Make dinner a selfless act by joining us for a fundraiser to support Armstrong Elementary School PTA (Parent Teacher Association).  Come in to the Chipotle at 2558 W. Schaumburg Road in Schaumburg on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.  Bring in the flyer, show it on your smartphone, or tell the cashier that you’re supporting the cause to make sure that 33% of the proceeds will be donated to Armstrong Elementary School PTA!

El volante también está disponible en español.

Thank you for supporting the Armstrong School PTA!

The Illinois State Board of Education annually releases school report cards that show how each school, each district and the state is performing on a wide range of educational goals. The 2019 report card information posted on the state’s website and on the District 54 website at sd54.org/schoolreportcards.

The illinoisreportcard.com website contains results from the Illinois Assessment of Readiness, as well as information about student and teacher demographics, enrollment and financial information. The report card also includes results from the 5Essentials survey, which was given to students in grades 6 through 8, certified staff and parents last year. If you do not have access to the Internet or prefer to receive a hard copy, you may call the school at 847-357-6700.

Winter weather has definitely arrived, which means it’s time to get out the hats and gloves!  Please be sure your child is appropriately dressed for the weather.  Students go outside for recess every day, except when the temperature and/or wind chill index reaches below zero degrees or when precipitation causes outdoor activities to be extremely uncomfortable.  Once there is snow on the ground, snow pants and boots are needed if your child wants to play in the snow.  We appreciate your help to ensure your child is dressed for the cold, winter weather.

Andrew DuRoss, District 54 Superintendent of Schools, has shared the following inclement weather plan.

Wind Chill Warning

A wind chill warning indicates that life-threatening conditions and a risk to safety exist. Measures should be taken to safeguard life and property immediately. A wind chill warning is typically issued when the wind chill will be -30 degrees Fahrenheit or colder OR the actual air temperature is -15°F.

• Classes will be cancelled.
• Extracurricular activities will be suspended.
• The announcement will be made by 6:30 a.m. at the latest. District 54 often waits until the morning to cancel school, because the weather in the Chicagoland area is constantly changing. We wait to make the decision with the hope that we can have children in school.
• All notification systems will be leveraged to communicate school cancellations to families including emails, our websites, social media, phone calls and text messaging (parents must sign up to receive texts).

Wind Chill Advisory

A wind chill advisory is issued when conditions do not meet the wind chill warning criteria but still cause significant inconvenience. The weather during a wind chill advisory is not life-threatening but presents conditions that may result in inconveniences or pose moderate risk to safety. A wind chill advisory is typically issued when the wind chill is -20 degrees Fahrenheit or colder.

• Schools will be open. However, students will not be penalized should parents choose to keep their children home.
• Extracurricular activities may be suspended if conditions persist. Updates will be posted on school websites and parents will receive an email if after-school activities are cancelled.
• All field trips will be cancelled.
• All outside activities will be suspended, including recess and outdoor physical education.

NOTE: The National Weather Service (NWS) will be the meteorological source District 54 uses to determine and declare a wind chill warning or wind chill advisory.

I would like to remind all of you to consider now, what kind of alternative child care arrangements need to be made for your children should our school be closed for inclement weather or other related emergencies. Though District 54 makes every effort to keep our schools open and operational, circumstances beyond our control oftentimes dictate school closings. Who would supervise your children if school was closed for the day, or if school had to close early (due to broken water pipes, power failure, heating problems, accumulating snowfall, etc.)?

Most importantly, remember that you, the parent or guardian, ultimately make the decision whether to send your child to school. If you do decide to keep your child home on a day in which the weather is extremely inclement, the absence will be considered excused and your child will be given every opportunity to make up missed work.

Again, I would urge you to initiate a plan of action now, so that you are not placed in a position of having no emergency child care arrangements made should the time arise. In addition, please be sure to discuss these arrangements with your children so that they are aware of your plan.

Andrew DuRoss
Superintendent of Schools

Emergency School Closing Sources of Information

If District 54 were to close school, we will notify families and staff using a variety of communication methods. For more information on that, visit our School Cancellations website.

