A heartfelt thank you to all our amazing students who participated in this year's spelling bee! Your dedication and courage shone brightly through both the classroom and schoolwide competitions. We are incredibly proud of the hard work, determination, and bravery you displayed while facing challenging words.

Special thanks to our wonderful 4th and 5th-grade teachers for their support and guidance, and to our spelling bee coordinator, Ms. Woelfle, for organizing this fantastic event. Your efforts make these learning experiences possible and memorable for our students.

Congratulations to all our spelling bee participants – you are all champions! A big congratulations to Noah Fouts, our school's winner, as well! We can't wait to cheer you on at the district spelling bee!

The third graders celebrated Galileo in their English Language Arts unit focusing on space. Students designed a Galileo celebration after writing essays on how Galileo learned about space.

Activities included create your own planet, create a spaceship, draw a constellation, and games that revolved around planets and stars. The third graders were excited to invite their kindergarten buddies and staff members to show off their amazing work!

In December we highlighted the amazing work that our educators have been engaging in using the Building Thinking Classrooms model.

The kindergarten team has been partnering with Ms. Woelfle, our instructional coach. to design lessons for our earliest learners using the BTC model. Coming back from break, while learning about shapes, students had to design a snowman using shapes. One partner told the other how to draw the snowman and at the end, the partners counted how many of each shape they incorporated into their snowman.

Starting from kindergarten, the students are learning how to explain their thinking to a peer and take turns. Check this out in action below!

Conferences are the week of February 10th - specifically February 11th and 12th, and our FAPEL (Fine Arts, P.E., and Library) teachers are also available for conferences!

Check out the sign up HERE.

We’re thrilled to announce a special opportunity for our fifth graders! From the end of January to the middle of February, we’re forming a small group of students to plan, design, and oversee the creation of a mural that will brighten and inspire our school community. The funding for this mural is in thanks to Foundation 65!

The Orrington students have already begun to contribute to this fun project by drawing symbols of what Orrington means to them during art class. Each class then voted on the top three designs!

This group will meet biweekly during lunch check-ins, offering a fun and collaborative way for students to contribute their creativity and leadership skills to a meaningful project. (Pizza will be provided!)

If your child is interested in participating, please let us know by Friday, January 31st by emailing Ms. Yoo at yoos@district65.net. Space is limited, so don’t miss out on this exciting chance for your child to make a lasting impact at our school!

We look forward to hearing from you.

Ensuring the safety of our students is our top priority. Illinois law now requires schools to conduct Cardiac Emergency Response Plan (CERP) drills to prepare for potential cardiac emergencies.

Key Points:

• These drills are now mandated by state law to improve emergency preparedness
• They help staff and students respond quickly during potential cardiac incidents
• Drills include training on using AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) and performing CPR

We will be conducting regular CERP drills to ensure we can respond effectively in critical situations. Your support in reinforcing the importance of these safety procedures is appreciated. Our social work intern, Ms. Plante-Cochrane created a social story to help students understand this drill - so a huge thank you to her!

If you have any questions about our emergency preparedness protocols, please contact us!

It’s Time for My65! Don’t Miss Out—Register Today!

Join us on Friday, January 31, 2025, from 7:00–10:00 PM at Palmhouse on Howard for an unforgettable evening of celebration, connection, and community.

Enjoy great food, drinks, and fun, including an open beer and wine bar and mouthwatering bites from Evanston’s own Soul & Smoke.

• Individual Tickets: $120

• Sponsorship Opportunities: Starting at $565

Foundation 65 invests in our educators, funding innovative programs that address racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps while creating environments where every student can thrive. By attending My65, you directly support the educators who make a difference for our children every day.

Space is limited, so don’t wait—secure your spot now!

Visit www.foundation65.org/my65-25 to register or become a sponsor.

We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

Dear Parents/Guardians,

More than two decades of research have demonstrated the important role that social and emotional skills play in each child's success in school and in the community. Skills such as demonstrating self-control, persisting on challenging tasks, and making good decisions are all necessary to be successful students and adults. The process by which students learn these and similar skills is called social emotional learning (SEL). As part of our efforts to better support our students in developing positive social and emotional skills, we are using the SAEBRS SEL assessment for all students in grades K-8.

The SAEBRS assessment is a brief 19-question survey answered by your child's teacher for students in Kindergarten through 8th grade. If your child is in 2nd-8th grade they have the opportunity to complete the mySAEBRS survey, which asks them to self-assess using the same 19 questions their educator is answering. The purpose of SAEBRS and mySAEBRS is to identify which SEL skills your child has already learned and which skills they would still need to develop. Once our teachers identify the skills their students still need to learn, they will teach those SEL skills. Our goal is to ensure that your child continually develops the SEL skills they need for lifelong success. We believe that the information gathered with the SAEBRS and mySAEBRS assessment will be beneficial to your child's overall success both inside and outside of the classroom.

We are excited to implement SAEBRS this school year and continue to focus on whole children! If you have any questions, please contact your child's teacher.

Sincerely,

Orrington Elementary

Reminder of attendance reporting and procedures

Regular school attendance is essential for student success. When students are present and engaged in their learning, they are more likely to stay on track, remain motivated, and reach their full academic potential. That's why District 65 has set an attendance goal of 95% or better for each of our schools.

We understand that life can present unexpected challenges, but the importance of students attending school regularly and on time cannot be overstated. Excessive absences, whether excused or unexcused, can significantly impact a child's educational progress.

If your child needs to miss school, please call your child’s school to report the absence by 10 a.m. Learn more about D65 attendance reporting and procedures

Volunteer during Lunch!

Want to make your kid's or kids' day? Volunteer to serve lunch with your fellow friendly Orrington parents!

What: Parent volunteers help students properly compost and recycle their lunch waste. One volunteer are scheduled per day. Bring your ID for check-in in the school front office.

When: Volunteers are needed from 11:15 AM to 1:15 PM.

IMPORTANT: Please sign up only for yourself! Sign up HERE.

Questions: Contact Orrington PTA (info@orringtonpta.org)

Want to know what's going on around the community? District 65 uses a "Digital Backpack" to share community information. Please click the button below to view upcoming community events and activities.