Homework Helpers

Looking for someone to help your kids with math or reading or just to sit with them while they work on homework? Getting help from high school students is FUN! Kids in grades K-5 can drop in during our Homework Helper sessions every Thursday 4-6 p.m. to receive help from trained high school volunteers! They will earn prizes each time they attend. Hosted by the HPL Junior Advisory Board.

Principal's Corner

Satchel Pulse Social Emotional Screener

Elementary students and teachers will once again participate in the Satchel Pulse Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener, a tool to help us monitor and improve the social-emotional skills of all our students. D181 first utilized this SEL screener in our elementary schools during the 2023-2024 school year after a successful pilot during the 2022-2023 school year. Teachers of students in grades KG-5th will complete the screener about their students, and students in grades 3rd-5th will complete the screener about themselves. SEL skills include developing healthy habits, managing emotions, setting and achieving goals, developing empathy for others, establishing and maintaining supportive relationships, collaborating with others, and making responsible and caring decisions. 

Satchel Pulse is a student-friendly screener with 25 simple questions, which will be administered during October and May. Students and teachers will complete the screener which includes self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship, and responsible decision-making questions.  Information gained from this screener will provide our school teams with additional insight to best support our students’ social, emotional, and academic growth. If you have any questions related to the Satchel Pulse screener, please contact Sara Olson at solson@d181.org.

 

Community Drive: Clean Hands, Big Hearts

As part of the celebration for Unity Day this October, the Kindness Club is organizing a one-day bar soap drive to support HCS Family Services. Please consider bringing a bar of soap to donate. Your small contribution can make a big difference for local families in need. Help us bring unity to our community!

 

Fall Party and Costume Parade Information

We’re excited to celebrate Halloween with a festive Fall Party and a Costume Parade on Friday, October 31st! The all-school outdoor parade will begin at approximately 9:00 AM, right after arrival and attendance. Families are warmly invited to join us outside to share in the fun!

Students should come to school dressed in their costumes and have any makeup applied at home. As a reminder, we kindly ask that costumes do not include excessive gore or blood, and no weapons or weapon-like accessories are permitted at school. Physical education and recess will continue as scheduled. If needed, students may bring a change of clothes to ensure they can comfortably participate in all parts of the school day.

Classroom parties will be held during the day, and we’re grateful to our generous PTO for providing SkinnyPop Brand Popcorn as a treat for all students (ingredient information is listed below). We look forward to a fun and festive day together!

 

Lunchroom Behavior Focus
For the next two weeks, we are placing a special focus on safe and respectful behavior in the lunchroom. Our goal is to create a calm, enjoyable environment where all students can eat and connect with one another peacefully.

We are reminding students to follow these key expectations:

  • Use a Level 1 voice (quiet talking) in the lunchroom

  • Keep a calm, quiet body when entering and exiting

  • Keep hands and feet to yourself

  • Only eat your own food

We appreciate your partnership in reinforcing these expectations at home. A quick conversation with your child can go a long way in helping us build positive habits that support safety and respect during lunch.

 

Pumpkin Smash

Order by Wednesday 10/15 12pm for Special Lunch on Thursday 10/23

The next Special Lunch (Jimmy John's) is on Thursday, October 23rd. Orders must be placed by 12pm on Wednesday, October 15th. See ordering instructions HERE. 

VOLUNTEER AT LUNCH TIME! Join your child during their lunch hour on Special Lunch days! You will be monitoring your child's class while they are enjoying their lunch. This special time is only for PTO members so if you are not a paid member, you will be taken off the schedule. Sign up HERE. Only sign up for ONE date as any additional dates will be deleted. 
*As always, be sure to bring your photo ID for entry into the school.

Afterschool Enrichment - Chess Club

There are still spots available in afterschool Chess Club! Register HERE. 

Save the Date - Feed My Starving Children - Saturday 11/15, 9-10:45am

Save the Date! Elm and Oak families will be volunteering at Feed My Starving Children (Aurora) on Saturday, November 15th, 9-10:45am. Sign-up coming soon!

Principal's Corner

Walk/Bike to School Day

Elm School is participating in National Walk to School Day on Wednesday, October 8th. Parents and students are all invited to walk/bike to school. This movement is aimed at inspiring our school community to come together in promoting health and safer routes for students to walk and bike to school. 

 

D181 Foundation Community Speaker Series

Announcing the Community Speaker Series lineup for the 2025-2026 season! Please join us on Wednesday, October 8 at 7:15pm for the Community Speaker Series fall event at Hinsdale Middle School. We are thrilled to welcome Ethan Kross, PhD, two-time National Bestselling author of Shift and Chatter, and an award-­winning professor in the University of Michigan’s top-­ranked Department of Psychology and its Ross School of Business. We look forward to connecting with our parent community.

Register HERE for Ethan Kross, PhD - Shift: Managing Emotions So They Don’t Manage You. Staying Regulated and Confident - a Guide for Parents and Kids.

 

Satchel Pulse Social Emotional Screener

Elementary students and teachers will once again participate in the Satchel Pulse Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener, a tool to help us monitor and improve the social-emotional skills of all our students. D181 first utilized this SEL screener in our elementary schools during the 2023-2024 school year after a successful pilot during the 2022-2023 school year. Teachers of students in grades KG-5th will complete the screener about their students, and students in grades 3rd-5th will complete the screener about themselves. SEL skills include developing healthy habits, managing emotions, setting and achieving goals, developing empathy for others, establishing and maintaining supportive relationships, collaborating with others, and making responsible and caring decisions. 

Satchel Pulse is a student-friendly screener with 25 simple questions, which will be administered during October and May. Students and teachers will complete the screener which includes self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship, and responsible decision-making questions. Information gained from this screener will provide our school teams with additional insight to best support our students’ social, emotional, and academic growth. If you have any questions related to the Satchel Pulse screener, please contact Sara Olson at solson@d181.org.

 

School-Ready Behaviors

We’re excited to share that our students did a fantastic job this week demonstrating safe and respectful hallway behaviors! To celebrate their efforts, we raffled off one Bowser Bulldog reward per grade level—congratulations to our winners!

Fall Hike & Trail Clean-up - Sunday 10/12, 11-12pm

Join fellow Elm families on a beautiful fall hike and trail clean-up on Sunday, October 12th, 11-12pm at Fullersburg Woods. Snacks and supplies will be provided, but please bring your own reusable water bottle and any allergy safe snacks for your family. Sign up HERE. 

Rotary Run - Thank You!

A big Bulldog THANK YOU to Alizeh and Haida Shamsi who represented Elm at the Rotary Run last Sunday. Alizeh took part in the mascot race and Haida rode in the tricycle race. They both represented Elm so well. Thanks, girls, and well done to all the other Elm runners!

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