The Raider Report

🎉 RAIDER ATTENDANCE SPOTLIGHT🎉

96.6% ATTENDANCE!

📆 Days of School: 46

🏫 Days Present: 9,200

We are continuing to stay above our school-wide attendance goal! Thank you, Raider families, for prioritizing daily attendance. Every day at school is another opportunity for our students to LEARN, GROW, and THRIVE!

Keep showing up, Raiders! 💛🖤

AFC Families,

I hope everyone had a wonderful week connecting with teachers during Parent-Teacher Conferences! These conversations are such an important part of our school-family partnership, and we appreciate the time our families took to meet with our staff and support their students.

As we head into our final week of October, we are jumping right back into it! This is a busy time of year, and we encourage our Raiders to continue demonstrating the Raider Way by being Respectful, Responsible, Safe, and Kind each day.

Here’s to another great week of LEARNING, GROWING, and THRIVING together!

It’s a great time to be a Raider! 💛🖤

With Raider Pride,

Jenah Burkitt, Principal

AFC Elementary School

October 26th

• 6/7/8 Boys' Basketball VS Rochelle 4:00 PM

October 27th

• 6/7/8 Boys' Basketball VS St. Mary's 4:00 PM

October 28th

• October Assembly
• 1:30 Early Dismissal

October 29th

• 6/7/8 Boys' Basketball VS Chadwick 4:00 PM
• Q2 Family Connection Night: Spooky BINGO & Trunk or Treat

October 30th

• Student Leadership
• Halloween Parties

Be on the lookout for these papers in your child's folder next week:

• Veterans Day Letter/Attendance Form
• Illinois Extension: Big & Small Gardening
• Illinois Extension: Pumpkin Smash

November 2nd

• 6/7/8 Boys' Basketball @ South Beloit 5:00 PM

November 4th

• 4th Grade Field Trip - Stronghold Castle
• 1:30 Early Dismissal

November 5th

• PTC Perfect Pastries Pick-Up 2:30 - 4:30
• 6/7/8 Boys' Basketball vs. Byron 4:00 PM

If your child needs another Color War T-shirt, please complete the form below and send it to school with your child, with payment. Your child's classroom teacher can also give you the form to take home.

AFC High School students have all joined a Pathway based on their postsecondary interests. Pathway programs are designed to give qualifying seniors an ISBE endorsement on their High School diploma. This symbol reflects their preparedness and the internships and dual-credit classes they completed in their pathway.

We're sharing this link with you because you are the parents of our Future Pathway Raiders. Join us as we celebrate these students’ commitment to their future endeavors while celebrating Raider Pride!

Submit your order by October 26th. Additional order opportunities will be available throughout the year. Payment can be sent to school with your student and turned in to the Main Office.

School Pictures Are Ready!

• View and order at: https://shop.jostenspix.com/loginSchool
• Name: ASHTON-FRANKLIN CENTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
• Event Code: FE292826
• Student Identifier: Parent/Guardian Email Listed in Skyward

Students can now nominate any staff member for recognition as our Staff of the Month! At each monthly assembly, Ms. Burkitt will draw (1) nomination, and that staff member will be recognized with a certificate and flowers. We encouraged our littlest Raiders to take the nomination form home with them in case they need help filling it out (especially if they are nominating their own teacher).

Raffle tickets are on sale every Wednesday during both lunch periods and at every school-sponsored event.

We are excited to share that we've mailed 107 positive postcards home this year! 💛🖤

That means 107 AFC Elementary students have earned a spot on our Wall of Fame for showing the Raider Way and making a positive impact at school.

Each postcard is a chance for us to celebrate the great things our students are doing every day—being Respectful, Responsible, Safe, and Kind, working hard, helping others, and making choices that help our school community thrive.

No Color War Winner this week because we do not have school on Friday.

As we head into another great week at AFC Elementary, I want to challenge our Raiders to think about what it means to truly be Raider Ready!

This week’s challenge is simple: Look for opportunities to spread kindness!

Challenge your child to do at least one kind thing each day—help a friend, include someone, give a compliment, hold the door, or simply make someone smile. Small acts of kindness can make a BIG difference in our school community!

At AFC, we strive to be Respectful, Responsible, Safe, and Kind each and every day. Let’s work together to make kindness contagious!

LEARN, GROW, and THRIVE! 💛🖤

We are very excited to share the results of our Perfect Pastry Fundraiser soon! Who will get a Limo Lunch with Ms. Burkitt? Who were our top sellers? We can't wait to celebrate! Perfect Pastries Pick-up is on November 5th at AFC Elementary School's cafeteria from 2:30 - 4:30.

Our next PTC meeting is November 9th at 6:00 PM at AFC Elementary School. Please enter through Door 2.

We’re excited to roll out a new tool that will simplify how we communicate with you. Rooms, built right into our AFC #275 app and website, offers secure and safe two-way messaging.

