Panther Post

October 20, 2023

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Halloween Parade

The Ross/Sullivan Halloween Parade will be held on the walking path behind the District 23 buildings, which is directly behind Betsy Ross and Anne Sullivan Schools. 

• The parade will start promptly at 12:45 PM on October 31st. Parents may arrive anytime between 12:20 PM and 12:40 PM to allow for parking and locating a spot on the parade route.
• Families may park at the south end of Ross but will need to vacate the premises prior to the arrival of buses at 2:00 PM in order to facilitate dismissal. Parking is also available at the west end of MacArthur Middle School or the Patriot Park lot (in the neighborhood).
• Parents may stand anywhere along the length of the walking path to view the parade. Please note that Ross students will be parading on the inside of the path, while Sullivan students will be parading on the outside of the path. Due to this factor, Ross parents should plan to view the parade from the inside of the walking path and Sullivan parents should plan to view from the outside of the path.
• Please also note that any parents arriving late to the parade will be required to view from the outside of the path.

***In the case of rain or inclement weather, the parade will be held indoors for students only and available on live stream for families.

Halloween Guidelines

Halloween is right around the corner! We know that many kids are already talking about costumes, and this is a good time to remind our families about the Halloween costume guidelines that all D23 Elementary schools share:

• Costumes should be brought to school. Students will have time to change after lunch, before the Halloween Parade at 12:45 P.M. on October 31st.
• Costumes should be school-appropriate, not offensive or hurtful to others, and should not include weapons, look-alike weapons, or excessive gore.
• Appropriate masks must be worn on heads in school and during the parade for safety reasons.

Classroom Halloween parties will be held from 1:15-2:15 on October 31st. Room parents will be collaborating with teachers to plan the parties. Please do not send food, candy, or any other items for your child to pass out in the classroom. In addition, no outside food items will be permitted at parties.

Candor Health Presentation

Ms. Donohue's class works in small groups as they learn about patterns in math this week.

Mr. Panitch's 5th-grade students are hard at work learning about Greek and Latin roots to help them understand the vocabulary in their non-fiction reading selections for the week!

Sullivan students who participate in our Unified PE program were invited to lead the pledge at October's Board of Education meeting. D23's Unified Programs pair students in our SAIL program with their general education peers to build relationships and skills in the PE setting. Our amazing School Improvement Team also shared the State of the School presentation as well. Thanks to Mrs. Paeth, Mrs. Kaspari, Mrs. Ganek, Mrs. Pennell, and Ms. Slowik for representing our staff and for sharing the wonderful things our students are learning at Sullivan!

Holiday Giving

Pawsitive Panthers and Panther Paw Winners

Helping our Children Process War and Conflicts  

Our thoughts and prayers are with those at home and abroad who have been impacted by the war in Israel and Gaza. The disturbing reports and images of horrific acts of terrorism, violence, hostage taking, and senseless loss of innocent life are heartbreaking and we mourn the suffering of all those impacted. Many of our staff, students, and families are personally impacted not only by the events in the Middle East but also by the ongoing war in Ukraine and other areas of conflict around the world. We stand in support and solidarity with all of them. 

It is our mission and responsibility to ensure that our schools remain safe spaces for all students and staff, regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity. Our strength as a school community comes from the richness and diversity of our students, families, and staff and we are at our core a caring and resilient community. 

As a community, we provide strength and comfort to all those in distress and support our children as they work to make sense of their world in scary and uncertain times. Here are some tools you may find useful as you engage with your children to help them form some understanding of the serious and complex events unfolding around the world.  



• How to Talk to Kids About Violence, Crime, and War (Common Sense Media)
• Talking to Children About War (National Child Traumatic Stress Network)
• Helping Students in Troubling Times (American School Counselor Association)
• Handle with Care: Supporting Young People During Crises (Learning for Justice)
• Resilience in a time of war: Tips for parents and teachers of elementary school children, middle school children (American Psychological Association)

As always, our entire staff are here to help support your child if they are feeling anxious or in any way affected by these situations. Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s school office if you or your child need support during this difficult time.

The next PTO meeting is October 26th at Ike - 7PM!

October 12: Board of Education Meeting 7:00pm @ Sullivan

October 13: Sullivan Picture Retake Day

October 16: No School - Teacher Institute Day

October 16: Sullivan Ambassadors Dining Out fundraiser @MOD Pizza

October 26 - PTO General Meeting 7:00 PM @ Eisenhower