Chelsea Intermediate School

Dear Chelsea Parents and Guardians,

We are excited for you to participate in Parent-Teacher Conferences on November 24 and 25. These conferences highlight something we have always known – your partnership is essential to our students’ success! Thank you for all you do to support your child and to collaborate with us here at school. Although we appreciate collaborating with you through conferences, please know that our partnership extends far beyond the conclusion of those meetings. If there is ever anything we can do to be of assistance, we are happy to help. We always welcome your open and honest communication.

It’s hard to believe that the holiday season is upon us! The beginning of this year has truly flown by. As we enter the holiday season, we would like to take a moment to thank all of you for a successful first quarter of the school year, and for all that you do to support both your child(ren) and our school. We are grateful for your partnership.

We wish everyone a fun and festive holiday season!

Sincerely,

Rachel Newcomb

Principal

Paula Paymaster

Assistant Principal

Ricky Innocenti

Dean of Students

Food Safety Tips from the School Nurse

The holidays are a time for gathering with family and friends and sharing delicious meals and treats. Here are some food safety reminders to keep in mind during the festive season:

Wash hands often - Wash hands before eating and after handling food.
Cook food thoroughly - Use a food thermometer if possible. Keep cold foods cold and warm foods warm with insulated containers or ice packs when serving.
Safe leftovers - Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Bacteria and germs can grow rapidly between 40-140 degrees.
Beware of food allergies - Check ingredients before sharing treats. Avoid common allergens such as peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish when choosing your recipes.

Winter is upon us and it’s easy for students to put their writing practice aside and get distracted by extended breaks and potential snow days. So, we ask ourselves, “What is an activity that will keep our children engaged while also enhancing their reading, writing, and editing skills?” The answer is journaling!

The Special Education Teachers at Chelsea have compiled a list of captivating writing prompts that will have your child thinking about their favorite things to do during winter, the best ways to stay warm, and their treasured family traditions. Check them out below!

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Special Education Winter Writing.pdf

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We are tracking the total number of checkouts for the school year and, so far this year, Chelsea students have checked out over 10,000 times!

The library has a Theme Section that changes monthly to highlight special subjects. December’s theme shelf will include books about winter holidays.

The Bluestem Reading Challenge is in Full Swing!

Every year, educators in Illinois nominate 20 books for the Bluestem Award.

What to know about the Bluestem Reading Challenge at Chelsea:

● Participation is optional.

● After reading 4 titles, students are eligible to take part in voting for the book they believe should be the Bluestem award winner.

● We will read 4 books during library.

● If your child chooses to participate, they will be rewarded for every 4 books they read on this year’s Bluestem nominee list. (They can come see Ms. Fracassi in the library to get their prize!)

● Upon completion of 18 books, your student will be invited to the Bluestem Bash in the spring (details TBD).

● Chelsea’s library has copies of each book available. Because these books are still super popular, I highly suggest checking out the public libraries in our area to find additional copies if your kiddo can’t wait for a copy at Chelsea’s library. Also, some audio books are available on Amazon and Spotify!

● I encourage you and your child to look at the list together to choose which Bluestem nominated books your child will read this year.

● Tracking progress will be done using the Beanstack app on your child’s laptop or paper progress sheets are available upon request.

Parents are invited to volunteer in the library. Please contact Ms. Fracassi at Tfracassi@fsd157c.org to learn more.

November was a fun month in PE!

Students worked on their fitness through board games with a PE twist — including Fitness Jenga, Connect Four, Mastermind, and Battleship. Each activity challenged their endurance, strength, and strategy skills while keeping things fun and engaging.

We also focused on hand-eye coordination during our Cup Stacking Unit. Students practiced several stacking patterns — the 3-3-3, 3-6-3, 6-6, and the Cycle — before finishing with exciting cup stacking relay races.

On November 20, we participated in the Guinness World Record Stack-Up Day! The 2024 record included 752,632 stackers worldwide, and we are waiting to hear if this year’s participants set a record!

Alongside the Stack-Up event, we hosted our annual “Stack the Stock” food drive. Chelsea students were invited to bring canned goods to help restock the Frankfort Food Pantry. We are incredibly proud of our students for their generosity — and we extend a big thank-you to everyone who contributed. The Food Pantry also expressed their appreciation for our school’s continued support!

Looking ahead to December, students will begin our Bowling Unit before winter break. It is a fun way to keep moving and build coordination as we wrap up the semester!

Winter Musical Moments

As the snow begins to fall and families gather indoors, there’s something special about the sound of music filling the house. A child humming their favorite tune, tapping along to a rhythm, or performing a new song they learned in class can make the season feel extra warm. Winter is the perfect time to slow down, make memories, and enjoy music together.

