Hooper Happenings

Achieve excellence by empowering independent problem-solvers who are empathetic and respectful.

This month at Hooper Elementary School, we are focusing on Habit #5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

Habit 5 means: Listen to understand others' feelings and perspectives before trying to share your own.

Everyday Applications

Active Listening: When your child is upset, reflect back what you hear: "It sounds like you felt left out." Let them feel heard first.

The Pause Rule: In disagreements, repeat back what the other person said before responding.

Ask Before Advising: "Do you want help solving this, or do you just need me to listen?"

Quick Activities

Two-Minute Listen: One person shares while others only listen—no interrupting. Then listeners summarize what they heard. This practices understanding before speaking.

Emotion Detective: Ask questions to understand feelings before offering opinions. "What happened? How did that make you feel?" Practice seeking to understand first.

Perspective Swap: During disagreements, argue the other person's viewpoint to build empathy. You must understand their side before explaining yours.

Listening Levels: Teach listening levels (ignoring, pretending, selective, attentive, empathic). Notice which level you're using. Empathic listening = seeking to understand.

Feelings First Game: When sharing a problem, others must ask three understanding questions before giving any advice. This reinforces listening before talking.

Recommended Resources

Videos:

• "Brené Brown on Empathy" (RSA Short) - explains empathy vs. sympathy

• "The Leader in Me: Habit 5" (official videos on YouTube)

• Sesame Street listening and empathy clips

Books:

• The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld (ages 3-7)

• The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires (ages 4-8)

• Wonder by R.J. Palacio (ages 8+)

• The 7 Habits of Happy Kids by Sean Covey (ages 4-8)

• My Mouth is a Volcano by Julia Cook (impulse control/listening)

Our afternoon carline has recently been causing traffic delays on Beck and Sandlake Road. We are currently reviewing our dismissal procedures to ensure a smoother and safer experience for everyone.

The Lindenhurst Police Department will be assisting with traffic flow. They have noted that delays are often caused by cellphone use and drivers not moving forward promptly.

Please remain attentive, avoid using your cellphone, and move forward as quickly as safety allows during pick-up.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our students safe.

We value your voice!

Parents and community members play a vital role in shaping our school. Please take a few minutes to complete our Parent & Community Engagement Survey. Your feedback will help us strengthen communication, build partnerships, and create the best possible experience for our students and families.

Survey Link

District-Wide Leadership Event!
Thursday, February 19 | 6:00–7:30 PM
Location: Palombi Middle School

We are excited to welcome families to our District-Wide Leadership Event—a special evening celebrating student voice, leadership, and family connection!

The event will begin at 6:00 PM in the Palombi Middle School Gymnasium with a student-led presentation featuring leaders from across the district.

After the presentation, families can enjoy a variety of interactive, family-friendly activities that showcase the 7 Habits and how they can be practiced at home. Activities are designed for all ages to participate together.

We hope you’ll join us for an evening of inspiration, connection, and fun as we celebrate leadership and strengthen family bonds through the 7 Habits!

Congratulations to our December Leaders in Me!

We are proud to celebrate our December Leader in Me award recipients! This month, we recognized students who truly embodied the spirit of Learning through Leadership.

These outstanding individuals stood out for being proactive in their education—taking charge of their goals and staying ahead of their tasks. More importantly, they demonstrated incredible perseverance, showing the grit and determination needed to overcome challenges and achieve meaningful growth.

Please join us in applauding these students for their hard work and for setting such a positive example for our entire school community!

The "Securly Home" app provides parents with a suite of features to monitor and manage their student's online activity on school-issued devices when they are at home. To get started, check your inbox for an email containing app login information from Securly.

Check out more information on Securly on our website.

Let's Celebrate All Things Hooper!

Members of the Hooper Elementary Lighthouse Team work together to organize donations for local charities. Under the guidance of facilitator Alyssa Kay, the student-led group collected supplies for the Lake Villa Food Pantry and area animal rescues. The project was designed and executed entirely by the student Lighthouse Team to foster civic responsibility.

• Read with your student 20 minutes daily (click here for the benefits of reading 20 minutes daily)
• Imagine Math Online--the link is in Clever via your student's Rapid Identity (it's the icon with the students in Clever); each lesson takes 10-15 minutes
• For our K-2nd Grade Students who don't bring home their device, you can access your student's account on your personal device by:
• Click here for the Rapid Identity portal
• Login: Year graduating 8th grade + last name @district41.org (ex. 28williams@district41.org)
• Password: 4 digit lunch pin + last name (ex. 1234williams)

Accessing the Family Support Hub:

Illustrative

UFLI

Hearing and Vision Screenings:

During the school year, vision and/or hearing screenings are conducted for students. Please see the student/parent handbook for further information. Additional information will be coming home to families at a later date.

