As the calendar year comes to an end, please take this time to rest and relax with your family. We, at Walker, are very appreciative of your support and generosity throughout the school year. The community outreach we experience at Walker is nothing short of amazing. It truly takes a village to support our students, and we are very grateful of the village we serve.

As expected, we have a lot of activities next week. Please see below and reach out if you have any questions.

Enjoy the next few weeks and we are excited to see you in 2024.

Mr. Jeff Moore, Principal

Chromebooks

All Chromebook should be charged at home prior to school. These devices are used everyday for instruction. We don't have charges at school for student use.

Uniform Policy

Please review the school dress code for sweatshirts below. Students often come to school with the wrong color sweatshirts.

12/18: Recognition Rally

12/19: Holidays Around the World Assembly

12/20: Holiday Show Dress Rehearsal

12/21: Holiday Show at 9AM

12/22: Early Dismissal/PBIS Rockstar Event

12/25-1/5: Winter Break

1/8: Classes Resume

Summit Trustees are inviting families to the village hall on Monday, December 18th from 3-6 PM for some hot chocolate.

On Friday, December 1st, student participated in a Minute to Win it competition. Students earned this by practicing Kindness and respect towards peer during the month of November.

Thank you for Vulcan Materials Company for sponsoring our PBIS program!

Every Monday, Walker School has Student Recognition Rallies. This is a time the entire school is together and we recognize the hard work of our school community. We will celebrate both academic and social emotional achievements.

Those students who were recognized on December 4th and 11th are below. Great job students!

Berning Acres is owned and operated by Natalie and Matt Berning in East Dubuque, Illinois. They live and work there with their five children. It is an 850-acre farm that was established in 1973. They raise over 400 cows daily and 170 calves and heifers. Our adopted cow is named Rosie and has gained 96 pounds since her birth is September.

1st grade is traveling around the world to see how different countries celebrate winter holidays. They participate in hands on activities, which include reading, writing and arts components.

Below are some pictures from Italy!

In Spanish club, students have been learning about different Spanish speaking countries, as well as their traditions and customs. Students have learned about Spain, El Salvador, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. This month we have learned color words in Spanish and about piñata makers. We also had a winter celebration and celebrated with piñatas!

Hello Walker Families,

Walker will host Dental Day on Thursday, Feb 29, 2024. Permission forms were sent home last week. Please complete the form and return to school as soon as possible or scan the QR code for easy sign up (see attached flyer). This is a completely free resource so please take advantage and sign up now.

Remember, a dental exam is a registration requirement for kindergarten, 2nd and 6th grade. Therefore, signing up would fulfill this registration requirement. If your student does not have a current dental exam on file or will be in the above grades next school year, this is the perfect time to sign up. All students, however, are encouraged to take advantage of this amazing opportunity.

In addition, hearing and vision referrals were sent home for students who did not pass a screening. Please make an appointment with the appropriate physician and return the completed medical paperwork as soon as possible. Early discovery and treatment can prevent or at least alleviate any problems in the school setting. Adequate hearing and vision are key for a successful academic school year.

Also, please keep your student home when he or she feels ill. We are in the midst of cold and flu season, so we appreciate your cooperation. Refer to the attached letter of when to keep your child home as well as how to inspect your child's hair for possible lice. This should be done frequently throughout the school year.

If your student tests positive for COVID-19, please contact the school nurse. Students who are covid positive will isolate for at least five calendar days from onset of symptoms; return on day 6 if 24 hours with no fever (without fever-reducing medication), diarrhea and vomiting ceased for 24 hours AND improvement of symptoms. Masking is recommended on days 6-10.

Furthermore, please do not send medication with your child to school unless the nurse has a completed medication authorization form from your child's physician. This includes all over-the-counter medication such as cough drops, throat lozenges, etc. Doing so can be extremely harmful to our students' health. Please refer to chapter 5 of the student handbook for further information.

As always, our goal is to ensure a healthy and safe environment for all students. Please contact the nurse or Walker's main office with any questions. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

