RESPECT
february 2014
2014
RESPECT
SUCCESS FOR ALL LEARNERS!
720 Central Park Dr
Round Lake Beach, IL
Ellis Newsletter
847-270-9900
RLAS-116.org
NOTE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
This month I would like to bring your children’s NWEA-MAP assessment
performance to your attention. The assessment indicates academic growth in
reading and math. Just as your child grows taller each year, so should their
academic performance. The MAP assessment provides students with a target
score (RIT) each testing session. Our goal is to have all students make at least
one academic year of growth each school year. This means they should meet or
exceed their spring target score. In order for a child to grow academically we
must be meeting their academic needs and pushing them to the next level. I am
proud to say that the Ellis teachers work very hard to differentiate the
curriculum, based on individual MAP performance, so that every student can
make at least one year of academic growth. As you look at the new student
report you will see that your child’s score is compared to other students at their
grade level in both the district and the nation. We are working to insure all Ellis students are performing at
the national norm level for their specific grade, at the very least.
You can help your child by encouraging them to read each day at their independent reading level. Compass
Odyssey and Imagine Learning computer programs have been made available to every student in the district
for use at home. All students have user names and passwords for these excellent programs. Please visit our
website for activities that you can do at home to support learning.
The best way to help your child be successful is to have them in school, on time, every day. We appreciate
your support. Feel free to contact me or your child’s teacher with any questions or concerns you may have.
I am delighted with the growth our students are making at Ellis!! A strong home-school partnership will
support success for all of our students!
Beth Kiewicz
Principal
School starts at 8:20am.
Be on time!
UPCOMING EVENTS
February Calendar of Events

2/3 BOE Meeting 7:00pm RLHS

2/4 SES Parent Night 7:00 pm Ellis

2/14 Valentine’s Day Party @ 1:30 pm

2/17 NO SCHOOL President’s Day

2/20 Parent University 7:00pm Ellis

2/24 BOE Meeting 7:00pm RLHS

2/27 Black History Celebration 6:00pm RLHS
Auditorium
All absences should be reported
by 9:00am 847-270-9900.
RLHS Referendum FAQs
1st GRADE
1st grade has been making a lot of progress this year. We have recently finished our
Unit 2 test for Reading Streets. This past unit we worked on nouns, contractions,
and long vowel words. In math, we have been working on subtraction. Please
remember that the “Refrigerator Copy” is sent home weekly so you can be
practicing with your child each day. Additionally, please keep reading each day to
help your child make progress toward their goals. This month we will also be
celebrating the 100th day of school and Valentine’s Day. Please make sure to look
for upcoming information about these school events.
Do you have questions regarding the
March 18, 2014 referendum to
address capacity issues at Round Lake
High School? If so please go to the
District website at www.rlas116.org and follow the link for
more information. If you have
further questions there is a link
available for you to submit your
questions online. We also have
informational flyers available in the
front office if you would like to visit
and pick one up. They are also
available online.
2nd GRADE
NEW TRUANCY PROCEDURES
Third Grade Reading Street’s Unit Concept Question asks, “What does it
mean to be unique?” The stories are about unique qualities in people and our
environment. Some of the questions to discuss with your child include—how
do talents make someone unique? What unique traits does it take to be the
first to do something? What behaviors are unique to different animals? A key
comprehension skill we are practicing is how to generalize. When you
generalize, you make a general statement that tells how some things are
either mostly alike or all alike. For example, all birds have wings. We
continue to work on using context clues from our reading to help us figure
out the meaning of unfamiliar words.
Regular attendance at school is an important part of every student’s success. In order to gain the greatest
benefit from the child’s education
experience, it is necessary that they
attend school on a regular basis. Students who are frequently absent from
school do not receive direct instruction or regular contact with their
teachers. Furthermore, our mission is
“Student Growth Job 1: Every child,
Every chance, Every day”. To help
achieve our mission, please click the
link below to view the Districts new
Truancy Program.
Did you know that under the Illinois
School Code students between the
ages of 7-17 are required to attend
school daily? RLAS has implemented
NEW district truancy procedures!
- See more at: www.rlas-116.
Welcome back!!!!! We are hitting the ground running in 2014. We
recently just finished MAP testing for Reading and Math and the
students did a wonderful job. In math we are working on double-digit
addition and subtraction. Please continue to practice this at home.
Don’t forget about practicing time and money as these can be difficult
concepts for many of the students to understand. We are excited for a
great second half of the year! Don’t forget to read each night for 20
minutes and turn in your Great America reading logs by February 3rd.
3rd GRADE
In Math, we continue to work on multiplication and division facts.
Multiplication and division are inverse operations. We will also focus on data
and geometry. In data analysis, we will collect, organize and interpret data by
using tables and graphs. In geometry, we will identify solid and plane figures
and work on perimeter and area.
Continue to encourage your child to read 20 minutes per night. Make sure
that the Reading Log is returned to school in order for your child to earn a
free ticket to Six Flags. The log is due no later than February 24th.
ART
During the month of
February, we will be working
on a Black History unit. Each
grade level will be completing
an art project focused on
Black History Month. All of
the classes will view artwork
from a different African
American Artist, and create
their own work inspired by
the images viewed during
class.
The enrichment art students
will also be working on a
variety of heart themed
artwork to incorporate some
fun from the upcoming
Valentine’s holiday!
Math Night
4th GRADE Please feel free to contact your child’s teacher anytime you
may have questions or concerns. It is important to talk and exchange
information with you about our learners. The students and teachers in
4th grade are also very happy to see continued progress on the Reading
Unit tests. Our hard work is paying off.
As we work through the Unit 4 reading, the skills and concepts we will
be working on include sequencing, graphic sources, important ideas,
predicting, setting purpose character and plot, synonyms and antonyms.
Our genres will be expository text, biography, and realistic fiction.
During these winter months, keep in mind that it is a real advantage for
the students to be reading and going on the Compass and Imagine
Learning websites during some of their free time at home. Attendance
and getting enough sleep at night also makes a big difference in student
learning. Again, thank you parents for your support!
FIFTH GRADE
We have been working very hard in fifth grade and the effort is paying off. The
progress made on the winter MAP was phenomenal. You will be receiving your
student’s most current data along with his or her new goals. Many students had to
completely change their goals because they had met their yearly goal but in only half
the time. To ensure continued growth, please make sure that your student is reading
twenty minutes a night and going on Compass Learning at least two times a week.
We look forward to continuing to make great gains as we get closer to ISAT’s and
the spring MAP. Keep up the excellent effort fifth graders!
In reading we are just about done with the fourth unit and getting ready to start our
fifth unit that deals with adventurers. In science we are working on fractions and
measuring. We are also beginning to practice for the ISAT’s. In social studies we are
learning about the expansion of our country and how it was developed.
READING
February Skill of the Month—Compare and Contrast
Have your child compare (alike) and contrast (different) items at home. Have your child
compare and contrast characters on a TV show, items in your kitchen or household, or
stories they may have read. For example have your child pick a character from one TV
show and a character from another TV show. They can do this orally or write it on a tchart.
Since Valentine’s Day is in February The Reading Team wanted to tell you about some
books they love to read. Here is a short list!


