THREE RIVERS SCHOOL February 19, 2015 News You Can Use “Teaching Responsible Scholars 23rd…… School Board Meeting, PPS @ 7:00 PM 25th……. Market Day Pick-up 27th…… No School, Teacher Institute PROGRESS REPORTS SENT HOME Thursday, February 26th YEARBOOKS FOR THE 2014-15 SCHOOL YEAR Order forms for the Yearbook will be going home on Friday, February 13th. The cost of the Yearbooks this year will be $20.00. Please return the money and order form in to your homeroom/studyhall teacher before Monday, March 2nd. Yearbooks are sold on a pre-sale basis only. Please make checks payable to Lifetouch or you may now use a Credit Card Order Online at YBPay.lifetouch.com with Yearbook ID Code: 1400515 Please follow the directions on the envelope. Join our Facebook page (Channahon Updates) for the latest updates and to see how you can be involved! Did you know? The PTO provides meals to the teachers when they have to stay late for conferences? Get involved in helping today! Upcoming Events: Wednesday, February 25th: Market Day Pick-Up @ Galloway School, 5:30-6:30 PM From the Desk of the Principal Mrs. Kavich…….. Dear Parents of 5th & 6th Graders, It is always helpful, for your child and the school, to avoid absences on state testing days. For absences you have control over (appointments), I would respectfully ask that you do your best to avoid the PARCC testing dates. The PARCC testing window will be 24 days this spring, March 9th – 27th and May 8th – 21st. Your child will not be testing every day, but rather nine times for an average length of 75 minutes each session. If you can keep things simple and just avoid appointments over this entire window, then terrific. If not, and you need to have a better idea when exactly your child will test, then please don’t hesitate to email or contact me directly and I would be happy to get that information for you. I can be reached at [email protected] or (815) 467-4313. Questions you might have about PARCC: 1. How much PARCC testing does my child do compared to the old ISAT testing? Students used to do up to eight hours of ISAT testing. They now do up to ten hours of PARCC. 2. What is the #1 change for students? This is simple to answer. It is administered via computer rather than paper and pencil. For example, to work their way through a test they may be exposed to high-tech graphics or enhanced ways to present information for them to process, but they will also have to deal with the challenges of taking a test on computer (keyboarding, scroll, drag and drop, putting data into fields, etc…). Will “maneuvering the technology” hurt their score on “how well they know math or ELA” is a question to start answering after testing is complete for State leaders. The good news for us is CSD#17 is pretty advanced in terms of technology exposure throughout the school year, including taking a few PARCC practices in preparation in order to limit, or eliminate altogether, any technology confusion or difficulties. 3. Why is there a 24-day testing period this year, instead of the 4-day testing window in past years? Again, the students do about the same amount of individual testing (10 hours during 9 sessions averaging 75 minutes each) but it is drawn out over more days in order to work 320 students through our two stateof-the-art computer labs, while still having regular class during the same day. Soles for Shoes Program Beta Member Gino Capecci from Channahon Junior High along with his family and other Beta members will be working with the schools and community to sponsor a used sports shoe drive. Have you tried one season of rec. soccer and decided that sport wasn't for you, but you have a perfectly good pair of soccer cleats sitting in the closet? Did you outgrow your gym shoes before they even looked used, or have old shoes that were only used at school for gym? There are plenty of parents out there in the community that would welcome the opportunity to get gently used sports shoes such as cleats and gym shoes for their children who are trying out a sport or just to help save money on the fees and equipment costs that go into being involved with a sport. The schools, field house, and the main park district office will have collection boxes out starting this week for anyone who wishes to donate slightly used, but still quality sports shoes! Please drop them off at your convenience or send them to school for the donation boxes. The shoes donated will be inspected, cleaned up if necessary, and there will be an opportunity for those interested to come see what is available and "shop" the donations at the Junior High Multi-Purpose room on the afternoon of February 21st from 1-4 p.m. Tech Talk….Internet Safety Code Word: Future Students across the district have been receiving lessons on coding. Coding is similar to the computer programming classes that used to be