Dear D102 Families -

Beginning in May, D102 will be asking students to leave their smartwatches in their lockers or backpacks. We recognize that many families have made a significant investment in purchasing one of these devices to help provide connectivity and access between the family and their child. However, we have also begun to see how this level of connectivity has been used to cause harm and become distracting to students during the school day. While D102 schools first tried to work with students to put all watches into "School Mode", various incidents have persisted and have required teachers to divert their time away from instruction to address these types of issues. 

For example, in recent weeks there has been a significant increase in the number of bullying reports that upon investigation stem from texts and chats being made through messaging and social media during the school day. Some of these texts and chats have contained racially-based and sexually-based comments that are being shared inside of group chats during class time. This has caused teachers and principals to spend time focusing on student conduct and discipline that should be used to support student learning.

We understand this change may cause students and families some frustration, but we are asking for support in helping our students and teachers minimize distractions and potential incidents of bullying for the safety of all students. As you already know, D102 currently has students keep their cell phones in lockers and backpacks during the school day and, beginning in May, will extend that practice to smartwatches as well. Connectivity is here to stay and provides many benefits to us all. However, in the interest of keeping students safe and our primary focus on learning, we are putting this practice of keeping phones and smartwatches in lockers and backpacks in place.

Respectfully,

Christopher L. Finch, Ed.D.

Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning

8:15 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. | Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

Lunch Hours: 11:20 a.m. - 12:10 p.m. | Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

8:15 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. | Wednesday

Lunch Hours: 10:55 a.m. - 11:55 a.m. | Wednesday

May 6-10 - Teacher Appreciation Week

May 6 - Guitar Club Recital 5:45pm-6:30pm

May 7 - Piano Club Recital 5:45pm-6:30pm

May 27 - Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL

Small group instruction is a powerful tool that allows teachers to tailor learning experiences to better meet the individual needs of students. By grouping students who are at similar learning levels or have similar learning needs together, teachers can provide targeted instruction that is both challenging and supportive. Here are some key reasons why small group instruction is valuable:

• Teachers can closely monitor progress, identify areas of strength and areas needing improvement, and adapt instruction accordingly.

•  Small group settings often foster greater engagement among students. With fewer peers around, students may feel more comfortable asking questions, participating in discussions, and sharing their ideas. This increased engagement can lead to deeper understanding and retention of the material being taught.

•  In a small group setting, teachers can provide more immediate feedback to students. This timely feedback helps students understand their progress, correct misunderstandings, and make necessary adjustments to their learning strategies.

• Small group instruction is not meant to replace whole-class instruction, but rather to complement it. Both whole-class and small group instruction have their place in our classrooms, and teachers strive to strike a balance between the two to create a well-rounded learning experience for students.

On Saturday, April 27, 2024, students from District 102 will have their artwork on display as part of the West Suburban Consortium for Academic Excellence (WSCAE) 8th annual Student Art Expo. This free event takes place at Cheney Mansion (220 N. Euclid Avenue, Oak Park, IL) and is open from 10:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m. 500 pieces of artwork created by local elementary and middle school students from 56 schools in 15 school districts will be on display. A number of local professional artists from the surrounding communities will be on hand to view the student artwork and provide feedback. Please plan to stop by, create, and support our student artists! For more information, visit wscaeartist.weebly.com.

Students in the Art Show: Aubrey Seno, Rhys Zmroczek, Theodore Ellinoff, Roisin Kennedy, Emma Jung, Noah Dunn, Amelia Stewart, Riley Jimenez, Hailey Pappalardo, Lily Garcia, Emilia Sato, Avah Hansen, Vivian Chen, Penelope Depa, Ryann Martens, Vivien Pohl. Congratulations!

We are looking for current parents and guardians in our schools to serve as volunteer special education parent ambassadors. This is a new and exciting development in our district that is intended to provide interested families with family-to-family camaraderie and support. Any interested parents/guardians of current special education students can apply.
Become an Ambassador! Conviértete en Embajador

If you have any questions, please reach out to Emily Crohn, Assistant Director of Special Education (crohnem@dist102.k12.il.us).

