The Olive Branch 9.26.25

IN THIS BRANCH

Principal Message

Lockdown Drill - Rescheduled

Health Office Information

Parent/Teacher Conference Sign Up Information

Science Club is Back!

Important Dates

Dear Families,

We had another great week at the nest. Yesterday, our students learned all about Rachel's Kindness Challenge through an assembly sponsored by our PTA. The wonderful message has resonated with students, and we are seeing our owls being kind and inclusive throughout the building! Thank you, Olive PTA, for this opportunity.

As a friendly reminder, there is no school Thursday, October 2nd.

Sincerely,

Erin, Julia, and the OMS Staff

Today, Friday, September 26th we were scheduled to have our lockdown drill with the AHPD. Unfortunately, our school resource officers were called to attend to another community matter. We announced to our students and staff that the drill will be rescheduled for another date and we carried on with the day.

We will communicate with families when a new date is confirmed.

We appreciate the families who have already submitted their child’s required health forms.

However, some submissions are still missing or contain incomplete information. As we approach the State of Illinois REQUIRED EXCLUSION date of October 15th, it is crucial that all necessary forms are provided to avoid any interruption in your child’s education.

Our school nurses have been reaching out to families who need to submit updated information, so please be attentive to any communication via voicemail, email, or backpack mail. For any questions or further assistance, please visit our D25 Health Services page for the school nurse contact information.

Physical/Immunization Record:

Required for all kindergarten and new students
The physical must be dated on or after August 21, 2024
Parents must complete and sign the health history section
Immunizations Requirements must be met or include a MD approved schedule of administration
Failure to submit the form and have it reviewed by the School Nurse prior to the OCTOBER 15th deadline will result in your child being EXCLUDED from school

Vision Exam Form:

Required for all kindergarten and students new to the state of Illinois
The exam must be completed by a licensed eye doctor and dated on or after August 21, 2024
The official State of Illinois Eye Examination form is required

At Olive-Mary Stitt Elementary School, we value a strong partnership between home and school. Twice a year, time is provided for you to meet with your child’s teacher for Parent-Teacher Conferences.

Parents will register for conferences online using http://www.signupgenius.com.

Directions and links to register for conferences will be shared via email on MONDAY, 10/6/25, at 10:00 a.m.

The window for fall conference registration will begin Monday, 10/6/25, at 10:00 a.m. through Wednesday, 10/22/25, at 10:00 a.m. Conferences are scheduled in 20-minute increments beginning at 8:20 a.m.

4th/5th Grade Parents: The conference times are for meeting with your child’s homeroom teacher. If your child has a different math teacher and you have specific math questions, please email him or her.

Please remember that this day is set aside for conferences. If you will be out of town, please contact your child’s teacher to arrange a phone conference or Google meeting during a regular conference time slot.

We hope you take advantage of this opportunity to meet with your child's teacher on Thursday, October 23 or Friday, October 24th.

Science Club is back with two sessions, meeting on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, October 7 through November 19. We’re offering hands-on science adventures for students in grades two through five; first grade students may participate if an older sibling is enrolled in Science Club AND an adult can volunteer to help every day that the first grade student attends. We meet from 3:35 until 4:45 PM in the LMC.

Session 1: Build It (four weeks)

Can you design and build the bridge with the largest load to weight ratio? The speediest solar powered car? The barge that transports the heaviest load and still gets under a “bridge” without touching the bottom of the “canal”? The tallest tower using cardboard, brass brads and dowels? Find out!

Session 2: DNA Discovery (three weeks)

Learn how DNA codes for the proteins that build our bodies and control the processes shared by all living things. Extract the DNA from strawberries. Participate in a mock “epidemic” to understand how vaccines protect us from getting sick.

Want to join in the fun? Then complete and return this registration form as soon as possible. Make a copy of the form to fill it out electronically. Sessions can fill up very quickly. The number of students per session is dependent on the number of adult volunteers.

To ensure that we’re able to provide a safe and enjoyable activity at least two adults will be present each day. Any days that do not have at least one adult volunteer will be cancelled. Please consider signing up to help on one or more days as your schedule allows.

Questions? Please contact Cynthia House at chouse@sd25.org.