offered in schools. Coding has seen a resurgence in popularity with the explosion of technology and devices and apps – there simply is a high demand for ever-updated technology and better, more engaging apps but not enough people to do the coding to meet that demand. So schools have been tapped to foster an interest in coding. Coding lessons are also great for promoting innovation, problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration – all wrapped up in what looks like a fun computer game or app! Check out these sources that our students in Channahon School District 17 are using to develop their coding skills: The website that started it all: code.org The following apps are free to download from iTunes: Daisy the Dinosaur: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/daisy-the-dinosaur/id490514278?mt=8 Kodable: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kodable/id577673067?mt=8 Coddy Free: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/coddy-free-innovative-educational/id698176009?mt=8 Cargo-Bot: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cargo-bot/id519690804?mt 10 Ways to get your Kids to Eat Their Vegetables! If your kids are veggie haters, you might find yourself playing hide-and-seek come mealtime. Peas hidden in pancakes? Check. Squash added to pasta sauce? Yep. Pureed spinach in fruit smoothies? Of course. But as your kids grow older (and wiser), it might be time to stop hiding the vegetables and start teaching your kids to enjoy healthful, nutritious foods as they are. Read on for painless ways to up your family’s vegetable consumption. 1. Don’t treat veggies as the enemy. Kids hear a lot of negative messages about healthy eating. Let your kids know that all food groups serve as fuel for the body and that nutrition plays a big role in growing up healthy and strong, she adds. 2. Stop hiding vegetables. A new study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found that kids will happily eat baked goods that contain vegetables — even when they know there are veggies in the dough. In the study, researchers served zucchini chocolate-chip bread, broccoli gingerbread spice cake, and chickpea chocolate-chip cookies to groups of schoolchildren. Kids liked the zucchini and broccoli treats, and only vetoed the chickpea cookies because they were unfamiliar with chickpeas. 3. Put the power of nutrition in kids’ hands. Researchers in the Netherlands studied 259 children between the ages of 4 and 12 and found that when kids got to choose which fruits and vegetables to eat, they were more likely to consume a healthy amount of vegetables without complaint. 4. Grow your own. “Kids love this, if you can, start a small garden and let the kids become farmers. They will have a ball watching their veggies grow and then eating them.” 5. Stick to vegetables with crunch. Researchers in the Netherlands gave children carrots and French beans prepared six different ways, and found that the kids overwhelming preferred “crispy, crunchy, and juicy” veggies over “mushy, squishy, and slimy.” Sorry, okra. 6. Do as you say. “The best way for adults to encourage vegetable consumption among their children is to be good role models," Blake says. "If you eat them and enjoy them, the kids will follow your lead.” 7. Consider nonfood rewards. Stickers might be the ticket to a happier dinner table. In a study, 173 families with 3- and 4-year-old children were divided into three groups. One group of kids got a sticker after trying a bit of a disliked vegetable, the second group got verbal praise, and the third group was not rewarded. After 12 days, the children who received the stickers were eating more vegetables (and liking them better) than the other two groups. After one and three months, the kids were still eating their veggies. . 8. Make food fun. Researchers wanted to see if offering a salad dressing “dip” along with broccoli could make a group of 152 preschoolers tolerate the much-reviled vegetable. After giving kids the healthful green twice a week for seven weeks, they found the youngsters were more likely to eat the vegetable when it was paired with dip, even when the dip was low-fat. Use salsa instead of highcalorie dressings and to try the technique with more than just broccoli. 9. Ask other caregivers to help. Discuss your preferences and expectations for vegetable consumption with caregivers at your child’s daycare or school. If you pack lunch for your children, encourage them to eat well when you’re not there to supervise. 