Dear Parents, Staff, Students, and Community Members,
We know that it must be October, because we're in full fall mode as the first quarter of this school year comes to a close, temperatures start to drop, and registration for Parent/Teacher Conferences begins.
There are about three open weeks to register for Parent/Teacher Conferences. Registration opened on Monday, October 10 and closes on Friday, November 4. Conferences will occur on November 9 and 10. These important meetings strengthen the relationship between home and school on behalf of our students and their growth and development. Be sure to make your appointments online to meet with your students' teachers!
October is perhaps best known for Halloween, a time for positive imagery as imaginations soar and the community coalesces around keeping children safe while still encouraging their fun. Whether trick-or-treating or attending community-based parties, it's important for adults to do all they can to ensure the safety of our young people. Willard and Lincoln are planning parties and/or parades for Halloween during the morning of October 31. The Village of River Forest has also instituted official trick-or-treating hours from 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Halloween activities represent an opportunity to encourage youngsters' social development along with the usual instructional activities that are the focus of our classrooms. Faculty members are deeply involved in implementing innovative instructional programs and curricula that help every student develop critical thinking skills. District 90 faculty members, staff, and administrators are working to advance our collaborative and inclusive environment so that all children can achieve at their highest potential,and teachers are supported with the appropriate materials and resources that enable all students to flourish.
As we continue to work together on behalf of our students, please know that we greatly appreciate all that you do to support our staff and students. Your efforts help make sure that all our students experience our schools as positive places that is backed by a caring and supportive community.
With warm regards,
Ed Condon, Ph.D.
Superintendent
District News
Time to Sign Up for Parent/Teacher Conferences
Registration for Parent/Teacher conferences started on Monday, October 10. Families can sign up online for Parent/Teacher conference by visiting the District's website or by selecting the appropriate link:
Registration closes on Friday, November 4 at 10:00 p.m.
Strategic Plan Goal Action Teams Seek Volunteers
District 90 continues to make progress on its 2015-2020 Strategic Plan. The headway we've made implementing the Strategic Plan's Action Objectives is due to the dedicated efforts of volunteers from our faculty, staff, parents, and community members.
We are again seeking volunteers to serve on a Strategic Plan Action Objective Team. Your commitment will be to:
Serve for one school year, with the opportunity to continue, if desired.
Meet a maximum of four times during the school year.
Actively share your valuable perspectives and expertise with the Action Team!
District 90 administrators will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Action Objectives and encouraging team members' participation. Action Team members will select their meeting dates and times in order to ensure that they are convenient for as many members of the group as possible. Meetings are expected to begin in late October/early November.
If you were a member of an Action Team during the 2015-16 school year and would like to continue, please contact your Action Team's administrator. If you will be a new volunteer for the Strategic Plan Goal Action Teams, please select a team that interests you from this chart and email your interest in volunteering and selection to Dawne Simmons, [email protected] by October 21. The Action Team chart aligns the strategic goals with a sampling of the action objectives in each area. Depending on the specific action objectives, the number of members will likely be limited to six to eight volunteers per Action Team.
Consider volunteering for this important initiative and be a part of the efforts that will impact the District's faculty and students for years to come!
Village Offers Recommendations to Keep Children Safe For Halloween
Please see the recommendations below from the Village of River Forest to help keep children safe during Halloween festivities.
Make sure costumes are visible to vehicles and others.
Instead of a candle to light a pumpkin, use a small flashlight or a liquid light stick that glows in the dark.
Purchase only flame retardant or flame proof costumes and masks.
Be sure costumes fit properly to prevent tripping or falling and wear masks that allow full vision.
Do not trick or treat alone.
Only approach homes that are well lit and only approach the front door.
Stay on sidewalks and obey traffic signs/signals.
Carry a flashlight.
Adults should check their child's candy before they eat it.
Working together, we can ensure that Halloween activities are safe and fun for children.
Calling All Young Filmmakers!
Students interested in filmmaking can enter the annual One Earth, Our Earth Filmmakers Contest. Interested students can start preparing their submission for the Young Filmmakers Contest, which is due on January 15, 2017. Workshops are available to help with getting the submission in order. The Young Filmmakers Contest is part of the One Earth Film Festival and is open to students in grades 3 through college. Miles Toppen and Carter Workman, two former Willard students produced the film, Pretty Nice Island, that won the Elementary School Category for 2016. Students can win a cash prize from $75 to $500 as well as a matching grant for the sustainability organization of their choice.
Click here for more information or visit
oneearthfilmfest.org.
School Board Caucus Seeks Delegates
The D90 Caucus is seeking volunteers who are willing to recruit and interview candidates for the upcoming Board of Education election in April 2017. Delegates must be residents of River Forest and be able to attend all 4 scheduled meetings on October 20, November 17, January 19, and January 26. All meetings are held from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. in the Roosevelt LLC. For more information and to express your interest in volunteering contact Cal Davis at
[email protected].
Walk or Bike to School Week in the District
Lincoln and Willard Schools had groups of students walking or biking to school during "Walk to School Week." Groups of students formed walking school buses or gathered together with adult guides to travel to school. Along with being environmentally friendly, walking to school enables students to learn how to navigate their community on foot and not only in an vehicle. Walking or biking to school also enables students to observe and learn the Village's natural landscape. Thank you to the many families who supported this event.
WeatherBug Station at Roosevelt
Do you want to know weather conditions before leaving home? River Forest residents can now access real-time weather conditions, forecasts, and safety information on their computers and mobile phones. A new WeatherBug weather station sits atop Roosevelt Middle School, overlooking the Park District field and the River Forest Public Library. The station reports current conditions (temperature, rainfall, humidity, wind speed/direction, wind chill), hourly and daily forecasts, Doppler radar, and recent lightning strikes in the surrounding area.
The weather station is an Eagle Scout Project led by Lincoln and Roosevelt alum David Snyder, a member of Boy Scout Troop 65 and currently a junior at OPRFHS. It is meant to inform residents about outdoor conditions in order to ensure the safety and comfort of River Forest students, Park District participants, and all residents of the Oak Park/River Forest area. As a member station of the global WeatherBug network, it also provides District 90 teachers and students free access to Science, STEM, and other educational tools.
Anyone with an internet connection or mobile app can get the local weather and view Centennial Park.
Click here to access the website or to download the free WeatherBug app for your mobile device.
Bike Safety Classes Held at Lincoln and Willard
Both Lincoln and Willard Schools recently held bicycle safety classes for students in second grade. The bike safety classes were held in support of recently revised Board of Education policy that allows second grade students to ride bikes to school. The courses included information on the importance of helmets, rules of the road, and safe riding skills.
Dear Parents, Staff, Students, and Community Members,
Earth Filmmakers Contest. Interested students can start preparing their submission for the Young Filmmakers Contest, which is due on January 15, 2017. Workshops are available to help with getting the submission in order. The Young Filmmakers Contest is part of the One Earth Film Festival and is open to students in grades 3 through college. Miles Toppen and Carter Workman, two former Willard students produced the film, Pretty Nice Island, that won the Elementary School Category for 2016. Students can win a cash prize from $75 
The weather station is an Eagle Scout Project led by Lincoln and Roosevelt alum David Snyder, a member of Boy Scout Troop 65 and currently a junior at OPRFHS. It is meant to inform residents about outdoor conditions in order to ensure the safety and comfort of River Forest students, Park District participants, and all residents of the Oak Park/River Forest area. As a member station of the global WeatherBug network, it also provides District 90 teachers and students free access to Science, STEM, and other educational tools.
