BULLDOG BULLETIN

Dear Bulldog Families,

Over the past few weeks, we have had some exciting moments in our school that highlight our commitment to student learning, inclusion, and community.

One of the most exciting additions to our playground is the installation of a new communication board. This board provides a way for students with limited verbal abilities to engage in ongoing communication while playing with their peers. The Communication Board even includes photos of different areas of our playground, helping students express what they’d like to do at recess. This tool ensures that all of our Bulldogs can be active, included participants in play and social interactions.

In the classroom, students have begun Unit 1 of our new ELA resource, Benchmark. Engagement has been high as students dive into texts, carefully annotate, and share their thinking through discussions and through writing. Teachers are already seeing thoughtful conversations and enthusiastic participation, which makes us so excited about the growth to come this year.

I am also thrilled to spotlight the launch of our Bulldog News Club! Each day, our student reporters lead daily announcements in a pre-recorded session, sharing important events, birthdays, and celebrations. Every class has the opportunity to participate by leading the Pledge of Allegiance, which is then broadcast schoolwide. The students’ creativity is shining through, as they are already brainstorming new headlines and future segments. Bulldog News is quickly becoming a fun way for student voice and leadership to thrive in our building.

We are proud of the many ways our students are learning, growing, and leading—whether on the playground, in the classroom, or on camera. Thank you for your continued partnership and support as we work together to make our school an inclusive, engaging, and joyful place for every child.

With gratitude,

Dr. Colleen Conway

📌 October 6, PTO Virtual Meeting

📌 October 6-8, Scholastic Book Fair

📌 October 8, Evening Book Fair & Ice Cream Social

As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance our social-emotional learning (SEL) initiatives, we have been using the DESSA (Devereux Student Strengths Assessment) three times per year to evaluate the effectiveness of our SEL instruction and to identify areas where students may need additional support. Last school year, Spencer Loomis Elementary piloted the Panorama Social/Emotional Learning Assessment as a new SEL benchmark tool - and we are excited to announce that we will be implementing Panorama in grades K-12 for the 2025-2026 school year.

The Panorama assessment includes both a Teacher Perception Survey and a Student Self-Perception Survey for students in grades 3-12. To learn more about the topics covered in these surveys, please click HERE. For your reference, you can access the specific questions for the Student Self-Perception Survey for grades 3-5 HERE, and for grades 6-12 HERE.

The Teacher Perception Survey will not disrupt your child's school day. If your student is completing the Student Self-Perception Survey, it will take approximately 12-20 minutes. As with the DESSA, we will share the information obtained from these assessments with you. If you do not wish for your student to complete the survey, please contact me directly by Friday, September 26th.

Our first administration window will be September 28-October 5th.

We are excited about this opportunity and believe the implementation of the Panorama assessment will provide valuable insights into our social-emotional screening practices. We look forward to sharing more information following our Fall assessment window.

As students travel to and from school, we want to remind everyone about the importance of safety. Please take a moment to review these tips with your child:

• Always wear a properly fitted helmet when riding scooters or bicycles.
  
  

• Stop, look, and listen before crossing streets or train tracks.
  
  

• Use crosswalks and follow all traffic signals.
  
  

• Stay alert — avoid headphones and phone use while riding or walking.
  
  

• Be cautious around buses, cars, and busy intersections

We also previously shared resources from the Village of Lake Zurich on E-Scooters, E-Bikes, and E-Dirt Bikes, which can be found [here]. Additional safety resources may be found on the District 95 Safety & Security Website.

Thank you for reinforcing these important safety practices with your student.

There are times when families may need additional financial assistance - such as after a job loss or a death in the family. Through our relationships with generous community partners, District 95 has the ability to cover the costs of a wide range of family needs - including utility bills, groceries, clothing, gas, medical or mental health costs, and more.

Families in need can reach out to a member of the Student Services team (i.e., social worker, school psychologist, counselor) or an administrator at school for additional information. Families may also contact the Student Services Department directly at 847.540.7060 (or by emailing Gaby Mascote, gaby.mascote@lz95.org). We know that there are certain situations that can make it incredibly difficult for families to navigate, and we are here to assist!