10. Don’t give up. As with so many aspects of parenting, persistence and consistency are critical to the success of your veggie game plan. It can take 10 or more exposures to a single vegetable before a kid becomes accustomed to a particular taste. Exerted from: http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/summer-produce/ways-to-get-kids-to-eat-theirveggies.aspx?pos=1&xid=nl_everydayhealthhealthyliving_20150203 KINDERGARTEN ROUND-UP IN BOARD ROOM AT PIONEER PATH SCHOOL Thursday, Feb. 26, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Please bring your completed registration packet to round-up. In addition, TO REGISTER A PARENT MUST SUPPLY THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS: 1. A certified copy of your child’s birth certificate issued by the county of birth. 2. A copy of a custody agreement if applicable. 3. Proof of residency: Three of the following documentation will be accepted. The only exceptions will be those families declared Homeless. Category I (must supply one) 1) Ownership Title Category II (must supply two) 1) Previous months (GAS, ELECTRIC, WATER) 2) Closing Papers 2) Driver’s License with correct address 3) Current Rental/Lease Agreement* 3) Voter Registration Card with correct address 4) Current Tax Bill *Rental/lease agreement showing 5-digit street address, dates beginning/ending and lessee/lessor signatures. This is also a yearly requirement and must be updated each year. If a Parent/Guardian is living with District Resident, the following must be provided: 1. An Affidavit of Residency Part 1 to be completed by Parent/Guardian seeking to enroll student into school. It must be completed and notarized. 2. An Affidavit of Residency Part 2 to be completed by resident stating his/her approval of parent and child(ren) living with resident. It must be notarized and supporting residency documentation attached (see above). (Affidavit of Residency Forms are available through our District Office or Website www.csd17.org). This is a yearly requirement and will only be accepted at the District Office after June 1. PLEASE NOTE: Your child will not be registered without proper proof of residency and original birth certificate. Children entering Kindergarten must have a completed physical with up-to-date immunization records dated within one year of school entry. Physicals must be written on the approved medical form. Forms will be available at Round-up. Please call 467-4311 with any questions or to obtain a registration packet. IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING SCHOOL CLOSING As we move closer to the winter months and the possibility of inclement weather, please follow these steps for up to date information regarding school in session or school not in session: CHECK OUR DISTRICT WEBSITE IMMEDIATELY- A message will be scrolling across the top of the www.csd17.org home page if school has been canceled. CHECK YOUR EMAIL- An email will be sent directly to you telling you that school has been canceled. TUNE INTO RADIO STATIONS- 1340 WJOL, 98.3 WCCQ, 96.7 STAR, 100.7 RXQ, 103.1 WCSJ, 95.7 WJDK, 780 WBBM, 720 WGN TUNE INTO TV STATIONS- Channel 5 News, ABC 7 Chicago, CLTV, Fox News Chicago ACCESS THIS EMERGENCY SITE- www.EmergencyClosings.com CALL THE CHANNAHON DISTRICT 17 ADMINISTRATIVE CENTER @ 815-467-4315. Minooka HS Band and Guard Boosters 24th Annual Craft Fair Sat. February 21, 2015 9-3 MCHS Central Campus Music Booster News!   Mark your calendars for Wednesday, March 18th! Plans for our 6th annual Italian Pasta Night are well underway. Please check to make sure you have received a packet from your child for this year’s Italian Pasta Night. We need your help to make this year’s fundraiser a success. If you have any questions regarding the Italian Pasta Night or are in need of a packet or more tickets, please contact Sherri Gierman at [email protected] Who: 1.) K‐2nd Boys and Girls 2.) 3rd – 8th Grade Boys and Girls Deadline: February 25, 2015 Cost: $10 per camper Times: 1:00 – 2:30 pm (3rd‐5th Boys and Girls) Where: Seneca High School When: February 28, 2015 2:30 – 4:00 pm (3rd‐8th Boys and Girls) If interested in joining the camp please sign up online at www.illinoisambush.com and go to camps! Any questions please email [email protected] SPAGHETTI DINNER THURSDAY FEBRUARY 26TH 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM Minooka Community High School 301 S. Wabena Avenue Central Campus Cafetorium “EVENING OF RHYTHM” JOIN US FOR OUR SPAGHETTI DINNER PERFORMANCES BY MINOOKA & CHANNAHON JR HIGH JAZZ BANDS & MINOOKA INDOOR PERCUSSION *RAFFLE BASKETS & SILENT AUCTION ITEMS* SILENT AUCTION & RAFFLE ITEMS INCLUDE:    Arlington Park “Day at the Races” Clubhouse Box Seat Package for 4 Auto Care Package Including $250 in Exxon Mobil Gas Cards Passes for Vertical Endeavors, CPX Sports, Heritage Bluffs Golf Course AND MANY OTHER GENEROUS DONATIONS FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES & **Ticket Required for Entry** For Additional Information: Contact : Kathi Spindler Phone: (815) 260-2869 Email: [email protected] Advance Tickets $7.00 $8.00 at the Door Ages 3 & Under Free MINOOKA INDOOR PERCUSSION