D181 Foundation Kids Grant

Did you know that the D181 Foundation awards Kids Grants of up to $150.00? The foundation encourages children to initiate a difference in society by providing grants to students so they can do something good for their community, the environment, or the world. No idea is too big or too small. What could you do with $150.00? More information can be found HERE.

Principal's Corner

Elm School Spelling Bee

This year, The Elm School Scripps Spelling Bee will be offered to our third through fifth grade students. During the week of December 2nd, written spelling bees will be conducted in each third, fourth and fifth grade classroom. To prepare, students should start with the classroom bee study list below that includes words from level 3, 4 and 5, all of which may be included in the school bee. Every child in these grades will be given a study list, however, this is an optional activity. This "test" will not count as a grade.

Classroom Bee Study Lists

If children are interested in participating further, they can begin studying the school bee study list, linked below. 

Scripps School spelling bee list

The top two students from each classroom are invited to participate in the Elm School spelling bee held in person on December 18, 2024 after school. More information regarding the Elm School spelling bee will be shared with the classroom bee winners after the classroom bees are held. 

The two overall students with the highest scores from the Elm School spelling bee will move on to compete at the District 181 spelling bee on January 22, 2025. More information will be provided to the school bee winners after the school bee is complete. 

One more family resource for the Scripps Spelling Bee is Word Club App. Click here for more details. 

Parent Teacher Conferences

Parent-teacher conferences are a valuable opportunity to engage with your child's teachers, discuss their progress, and collaborate on their educational journey. Your participation is key to their success! Our goal is for all parents/guardians to have an opportunity to attend conferences with their child’s teacher/s. We highly encourage all parents to come onsite to meet with our staff in person, however, we are offering a virtual option if needed. Those that select the virtual conference will receive a meeting link closer to the conference date. 

In the News

Recently, Elm School has been featured consistently ranking among the top educational institutions! This remarkable achievement underscores the school's dedication to fostering an exceptional learning environment for its students and celebrates the academic successes of its learners.

For those interested in exploring more, Chicago Parent magazine has recently published an online article that features an overview of the top schools in the Chicagoland area. This article also highlights the leading schools in DuPage County. Furthermore, Elm School has earned recognition in the U.S. News rankings, identifying it as one of the top schools in Illinois. A big shout out to the Bulldogs for their hard work and dedication!

NWEA MAP Testing Building Schedule

12/9: 4th ELA, 5th ELA

12/10: 2nd ELA, 4th Math

12/11: 1st ELA, 3rd ELA

12/12: 1st Math, 3rd Math

12/13: 2nd Math, 5th Math

Preparing for MAP

A student who is well-rested, well-fed, and has a positive attitude about assessment is best prepared for testing. You can help your child do his or her best by considering these tips:

• Make sure that your child is in school and on time on test days.

• Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep and eats a healthy breakfast before each day of testing.

• Remind your child that this assessment is only one measure. Emphasize that you have confidence in his or her ability to do the best job possible.

• Remind your child to listen to the directions and read each question carefully during testing.

Communication of Student Scores

Your child’s score report will be available in Skyward after D181 administration is complete.

Principal's Corner

Elm School Spelling Bee

This year, The Elm School Scripps Spelling Bee will be offered to our third through fifth grade students. During the week of December 2nd, written spelling bees will be conducted in each third, fourth and fifth grade classroom. To prepare, students should start with the classroom bee study list below that includes words from level 3, 4 and 5, all of which may be included in the school bee. Every child in these grades will be given a study list, however, this is an optional activity. This "test" will not count as a grade.

Classroom Bee Study Lists

If children are interested in participating further, they can begin studying the school bee study list, linked below. 

Scripps School spelling bee list

The top two students from each classroom are invited to participate in the Elm School spelling bee held in person on December 18, 2024 after school. More information regarding the Elm School spelling bee will be shared with the classroom bee winners after the classroom bees are held. 

The two overall students with the highest scores from the Elm School spelling bee will move on to compete at the District 181 spelling bee on January 22, 2025. More information will be provided to the school bee winners after the school bee is complete. 

One more family resource for the Scripps Spelling Bee is Word Club App. Click here for more details. 

Report Cards

Report cards are available and can be viewed electronically through your Skyward Family Access account. Please use the following steps to see your child’s report card:

• Login to Skyward Family Access at http://skywardfamily.d181.org

• Select the Portfolio Tab

• Click on your child’s T1 Report Card

• Once it processes, click “View Report”

We are pleased to share your child's progress. Please contact your child's teachers directly with any questions you might have. If you have any difficulty logging into Skyward Family Access, or difficulty accessing your child’s report card once you have logged in, please contact Nick Skrip at nskrip@d181.org.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Parent-teacher conferences are a valuable opportunity to engage with your child's teachers, discuss their progress, and collaborate on their educational journey. Your participation is key to their success! Our goal is for all parents/guardians to have an opportunity to attend conferences with their child’s teacher/s. We highly encourage all parents to come onsite to meet with our staff in person, however, we are offering a virtual option if needed. Those that select the virtual conference will receive a meeting link closer to the conference date. 

Feed My Starving Children - Saturday 11/30, 9-10:45am

The Community & Culture Committee has set up a volunteer opportunity with Feed My Starving Children (Aurora) on Saturday, November 30th, 9:00-10:45am. Visit the sign-up HERE for more details. Today is the last day to sign up! Please plan to wear Elm Spiritwear!

Last Chance - Charleston Wrap Fundraiser!

Our Charleston Wrap® fundraiser has been extended through Sunday, November 17th! Start your holiday shopping early and 30%-40% of every purchase will be donated back to Elm School PTO. 

