Dolphin Splash

We have so many celebrations to share this week! This week’s Dolphin Splash is filled with exciting highlights and countless examples of our Dolphins learning, growing, and showing leadership. It is always great to see our students putting their best foot forward, supporting one another, and making a positive impact on our school community. We are so proud of our Dolphins and all they continue to accomplish!

We look forward to seeing many of you tonight at Parent-Teacher Conferences! Thank you for taking the time to connect with your child’s teacher and partner with us in supporting your child’s growth and success

As a reminder, there is no school tomorrow, Friday, October 23, as our staff will be participating in a Building Institute Day. We hope you enjoy the long weekend and have a fantastic three-day weekend with your family! -Mr. Zerfas

We are so excited to share that our very own Nancy Young kindergarteners will be featured on NBC 5 Chicago’s School Shoutout segment tomorrow morning, Friday, October 23!

Today, our kindergarten cohort had the exciting opportunity to film a special “Good Morning, Chicago!” message for the NBC morning show. You can catch our Dolphins spreading some morning cheer at 4:40 a.m., 5:40 a.m., 6:40 a.m., and 7:40 a.m., with additional opportunities to see the segment throughout the day!

Take a look at the picture below for a behind-the-scenes sneak peek! We are so proud of our kindergarteners and can’t wait for everyone to see our Dolphins on TV!

On Monday, October 19, fifth-grade students and members of our Spirit Council had the opportunity to present to the Indian Prairie Board of Education!

Akhira Kakarla, Aryana Parikh, Payton Loqui, Ayaana McCabe, and Myra Kaushik shared what Spirit Council is all about and how it makes a positive impact on our school community. They highlighted several of the group's efforts, including Operation Support Our Troops, Feed My Starving Children, and our Welcome Buddies program.

We are so proud of these Dolphins for representing Nancy Young Elementary and sharing how our students are making a difference in our school and beyond!

This past Friday, we held our first quarter PBIS assembly! During the assembly, we reviewed our building wide expectations and how we can all practice the 3 B’s: Be Safe, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible.

We also shared the first video in our new school safety series. This month’s video focused on restroom safety and following expectations to help keep our school safe and respectful for everyone.

Finally, we announced our first quarter Dynamic Dolphin winners! This quarter, we celebrated students who go above and beyond in demonstrating respect for others. We are excited to celebrate these Dolphins and their families early next month! Dynamic Dolphin winners should have received an email from Mr. Zerfas with details about their special celebration.

Join us for our PTA Halloween Bingo Night on Thursday, October 29th, from 6:00–8:00 PM! Bring the whole family for a night of BINGO, PRIZES, COSTUMES, RAFFLES & HALLOWEEN FUN!

ADMISSION (PER FAMILY)

• $10 – PTA Members (Discounted ticket link sent via email!)

• $15 – Non-PTA Members & At the Door Click to Purchase your BINGO Tickets Now!!

THE NIGHT'S LINEUP

• 6:00–6:20 PM: Arrival & Concessions

• 6:20–6:40 PM: Bingo Round 1

• 6:40–7:00 PM: Bingo Round 2

• 7:00–7:20 PM: Intermission, Costume Contest Judging, Concessions Reopen & Raffle Ticket Sales

• 7:20–7:25 PM: Costume Contest & Raffle Winners Announced

• 7:25–7:45 PM: Final Bingo Round!

CONCESSIONS
Pizza – $5/slice | Candy – $3 or 2 for $5 | Water – $1

Concessions will close before Bingo begins and reopen during intermission!

COSTUME CONTEST
Come dressed to impress! Awards for Most Creative, Funniest, Best Character & Spookiest!

RAFFLE FUN!
Tickets are just $1 each for a chance to win fun school-related prizes! You must be present to win raffle prizes!

