Important Dates

Monday 1/13 - Wednesday 1/22 - Hygiene Kit Collection Drive

Friday 1/17, 4-6pm - Library: Author Event with Gordon Korman 

Saturday 1/18 - Flying High Pizza and Open Gym Fundraiser

Monday 1/20 - NO SCHOOL (MLK Jr. Day)

Wednesday 1/22 12pm - deadline to order Special Lunch for 1/30

Thursday 1/23 - first day of Golf (afterschool enrichment)

Friday 1/17 - last day to register for Science Fair

Friday 1/24 - first day of Art (afterschool enrichment)

Thursday 1/30 - Special Lunch (Steak 'n Shake)

Friday 2/7, 9-10am - PTO Meeting

Saturday 2/8, 2-4pm - Multicultural Event

Thursday 2/13 - Special Lunch (Buona Beef)

Monday 2/17 - NO SCHOOL (Presidents' Day)

Wednesday 2/19, 6-7pm - Science Fair

Friday 2/28 - NO SCHOOL (Institute Day)

Wednesday 3/5 - first day of BAM Theatre (afterschool enrichment)

Friday 3/7, 6:30-8:30pm - Elm School Daughter's Night Out

Saturday 3/22 - Spring Fundraiser

Principal's Corner

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 are available to families within Skyward.

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

CogAT Score Interpretation

Current D181 second grade students participated in the CogAT during the month of November. CogAT scores uploaded to Skyward reflect your child’s standard age score and age percentile rank in the areas of both quantitative and non-verbal reasoning. You will also see a composite QN score, which combines the results from the quantitative and non-verbal batteries.

Current D181 fifth grade students participated in the CogAT during the month of November. CogAT scores uploaded to Skyward reflect your child’s standard age score and age percentile rank in the areas of verbal, quantitative, and non-verbal reasoning. You will also see a composite QN score, which combines the results from the quantitative and non-verbal batteries.

• Standard Age Score (SAS): The standard age score has a mean of 100. It allows educators to compare the rate and level of cognitive development to other same-aged students. For example, students with an SAS of 100 have a rate and level of development that is typical of their age group. A student with an SAS of 132 has a faster rate and higher level of development than a typical student in the same age group.

• Age Percentile Rank (APR): A percentile rank indicates the percentage of same aged students whose scores fall below the score obtained by a particular student. For example, a percentile rank of 60 means that 60 percent of students in that age group scored below a particular student. Performance is shown as a percentile.

CogAT information for current second through seventh grade students can be found in Skyward - a student’s MOST RECENT CogAT Standard Age Score (SAS) may be used to inform their placement in mathematics (QN SAS), ELA (V SAS), and/or social studies (V SAS). Students take the CogAT in second and fifth grades, so you may need to scroll back to a previous year to view the correlating data in Skyward.

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

Dropping Off Lunch

Students need to bring a packed lunch from home each day. If you must drop off lunch for your child during school hours, please consider it as a last resort or a special occasion, such as a birthday. It is not advisable for parents to deliver lunch on a daily basis.

If you do need to provide lunch during the school day, please aim to arrive before your child's lunch period begins. This ensures that students have plenty of time to eat. When a student lunch arrives late, they may miss recess time, math instruction, and special classes, all which take place directly after the lunch/recess hour. This is in addition to the stress the children feel while waiting for their lunch, as well as the social time they are missing by not being present in the lunchroom. 

Lunch times are as follows:

• K-3: 11:25 AM

• 4-5: 11:50 AM

Additionally, we do not permit food delivery from external services like DoorDash or Grubhub. Any food from restaurants must be brought in by a parent or guardian. Per our Food Allergy Management Policy, students are not allowed to share food with their classmates. If you are bringing food, please ensure that it is intended solely for your child. Parents cannot bring lunches to be delivered to students other than their own child.

Community Speaker Series

Registration is now open for the next event of the Community Speaker Series season! We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Michele Borba to share her parenting expertise with our community. Her dynamic approach and deep understanding of empathy will be of interest to parents of all ages of children. There will be an evening presentation and a morning presentation to accommodate our audience. Both events will be held in person at The Community House. The events are free and open to all. This year, local businesses are being invited to support the CSS as community partners by providing hospitality at the CSS events. Come out to connect, learn and enjoy!

