BULLDOG BULLETIN

Thank you to all of your support, collaboration, and partnership as we started the school year together. We loved seeing so many of you at our Meet the Teacher, Back to School Night, and Curriculum Night! Our students have done an excellent job showing Bulldog Best expectations and are well established into school routines and procedures.

Our Besties program is now in it's third year and this week students have been reintroduced or introduced to their Bulldog Besties. Our Besties program has paired every student with an adult in the building as a way to build an additional connection of trust. Besties can build relationships by taking time to chat with each other before or after school, during lunch or recess, leaving a positive note in your child lockers and more. Our goal is to continue to provide layers of support and ongoing connection for all of our Bulldogs.

As a way to promote and celebrate positive behavior, our Bulldog Stamp Cards and School Store will be coming back next week. Students who demonstrate respectful, responsible, safe or kind behavior can earn stamps on their individual stamp card, which can then be put towards a purchase at our Sarah Adams School Store. Some items include tangible items like stickers or mini plushies, students can also use their cards to purchase experiences such as lunch with myself or Mrs. Wilfinger, spending time with their Bulldog Bestie, sitting by a friend and more options. Students have been asking if stamp cards are coming back, and we are excited to recognize all of our students efforts through this positive intervention system!

As a reminder we have a common message that we say every day together, "Bulldogs, remember to Be You, and Bring your Bulldog Best every day! " Our hope is that this simple phrase will remind our students how special each of our students are, and how we can be our best selves while being a team.

Finally, our Sarah Adams PTO is meeting for the first time Monday, September 9. If you are looking for ways to stay connected to our Sarah Adams community, please consider joining! There are many ways to be involved through our PTO, and we are always welcoming new faces. Below you'll see some exciting upcoming events, sponsored by PTO.

Remember, no school on Monday! Have a wonderful long weekend!

Fondly,

Dr. Colleen Conway

📌September 2- No School (Labor Day)

📌 September 4- Picture Day

📌 September 5- Restaurant Night: 10:30am - 10:00pm Buona/Rainbow Cone

📌 September 9- PTO Meeting, 6:30 pm

In case you missed it…We shared important attendance information at our curriculum night. In case you weren’t able to attend, the slide deck with this information is linked here. We appreciate your continued partnership as we work to maximize student attendance this school year!

As we prepare to start the school year, it is important that students and families establish regular routines to maximize student attendance to school. For younger learners, sometimes this means helping students feel more comfortable about a transition away from home and caregivers. Parents can find additional resources for students struggling with thinking about the transition back to school HERE.

Please note that for students who struggle to maintain regular attendance, parents/families will receive additional communication, conference requests, and other interventions to support regular school attendance - in accordance with state law. Parents/guardians can find more information regarding attendance in the Parent-Student Handbook.

Additionally, there will be more information shared at our Curriculum Night. There will also be a parent workshop offered in early September around supporting student attendance - stay tuned for more information!

As we approach the start of the school year, we want to remind all of our students and families of bus behavior expectations. Please take some time to review the information below with your student(s) before the start of school:

• Drink water only while on the bus; other food or drinks should be kept put away

• Use a voice level of 0 (voices off), 1 (whisper) or 2 (conversational volume, such as talking to someone next to you) at all times while on the bus

• Keep the aisle clear when students are loading or unloading

• Keep all body parts within the bus during the entire route

• Remain seated during the entire route

• Report to and stay in your assigned seat during the entire route

• Follow loading/unloading/crossing directions provided

• Exit through the designated doors only

• Take all trash and personal items with you when exiting the bus

• Keep all personal items with you during the route

• Use your assigned bus stop

Families can find additional information regarding bus expectations in Chapter 4 of the Parent-Student Handbook; students will also receive additional instruction on this topic during the first few weeks of school. We look forward to your partnership in these efforts, and to a successful start to the school year on transportation!

During this session, Jacqueline Rhew, LCPC, CADC, will lead an interactive discussion on interventions and strategies to promote active engagement in school and sports. Parents will learn methods to build their child’s confidence, enhance problem-solving skills, and foster a growth mindset. Special emphasis will be placed on supporting students who have struggled with anxiety, behavioral issues, or pain management concerns. These challenges can often impact engagement, academic and athletic potential, work completion, and the development of healthy relationships in school and sports environments.

Participants will receive a zoom link following registration, in advance of the session.

Attention LZ95 families! Do you know a Lake Zurich High School graduate who has made a significant mark in their career or through community service? We invite you to nominate them for the LZHS Distinguished Alumni Recognition award. This award celebrates alumni who graduated at least 10 years ago and have demonstrated excellence, integrity, and a commitment to service that reflects the values of our district. The selected honorees will be recognized at the Homecoming football game, and their photos will be added to the Distinguished Alumni Wall at LZHS. Let’s honor those who continue to make us proud by nominating deserving alumni today! https://forms.gle/xwtHLg41ru9ggZfM6

During School Safety Week, our school focused on key safety topics to keep our students and staff prepared and aware of how to stay safe in various situations. Students learned about a variety of topics:

• Standard Response Protocol (SRP): We learned about our emergency response procedures so everyone knows how to act quickly and safely in case of an emergency; for more information on the SRP, families can visit the link HERE (see SRP drop-down)

• Bus & Railroad Safety: Students reviewed important bus and railroad safety guidelines; families can find more information on railroad safety by visiting the link HERE (see Safety Resources)

• Safe2Help Illinois: We introduced the Safe2Help Illinois program, which provides a safe and confidential way for students to report safety concerns; for more information on this resource, families can visit the link HERE

We wrapped up the week by reinforcing that safety is everyone’s responsibility; remember, if you see or hear something - say something!

Thank you for your partnership in working together to support a safe, positive start to the school year!

Please see the flyer and link below for information on purchasing any SA Spirit Wear.

https://sarahadamsgear2024.itemorder.com/shop/home/

We are excited to kick off the 24-25 school year with a Safety Week, to occur during the week of August 19th. During this week, students will engage in learning around the following topics:

• The Standard Response Protocol (SRP), our emergency response protocol used to address safety concerns

• Safe2Help, our new anonymous reporting tool for safety concerns

• Collective responsibility for school safety (i.e., it takes all of us working together to maximize feelings of safety in the school community)

Families who want to learn more about the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) and the “I Love U Guys” Foundation may access information via the foundation’s website HERE. Please note that students will NOT be engaging in any drills associated with the SRP during Safety Week, and families will receive separate notification in advance of scheduled lockdown drills for the school year.

Effective the 24-25 school year, District 95 has partnered with Safe2Help Illinois, a statewide school safety program. This will replace the current District 95 See Something, Say Something tool. Safe2Help Illinois features a 24/7 helpline (1-844-4-SAFEIL), free mobile app, and dedicated website. Families who want to learn more about Safe2Help can visit the website at www.Safe2Helpil.com.

Thank you in advance for your partnership as we approach the start of the school year; it takes all of us working together to create safe school communities!

As part of our ongoing district Health & Wellness efforts, we have created a short presentation with food practice and allergy/dietary information related to our new food service providers. Follow the link HERE for this information!