21st Century Primary Center is a safe and nurturing environment that empowers students to acquire, demonstrate, articulate, and value critical thinking skills that support them as lifelong learners. We prepare our students to pursue excellence in education through engaged learning, problem-solving, differentiated instruction, and the exchange of innovative ideas.

Ready, Set, Grow!!!!

Thank you 21st Century Parents for your investment in our children. We appreciate you for ensuring that your children were on time for school! Thank you for sending them prepared for school. Your pep talks in the morning really set the tone for your child's day! We believe that high academic expectations are essential for excellence. A few of our most important goals this year include academic performance, school culture, climate, and safety. Please know that we would love to have your support in our school; our Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is looking for members to join. If you are interested please call the school office (708)668-9490.

9/4-Labor Day

9/5-12:30 Dismissal

9/6-Bluepoint Safety Drill

9/15-Summer Packet Celebration

9/21-Open House

9/25-Board Meeting

9/28-Teacher Institute

All schools in Park Forest – Chicago Heights School District 163 are equipped with the Blue Point Alert System. Blue Point is a life-safety response system with components that look and function much like a fire alarm system but it is designed for police and medical emergencies. Activating the system will instantly alert police or paramedics in the event of a life-threatening emergency.

We have a long-term commitment to providing a safe learning environment for all who enter our doors and have installed the Blue Point Alert System to complement and enhance the safety and security measures we have in place.

The Blue Point System:

•  Automates and accelerates emergency response

•  Provides internal communications for our leadership team

•  Improves situational awareness with real-time information for police or paramedics

  On Wednesday, September 6, 2023, staff and students will participate in a safety drill. Prior to this, students will receive information from their teacher about the drill. As required by Illinois School Code and District 163 Board Policy, the drill will involve the police department to ensure that we are as prepared as possible. In an effort to communicate appropriately to students, the District will regard this training as “blue lockdown in the event there is a dangerous intruder.”

The benefits of asking questions make us realize what an important skill of asking good questions is.

What are the benefits of asking questions:

• Makes students more aware of their thinking and gives them control over their thinking. (metacognition)

• Aides in memory and retention of the learning.

• Gives students the ability to apply knowledge [transfer].

• Deeper understanding

• Employ and grow critical thinking skills

• Better decision making

• Build a connection with others: rapport

• Makes you more curious: mindset

Suggestions-

• ask your student questions about the character of the book they are reading
• ask your student a question that is pertinent to a movie you are watching

At 21st Century every month, we celebrate and learn about a character trait that makes us better citizens. This month we are learning about kindness.

21st Century will be implementing PBIS for the 2023/2024 school year. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based, tiered framework for supporting students' behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health. Please see the link below for more informtation.

For safety reasons, it is REALLY important that all families park their cars on the street or in the District parking lot and walk their students to the building. The circle drive should only be used for our buses and daycare vans dropping off students. The first week of school students will meet their teacher by the designated color tree. Staff will be available to assist you in finding your child's teacher.

• Kindergarten is the red tree
• First grade is the orange tree
• Second grade is the yellow tree
• Third grade is the green tree

Starting week 2, students will enter Door 2 upon arrival and wait indoors until the start of the school day.

For safety reasons, it is REALLY important that all families park their cars on the street or in the District parking lot and walk to the building to pick up their students. The circle drive should only be used for our buses and daycare vans picking up students. Students will exit their classroom door and be waiting by their color tree.

• Kindergarten-red
• First grade-orange
• Second grade-yellow
• Third grade-green

When we have inclement weather, students will wait in the gym at the end of the day. A staff member will meet families at the door and call each student from the gym. For safety reasons, families will NOT be allowed to enter the building.

If your child is going to have a change in their dismissal routine please be sure to notify the office at 708-668-9450. Student safety is our number one priority. Knowing about your child's change in dismissal in advance will help us plan accordingly.

Each student will have a tag on their backpack indicating how they will get home at the end of the day. It is VERY important that these tags are left on your child's backpack all school year. Our staff uses these tags to assist us in our dismissal procedures.

The doors will open at 7:50 for breakfast starting the first day of school. Breakfast will be served at 7:55.

Please be sure that your student is attending regularly and that they are here on time. We will be celebrating at the end of each month the grade level with the best attendance. If your child is going to be absent please call the office at 708-668-9450.