Wednesday, February 5

Evening  Session:

http://weblink.donorperfect.com/CSSBorbaPM

Thursday, February 6

Morning Session:

http://weblink.donorperfect.com/CSSBorbaAM

Culled from 30 years of research and experience, Dr. Borba shares why empathy is a skill that's vital for children's mental health, resilience, leadership skills, and job success and provides useful tools that parents can use to help our children become more empathetic.

Library News

Dear D181 Families,

Get ready for an unforgettable evening with renowned author Gordon Korman, author of popular titles like Restart, Slugfest, and Ungifted! We are thrilled to announce that Gordon Korman will be visiting HMS on January 17, 2025, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. to share his insights, answer questions, and sign copies of his newest book, Old School. This event is only for students in grades 3-8.

Here's how it works:

• Pre-order your copy of Old School: To make this event possible, we must pre-sell 150 copies of his book. You can conveniently order your copy through Skyward. Thanks to a generous discount, we can offer you Old School at a special price of $19.99. Even better, the proceeds from book sales will support our school library programs like Battle of the Books and Boundless! Even if your child can't attend the event, you can still purchase a personalized copy of Old School! Gordon has graciously offered to sign books in advance.The pre-order window closes on Wednesday, January 15th.

  Directions for parents to add and pay for this fee:

  • Log into your Skyward Family Access account 

  • Click on the Fees tab 

  • Click on Add a Fee

  • Select the Gordon Korman Old School fee (you can add multiple books)

  • Click Make a Payment

  • Pay in SchoolPay

• Attend the event: The event will include a presentation, Q&A session, and book signing. If you would like to attend the event in person, you must fill out this Google Form by January 15th to let us know how many family members will be attending. Please note that this is only for students in grades 3-8, and one adult must attend per family. There is a minimum purchase of 1 book per family to attend the in-person event. 

We're incredibly excited to host Gordon Korman and provide this unique opportunity for our students. Mark your calendars and pre-order your copy of Old School by January 15th!

Sincerely,

D181 Teacher-Librarians

DuPagePads Hygiene Kit Collection Drive - Monday 1/13 - Wednesday 1/22

The Elm Kindness Club and PTO's Community & Culture Committee are partnering to pack hygiene kits for DuPagePads, an organization that aims to end homelessness in DuPage County. DuPagePads provides interim and long-term housing solutions, as well as connects individuals to support services so they become self-sufficient. With your donated items, the Kindness Club will assemble and deliver hygiene kits to DuPagePads. The hygiene kits will be given to people who visit the Interim Housing Center.

There are two ways to contribute: (1) visit our Amazon wishlist to purchase and ship directly or (2) purchase items and have your child drop them off in the collection bin in the Elm School lobby from Monday 1/13 through Wednesday 1/22. We need the following items: flushable baby wipes, travel size Kleenex tissues, deodorant, travel size shampoo and conditioner combo, travel size body wash, instant coffee (single serve packets), comb or travel hair brush. Please purchase only travel size items where noted so all items can fit in the designated bags. Thank you for your generosity and support!

Flying High Gym Pizza & Open Gym Fundraiser - Saturday 1/18, 7:30-10:30pm

Staying in town and looking for some fun for the long weekend? Drop the kids off for a pizza and open gym night at Flying High Gym on Saturday, January 18th, 7:30-10:30pm. Register by 1/16 for early bird rates. Invite friends, cousins, and siblings to join! The event is open to anyone, even if they do not attend Elm School. Must be 5 years of age or older. And guess what, parents? This IS a drop off event! Enjoy some time to yourself! Sign up HERE.

Worlds of Wonder Multicultural Event - Saturday 2/8, 2-4pm - RSVP Now!

RSVP to attend Elm's first ever Multicultural Event, Worlds of Wonder. Come explore and learn about our diverse community! Additionally, if you are interested in showcasing your country/culture, today is the last day to sign up. See flyer for more information. 

Science Fair - Wednesday 2/19, 6-7pm - Registration Deadline Extended!

We are excited to announce that this year's Science Fair will take place on Wednesday, February 19th from 6-7pm in the Elm School gym. Parents must register HERE by Friday, January 24th (deadline extended). Reminder: if you are working with a partner, your partner must register as well! Students will be given a trifold presentation board. Please note that we need volunteers to assist with Science Fair and/or to act as volunteer judges on the day of the fair. Sign up HERE if you are interested in volunteering.

Elm School Daughter’s Night Out - Friday 3/7

Save the date for the Elm School Daughter’s Night Out on Friday, March 7th. Tickets will go on sale on February 10th. Additional information coming soon.