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 #4:Think Win-Win is the belief that everyone can win in a situation and that it's possible to find solutions that are mutually beneficial, rather than a win-lose or lose-lose outcome. This habit involves balancing confidence with consideration for others to find satisfying resolutions to conflicts and achieve cooperation.

Think Win-Win, Everyone Can Win

Thinking win-win is the key to working well with others. It is the most effective way of thinking, especially in a family. Families that learn and practice win-win thinking are happier, experience less conflict, and are better able to meet the family challenges that arise.

Habit #4 at Home Connection

Think Win- Win Resources

• The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

• The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins

• Let’s Be Enemies by Janice May Udry

• The Giver by Lois Lowry

• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

• Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

• The Mixed-Up Chameleon by Eric Carle

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.

Our Art Fundraiser projects will be ready for orders from Square 1 in the next couple of weeks!

Your artists will bring home a flyer with their art soon, free personalized stickers, and directions to order other personalized items with their featured art. There will be an online ordering option which will ship directly to your home for holiday gifts!

These are samples of the completed art we have been working on! Contact the art teacher Mrs. Wisniewski with any questions.

K-lines and hearts

Let's Celebrate All Things Hooper!

As a Leader in Me School, one of our 5 Core Paradigms is that parents and teachers partner to support the whole child. What this means is that we value you as your student’s first teacher. You know your student best. Oftentimes, it’s easy to assume that teachers are the only ones who are responsible for a student’s academic and social success in school. As a parent of a Leader in Me student, we believe that you are a valuable member of our Learning Team. You have an important role in the educational journey of your student. Research shows that when parents are engaged in their student’s education, the student’s success, academically and behaviorally, increases significantly. If we know this partnership is critical, what can we do to create a partnership?

We would love to get your insights and feedback on what we can do to nurture this partnership, as well as your ideas on what you would like to do as a partner in your student’s education.

The following are a few of our insights on working together to create a partnership:

Partnering is about communication and relationships. We want to honor your family’s culture, beliefs, and circumstances. We want to communicate with you about what is happening in school, but that’s only one part of effective communication. We encourage you to share your opinions, ideas, and background. We believe all of us have unique gifts and talents. If you are

doing something at home that works well for your student, that you are proud of, or simply a fun fact about your family, share it with us. Your input and voice is so important!

A partnership is not only about being physically present at the school, volunteering, or being on committees—that is only one aspect of partnership. If you’re working full-time, travel for work, or simply cannot be physically present to engage, that doesn’t mean you’re not our partner. There are other ways to engage, such as:

• Add our school to your social media feed.

• Set up regular times to check in with your student about what they enjoy at school or what is a challenge.

• Regularly check emails or other communications from your student’s teachers and respond. Ask questions when

clarification is needed.

• Model a positive attitude about school.

Let’s keep the communication lines open! We may have questions or concerns. Let’s create space to ask questions and listen to each other. We want to be there for you! Just like you, we can’t do this alone. We must come together as a Learning Team to support your student and ensure they have every opportunity for success. We look forward to our partnership!

Save the dates!! Check out our latest information from our BPAC

(Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee)!

• 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.

December 8- BPAC 6:00-7:30 Virtual

December 11- 4th Grade Music Concert 6 :00 PM

December 15- Board of Education Meeting 7 PM @ Palombi Middle School

December 15-19 Spirit Week

December 16- Ugly Sweater Day

December 16-PTO Meeting 6:30 PM @ Lake Villa Public Library

December 22- Winter Break Begins

January 5- School Resumes

January 6-27- NWEA Assessment Window Open for K-5

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

Check out our website calendar for all the dates.