The Porcupine Post

Happy October! The students have been working hard at learning the school expectations, classroom routines, building relationships, and understanding all the locations of the school. To celebrate their learning and hard work we celebrated with a PBIS camping party today!

We love giving our students as many opportunities as possible to play and learn outdoors! Please remember to send your child to school dressed appropriately for the weather each day. This includes comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing, shoes, and outerwear such as coats, hats, and gloves as the seasons change.

Sincerely,

Dr. Sheryl Pauwels

This week in Mrs. Jones’ class, the students participated in their first Story Champs activity of the school year with Mrs Bolger. Story Champs is a program that the Speech-Language Pathologists use in all of the blended classrooms. It teaches students important elements of a story, such as the character, the problem, the feeling, the action, and the ending. The students learn a movement to go with each part of the story, which helps them remember the important information when answering questions and retelling the story on their own. Mrs. Jones’ class is studying pets, so this Story Champs story was about a sick puppy who needed to go to the vet. The students did an awesome job remembering all of the parts of the story!

October 5th - Fire Drill with Chesak and the Fire Department

October 12th - No School Columbus Day

October 20th - ECC Family Fall Night

October 23rd - No School ECC ONLY Parent Education Day

October 27th - Picture Retake Day

Conferences will be held on the following dates below. More information will come out on October 9th.

• November 23 from 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
• November 24 from 7:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

With the weather starting to cool off, here is a video to help you at home with teaching your child to be independent with putting their coat on. We use this at school too!

ECC Coat Flip.mp4

No advance ordering is needed. After photos are processed, Visual Image Photography (VIP) will email families a direct link to view their child’s photo along with instructions for placing an order.

Here you can can also order photos and contact the VIP customer support team.

Retake day is October 27th.

October 20th

5-6:30pm

Bring your family, wear your favorite school-friendly

costume, and get ready for a fun night at ECC!

Glow Party

Games

Crafts

Science Experiments

Register here

We are looking for 10 families to decorate a pumpkin for our Pumpkin Decorating Contest.

Pumpkins will be provided by ECC and and available for pick up on October 13th

The pumpkins will be displayed and voted on at our Family Fall Night October 20th

Pumpkins will be turned in to school on the 19th

Prizes will be awarded for the top 3 pumpkins!

Sign up to decorate a pumpkin!

Sign up here

Huntley D158 Early Childhood Center

9:00 am - 10:00 am

Strengthening Communication & Parent-Child Relationships Join our team of teachers and therapists as we explore simple ways to build communication skills and memories with your child(ren) during daily activities. From snack to story time, you’ll learn tricks for turning daily activities and play into teachable moments

10:30 am

Cody's Pumpkin Farm 19502 River Road, Marengo

Let's celebrate fall and have fun at Cody's Farm! Fun at Cody's includes: wagon ride, a pumpkin, a petting zoo, and a play area. ECC will cover the cost of our enrolled students. Siblings are $7.50, and this will be paid at the door. Parents are FREE. Upon arrival at the farm, please check in with an ECC staff member. This is a voluntary activity that all families and siblings are welcome to attend, but need to provide their own transportation. Families can bring lunch and stay for the afternoon.

Please arrive and check in before 11:00, as the staff needs to return to school at this time.

RSVP here

Check out the CMPTA Website for details on all the activities they have planned

Let's stand together to create a safe and supportive school community. Recognize the signs, speak up, and report bullying. Together, we can make a difference.

If you or someone you know is being bullied, there are resources available to help:

The National Bullying Prevention Center
The Trevor Project
StopBullying.gov

In addition, Care Solace is available 24/7/365 to connect individuals to care. Call 888-515-0595 or visit caresolace.com/huntley.

At Huntley Community School District 158, we’re proud to celebrate the rich cultures, histories, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities. Join us in honoring this vibrant heritage and the diverse voices that make our community strong. If you or your family need support, remember that Care Solace offers free, confidential mental health care coordination services. Call 888-515-0595 or visit caresolace.com/huntley. #HispanicHeritageMonth

When: Tuesday, October 13
Time: 6 PM - 8 PM
Where: Heineman Middle School
Register HERE

Grab a blanket and get comfy for Huntley 158’s first sensory-friendly movie night open to all ages! The featured movie, Out of My Mind (rated PG), is an inspiring story about a young girl with cerebral palsy who finds her voice and challenges others to see what she is capable of. With powerful themes of friendship, inclusion and perseverance, it’s the perfect film to bring our community together.

Doors open at 6 p.m., and the movie begins at 6:15 p.m. Come dressed for comfort and bring a blanket for floor seating; an accessible seating area will also be available. We’ll provide snacks and water, or feel free to bring your own. Stop by our “selfie station” and enter for a chance to win a prize!

The evening will wrap up at approximately 8 p.m. Students under age 13 must attend with a parent or guardian.

Questions? Contact Ina Hall, Huntley 158 Family Engagement Liaison, at ihall@district158.org.

Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Time: 6:30–7:30 PM (45-minute presentation with 15 minutes for Q & A)
Location: District Office, Room 180, 650 Dr. John Burkey Dr., Algonquin
Cost: Free; light snacks will be served
Guest Speaker: Jen Rowzee, Services Inc.

During this session, Huntley 158 families who have a student with an IEP will learn about the timeline to follow when applying for disability-related benefits for their child. The presentation will highlight PUNS (Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services), providing an overview of the potential benefits available when families plan early.

As a follow-up to this, families can make a 30-minute appointment on Monday, October 19 to meet one-on-one with a Services Inc. representative who will walk them through the PUNS registration process, answer questions, and provide guidance on what information is needed to complete the application. Visit the website for more information about both events.

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