Wolverine News

Another fun week of learning at May Watts!

We celebrated being Respectful, Responsible, and Safe with our school-wide pajama and movie party on Monday. It was so much fun seeing everyone enjoy this special celebration! Today, our classrooms were filled with fall fun, amazing costumes, and lots of smiles as students celebrated with their classroom parties. A huge thank-you to our parent volunteers for making these parties so special for our students. We couldn't do it without you!

Second grade wrapped up the week with an Adjective Runway today! It was fabulous! If you have a second grader at home, be sure to ask what adjectives they chose to describe their outfit. I bet you'll hear some creative answers!

Looking Ahead to Next Week: There is no school on Monday as we welcome families into the building for scheduled parent-teacher conferences. We look forward to connecting with parents and guardians to celebrate student growth and continue working together to support each child's success. There is also no school on Tuesday for Election Day.

Enjoy the loooooong weekend, and stay safe! We look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Wednesday!

Warmly,

Libby Schwaegler

Below are a few important dates for families. More specific information about each date will be shared as we get closer to the date!

• Monday 11/2: Parent-Teacher Conferences- all day- No Student Attendance
• Tuesday 11/3: No School- Election Day
• Thursday 11/17: Movie Night
• November 23-27: Thanksgiving Break- No School

It is time to feed those in need! The Service Club is sponsoring a Food Drive through the Naperville Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry. May Watts students, look in your kitchen pantries and bring in ONE canned item to school between Monday, October 26 through Monday, November 9th. Place it in the box outside of your classrooms. This is a simple way we can share from the surplus we have with others who are in need. If you have any questions,

please email Miss DeNeve or Mrs. Donaldson at Amanda_DeNeve@ipsd.org or Danielle_Donaldson@ipsd.org.

Thank you so much for your support of the Book Fair! We hope your students purchased books they will read and enjoy. During this book fair, we raised more money than we ever have before! We were able to purchase over $1200 worth of new books directly from the book fair for the LMC, and will also receive additional profits to purchase even more books for the LMC. Thank you so much for supporting your students' reading and the May Watts LMC.

As of Thursday afternoon, we are waiting for about 20 more book orders to arrive; thank you for your patience.

1. Core academic indicators- Core indicators recognize school strengths on critical student outcomes: student growth and proficiency. Core performance is the foundation of the overall profile level.
2. Elevating indicators- Strong performance on elevating indicators can raise a school's designation, never lower it: English Learner progress, consistent attendance, climate survey participation.
3. Student group performance- Monitoring student group performance helps ensure success is shared across groups of students. If no student groups are rated Comprehensive in core academic indicators, the overall Profile of Performance is not impacted. If any group is Comprehensive, the overall profile cannot be rated higher than Commendable regardless of the results in 1 or 2.

A Profile of Performance is reflected through a summative designation. In particular, the summative designation shows school performance on core, elevating, and student success/school quality.

1. Exemplary
2. Approaching Exemplary
3. Commendable
4. Developing
5. Comprehensive
6. Automatic Comprehensive

Being present at school is one of the most important tasks a family can focus on for student achievement. Attendance Works research shows the following research based facts:

64% of consistent kindergarten and first-grade attendees read at grade level by third grade.

By the 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a strong warning sign that a student is at risk of dropping out of high school.

By 9th grade, attendance is one of the single best indicators of whether a student will graduate.

Click here to read the full district update

10.9% of our students are currently chronically absent

69% of our students have missed less than 5% of the school year so far

44% of our absences have been due to illness- a total of 16,903 illness absences (2,414 days of learning)

19% of our absences have been due to family related events- a total of 7378 absences

8% of our students are currently chronically absent

76% of our students have missed less than 5% of the school year so far

45% of our absences have been due to illness- a total of 535 illness absences

34% of our absences have been due to family related events- a total of 410 absences

We want our students to be healthy and at school whenever possible! When students need to stay home because they’re sick, we want them to have the flexibility to rest and recover. By keeping other absences to a minimum when possible, we can help students make the most of their time at school and be ready to learn each day.

The May Watts PTA is so excited to announce a new fundraiser this year: Basket Raffles! Each classroom has their own theme that families can donate items to. Click here to view themes by classroom. We will then put all the basket items together and raffle them off at our Movie Night on November 17th! We can't wait to see you there!

