Steele Family Newsletter

Click the headline above to see the calendar for all of the District #205 schools. This will help you stay up-to-date on days off, early release days and much more.

Dear Steele Families,

Last week was filled with wonderful celebrations and learning opportunities for our Steele Stars! Students who had no office referrals enjoyed a fun behavior incentive with bubbles—a joyful way to recognize positive choices. At our monthly assembly, we honored one student from every homeroom for exemplifying the character trait of Respect. We were also excited to welcome the Elk’s Club for the very first time. They presented one student with a certificate and gift cards to The Bookshoppe, McDonald’s, and Lim’s Ice Cream. It was inspiring to see another community organization come alongside us to celebrate and support our students.

We also had a successful first night of parent-teacher conferences, and we look forward to connecting with more families this week. Thank you for your continued partnership—it makes such a difference in the success of our students. Please remember we will have an early dismissal on Friday at 2:45 PM, followed by Fall Break the following week. We hope this time allows you to rest, recharge, and enjoy being together as a family.

As we focus on this month’s character trait, Responsibility, I encourage you to talk with your child about ways they can show responsibility at home. Whether it’s helping with chores, taking care of personal belongings, or following through on commitments, every small act builds character that lasts a lifetime.

With gratitude,
Mrs. Coate
Principal

Please mark your calendars for these important upcoming events:

👩‍🏫 Parent-Teacher Conferences – Wednesday, October 8 (4:00–7:00 PM)
📚🤝Book Drive - October 6 - 10th - Student Council is collecting gently used books for the Galesburg Public Library.
📅 End of 1st Quarter – Friday, October 10 (1-hour early dismissal)
🍂 Fall Break – No School the week of October 13
📸 Picture Retake Day - November 4

During the month of October, our Steele Stars will be learning about bullying prevention and how we can all help create a safe, kind school. Students will practice using respectful words, standing up for others, and including classmates in positive ways. They will learn what to do if they see bullying, how to report it to a trusted adult, and how to show kindness every day. By working together, we can make our school a place where everyone feels welcome and valued.

🟠 October 22nd - Wear Orange for Unity Day

Unity Day is part of National Bullying Prevention Month and is recognized every year on the third or fourth Wednesday in October (this year on October 22nd). On this day, students, schools, and communities are encouraged to wear orange as a powerful message of support, hope, and unity against bullying.

The purpose of Unity Day is to:

Promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion
Show solidarity with those who have experienced bullying
Send a visible message that we are united in creating a world where no child has to experience bullying.

So when students and staff wear orange, they are standing together to say: “We are united against bullying, and we are for kindness and respect for all.”

For family resources, visit: https://characterstrong.com/bullying-prevention.

Morning Announcement Video

🌟 Rise & Shine, Steele Stars! Ever wondered what our morning announcements look like while we eat breakfast? 🍎🥛 The birthday announcements were taken out of the video for student privacy reasons, but you can enjoy the rest of it!

🎥 Today’s video features a special Student Council guest who totally rocked it! 🙌👏

This year’s Red Ribbon Week theme is “Life Is A Puzzle, Solve It Drug Free™.” Think of life as a giant puzzle – each choice you make is a piece that fits into the bigger picture of your future. By making healthy choices and staying drug-free, you’re building a picture full of positivity, bravery, and strength. Together, we can create a beautiful, connected community where everyone thrives. Let’s start solving this puzzle – one healthy choice at a time!

We will have dress up days everyday of the week as you see if the graphic above. You will notice that Friday, Oct. 31st is designated as dress as your favorite character or wear fall colors. If students choose to dress up, they cannot wear a mask, any face paint, carry extra props, have any blood or gore, no weapons, and their costume cannot interfere with learning for the day. If their costume does interfere with learning, they will need to take it off.

Kindergarten Responsibility Family Newsletter

First Grade Responsibility Family Newsletter

Second Grade Responsibility Family Newsletter

Third Grade Responsibility Family Newsletter

Fourth Grade Responsibility Family Newsletter

Honoring Our Veterans

Once again, we would like to recognize any current or past members of the military that are related to our Steele Stars. Please send in a digital photo of the person, their name, and branch of service and how they are related to a student at Steele. These can be emailed to Mrs. Coate at kcoate@galesburg205.org. We will need these by November 7th.

Please download the Galesburg App. When you receive your invitation email, then you can sign up for messaging. All staff will use this for communication this school year. Once you have the app downloaded, you will see your child's teacher and information in the app.

If you haven't received an email or text, you can reach out to the office to get a code. If you are having trouble connecting, please contact our main office at 309-973-2016

The Shine in #205 program is a way for you to salute any CUSD #205 employee who goes above and beyond what is expected. Whether you are a parent/guardian impressed with that special touch your student's teacher added to a moment, a coworker who thinks their colleague doesn't hear often enough about the great job they are doing, or a community member who witnessed a staff member's commitment to students-you can submit a Shine nomination!

Link to nominate a staff member

Click here to follow the Steele Elementary PTO page!

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