Bianca Vazquez MSN, RN, PEL-CSN

District 104 School Nurse

Walker Elementary

708-458-7150

Ext: 7301

• Make your own family media use plan. Media should work for you and within your family values and parenting style. When used thoughtfully and appropriately, media can enhance daily life. But when used inappropriately or without thought, media can displace many important activities such as face-to-face interaction, family-time, outdoor-play, exercise, unplugged downtime and sleep.
• Treat media as you would any other environment in your child's life. The same parenting guidelines apply in both real and virtual environments. Set limits; kids need and expect them. Know your children's friends, both online and off. Know what platforms, software and apps your children are using, what sites they are visiting on the web and what they are doing online.
• Set limits and encourage playtime. Media use, like all other activities, should have reasonable limits. Unstructured and offline play stimulates creativity. Make unplugged playtime a daily priority, especially for very young children.
• Screen time shouldn't always be alone time. Co-view, co-play and co-engage with your children when they are using screens—it encourages social interactions, bonding, and learning. Play a video game with your kids. It's a good way to demonstrate good sportsmanship and gaming etiquette. Watch a show with them; you will have the opportunity to introduce and share your own life experiences and perspectives—and guidance. Don't just monitor them online—interact with them, so you can understand what they are doing and be a part of it.
• Be a good role model. Teach and model kindness and good manners online. Because children are great mimics, limit your own media use. In fact, you'll be more available for and connected with your children if you're interacting, hugging and playing with them rather than simply staring at a screen.
• Know the value of face-to-face communication. Very young children learn best through two-way communication. Engaging in back-and-forth "talk time" is critical for language development. Conversations can be face-to-face or, if necessary, by video chat with a traveling parent or far-away grandparent. Research has shown that it's that "back-and-forth conversation" that improves language skills—much more so than "passive" listening or one-way interaction with a screen.
• Limit digital media for your youngest family members. Avoid digital media for toddlers younger than 18 to 24 months other than video chatting. For children 18 to 24 months, watch digital media with them because they learn from watching and talking with you. Co-viewing is best when possible and for young children. They learn best when they are re-taught in the real world what they just learned through a screen. So, if Ernie just taught the letter D, you can reiterate this later when you are having dinner or spending time with your child.
• Create tech-free zones. Keep family mealtimes, other family and social gatherings, and children's bedrooms screen free. Turn off televisions that you aren't watching, because background TV can get in the way of face-to-face time with kids. Recharge devices overnight—outside your child's bedroom to help him or her avoid the temptation to use them when they should be sleeping. These changes encourage more family time, healthier eating habits, and better sleep.
• Don't use technology as an emotional pacifier. Media can be very effective in keeping kids calm and quiet, but it should not be the only way they learn to calm down. Children need to be taught how to identify and handle strong emotions, come up with activities to manage boredom, or calm down through breathing, talking about ways to solve the problem, and finding other strategies for channeling emotions.
• It's OK for your teen to be online. Online relationships are part of typical adolescent development. Social media can support teens as they explore and discover more about themselves and their place in the grown-up world. Just be sure your teen is behaving appropriately in both the real and online worlds. Many teens need to be reminded that a platform's privacy settings do not make things actually "private" and that images, thoughts, and behaviors teens share online will instantly become a part of their digital footprint indefinitely. Keep lines of communication open and let them know you're there if they have questions or concerns.
• Warn children about the importance of privacy and the dangers of predators and sexting. Teens need to know that once content is shared with others, they will not be able to delete or remove it completely, and includes texting of inappropriate pictures. They may also not know about or choose not to use privacy settings, and they need to be warned that sex offenders often use social networking, chat rooms, e-mail, and online gaming to contact and exploit children.
• Remember: Kids will be kids. Kids will make mistakes using media. Try to handle errors with empathy and turn a mistake into a teachable moment. But some indiscretions, such as sexting, bullying, or posting self-harm images, may be a red flag that hints at trouble ahead. Parents must observe carefully their children's behaviors and, if needed, enlist supportive professional help, including the family pediatrician.

Media and digital devices are an integral part of our world today. The benefits of these devices, if used moderately and appropriately, can be great. But, research has shown that face-to-face time with family, friends and teachers plays a pivotal and even more important role in promoting children's learning and healthy development. Keep the face-to-face up front, and don't let it get lost behind a stream of media and tech.

In gratitude,

Mr. Chris Hofer

chofer@sd104.us

Students will continue to go outside when weather permits for recess (feel like temperature of 20 degrees of warmer). Please send students to school on proper winter wear for the day. Thank you.

If you are in the need for winter clothing, please contact our school social worker, Mr. Chris Hofer. chofer@sd104.us

Just a reminder, no birthday treats are allowed. Treats are limited to all school celebration parties. Please see school policy if you have any questions.

Arrival

Students are to be dropped off no earlier than 7:30 AM at door 1 (8:30 on Wednesdays). Breakfast is served from 7:30-& 7:50 AM. Please do not park on 78th Ave.

Dismissal

Students will be dismissed at 2:50 each day.

Kindergarten-1st- New office area.

2nd-3rd- Door 1

4th-5th Grade will exit from door 5 (adjacent to playground)

Please use the link below to register for the bus and view transportation schedules.

https://www.sd104.us/page/transportation

Please use the link below for all breakfast/lunch menus.

Please us the link below for parent resources and information regarding our district.