Student Council has opened a
school supply store. The cart
will be in each hallway on one
assigned day per week. It will be
opened from 8-8:20 am. Please
see the flyer on our Facebook
page for more information.


Mrs. Abbott loves the book Giraffe Can’t Dance written by Giles Andreae.
Mrs. Breeden loves The Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan.
Ms. Ciszon loves The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.
Mr. Liebergen loves Stuart Little written by E.B. White.
Which book do you love?
Please check the Reading Corner Tab on our building website for Author of the Month.
Answer the question and turn it into Mrs. Abbott for a prize.—The Reading Team.
Email Address:
MUSIC Third and Fifth grade will be learning about music related to African-American
For easy access to RLAS-116 news,
and news pertaining to Ellis School,
please provide your child’s
classroom teacher with your email
address. Many important messages
will be sent by email this year.
History. They will be playing songs in blues form and learning about icons such as Luis
Armstrong and Wynton Marsalis. Second graders are singing songs and using hand signs
for so, la, and mi. Fourth grade continues with the recorder karate program. We are half
way through. We have just learned the Purple Belt Song: Old McDonald Had a Farm. First
grade is learning the difference between beat and rhythm and beginning to read musical
notation.
PE - Hello Ellis Parents and Students!
We hope you are staying warm in this cold weather.
In February we will continue having two different units. Mrs. Bullock will be starting our Floor Hockey unit and Mr. Osswald will be
starting our Yoga unit. In floor hockey, Mrs. Bullock will reach a variety of skills that are necessary to participate in a floor hockey game
(shooting form, passing, teamwork, safety, etc.). During the yoga unit the students will learn and practice a variety of yoga poses that
strengthen and balance the body.
As the physical education program here at Ellis, we strive to provide a wide range of different units and activities for our students. Our goal
is to spark an interest within our students to exercise and be active throughout their life time.
We are excited that our enrichment class is going so well. We are half way through this cycle and will be rotating at the end of February.
Mrs. Bullock and Mr. Osswald would like to congratulate the boys and girls intramural basketball teams for a great season.
Please contact us with any questions or concerns.
Ellis Physical Education
Have Fun!