Celebrate your child’s birthday and promote a love of reading at the same time! The Birthday Book Club program invites students to donate a book of their special choosing to the LMC during the month of their birthday. This is a great way to give a lasting gift to the school and celebrate your child’s birthday at the same time.

If you would like your child to receive a birthday book, please visit the Push Coin webstore now to sign your child up with a donation of $10 for the book. Signing your child up now (even if their birthday is in May) helps us plan ahead, purchase books, and better allows us to present their book on time. Be aware, if you sign your child up right before their birthday, they will probably not receive the book before their birthday.

Children will choose a book during one of their LMC classes from our birthday book display (please do not send your child in with a book you purchased). We will present them with their chosen book at an LMC class during the month of their birthday (not necessarily on their exact birthday).

Additional details:

• A nameplate will be placed in the book commemorating your child’s birthday.

• Your child will be the first person to check this new book out.

• The birthday book is an extra book checkout (e.g. if they normally check out 2 books, their birthday book is a 3rd book)

• Summer birthdays will be celebrated on the child’s ½ birthday.

Please email Ms. Happy with any questions, Elizabeth_happy@ipsd.org.

Would you like to volunteer in the LMC?

The LMC is a great place to volunteer if you are looking for a consistent way to volunteer at the school. Volunteering primarily consists of checking in and shelving books as well as helping students find and check out books. We primarily need support first thing in the morning to check in and shelve books as well as during Kindergarten, First and Second grade LMC times (these will be afternoon time slots); our older students do not require as much support therefore there is not a volunteer time slot available for every class.

If you have any questions specific to Watts LMC volunteering or missed our orientation on Friday 8/28, please contact Ali Bitzer, our LMC Volunteer Coordinator at alisonbitzer@gmail.com.

The school district requires volunteers to fill out a volunteer application. Please see below for the required steps.

THE 2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR NEEDS A NEW OR AN UPDATED VOLUNTEER APPLICATION.

1. Click the Consent Form you prefer here: English or Spanish.
2. Go to the online application to fill in more information and upload the form: English or Spanish

Become a School Volunteer

You can make a significant impact by volunteering in our schools. Your unique skills and experiences will help our students succeed. Whether you prefer a set schedule or occasional opportunities, there’s a role for you.

Ways You Can Help:

There are a wide range of volunteer opportunities district-wide, with various options available at each school. Opportunities include roles with Boosters, Fine Arts, LMC, PTA, and IPPC, ensuring a perfect fit for every volunteer. No matter where your interests lie, there's a way for you to get involved and make a difference in our schools.

How to Get Started:

1. Complete the Consent Form: When you click on the link, and a new window will open with the document. In the new window, click the download button (pictured below), and fill out and save the form on your computer.
   Click the Consent Form you prefer here: English or Spanish.

For more information, please contact:

Matt Hanley
Assistant Director, Community Engagement
matthew_hanley@ipsd.org
Phone: 630-375-3017

Attending school every day is one of the best ways to support your child's academic, social, and emotional growth. Every school day provides valuable learning opportunities that are difficult to replace.

Did you know?

• Chronically absent means missing 10% of the school year (18 days) for any reason—excused or unexcused.
• Truant means missing 5% of the school year (9 days) due to unexcused absences.

We know illnesses and emergencies happen. We want your child to stay home if they are too sick to attend school. When possible, please schedule appointments and family vacations outside of the school day. If your child will be absent, notify the school as soon as possible. Be sure to check out our Vacation Planning Guide below for tips on making the most of school breaks while keeping attendance on track!

Summer is a great time to visit the doctor and be sure all required health forms are completed before school starts!

Health requirements in the State of Illinois and who needs to submit forms:

• Illinois Physical Examination and Immunizations Record- Students entering Kindergarten, 6th grade, 9th grade, and any student new to Illinois schools
• Dental Exam- Students entering Kindergarten, 2nd grade, 6th grade, and 9th grade
• Vision Exam- Students entering Kindergarten and any student new to Illinois schools
• Action Plans- Students with other medical needs that require additional support or medication at school such as diabetes, asthma, severe food allergies, seizures, etc.

Click here to see the letter from the district Health Coordinator for more details and access to district forms.

Make note in your calendar!

New for the 26-27 school year are three (3) elementary early release days:

• Thursday, September 24, 2026
• Tuesday, December 15, 2026
• Thursday, February 4, 2027

All IPSD elementary school students will be dismissed at 1:00pm on these days.