STATE HEALTH REQUIREMENTS:

Kindergarten

• Dental Exam Due by May 15, 2026

2nd Grade

• Dental Exam Due by May 15, 2026

OUT-OF-STATE TRANSFERS

• Illinois Physical Exam with up-to-date immunizations

• Dental Exam

• Eye Exam

Each student should have a change of clothes at school. Accidents can happen at lunch, recess, and in class.

As the seasons continue to change make sure your student has weather appropriate clothing.

Please take a moment to review the Lake Villa 41 Parent/Guardian Student Handbook, linked below. Important information about school policies and procedures can be found inside.

Click here for a copy!

We are committed to providing a safe and supportive learning environment. The Report a Concern form offers students and parents a confidential way to report any issues or concerns. Submissions are reviewed by the appropriate school staff, who will investigate and respond as needed.

This process helps ensure all reports are taken seriously, documented properly, and addressed promptly. It also allows the school to identify behavior patterns and take preventive action when necessary.

District 41 puts students and staff first. Our goal is always to have students at school, when we can do so safely. Therefore, the district considers several factors when determining whether to close schools due to extreme weather, including data provided by the National Weather Service, including the temperature, windchill, and warnings. Although we strive each and every time to make the best decision regarding in-person or remote learning, oftentimes, no perfect decision exists. If school is not canceled and a parent and/or guardian feels their child is safer at home, they may reserve the right to keep them home. Keeping a child home due to weather will be recorded as an excused absence on the student's record as long as the parent and/or guardian report the absence to the school. Additionally, parents/guardians may choose to drop off/pick up their child from school.

The following are some criteria that are used when making school closure decisions. Invariably, there will be situations that do not fit into these guidelines, in which case the administration will do its best to provide cancellation information to families as soon as possible.

COLD DAYS - The National Weather Service predicts wind chills below -30 degrees, with other conditions considered.

SNOW DAYS - Heavy snow or icy conditions overnight or that worsen during the day.

E-LEARNING DAYS - An E-Learning Day may be an alternative to being fully closed. These days do not need to be made up at the end of the year. Students and staff would be notified before the end of the preceding day to bring their Chromebooks home. The e-Learning Plan is available on the District website under ‘Parents and Guardians Resources.’

Other Considerations

Multiple conditions that may include blowing snow, winds greater than 20 mph, heavy snow accumulations during travel times, hazardous driving conditions, ice accumulation, the ability of buses to start due to extreme cold, and power or phone outages.

A district-wide alert will be sent out via phone and email as early as possible. Parents can also check the district’s website. If schools are open due to weather, parents may keep a child home. They will be marked as excused.

If schools are closed...

District 41 Administration will do its best to provide cancellation information to families as soon as possible. District 41 will notify parents by 1:00 PM the previous school day of an e-Learning Day due to extreme weather. Parents will be notified with a target by 5:30 AM if schools need to close entirely for the day. The district makes every effort to inform parents as soon as possible. If schools are closed for the day, all after-school activities in the district, including sports and evening events, will be canceled unless otherwise communicated.

If schools are not closed…

If school is not canceled and a parent and/or guardian feels their child is safer at home, they may reserve the right to keep them home. Keeping a child home due to weather will be recorded as an excused absence on the student's record as long as the parent and/or guardian report the absence to the school in a timely manner. If school is already in session and conditions begin to worsen, the district will decide by 1:00 PM whether after-school activities will be canceled for that afternoon.

How is the decision to cancel school made?

Superintendents from area districts start communicating with each other as soon as the weather reports start to look threatening. District 41 collaborates with the Millburn, Emmons, Grass Lake, Lakes High School, Woodland, Grayslake Elementary, Grayslake High School, Gavin, Big Hollow, Fox Lake, and Grant High School superintendents. The superintendents generally attempt to reach a consensus on school closures. When area school districts make various decisions, the full District 41 administrative team finalizes the decision.

January 12- Board of Education Meeting 7 PM @ Palombi Middle School

Lighthouse Team Presents

January 15- Parent Advisory Committee 4:30-530

January 15- 3rd Grade Music Concert 6:00 PM

January 19- No School, Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 26- Access Testing Begins

Check out our website calendar for all the dates.