Son's Night Out - Friday 12/13, 6-8PM

Save the date for the Elm School Son's Night Out on Friday, December 13th. Tickets will go on sale on November 24th. See next week's Bowser Notes for further event details and a link to purchase tickets.

Principal's Corner

Picture Retake Day: Monday, November 11th

If your child was absent on picture day, their name is already on the retake list. If you are unhappy with your original photo, please email Mary Lynn Miscimarra at mmiscimarra@d181.org or call Elm's office at 630-861-4001 to add your child's name to the retake list. If a picture package was purchased, please return the package to the photographer. Be aware that the retake photo replaces the original photo.

Parent Teacher Conferences - Sign Up Now Open

You now have access to schedule parent-teacher conference(s) for your child through Skyward Family Access. Parent-teacher conferences will be held from 2:00 - 8:00 p.m. on Monday, November 25th, and 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 26th. Elementary conferences are scheduled for 15 minutes in length. Parent-teacher conference sign-up will close on November 15th at 3:00 p.m. 

Once you log into Skyward, you will have the option to sign up for a conference with your child’s elementary classroom teacher. We look forward to seeing you in our schools on November 25-26, 2024. 

Please use this document for detailed directions on how to sign up using Skyward Family Access. If you are having any issues with Skyward selecting your child's conference, please email nskrip@d181.org.

CogAT - 2nd and 5th Grade Only

The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) will be administered to all second and fifth grade students between November 11-15, 2024.  

The 5th Grade CogAT is comprised of three sections, each taking approximately 30 minutes with breaks in between:

• Verbal: measures a child’s ability to remember and transform sequences of words, to understand them and to make inferences and judgements about them. 

• Quantitative: measures a child’s understanding of relational mathematical concepts and ability to discover patterns, to figure out a rule or principle, and to transfer this information. 

• Non-Verbal: measures a child’s ability to reason using pictures and shapes. In addition, this section appraises a child’s ability to use his/her cognitive resources in new situations.

The 2nd Grade CogAT is comprised of two sections, each taking approximately 30 minutes with breaks in between:

• Quantitative: measures a child’s understanding of relational mathematical concepts and ability to discover patterns, to figure out a rule or principle, and to transfer this information. 

• Non-Verbal: measures a child’s ability to reason using pictures and shapes. In addition, this section appraises a child’s ability to use his/her cognitive resources in new situations.  

The Elm School schedule is as follows:

11/11 - 2nd Grade Quantitative

11/12 - 2nd Grade Non-Verbal, 5th Grade Verbal

11/13 - 5th Grade Quantitative

11/14 - 5th Grade Non-Verbal

11/15 - Make Up Assessments 

The results of the CogAT will be utilized in D181 for varied purposes. First and foremost, the scores are used to drive classroom and instructional practices to guide our efforts in adapting teaching methods to meet the varied needs of our students. Second, the scores will also be used as one component in an assessment portfolio to determine areas of strength and identification for program placement. This is just one piece of the data that school staff will review as a component of multiple criteria used in planning for your child’s course trajectory.

How your child can prepare for assessment—and what you can do to help

A student who is well-rested and well-fed and has a positive attitude about testing is best prepared for testing. You can help your child do his or her best by considering these tips:

• Make sure that your child is in school and on time on her or his assigned test day.

• Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep and eats a healthy breakfast before each day of testing.

• Remind your child that these tests are only one measure. Emphasize that you have confidence in his or her ability to do the best job possible.

• Remind your child to listen to the directions and read each question carefully during testing.

Your child’s score report will be sent home after administration is complete and all reports are printed.  We appreciate your ongoing support. If you have any questions about the CogAT administration, please contact your child’s teacher or principal. 

Elm School Spelling Bee

This year, The Elm School Scripps Spelling Bee will be offered to our third through fifth grade students. During the week of December 2nd, written spelling bees will be conducted in each third, fourth and fifth grade classroom. To prepare, students should start with the classroom bee study list below that includes words from level 3, 4 and 5, all of which may be included in the school bee. Every child in these grades will be given a study list, however, this is an optional activity. This "test" will not count as a grade.

Classroom Bee Study Lists

If children are interested in participating further, they can begin studying the school bee study list, linked below. 

Scripps School spelling bee list

The top two students from each classroom are invited to participate in the Elm School spelling bee held in person on December 18, 2024 after school. More information regarding the Elm School spelling bee will be shared with the classroom bee winners after the classroom bees are held. The two overall students with the highest scores from the Elm School spelling bee will move on to compete at the District 181 spelling bee on January 22, 2025. More information will be provided to the school bee winners after the school bee is complete. 

One more family resource for the Scripps Spelling Bee is Word Club App. Click here for more details. 

Veteran's Day Assembly

Join us on Tuesday, November 12 at 1PM for a short Veteran's Day assembly led by the Elm School Choir. All are welcome to attend, including any family members who are serving or have served in the armed forces. 

Report Cards

Your child’s report card will be available starting at 9:00 am on November 13th, and can be viewed electronically through your Skyward Family Access account. Please use the following steps to see your child’s report card:

• Login to Skyward Family Access at http://skywardfamily.d181.org

• Select the Portfolio Tab

• Click on your child’s T1 Report Card

• Once it processes, click “View Report”

We are pleased to share your child's progress. Please contact your child's teachers directly with any questions you might have. If you have any difficulty logging into Skyward Family Access, or difficulty accessing your child’s report card once you have logged in, please contact Nick Skrip at nskrip@d181.org.

Committee Members Needed for Spring Fundraising Event!

We are seeking members to join the Spring Fundraising Event Committee! Our Spring Fundraiser is a parents only evening event that serves as our largest PTO fundraiser for the year. If you are interested in helping with event planning and fundraising, please sign up HERE! First meeting to be held on 11/15!