COMMUNICATOR - Crystal Lake Elementary District 47

CRYSTAL LAKE ELEMENTARY DISTRICT 47
COMMUNICATOR
Educational excellence for all studentsisour passion and commitment.
CONTACT US
FALL 2015
-PBIS
-IMPORTANT DATES
-D47 GOALS &
PROJECTS
-NEW ONLINE
LUNCH PAYMENT
SYSTEM
-PARENT
UNIVERSITY
-D47 FINANCIAL
SNAPSHOT
-ABSENTEEISM/
TRUANCY POLICY
-PARCC UPDATE
-NEW VISITOR
MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM
-GRADING CHANGES
-STATE REPORT
CARDS
-WEBSITE UPDATE
-TEXT-A-TIP
-REMINDERS
Cryst al Lake
El ement ary Dist rict 47
CORE Center
300 Commerce Dr.
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
815.788.5000
DISTRICT 47 ADOPTS NEW POSITIVE APPROACH TO DISCIPLINE
Crystal Lake Elementary District
47 is in the second year of a
multi-year process of rolling out
a new student behavior model
called Posit ive Behavioral
Int ervent ions and Support s
(PBIS). PBIS is a systemic
approach to proactive,
schoolwide behavior based on
a Response to Intervention (RtI)
model.
The PBIS model has been
successfully implemented in
thousands of schools in over 40
states, resulting in dramatic
reductions in disciplinary
interventions and increases in
academic achievement. The
goal of implementation is to
increase academic performance,
improve safety, decrease
problem behavior, and establish
a positive school culture.
With PBIS, behavioral
expectations are taught in much
the same way that any core
curriculum subject is taught ?
by modeling and reinforcing
positive behaviors. Schoolwide
expectations for behavior are
set by a school?s PBIS team and
put into a matrix . This schoolwide behavior matrix is then
shared with students and staff
and is posted throughout the
building to keep expectations
front and center.
?I think of the matrix this way:
?We are all part of a family.
[North] is our house and these
are our rules,?? says North
principal Steve Scarfe. Scarfe,
new to North this year, came
from an assistant principalship
at Kingsley Elementary in
Evanston last year and has also
served Rockford, Des Plaines
and Belvidere school districts in
a variety of administrative
capacities and is well versed in
PBIS. While completing his Type
75 internship at Belvidere
Central Middle School, Scarfe
set up their Tier 1 and Tier 2
PBIS programs*. According to
Scarfe, PBIS helps to fill the
PBIS (cont'd)
social/ emotional deficits that
sometimes exist. Scarfe says
that before real learning can
begin, you have to set some
ground rules. ?Sometimes we
have to teach kids how to ?do
school,'? he says.
?Eagle Bills? to students. Click here
for video.
Does PBIS work f or ol der
st udent s, t oo?
You bet, says Bernotas principal
Jeff Prickett. At Bernotas, students
earn ?Thor Hammers? (see top
With PBIS, students are
photo at right) for demonstrating
recognized for making good
positive behaviors. Drawings,
choices and modeling
where eligible students can win
behaviors outlined in the
gift cards, are held weekly on
matrix. At North, for example,
Fridays, monthly at assemblies,
staff members reward
and sometimes just at random students with ?Star Bucks?
called ?out of the blue? drawings.
tickets when they "do the
In fact, