Hello Emerson Families!
The staff and I are so excited to welcome all of our students to school on Wednesday! We are very excited to move forward together: our gym is cleared and ready for physical education! Our cafeteria is set up with tables and benches again for lunch! Our special teachers are starting the year in their classrooms! Our PTA is planning in person events! And most importantly - our kids are coming to school (that’s been beautifully renovated)! It is going to be a great year!!
Important Dates
● 8/16 and 8/17: School Tours for new Emerson families; sign up here
● 8/17: Ice Cream Social 3:00-4:30 PM on Emerson’s blacktop
● 8/18: First Day of School!
● 8/18: PTA Parent Coffee 8:15-10:00 AM at Emerson (outdoor event for all Emerson parents, join us at the tent and black top area behind the parking lot)
● 8/25: Late Arrival (see below for more info)
● 9/1: Coffee with the Principals 8:30-9:30 Come join Ms. DeLockery and Ms. Collins for coffee and conversation!
● 9/6: Labor Day, No School
● 9/14: First PTA Meeting 7:00 PM at the Emerson Library (a Zoom option will also be available)
Main Office Closed
The main office will be closed between 8 AM and 8:45 AM on Tuesday, August 17th for a staff meeting. It will be open from 7:30-8 AM and 8:45 AM - 4 PM the remainder of the day.
Late Arrivals
District 205 utilizes late arrivals to provide teachers additional professional development and collaboration time outside the school day. When there is a late arrival, students begin entering the building at 9:40 and school begins at 9:45 AM. Half-day Kindergarten students are dismissed at 11:55.
Welcome New Staff!
I’d like to welcome Ms. Morgan Pullia to the Emerson teaching staff! Ms. Pullia will be teaching second grade and joins us from Edison where she was a daily permanent substitute. I’d also like to welcome Ms. Mary Malone, our new art teacher! Ms. Malone was a long-term substitute for the art teacher at Jackson last year; she is excited to be joining Elmhurst 205 permanently!
Ice Cream Social
We will be letting families into the building for supply drop off during the Ice Cream Social, as well as to meet your teacher and tour the building! We will have staggered times below by last name; we understand if you can’t make your designated time and you may still enter at another time. Some teachers will be letting students and parents organize supplies, but to keep traffic to a minimum, we prefer placing supplies at your child’s desk; teachers will help them organize on the first day. Families are encouraged to visit the ice cream social before or after their designated building time. All visitors must be masked while in the building; no masks are required when outside.
3:00-3:30: Last name ends Q-Z
3:30-4:00 - Last name ends I-P
4:00-4:30 - Last name ends A-H
Health and Safety Reminder
We are so excited to have your children back in school! As a reminder, when students and adults come inside school, everyone will be wearing a face mask that covers their nose and mouth. We always have extras on hand, and if your child needs support, we are happy to provide that so that everyone can be safe and healthy. We regularly provide breaks from masks during the day, and our students don’t have to wear masks when they go outside.
FORWARD TOGETHER 2021-22
We are ready to move Forward Together for the 2021-22 school year! If you are taking photos on the first day of school, you are welcome to use our first day of school sign. Print out the sign, take a photo with your student, and post to social media with the hashtag #ForwardTogetherD205. We’ll repost your photos on our social media platforms!
What to Expect at Lunch and Snack
According to IDPH, mealtimes represent one of the highest-risk settings within the school since students are removing their masks and voices are often elevated. Our school teams have prepared for this in the following ways:
● Students will keep their lunches in their lockers until ready to go to lunch, carry them to the cafeteria, then place their lunch bags back in their lockers.
● Students will have the choice day to day whether to eat in the cafeteria or outside on the playground (weather permitting). Students may bring towels or mats to sit on when outside.
● Students will be seated first and then dismissed in small groups to pick up food from the cafeteria line.
● Students will be seated at least three feet apart in the cafeteria.
● We will open doors in cafeteria spaces to enhance ventilation.
● Before and after each lunch period, the cafeteria will be cleaned and sanitized.
● Students will be asked to wash their hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer prior to and after eating.
● Snacks should be a fruit or vegetable and will be eaten outside as much as possible and paired with a mask break. During inclement weather, snacks will be eaten in the classroom.
Fall 2021 Plan
As we move forward together, updates regarding the Fall 2021 Plan will be forthcoming to the entire community from District 205 and shared here.
Parent Artist Needed!
If you have a talent for painting, please email me at sdelockery@elmhurst205.org if you’d be able to paint a tree trunk and branches on a blank wall for a school project.
Student Supplies
If you ordered supplies with the PTA, they will be delivered to your child’s classroom on Friday, August 13th and be there for them when school begins. If you are purchasing your own supplies, please see the school website here for a list.
Student Dropoff and Pickup
Students will enter at the doors listed below; these are the same doors students will exit from at the end of the day. Once you are by the door, you and your child will need to find the grade level and your teacher’s initial (Ex.: if your child has Mrs. Guziewski, you would look for “3G”).
● Kindergarten: Door 10 (Dolecki) and Door 1 (Garcia, Hennessy, and Prather (front near flagpole)
● 1st Grade: Door 7 (near fence on blacktop)
● 2nd Grade: Door 6 (near fence on blacktop)
● 3rd Grade: Door 1 (by flagpole)
● 4th and 5th Grade: Door 4 (back of the blacktop)
Students should not be dropped off until 8:05, though you may come earlier on the first day for pictures; doors open at 8:10 and school begins at 8:15. Please pick your child up from the same door in the afternoon at 3 PM. Students in grades K-3 must be picked up by an older sibling or adult.
● Parking Logistics: please remember to always park in the Mary Queen lot during arrival and dismissal if you are walking your child to the building, and if you are coming to volunteer during the day. We have limited spots for our staff members in our own lot. Please feel free to use the fifteen-minute parking spot right by the front door if you are picking up a sick child. Please share this information with any grandparents or care-givers that might be picking up or dropping off your children!
● For parents who drop their child off, please use the Drop and Go Zone that circles through the Mary Queen lot; do not use street parking, the Emerson lot or Ferndale. See here for Drop and Go procedures. Remember to drive slowly as children are crossing through the lot.
○ We will not be running the Drop and Go Zone in the Mary Queen Parking Lot on the first day of school because many parents will be parking and walking their child. We will start the Drop and Go Zone on Thursday, August 19th. Please remember to pull all the way up, and do not walk through the Drop and Go Zone!
Windy City Ninja Program Offerings
● After-School Ninja Warrior Program for District 205 Schools!
● Full Week After-School Program
○ Classes for ages 5-8 and 9-13
● Monthly sessions starting August 18th (pro-rated for August)
Schedule:
● 3:00-3:20 – Kids picked up from school by parent/guardian and dropped at WCN
● 3:20-3:30 – Kids change / get ready for ninja class
● 3:30-4:25 – Ninja Class: Two different classes offered (Ages 5-8 and 9-13) – Kids have a blast while building strength and confidence!
● 4:25-5:00 – Snack/Homework: Snack break and homework time in our party room
● 5:00-5:45 – Guided activity: Changing week to week, activities include: arts & crafts, cerebral games & activities, how-to videos and STEM projects
● 5:45 – Parent Pick Up from WCN
Pricing: $435 per month for daily after-school program - 5 days per week, excluding holidays/school days-off (pricing valid for 2021)
*With permission, we will connect parents from the same schools to see if they’d like to set up a carpool from their school with other students attending.
*Transportation available if required – minimum 3 students per school/per week to provide transportation to WCN. Inquire for costs.
Looking forward to seeing all of our Eagles on Wednesday!
Ms. Sheleen DeLockery, Principal
- Emerson