Parents are asked to please not call their local school or the District 54 administrative offices for information on school closings. Switchboards must remain open for emergency purposes.

Information about wind chill warnings and advisories was provided by Paul Sirvatka, professor of meteorology, forecasting, weather analysis, climatology, atmospheric sciences, and severe and unusual weather at the College of DuPage; and Dr. Alexander Means, Chief Resident from the University of Chicago’s Department of Dermatology.

Each year, the District 54 Department of Language and Culture, along with the Schaumburg Park District, presents a Multicultural Event showcasing the diversity represented by students in District 54.  They are looking for groups and individuals who are interested in performing at this year’s event on Saturday, March 7, 2020.  Applications for performances will be accepted from November 14, 2019 through November 26, 2019.  An informational meeting will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 12, 2019 at the Rafferty Administration Center, 524 E. Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg, for those who would like to apply early.  You can also apply by completing the online application or by requesting a form from our building secretaries.

For the month of November we will be focusing on Self-Regulation and Calming Techniques. Ask your child how he/she shows these qualities at school and at home. They will have some great examples of how they have already started practicing these characteristics at school.

Schaumburg Parent University (SPU) is designed to involve more parents in the life of the school, to strengthen family relationships, and to improve parenting skills that will ultimately result in improved student success academically, socially and emotionally. There are two evening programs scheduled for November. Please note that child care is always available.

ABCs of Family Fitness – November 21, 2019

Most of us think about ABCs in terms of reading and writing. This class, guided by Melt Pilates and Yoga owner, personal trainer and yoga instructor Shannon Tampa, will focus on Abs, Biceps and Core. Support your child’s social emotional success by ensuring they stay healthy, challenged, and engaged during this quality family time! This class will take place from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Thursday, November 21, 2019 at the District 54 Professional Learning Center, 522 E. Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg (enter through Door C1).  You can view more information in the ABCs of Fitness flyer.

To register please visit the SPU Online Form or, for more information, contact Meg Kwak at 847-357-6586 or spu@nullsd54.org. Leave your name, contact information, the number of children needing childcare (free) and your child’s school.

A few years ago, we began implementing a child sexual abuse prevention program in our schools as the result of the passage of Public Act 097-1147, also known as Erin’s Law.  This law expanded upon previous legislation and required child sexual abuse prevention education for children beginning in pre-kindergarten and continuing through all grade levels.  Our students will be participating in lessons in their classrooms.  Please contact your child’s teacher or the office at 847-357-6700 with any specific questions.

There is strength in numbers!  Please join our PTA (Parent Teacher Association) and help support our school!  Donations are put back into our school and spent on enhancing school programs for the benefit of all of our students!  The PTA sponsors field trips, family nights/activities, Academic Enrichment/Birthday Books, field day, staff appreciation week, educational programs, and so much more!

Please complete the form and send in your money to Armstrong School.

As a school, we strive to meet the needs of the whole child, including the social-emotional needs of every student.  Our teachers know your child by name and by need and we work hard to build relationships and understand all of our learners.  To better ensure we support every student, this year we will again be using a universal screener to help us ensure we have identified every student who may need additional social-emotional support.

The universal screener is a series of questions that staff members complete for the students they support. Students do not participate in the screener or receive direct feedback about the results. If your child has elevated risk factors identified through this screener, we would contact you directly to discuss how we can work together to intervene and support your student.  This is simply one additional way for our staff to make sure we are helping every student be successful.  If you have any questions about the screener, please feel free to contact me.

Please join us for our first meeting on Tuesday, September 17, 2019 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Professional Learning Center at 524 East Schaumburg Road. Our topic for this month’s meeting is “ACCESS and MAP: What do they tell me about my child’s learning?”  ACCESS is an assessment taken annually by English language learners and MAP stands for Measures of Academic Progress).  Childcare is available for children ages 3-5. To RSVP, fill out the form at the bottom of the event flyer and send it back to your child’s school by Sept. 12. If you did not receive a copy of the flyer, you can visit our website for more information and to view the flyer in English, Spanish, Polish and Japanese. You can also contact your child’s school for a paper copy of the flyer.