If you’re looking for a fun and meaningful gift idea this season, consider something that helps your child create music, not just listen to it. Here are a few ideas to keep the creativity alive at home:

Musical Gift Ideas for Young Musicians

· Ukulele – A great beginner instrument that is small and easy to learn. Students can strum simple chords and even play along with their favorite songs.

· Mini Keyboard – Perfect for exploring melodies, chords, and rhythm patterns. A fun way to connect what they learn in music class to hands-on music making.

· Karaoke Microphone or Machine – Encourage confidence and self-expression through singing. Great for family sing-alongs or friendly performances.

· Rhythm Instrument Set – Shakers, tambourines, or hand drums are excellent for developing steady beat and coordination, and they are fun for all ages.

· Music-Themed Games or Puzzles – Reinforce rhythm reading and note recognition in a playful, low-pressure way.

Even the smallest musical gifts can inspire creativity. Encourage your child to share what they have learned in class, put on a living room concert, or start a family jam session this winter.

Wishing you a season full of music, laughter, and joy.
Mr. Bertrand
General Music Teacher

There’s been a lot of excitement in STEM this second quarter!

Our fifth graders kicked things off with a deep dive into Biomimicry, exploring how nature inspires innovation. They discovered that leaves have influenced the design of many products thanks to their waterproof qualities. Next, students put their creativity to the test by engineering ski slopes and roller coasters, applying principles of physics and design. Finally, they took on the Pringles Challenge designing and testing different packaging materials to see which best protected a chip. The lightest unbroken chip package will soon be mailed out for the ultimate test!

Fourth graders have been busy experimenting with liquids and powders to explore how physical and chemical changes can occur when materials are combined. Next, they turned into product testers, comparing three brands of diapers to see which could hold the most liquid without leaking and which stayed driest to the touch. After careful testing and observation, Huggies came out on top!

The third graders kicked off their first project with a hands-on exploration of Maglev Cars. Students experimented with magnetic poles to discover which poles attract and which ones repel, helping them understand the science behind magnetic levitation. After testing their initial car designs, they moved into the redesign phase adding weight, adjusting wing shapes, and even creating sails to find ways to make their cars travel faster and more smoothly. It was an exciting blend of creativity, problem-solving, and scientific discovery!

STEM technology empowers students to explore tools like Sphero BOLTs, Ozobots, coding, keyboarding, and Makey Makey, helping them build creativity and problem-solving skills.

How can it be December already? Time is flying by, and our Tigers are doing such an amazing job in the studio! Students have been hard at work in our drawing, painting, sculpture, and collage boot camps—learning not only artistic techniques, but also how to care for the studio and materials responsibly.

We’ve now begun our first choice-based project of the quarter, and I can’t wait to share their creative work with you! Be sure to follow along on my Instagram page for updates and photos of student projects throughout the month.

If you’re looking for ways to get your student creating at home (and off their devices!), try the Winter Art Challenge. Encourage your child to keep a sketchbook of all their creations so they can see their growth over time. Collecting their drawings in one place helps build confidence and gives them a wonderful record of progress to share with you. If your artist completes the challenge, have them bring in their sketchbook—I’d love to celebrate their hard work!

Still searching for a gift idea for the holidays or an upcoming birthday? Check out my Top 10 Favorite Art Materials list below. These tools make great gifts that spark creativity and help strengthen fine motor skills too.

I’m looking forward to a wonderful rest of the quarter and can’t wait to see all the amazing artwork yet to come!

— Mrs. Maney

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Top 10 Favorite Materials.pdf

Winter Art Challenge.pdf

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theme thurs nov dec.pdf

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Has your child had a special event or accomplishment outside of school? A performance, competition, or recital? If you would like to have your child's team, troupe, or company celebrated at school, please fill out the form linked below. We are happy to celebrate with you!

We will do our best to be timely in our recognition, but please know there may be a slight delay due to the volume of requests on any given school day.

In addition to appearing below, this "Family Shoutout” link will be posted on the Chelsea webpage so that you can access it at any time. We look forward to celebrating your child’s wonderful accomplishments with our Chelsea learning community!

Chelsea Family Shoutouts

Thank you to all drivers who comply with our "Right Turn Only" sign at Chelsea's main exit on to 80th Avenue. Your cooperation to turn right during arrival and dismissal significantly improves the speed and efficiency of our drop-off and pick-up lines.

We respectfully request that all drivers turn right out of the Chelsea parking lot during arrival and dismissal. We know this may be a minor inconvenience, but when drivers turn right, it has a major impact on our car rider lines in the best possible way.