We are excited to invite you to our upcoming Scholastic Book Fair. Hosted by the Sarah Adams PTO, this event is an opportunity for students of all ages to build their home libraries and further their love of reading. As always, all purchases benefit our school.

Here’s what you need to know about the fair, which will take place on October 6th through October 8th from 8:30 to 2:45 pm at the Sarah Adams Gym. Students are welcome to attend the fair with their classes during the school day; however, families are welcome to attend the Ice Cream Social on Wednesday, Octobr8th from 5:00 - 6:30p pm. They may browse the fair, and then visit with friends.

Visit our Book Fair homepage to learn more and get started with online shopping:https://www.scholastic.com/bf/sarahadamselemsch .This homepage has a great amount of information for you. We will need volunteers to help set up, run, and take down the fair. Sign up for volunteers is on the homepage, or through PT BOARD SIGN UP: https://bulldogbestpto.ptboard.com/sgnvw?group=&signup=ff2eb149-e5d9-4030-a619-3ea3f9a53024~s.9223370279856770445

We’re excited to celebrate our love of books together at the Book Fair. We look forward to seeing your child there!

Happy reading,

The Bulldog Best PTO

For any questions or concerns, please contact the Book Fair Chairperson. sabookfair@gmail.com

The D95 Educational Foundation is excited to launch “Birthday Boxes” - a new initiative that brings together students from across all D95 schools to make a community-wide impact. K–12 students are giving back by donating celebration essentials for local community members in need. Each box helps ensure someone feels seen, valued, and celebrated on their special day.

If you can’t donate an item, you can always make a contribution toward the cause by visiting this link: https://igfn.us/form/KM40og . Together, we can spread joy and make birthdays brighter for everyone!

Joanie's Closet Snowpant and Snow Boot Collection

New or gently used, CLEAN boots/snowpants only

We cannot accept any other items at this time. PLEASE NOTE WE DO NOT ACCEPT USED COATS.

October 1-31, 2025

DROP OFF LOCATION - D95 Administration Office, 832 S. Rand Rd. (next to Walmart)

Donation box will be right INSIDE the building. Please do not drop off anything outside.

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE FLYER

As a system, we have been notified of several cases of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) district-wide in the first few weeks of school. While this virus is more common in younger students, it can be transmitted to older students and adults. Families can find more information about symptoms, what to do if you suspect your student has HFMD, and care by clicking HERE.

All students and families deserve to feel safe, welcomed, and included in our school community. Preventing firearm violence is a shared responsibility, and one important step is safe firearm storage. The U.S. Department of Education’s Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center offers the following guidance:

• Store firearms safely: Keep firearms unloaded in a locked cabinet, safe, or storage case that children or unauthorized adults cannot access

• Store ammunition separately: Lock ammunition in a separate, tamper-proof location

• Use safety devices: Trigger locks and cable locks add another layer of security

• Trigger locks clamp over the trigger to prevent it from being pressed (never install on a loaded firearm)

• Cable locks thread through the barrel or action to block the firearm from firing

Families can locate free gun lock distribution centers using the Lake County Health Department tool found HERE.

Safe firearm storage can help prevent tragedies and reduce the risk of injury or death. For more information, visit the Safe Firearm Storage Fact Sheet or Project ChildSafe, which offer free resources for families and educators. Additional details are also available on the District 95 Safety & Security website.

As was shared at the start of the year, District 95 is currently engaging in work to review school day structures at the middle and high school levels (primarily). An update was shared during the September 11th Teaching & Learning Committee meeting; for families who are interested, they can find further information from the presentation HERE.

As we welcome students, families, and other visitors back to school buildings this school year, we wanted to take a moment to share some important safety reminders:

• All visitors must have an appointment in order to enter school district buildings (which includes the Administrative building); our front office staff are happy to help facilitate making an appointment if you need assistance (NOTE: this does not apply to quick drop-offs in the vestibule, such as when a student forgets an item)

• All visitors must present a form of identification and go through our visitor screening process for all visits that require entry into the school building; all visitors must also wear a lanyard or visitor badge provided to them for their entire visit

• Visitors are asked not to hold doors open for others when entering or exiting the building during the school day, as these well-intentioned actions are not in alignment with our security protocols

Thank you for your partnership on these items; we look forward to another successful school year where we all work together to maximize feelings of safety within our district buildings!