We can't wait to see you there! -Nancy Young PTA

At our most recent PBIS assembly, our new Dolphin Cheerleaders made their debut! This new club, open to all first, second, and third grade students, gives our younger Dolphins an opportunity to build school spirit, work together, and celebrate our school community. Our cheerleaders have been working hard to practice and prepare, and they did an amazing job bringing energy, enthusiasm, and plenty of Dolphin spirit to the assembly!

We are so proud of their hard work, confidence, and teamwork during their first performance in front of the entire school. We look forward to seeing this new club grow and watching our Dolphin Cheerleaders continue to spread school spirit throughout the year. Go, Dolphins!

We are so proud to celebrate a tremendous milestone! On Thursday, October 22, we held our Fall Fest to recognize our students' outstanding behavior during the first quarter. Students enjoyed a variety of activities in the gym during their 50-minute specials block.

Because more than 80% of our students earned Dolphin Dollars and were recognized at the Dolphin Cart for their exemplary choices, our students earned this special reward. This accomplishment reflects the positive choices our Dolphins consistently make and the responsibility and respect they demonstrate throughout our classrooms, hallways, and school community.

Fall Fest is about more than just fun activities. It is a celebration of our PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) system in action. Every Dolphin Dollar represents a positive choice, and when those choices add up, they help create a school culture where students feel proud of themselves, support one another, and contribute to a positive learning environment.

Congratulations to all of our Dolphins on this fantastic accomplishment! We are so proud of the choices you make each day. Let's keep swimming toward success as we head into the second quarter!

Our lost and found table has been moved to the front foyer. Please make sure to check to see if your child has any lost items on the table when you visit today and on November 2nd for parent teacher conferences! Any remaining items still left by Friday, November 6th will be donated.

• Thursday, October 22nd - Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences 4:30 pm - 8:00 pm.
• Friday, October 23rd - No School - School Institute Day
• Thursday, October 29th - Halloween Bingo Night 6:00-8:00pm
• Friday, October 30th - Halloween Parade 9:30am
• Monday, November 2nd - No School - Parent-Teacher Conferences
• Monday, November 2nd - Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences 8:00 am - 3:00 pm and 4:30 pm - 8:00 pm.
• Tuesday, November 3rd - No School - General Election

As a reminder, Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences will take place on Thursday, October 22, 2026 from 4:30 pm - 8:00 pm. On Monday, November 2, 2026 the conferences will be offered from 8:00 am - 3:00 pm and 4:30 pm - 8:00 pm.

Parent sign-up for Parent-Teacher Conferences has officially closed, but it is not too late to schedule a conference! If you have not yet signed up, please reach out directly to your child's teacher to arrange a time to meet. While teachers have limited availability remaining, we will do our best to make sure every family has the opportunity to connect with their child's teacher and discuss their progress.

This year, students are invited to wear their Halloween costumes to school and participate in the Nancy Young Halloween Parade on Friday, October 30th at 9:30 a.m.

To ensure students are ready for the parade, any student who wishes to participate should come to school dressed in their Halloween costume. Students are welcome to wear school-appropriate costumes. Notably, please avoid costumes that make it difficult for a student to safely navigate on their own, weapon-like accessories, or anything that indicates violence. Students will have to remove or put away any costume or item that is deemed inappropriate or unsafe.

After the parade, students will remove their costumes and store them in their backpacks. Please make sure your child can independently manage bathroom needs while in costume and can get out of their costume with limited adult support. Also, please ensure your child wears appropriate clothing under their costume to wear the remainder of the day.

Weather permitting, part of the parade will take place outside so family members can watch. A copy of the parade route is included below. Parents are welcome to line the walkway to view all of the wonderful costumes. In the event of inclement weather, the outdoor portion of the parade for families will be canceled.

Website: https://young.ipsd.org/
Location: 800 Asbury Drive, Aurora, IL 60502, USA
Phone: 630.375.3800

Indian Prairie School District 2026-2027 School Calendar

Vacation Planning Guide 2026-2027