The Avoca West Weekly

October 9, 2026

Dear Avoca West Families,

It has been a great week at Avoca West! Students enjoyed the beautiful weather outside and were so excited to purchase Affy Tapples for the PTC fundraiser. We are looking forward to seeing many of you at tomorrow's Fall Fest hosted by our PTC at Avoca West. You can still purchase tickets online through membership toolkit or at the door. More information and links are included below.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Your partner in education,

Margaret Burke

Avoca West Principal

Mark Your Calendars:

October 10th - PTC Fall Fest @ Avoca West 12 - 4 pm (more information included below)

October 12th - Columbus/Indigenous Peoples' Day (school in session)

October 16th - High Five Friday

October 20th - Picture Retake Day

October 22nd - Fall Fire Safety Day, Glenview Fire Department Visit

October 28th - Half Day, Parent/Teacher Conferences (In-Person)

October 29th - Half Day, Parent/Teacher Conferences (Virtual), Fall Class Parties

October 30th - No School

November 11th - Orchestra Concert @ 6:00 pm

November 23rd - 27th - Thanksgiving Break, No School

Absences:

Students are expected to be in attendance each day that school is in session unless a parent or guardian notifies the school office. Please notify the front office of student absences by 8:25 am. Parents can report absences by calling the school at (847)724-6800 or completing the online reporting form as soon as the absence is known. Students absent for 3 or more days in a row due to illness, must provide a doctor's note to return to school.

Avoca West Office Hours:

School office hours are from 7:30 am - 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

School Hours:

School Hours: 8:25 am - 3:00 pm

Kindergarten/1st grade lunch: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

2nd/3rd grade lunch: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

4th/5th grade lunch: 11:30 am - 12:30 pm

26-27 District Calendar At-a-Glance

Previous Avoca West Weekly Newsletters

Storybook Pumpkin Patch:

Parent-Teacher Conferences:

Sign-ups for our October 28th and 29th Parent-Teacher conferences opened on October 7th. Parents, please check your email for detailed directions and links. We look forward to discussing your student's learning and growth with you later this month!

Collecting Recyclables:

Trunk or Treat:

Book Drive:

Avoca West and Marie Murphy are hosting a Community Book Drive for Bernie's Book Bank and we need your help! Please donate new or gently used children’s books. Bernie's accepts new and gently used children’s books for children from birth through sixth grade reading level. Bernie's loves all books- fiction, non-fiction, chapter books, picture books and everything in between! Please no textbooks, dictionaries, activity books, coloring books, reference material or religious books.

Enroll early for Camp Galileo 2027 & support Avoca West:

Camp Galileo’s 2027 Early Enrollment is here, and this year there’s a bonus for our school. Book your camp weeks by October 31 and Galileo will donate $50 per enrolled family back to Avoca West (up to $1,000 total). Paid out in December, so it’s money our school can put to use right away in the new year.

What families get:

$100+ off per camp week, the lowest price of the season
Flexible payment plans on purchases over $1,000
Free cancellation through January 2027
Choose your dates and location later, once summer plans are set

What to do: Enroll at enrollcampgalileo.com/2027fun and be sure to select Avoca West at checkout so we get credit.

Personal Devices:

Mobile devices, such as cell phones, Smart Watches, etc. may be brought to school but they may not be used during the school day. Students using mobile devices during the school day will have them confiscated for the remainder of the day. If a student needs to call home, they may request permission to use the phone in the office. Students may not use their personal devices to call or text home during the school day.

Drop off Student Items/Lunches:

If your student forgets something at home, an adult may drop off items at the Avoca West Office. Our front office staff will message the classroom for your student to pick up these items during a break in student instruction. The teacher will send the student to the office during an instructional break to pick up their items.

Visiting Avoca West:

All visitors to Avoca West must have a valid state ID or driver’s license. Identification is entered into the Raptor identification system. This process only takes a short time to complete. Once you have clearance, the office staff will provide you with a visitor pass lanyard/badge that you must wear throughout the building. The office will hold your ID until you return to the office and return your lanyard. We appreciate your support as we proceed with this district-mandated safety procedure for the safety of our students.

Parent-Student Handbook:

Avoca West Elementary School follows policies and practices reviewed and implemented by the District 37 Board of Education. Please review the Avoca West Student-Parent Handbook before the start of the school year.

Change of Clothes - Seasonally Appropriate:

Please send a change of clothes with your children for all K-5 students. It is helpful to have a change of clothes in the event of spilled water, accidents, or an unexpected incidents. Clothes should be labeled with your child's name and can be kept in your child's locker. We encourage you to make sure your child's name is on each article of clothing.