Afterschool Enrichment Activities

Elm is excited to offer the next session of afterschool enrichment activities. 

 

Monday: Spanish (1/13-5/12, 3:05-4:05pm)

Tuesday: Chess (1/14-4/8, 3:05-4:05pm)

Wednesday: BAM Theatre (3/5-5/14, 3:05-4:05pm)

Thursday: Golf (1/23-3/27, 3:05-4:15pm)

Friday: Art (1/24-5/9, 3:05-4:15pm) 

Weekdays: Before and After the Bell with The Community House

 

Order by Wednesday 1/8 12pm for Special Lunch on Thursday 1/16

The next Special Lunch (Tropical Smoothie Cafe) is on Thursday, January 16th. Orders must be placed by 12pm on Wednesday, January 8th. See ordering instructions HERE. 

Principal's Corner

Dear Elm School Family,

As we approach the end of December, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your continued support and partnership. Your involvement makes a significant difference in our school community.

This past week has been filled with joy and celebration. Our students showed incredible enthusiasm and creativity during Spirit Week. Last but not least, thank you to all the parents who contributed to making our classroom parties a success! The students had a fantastic time.

As we prepare for the upcoming winter break, we want to wish each of you a restful break and a safe New Year. We look forward to seeing you all again in 2025!

Partners in Education,

Mrs. Sara Olson

 

NWEA MAP Scores and CogAT (2nd and 5th grade families)

The fall administration of Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) for 1st-5th grade students has ended and student scores will be available to families within Skyward on Friday, January 10th.  

Additionally, Fall 2024 CogAT scores will also be available for second and fifth grade families. 

To access your child’s scores:

  • Browse to http://skywardfamily.d181.org/

  • Click on TEST SCORES in the left side menu

  • Scores will be listed in a table format, with the most recent assessment scores listed at the top

Course Placement for 2025-2026

Specific recommendations for math placement at grades 3-8 as well as middle school language arts and social studies placement for 2025-26 were approved at the Board of Education meeting in November. MAP and CogAT scores are included, in conjunction with other data, in the requirements for students to move into advanced/accelerated courses in all three subject areas. Course placement requirements can be found on our website at: https://www.d181.org/departments/learning/placement. Please scroll down to “Placement & Trajectory Documents” and select “Placement Criteria (2025-26)” to view the approved documents. A copy of the recent parent placement night slide deck can also be accessed in this location.  

 

Remaining MAP Windows for 2024-2025

  • Spring MAP for grades 1-7: April 21 - May 2, 2025

Library News

District Author Event - Save the Date
 
Attention all Gordon Korman fans! There will be a special author evening with Gordon Korman for students in grades 3-8 on Friday, January 17th at HMS from 4-6 PM. This will be a ticketed event with limited seating. Stay tuned for more details on how to sign up!

Multicultural Event on Saturday 2/8 - Share Your Culture!

Elm School will be hosting its first schoolwide Multicultural Event on Saturday 2/8 from 2-4pm at the Elm School Gym. We are looking for interested families who would like to showcase their culture/country by

  • Making a poster with different facts/stories
  • Providing samples of food from your culture/country 
  • Performing a cultural dance or musical activity
  • Teaching a craft or game
  • Anything else you can think of!

If you would like to showcase your culture/country, please sign up HERE. Note: You do not need to have ties to a particular culture/country you wish to represent; you may wish to learn more about a region or support someone in the community in showcasing a region. If we have many families interested in representing the same culture/country, we will connect you all to see if it makes sense to collaborate. Please sign up by Sunday 12/22.

Looking forward to this first schoolwide event! Be on the lookout for more communication early in the new year. Questions? Email the PTO Community and Culture Committee Chair, Sumi Pitroda: community@elmschoolpto.org. 

Spring Fundraiser Sponsorship Opportunities Now Available!

We're excited to announce our annual Spring Fundraiser, happening March 22, 2025, at The Elm in La Grange! As valued Elm families, we invite you to support our event, either personally or through your business. This year's theme, "Move, Groove, and Improve," focuses on enhancing student physical wellness through innovative programming. Your support directly impacts our ability to create an engaging environment for active learning and healthy habits. The Spring Fundraiser is our primary fundraising effort. Your donation is tax-deductible - the PTO is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Interested? Complete our FORM, and we'll be in touch!

Thank You for a Successful Toy Drive!

During our Elm School Book Fair, the PTO Community & Culture Committee collected over 100 toys, games, and books to benefit patients being treated at Lurie Children's Hospital. Elm students also created over 70 beautiful cards to bring some holiday cheer to Lurie patients. Thank you for helping us make this an incredibly successful toy drive! 

Principal's Corner

Winter Weather Update

Please know that we will go outside for recess everyday if the temperature with the windchill is above zero. It is critical that students are dressed appropriately for them to stay safe in these low temperatures. Additionally, all K-5 students wanting to play in the snow must wear snow pants, boots, hats and gloves. Any child without proper winter attire will be limited to a designated snow-plowed area. 

 

Parent Placement Night Follow-Up Communication

On Tuesday, December 3, the D181 Department of Learning hosted a Parent Placement Night to provide parents with information about the 3rd-8th grade math and 6th-8th grade ELA and social studies course placement process. This presentation outlined various course trajectories and the criteria required for course placements in advanced and accelerated math, along with A-ELA and ACE in our middle schools. 

 

General Information Links

Please visit the Placement, Advancement, and Acceleration page of the D181 website for more information.

 

December Food Information

We have a special lunch on Thursday, December 19th, which will feature Culver's restaurant. Please be aware that Culver's has now listed sesame as an allergen in their burger buns, which is a recent change. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Kim Pavich, Elm School nurse. 

Additionally, the PTO will be providing Annie's fruit snacks for our winter parties on December 20th. The ingredient label for these snacks is also included below.

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