SHOP NOW for your 2024-25 school supplies. Avoid the stores and get all your school supply shopping done online. EPI school supply packs contain all the items and brands our teachers require. Not only is this convenient for you, but it is a fundraiser to help our school.

Order now with our School ID of FOR175 at https://www.educationalproducts.com/shoppacks/. 

This year we are hoping to do something a little different that involves the continued generosity of our families. 

We are looking for donations that will be raffled off to our certified staff. If you are willing and able, we are looking for anything from a monetary or gift card donation to tickets to a sporting event, and anything in between.  We have created a sign up genius with a few ideas for someone to purchase (some include a direct link) and we have created "OTHER" slots for you to fill in what you would like to donate.

SIGN UP GENIUS

If you would like to make a monetary donation instead, you can do so via thisPushCoin link:

https://store.dist102.k12.il.us#!/products/POE4GYJ2ZN

All donations need to be submitted by Wednesday, May 1st. If you are dropping something off, please do so by the same date and drop off in the main office.

Thank you so much for your continued support and for helping us recognize and spoil our teachers!

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Mojarro in the main office at mojarroan@dist102.k12.il.us.

Arbor Management has changed the way it delivers monthly lunch menus to D102. You will now have the ability to click on a link and view the lunch menu and any changes it may have on a daily basis.

Follow this link and instructions to view the lunch menu:

La Grange Elementary School District 102 | My School Menus

Forest Road offers two different before and after school programs.  Although they run independently from us, they are serviced here in our school.  Below is the contact information for BASE and Right At School:

BASE: Leanna Hartung - Manager LeannaHartung@pdlg.org

Right At School:  Chelsey Mazariegos - Area Manager chelsey.mazariegos@rightatschool.com

Right at School and BASE drop off security reminder:

Parents when you drop off your child off at Right at School or BASE and for some reason need to walk your child into the building, please then exit the building immediately after dropping off. Please do not take your child to the classroom or go to the classrooms on your own to drop off or pick anything up. I appreciate your attention to this.

PTO Website: https://forestroadpto.org

PTO Newsletter: HERE

Questions? Email PTO Co-Presidents:

Arlene Avalos: aavalos86@hotmail.com or Christine Zmuda ckzmuda@gmail.com

Spring is here and Running Club is starting back up again on Friday, April 12! 

Running Club meets on Fridays during lunch recess.  Students will have the opportunity to earn fun charms for the miles that they run.  All grade levels are welcome and participation is free! 

For more information and to signup Click Here

Looking forward to a great spring season of running!

Amy Bocian & Arlene Avalos (Co-Chairs of the Running Club) 

Log reading minutes with our reading log tracker

Once the student has read 400 minutes this month bring your tracker to our bakery for a FREE bundtlet. 

It's a tradition at Forest Road School for sixth graders to wear a special class t-shirt to the end-of-the-year party and on the last day of school.   Don’t delay, orders are due Thursday, May 2nd!  Color options are blue and gray.  

Forest-road-PTO.square.site

Deadline to Order 2023-24 yearbook is May 3, 2024

Don't miss out on the Forest Road Yearbook, order today!  Books ordered after May 3rd will be charged for shipping and sent to the school for distribution.

New to TreeRing?

• Open spots available for the Barnsdale PreK half-day program for ages 3-5 (child who turns 5 by September 1st)

• Register using the registration webpage link or contact the Barnsdale School Office with any questions 

Please do not park in the Barnsdale School parking lot for drop-off, pick-up, and when dropping off items during the day. Thank you!

In our continuing effort to ensure a safe and welcoming learning environment, District 102 provides each school with an online Safe School Tip Line found on the District and School websites. The Tip Line can be found on a tab located on the District or School homepage.  Reports made to the tip line are reviewed and addressed during official school hours, typically within 24 hours of notification.  Information provided in the tip line is kept confidential and handled on a case-by-case basis.       

SIGN UP HERE