This addition allows AFC to bring the community closer together. From messages to educators, to events, to lunch menus, and more - everything can now live in one place.

Why Rooms?

• One place for every message. No more juggling multiple communication apps, flipping between inboxes, or remembering different logins.
  

• Text notifications. You’ll get notified automatically of new messages even if you haven’t downloaded our district app.
  

• Safe and secure. Built-in moderation and other safety tools allow us to ensure the safety of all communications, at all times.

What to Expect:

• Rooms will become our primary method for all communication between staff, coaches, families, and teachers.
  

• Rooms will be live and ready for messaging with educators on August 19, 2026.

We’re excited to bring our communication into one clear, connected experience for you, but please be patient as we work out the kinks in the first few weeks of school.

We'll add you to your child's teacher's "Room" by Friday, August 21st.

• Breakfast is served from 7:30 - 8:30 AM.
• Students may not be on the playground before 8:00 AM (unless accompanied by a parent or guardian). School supervision begins at 8:00 AM.
• Students enter the building at 8:15 AM (except on inclement weather days).
• If a student arrives at school after 8:30 AM, they are considered tardy and must be brought into the office by a parent or guardian to be signed in.
• Students in Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, & 3rd grade will enter the building at Door 11.
• Students in 4th, 5th, & 6th grade will enter the building at Door 7.
• You will notice yellow dots with black writing on the playground. This will help your child know where to line up. For example, if your child is in Mrs. Rueff's first grade class, they would line up behind the yellow dot that says, "1R."

Dismissal

• Students dismiss at 3:15 every day except Wednesday (except for a few other planned early dismissal days - see 26-27 calendar here).
• On Wednesdays, students dismiss at 1:30 PM.
• Students in Kindergarten & 1st grade dismiss out of Door 10.
• Students in 2nd & 3rd grade dismiss out of Door 9.
• Students in 4th grade dismiss out of Door 8.
• Students in 5th & 6th grade dismiss out of Door 7.

Lunch

• K-3 Lunch is from 11:20 - 11:50 each day
• 4-6 Lunch is from 12:00 - 12:20 each day

Recess

• K-3 Recess is from 11:50 - 12:20 each day.
• 4-6 Recess is from 12:20 - 12:50 each day.

Every School Day Counts!

• School begins promptly at 8:30 AM. Please help your child arrive on time and be ready to learn.
• If your child will be absent, notify the school by 9:00 AM. We will call for every child who has not been reported out by a parent or guardian.
• Schedule appointments outside of school hours or during lunch/recess whenever possible to minimize missed instructional time.
• A physician's note is required after three consecutive days for those days to be excused.
• Once a student reaches 10 absences, a physician's note must be submitted within 24 hours of returning to school for future absences to be considered excused.

• Be sure all required physical, immunization, dental, and vision forms are turned in by August 18th at 3:30 PM.
• If your child is required to take daily medication during the school day, a parent/guardian must drop the medication off in the main office (this includes inhalers), and there must be a medication form completed by your child's physician on file in the health office. Do NOT send medication to school with your child.
• If your child has an allergy, please ensure we have documentation from your child's physician and their most current allergy plan (if applicable) on file in the health office.
• Nurse Amanda will be at AFC Elementary School on Monday, August 17th, should you need to speak with her about anything before the beginning of the school year.

• K-6 Lunch - $2.50 (milk included)
• K-6 Breakfast - $2.25
• Milk Fee - $0.25 (if purchasing with cold lunch or extra milk)

Snack

To support student health, focus, and a positive learning environment, students may have a daily snack during a designated time set by the classroom teacher.

Guidelines for Snacks

• Snacks should be nutritious and easy to eat within a short time.

• Please send snacks that are ready to eat (no heating, cutting, or preparation required).

• Students should bring water in a spill-proof container.
  
  

Healthy Choices Encouraged

We encourage snacks such as:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables

• Crackers or pretzels

• Cheese or yogurt

• Granola bars (nut-free, if required)

Foods to Avoid

To maintain a safe and focused environment, please avoid sending:

• Candy or high-sugar snacks

• Soda or energy drinks

• Messy foods that may disrupt learning

• Foods requiring utensils
  
  

Allergy Awareness

• Classrooms may be designated as nut-free or allergen-aware due to student needs.

• Families will be notified of any specific restrictions.

• Please do not send foods containing restricted allergens.
  
  

Sharing Food

• Students are not permitted to share snacks due to allergies and dietary restrictions.

Family Support

• We recognize that providing a daily snack may not always be possible for every family. If your family needs support with providing a snack, please contact the building principal. We are committed to ensuring all students have access to what they need throughout the school day.

Special Circumstances

• Teachers will communicate any changes for celebrations or special events.

iPads & Chromebooks

• Each student is issued a device that remains at school. Access to the device will be limited and used only when absolutely necessary.

Cell Phones

• Students may not have a cell phone during the school day. Students must place cell phones brought to school in their locker or cubby and power them off.