Welch Parent News

Monday, April 13th -

• Comfy Day! Wear your comfiest clothes!

Tuesday, April 14th -

• Team Up Day! Wear your favorite team's colors or logo!
• 5th Grade Choir 8:00 AM
• Basketball Club 3:35 - 4:30 PM
• Club Elevate 3:35 - 4:45 PM

Wednesday, April 15th -

• Favorite Color Day!

Thursday, April 16th -

• Matching Day! Match with a friend or group
• Camp Connections 3:35 - 4:30 PM

Friday, April 17th -

• Wear Blue!
• Young Rembrandts 3:35 - 4:30 PM

It is time to order your child's yearbook! Ordering is online only this year, Each yearbook is $18.00. If you are interested in ordering, please see the link below: https://www.vipis.com/

If you have questions, please reach out to Jennifer Daunis @ jennifer_daunis@Ipsd.org. Thank you!

The district is again contracting with a third-party vendor to automatically verify student address information. As was the case last year, we anticipate the overwhelming majority of our

families will be electronically verified.

If your residency is electronically verified, you will receive a letter of confirmation. If you register prior to the first day of school, there will be no need to submit any additional

paperwork to certify that you live within the district’s boundaries. If you register after the first day of school, you will need to provide additional information during online registration.

A letter will also be sent to families whose residency we are unable to verify electronically. The letter will provide details on additional information you will need to provide during online registration in order to register your child for the upcoming school year.

Verifying residency is an effort to protect taxpayers and district resources by identifying non-residents attending District 204 schools. Illinois law mandates that parents demonstrate

residency prior to enrollment in school and allows for periodic verification to validate compliance with the law.

Please contact Sarah Nowak with any questions or concerns.

Please see the link below for information on ordering a school supply kit for the 2026-2027 school year. Orders are due by May 31st at the following link:

www.educationalproducts.com/shoppacks

Welch's school ID is WEL039

This is a completely optional service we are offering to families; supply kits that are ordered will be shipped directly to your home!

The Welch 5th grade class panoramic photo is now available to view and order online! To order yours please follow the steps outlined below:

1. Go to: https://www.vipis.com/view/g/default/view?uuid=f0388f16-d729-453f-82fe-6e29a6bc115f
2. Follow the instructions to sign in.
3. Select your package or products and enter your information.
4. You will receive a confirmation email If you have any questions, please reach out to the following email address - support@vipis.com They will be happy to help!

Get ready for an exciting opportunity to explore, create, and innovate at our upcoming STEM Fair! Students can participate individually or as part of a team—just be sure to sign up using the Google Form linked here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1fJZFqiY72M6ja0Jte0J18t07i1yl0iuFZgVh5zBuM0I/viewform?edit_requested=true

Don’t wait—students who register early will be entered into weekly prize raffles for extra chances to win! At the fair, students will showcase their projects by presenting at booths to a panel of judges. The event will also feature hands-on STEM experiences from Rubber Ducky Dojo, including a tabletop chemical reaction rocket, air-pressurized race cars, and an AI robot.

In addition, our Rubber Ducky Dojo fundraiser is now live! Families can shop a variety of engaging STEM kits, activities, and gifts, and Welch will receive 20% of all sales. Many of these kits can even spark ideas for STEM Fair projects—making it a fun way to support our school while inspiring creativity at home!

Get ready for one of the most fun mornings of the year!

Students will run, walk, and get covered in color while enjoying music, energy, and a super fun atmosphere with their friends. We will also have face painting and henna art from 9:30 to 10:30 AM, as well as community vendors to explore.

This is always a favorite event for kids, and you won’t want to miss it!

Register here: https://app.givebacks.gives/686392

Please remember to send your child to school with a snack every day. A healthy snack helps students stay focused, energized, and ready to learn throughout the day.

Our office has kept a small supply of extra snacks for students who occasionally forget, but our supply is out We kindly ask families to help by packing a snack each morning so that all students have what they need to get through the day successfully.

Thank you for your support in helping keep our students fueled and ready to learn!

Please complete this form if your student has permission to purchase a second lunch entree and/or second meal. Each student will need this form completed in order to purchase a second entree or meal. The cost is as follows: Breakfast - Second Meal $3.75; Lunch - Second Entree - $4.40 and Second Meal - $5.75; regardless of Free/Reduced Lunch status, EVERYONE who takes a second entree and/or meal will be charged these amounts.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeEXO7stk8NiVvGaE4q0JLWS7Upzw1PViq0xphie8kYvE00aQ/viewform?usp=header

We have a few exciting things happening in the next few weeks, plus some important updates to share:

STEM Night - Friday, April 24th at 6:00 PM
We’re excited for STEM Night and are looking for participants to help make it a great event!

Sign up to participate here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1fJZFqiY72M6ja0Jte0J18t07i1yl0iuFZgVh5zBuM0I/viewform?edit_requested=true

STEM Fundraiser
We’re also launching a fun fundraiser where you can purchase a STEM kit for your student to build at home or use during STEM Night: https://www.rubberduckydojo.com/?sca_ref=10680916.fgcurJl5X7nz

Students who sign up to participate in STEM night will be entered into weekly drawings held on:
• Friday, April 10th
• Friday, April 17th

Each week’s prize is a Chemical Reaction Rocket Kit.
(See attached flyer for more details.)

Welch Color Run - Sunday, May 17th
Get ready for one of the most fun mornings of the year!

Students will run, walk, and get covered in color while enjoying music, energy, and a super fun atmosphere with their friends. We will also have face painting and henna art from 9:30 to 10:30 AM, as well as community vendors to explore.

This is always a favorite event for kids, and you won’t want to miss it!

Register here: https://app.givebacks.gives/686392

Thank you for supporting Welch and helping make these events possible. We hope to see you at some of these upcoming events!

Your Welch PTA Board

Welch will be collecting plastic bread tags to donate to SCARCE for recycling in partnership with Danielle Cares for Chairs. Plastic bread tags are those square clips commonly used to seal bags around a loaf of bread, bagels, or even produce. If you are trying to reduce your plastic use, they can be hard to avoid. Further, plastic bread tags are not recyclable in your curbside recycling bin. Therefore, millions end up in landfills each year, just adding to our disposable plastic problem. it takes about 260,000 bread tags to purchase a basic wheelchair – so every bread tag counts! We will have collection bags at Welch, so please feel free to bring yours in or send them with your child!