AFC Elementary Monthly Memo

I hope this monthly memo finds you well and that the new year has begun on a positive note for your families. As we step into the month of February, I wanted to take a moment to share some updates and important information with you.

5Essentials Survey

In order for AFC to receive the Parent Supplement Report, at least 20% of parents need to complete the survey. Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at your child's school and guide improvement efforts. It is my goal to get achieve a 80% response rate from parents.

Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child. Please take a moment to complete the survey by clicking the link below and select one of the icons under "Parent Survey."

5Essentials Parent Survey

Students in grades 4th-6th will also be asked to complete the survey during the school day. If you wish to opt your child out of the survey, please check your email for an opt-out form that was sent on February 5th. If you did not receive this form and wish to opt your child out of the survey, please contact Katie in the main office. This form should be turned in by Friday, February 9th.

Student Opt-Out Form

Valentine's Day Celebrations

We are excited to embrace the spirit of friendship as we approach Valentine's Day. Our teachers have planned activities to foster a sense of community and kindness among students. We will be celebrating Valentine's Day on February 14th. If you have questions about class celebrations or events, feel free to reach out to your child's teacher or our front office.

Academics

Please remember that if you have questions or concerns about your child's academic progress, teacher's are available to talk with you about your child's progress, address concerns, and collaborate with you to support your child's success.

Communication is key in fostering a successful school community. If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please do not hesitate to reach out. We value your input in making our school the best it can be.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership in your child's education. Together, we can make a positive impact on their learning journey. Wishing you a wonderful February filled with joy and academic success.

Kind Regards,

Jenah Burkitt, Principal

AFC Elementary School

1 - Global School Play Day, 1:30 Early Dismissal

2 - 6/8 GBKB Faith Christian 4:30 PM

3 - FFA Quartermania

5 - 6th GBKB @ Oregon 4:00 PM

6 - Body Safety Follow-Up Talks

7 - ES Spelling Bee 8:30 AM, 1:30 Early Dismissal, 6th GBKB @ Polo 4:00 PM

12 - 6th GBKB Pecatonica 4:00 PM

13 - 6th GBKB @ Byron 4:00 PM

14 - Happy Valentine's Day, K-6 Valentine Parties, 1:30 Early Dismissal

15 - 6 GBKB South Beloit 5:00 PM

16 - Teacher's Institute - No Student Attendance, 6/8 GBKB @ Faith Christian 4:30 PM

19 - President's Day - No School

21 - 1:30 Early Dismissal, 6 GBKB Byron 4:00 PM

22 - School Bus Driver Appreciation Day, 6 GBKB @ Polo 4:00 PM

26 - 6 GBKB @ Meridian (Stillman) 4:00 PM, Board of Education Meeting 7:00 PM

27 - PTC Meeting 6:00 PM

28 - 1:30 Early Dismissal

Mrs. Wolf has sent Statement of Account letters to families who have a registration, lunch, and/or sports fee balance. Phone calls have also been made to make arrangements for these fees to be paid. Please contact Mrs. Wolf as soon as possible to make a payment or set up a payment plan.

We are thrilled Punxsutawney Phil is predicting an early Spring, however we still encourage you to send cold weather gear with your child to school each day. Students go outside for recess when the Real Feel temperature is 17 degrees or higher.

AFC CUSD #275 is partnering with United Way of Lee County to bring more opportunities and resources to our students and community. We are excited to help support these efforts by sponsoring a coin drive. Each homeroom was given a jar and students are invited to bring coins to fill the jar. At the end of the coin drive, the class that has raised the most money will receive a special treat!

The Coin Drive will run from February 5th - 20th.

Click the button below to view Mrs. Chapman's Keeping Connected Newsletter for the month of February.

Parents and guardians should continue to check their email for communication from Ms. Daly.

Early Bird Schedule

Monday - Brass

Tuesday - Choir

Wednesday - Percussion

Thursday - Choir

Friday - Woodwinds

Students can arrive as early as 7:30 AM, but no later than 7:50 AM. Students should be dropped off at the main entrance of the ES (Door 1) and push the button to be buzzed into the building.

As always, please contact Ms. Daly at mdaly@afcschools.net with any questions, comments, or concerns.

We rolled our way into January with our roller skating unit for grades K-6. The kids got to practice learning how to roller skate in a fun, safe environment with their classmates. They made huge progress from the first day until the last day - which was extended due to all the snow days! It is fun to watch their confidence and abilities grow!

The 4th - 6th grades classes transitioned to creating their own games in PE class. They could take a tried and true game and add a new twist to it or come up with a totally new game.The kids worked in small groups and determined the objective for the game, established rules, considered the safety of their game and how to keep everyone involved. They learned just how much goes into playing a game. They were able to take ownership of their game even if it meant making a few tweaks along the way to improve the game!

K-3rd grade students have been enjoying all sorts of arctic games involving snowballs, animals from the arctic, and learning about Eskimos along the way to their daily PE activities. You just never know what we can imagine the gym to be each day!

Health classes have been learning about where our food comes from through the many ingredients used to make a pizza. We teamed up with Katie Pratt and the Lee County Ag in the classroom program to explore this in depth. We ended the unit with an escape room lock box experience and of course a slice of pizza!

Arrival

8:00 - Student Arrival

8:15 - Students Enter Building/Classrooms (First Bell)

8:30 - Classes Begin (Second/Tardy Bell)

Please note, there will not be adult supervision on the playground prior to 8:00 AM.

Dismissal

3:15 - Bus Students Dismissed (First Bell)

3:17 - Pick-Up/Walkers Dismissed (Second Bell)

Please note, there will not be adult supervision on the playground after 3:25 PM. Students who have not been picked up by 3:25 will be brought to the main office.

As a friendly reminder, per our AFC Student Handbook:

Excessive tardies or absences may be referred to the Lee/Ogle/Whiteside Regional Office of Education’s Attendance Support Program for assistance. A student may be referred to the Attendance Support Program after four (4) unexcused and nine (9) excused absences during the previous 180 days of school attendance. If a student misses three (3) consecutive days, they must bring in a physician’s note for the absences to be considered excused. Also, after nine (9) absences per school year, to excuse each absence thereafter, a physician’s note will be required within 24 hours of the student’s return to school. While seeking a medical excuse, the student’s parent or guardian must still comply with absence notification procedures. Students are permitted to return to school while a physician’s note is being obtained, assuming the student has been fever, vomit, and diarrhea free for 24 hours (fever must be below 100.4 without fever-reducing medications).

We encourage attendance everyday as there is a strong link between attendance and academic achievement. Students must be present to learn. We trust parents and guardians will use their best judgement in deciding if their child(ren) are well enough to be present in school.

As a friendly reminder, per our AFC Student Handbook:

Ashton-Franklin Center CUSD #275 will exclude students based on typically qualifying symptoms such as: fever of 100.4 or higher (fever must be below 100.4 without fever-reducing medications), vomiting, and diarrhea. Students may return when the student is fever-free/symptom-free for 24 hours without medication.

Please refer to our Student Handbook (linked at the bottom of this memo) for additional information regarding school attendance.

Jenah Burkitt, Principal

Email: jburkitt@afcschools.net
Address: 217 South Elm Street, Franklin Grove, IL, USA
Phone: (815) 456-2325

Website: https://www.afcschools.net/