for sleep and a breakfast in the morning. MAP testing for all grades will begin on the 21st. Progress reports will be sent home today.

Please read below for all the updates to the new year.

Warm regards,

Mr. Jeff Moore and Walker Staff, Walker Principal

5: Return from winter Break

9: BARK Bash

9: PBIS Rotations and Celebration

20: MAP Testing Begins (1st-5th)

23: BARK Bash

26: ACCESS Testing Begins

30: PBIS Celebration (Tentative)

February 2: 100th Day of School- See Flyer Below

Hello Walker families! Please take a look for some important updates.

Always make sure your student is appropriately dressed for the weather (coat, hat, gloves) as students go outside for recess; weather permitted. 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 attachment of when to keep your student home when ill.

Next, Dental Day at Walker is Thursday, February 19th. There is still time to sign up if you haven't. This is a free dental exam that fulfills the kindergarten, second and sixth grade registration requirement. Use the QR code that is attached.

Ronald McDonald Care Mobile will be visiting our district on Wednesday, March 4th. They provide

physicals/vaccines/sports physicals to students who have Medicaid or are uninsured. Current 5th grade students who are 11 year old are encouraged to sign up now. Call Walker school to make your student's appointment. All consent forms are due by Monday, February 23rd.

As always, thank you for your understanding and support as we work to provide students with a safe and healthy learning environment.

Each month I will share the focus for the Art, Music, PE, Steam, and Social Emotional Learning in the newsletter.

The link below is a current listing of all the events District 104 offers to families. Please visit the link so you don't miss out on great programming!

On Friday, January 9th, students and staff participated in a PBIS Rotation refresher and a Minute to Win Celebration. What a wonderful afternoon!

Students who attend school regularly feel more connected to their school community and are more engaged in learning. As a result, they are more likely to earn better grades and test scores and have greater chances of graduating and achieving postsecondary success.

It is crucial to start setting good attendance habits in the child's first year in school. Preschoolers who are chronically absent are likely to continue to be chronically absent as they get older in school. From pre-K through high school, poor attendance can negatively affect students socially and emotionally:

• They feel out of place
• They fall behind in their work
• They miss meaningful opportunities that can inspire their future
• They have a hard time working with others
• They don't see how school is connected to their future success

Students who are chronically absent are more likely to have low grades and test scores and are less likely to be on track for high school graduation.

The students below had perfect attendance for the month of September! Great job families!

Please open the file below for January's lunch menu.