Important Dates

NO SCHOOL 12/22 - 1/2 - WINTER BREAK

Monday 12/22 - Friday 1/2 - NO SCHOOL (Winter Break)

Wednesday 1/7 12pm - deadline to order Special Lunch for 1/15

Thursday 1/15 - Special Lunch (Culver's)

Monday 1/19 - NO SCHOOL (MLK Jr. Day)

Friday 1/23, 6-8pm - Elm Boys' Night Out: Bowling Night

Friday 2/13, 2:15pm - Third Grade Concert

Friday 2/13, 6-8pm - Elm Girls' Night Out: Galentine's Day Party

Principal's Corner

Winter Well Wishes

On behalf of myself and the Elm School staff, we wish you and your family a restful, joyful, and safe holiday season. May this time bring moments of connection, celebration, and renewal. We look forward to welcoming students back to school on Monday, January 5, 2026. Until then, enjoy the break, take good care, and know that we are grateful for your continued partnership and support.

Arrival and Dismissal Reminders

Please make sure your child knows their dismissal plan each day. Students must have permission to walk home or to go home with another family or friend. If there is a change to your child’s dismissal plan during the school day, please notify the main office. Classroom teachers may not be able to check email consistently throughout the day.

For safety reasons, children should never be dropped off in the street. We have recently observed vehicles double-parking along 60th Street and allowing children to exit the car without adult supervision. In addition, parking in front of the fire hydrant near the school is illegal. To keep all students safe, please use the designated car line each day. Any time saved by unsafe drop-off practices is not worth the risk to our children.

Spelling Bee

The Elm School Spelling Bee was held on Tuesday, December 16th. Third, Fourth and Fifth grade students were able to participate. Congratulations to Adamma Oguejiofor for winning the Elm School Spelling Bee! Second place was Jay Mishra. Both will represent Elm School at the District Spelling Bee in January. 

Notification from Burr Ridge Police

Elm Staff Holiday Collection - Thank You!

Thank you so much for your generous contributions to the Elm School Staff GiftCrowd Holiday Collection. Your thoughtfulness and support truly meant a great deal. The teachers and staff were incredibly appreciative of the recognition and generosity shown by our families during the holiday season. Thank you again for your continued support of Elm School and for helping to show our amazing staff how much they are appreciated.

Special Lunch Ordering for Winter/Spring Now Open

Special Lunch ordering for the remainder of the school year is now open!

Dates and restaurants:

Save the Dates - Daughters' and Sons' Nights!

Bowling Night on January 23rd: Mark your calendars for a Boys' Night Out at the lanes for Elm School sons and their favorite grown-up. A relaxed night of bowling and bonding. Tickets on sale in January.

Galentine’s Day Party on February 13th: Elm girls and their special +1 are invited to a sweet Girls' Night Out filled with activities and fun. Tickets on sale in January.

WANT TO HELP? We are recruiting volunteers for both events! Please sign up HERE if interested. 

Third Grade Concert - Friday 2/13 at 2:15pm

This year, the third grade concert will be on Friday, February 13th at 2:15PM in the Elm School gymnasium. Doors open at 2:00PM. The concert will feature songs from around the world. (Third grade students should dress nicely for this event.) All are invited to attend! Please remember to bring your driver's license to check in.

Afterschool Enrichment Activities

Elm is excited to offer the following afterschool enrichment activities beginning after winter break. 

Monday: Spanish* (1/12-4/27, 3:00-4:00pm)

Tuesday: Chess* (1/13-5/5, 3:05-4:05pm)

Wednesday: BAM Theatre* (1/14-3/18, 3:05-4:05pm)

Thursday: Golf* (1/15-3/26, 3:00-4:15pm)

Friday: Art* (1/16-3/20, 3:00-4:15pm) 

Weekdays: Before and After the Bell with The Community House

*Registration closes one week prior to the first session.

Principal's Corner

Inclement Weather Plan

At the past board meeting, the inclement weather plan was adopted and approved by the Board of Education. Our goal is always to keep schools open; however, there may be days when the weather is so severe that we cannot ensure the safety of our students and staff. This year instead of a traditional “snow day” where school is canceled, inclement weather days may lead to remote learning days for all students. This would allow students to continue learning and eliminate the need to make up missed days at the end of the year.

• The day will consist of live virtual instruction and asynchronous/independent work

• The focus of live instruction will be in literacy and math

• Staff will host office hours to answer questions

• Art, stem, music and PE lessons will be asynchronous/independent work

• Pull-out services, reading specialist services and differentiated instruction services may be held during the asynchronous work portion of the day

• Asynchronous independent work will be completed using either SeeSaw or Google Classroom depending on the grade level

• Information and links will be shared with families from the classroom teacher

Winter NWEA MAP Assessment Information and Schedule

12/15/25: 3rd Grade 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

We will continue the use of Skyward to communicate your child’s scores on MAP. This will allow families to receive their student’s results more quickly. An email will be sent alerting families when scores are visible. Directions for viewing results will be included in this follow-up email. Should a paper copy of the report be preferential, please contact your child’s principal.

We cannot hold make up sessions in January so if they miss their assessment date, they won’t have Winter data for placement.

Winter Party Food Information

At the upcoming Winter Parties, we will be serving SkinnyPop Popcorn. The ingredient label is below. Any questions, please contact your classroom teacher, Kim Pavich, or Sara Olson. 

Cold Weather Reminder

As we move through the winter months, please continue to send your child each day with a warm winter coat, hat, boots, and mittens. Our goal is to go outside for recess as often as possible. Fresh air and active play are important parts of the school day, and students benefit greatly from the chance to move and recharge. When making decisions about outdoor recess, we consider both the temperature and the wind chill. As a general guideline, if the “feels like” temperature is zero degrees or higher, we will most likely head outside—even if only for a short time. Thank you again for helping keep our students safe, comfortable, and ready to learn!

Empathy Brainstorm

This weekend, we kindly ask families to take a few minutes to review the Empathy Brainstorm with their child. Next week, our Bulldog Bestie groups will be extending their learning about empathy—what it is, why it matters, and how we can practice it every day. Having a personal experience to share will help to deepen our group discussions. Thank you for your support in helping our students grow as caring and compassionate Bulldogs!