Welch Parent News
Week of 2.16.26
On the Prowl... What is coming up at Welch?
Friday, February 13th -
- Friendship Celebrations 2:15 PM
- No School - Presidents' Day
Tuesday, February 17th -
- 5th Grade Choir 8:00 AM
- 5th Grade Volleyball Club 3:35 - 4:30 PM
Wednesday, February 18th -
- 4th Grade Card Sharks 3:35 - 4:30 PM
- Welch Robotics 3:35 - 4:30 PM
Thursday, February 19th -
- Young Rembrandts 3:35 - 4:30 PM
Students Fasting During Ramadan
Welch staff want to ensure that we have plans in place for our students that are fasting during Ramadan. If your child is observing Ramadan and fasting, please complete the form below by the end of the day on Thursday, February 12th. Please complete the form for each child.
5Essentials
Parents across Illinois once again have an opportunity to participate in the annual statewide Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of your child’s school as it relates to the important elements of school effectiveness.
On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey is administered online by the University of Chicago. All survey responses will be kept confidential. The state will provide survey results for individual schools only if a school has at least 20 percent of parents take the survey. If you have children attending more than one school, we ask that you complete the survey for each school.
To take this short survey:
1. Visit 5Essentials Survey Link
2. Type and select “Dupage” as "County." (The county is the location of the school district's main office.)
3. Type your school's name into the "School" field and select your school.
The survey will be open through March 13, 2026.
Valentines
On February 13th, our students will participate in a teacher-planned Valentine Exchange. This is a fun way for our students to celebrate the friendships they have made in their classroom and at school. I know many of you may already be purchasing Valentine cards. If so, please review the following guidelines:
If your child chooses to participate, please include a Valentine for every student. Teachers will send a class roster OR number of students in the classroom by Monday, February 9th
Due to food allergies and health needs, we highly recommend a card only. If you choose to attach something to the card, it must be something non-edible, such as a pencil or eraser. Any food items will not be distributed.
Smart Watches and Cell Phones at School
Over the past few weeks we have seen an increase of students using smart watches and/or cell phones during the day. As a reminder, students are allowed to bring cell phones to school, but they should be turned off and kept in their backpack during school hours. Please do not text or call your student during the school day.
Those students with smart watches should use these during the school day as a watch ONLY; games should not be played on the watch, and texts and calls should not be answered or placed.
Staff and administration will work with students and families individually if situations arise with cell phones or watches being used inappropriately.
Spring Parent Teacher Conferences
Spring conferences will be held on March 16 between 12:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Spring conferences are scheduled on an as-needed basis. Unlike the Fall, only 1 day of school (March 16) is dedicated to spring conferences, so appointments are limited. Over the next two weeks, teachers will reach out to families with whom they feel a conference is necessary.
If your child’s teacher does not feel a conference is necessary at this time, but you have a concern, please reach out to your child's teacher to let them know, and they will reserve a remaining conference time for you. Remember our staff is always available via email or phone any time you have questions or concerns.
School Lunch Menu
Due to a national temporary shortage of Sunbutter, OrganicLife will replace Option 4 on the Elementary Lunch Menu to the ever-popular Power Pack beginning Monday, February 2nd.
The Power Pak includes yogurt, string cheese, and a packaged snack such as Goldfish, a muffin, or graham snacks.
Once Sunbutter becomes available again, the menu will reflect it as a regular offering.
Additional Lunch
Please complete this form if your student has permission to purchase a second lunch entree and/or second meal. Each student will need this form completed in order to purchase a second entree or meal. The cost is as follows: Breakfast - Second Meal $3.75; Lunch - Second Entree - $4.40 and Second Meal - $5.75; regardless of Free/Reduced Lunch status, EVERYONE who takes a second entree and/or meal will be charged these amounts.
Wickedly Wonderful PTA Updates
💰 Coin Wars
February 9th through February 13th
Time for some friendly competition between grades. Start saving those coins and cheering on your grade. The winning grade will win a pizza party!
💛 Friendship Classroom Parties
Friday, February 13th at 2:15 PM
These are the final classroom parties of the school year, focused on celebrating friendship. We are still in need of several volunteers to help make these parties run smoothly. The games and crafts will be provided by the PTA.
Volunteer sign up: https://signup.com/go/DnHUSQd/
🥖 Texas Roadhouse Fundraiser
After such a great response in the fall, we’re excited to offer the Texas Roadhouse bread, butter, and gift cards again later this month. The bread and butter come frozen, making them easy to store and perfect for a party or a fun family meal. Look for a flyer in your students backpack this week!
Looking ahead to March, the Welch PTA has a lot of fun in store! Save the dates for the following "wickedly fun" events:
PTA Board Meeting
Please save the date for our next Welch PTA Board Meeting on Thursday, March 13th at 9:30am. Parents are always welcome to attend—join us in person at Welch or dial in if that works best for your schedule. It’s a great way to stay informed and connected.
🌷 NEW! Free Spring Egg Hunt 🐣
We’re excited to introduce a brand-new Welch PTA event this year—a Free Spring Egg Hunt! Join us on Saturday, March 22nd at 2:00pm for a fun-filled afternoon for our Welch families. More details coming soon, but be sure to mark your calendar—you won’t want to miss it!
Bread Tags
Welch will be collecting plastic bread tags to donate to SCARCE for recycling in partnership with Danielle Cares for Chairs. Plastic bread tags are those square clips commonly used to seal bags around a loaf of bread, bagels, or even produce. If you are trying to reduce your plastic use, they can be hard to avoid. Further, plastic bread tags are not recyclable in your curbside recycling bin. Therefore, millions end up in landfills each year, just adding to our disposable plastic problem. it takes about 260,000 bread tags to purchase a basic wheelchair – so every bread tag counts! We will have collection bags at Welch, so please feel free to bring yours in or send them with your child!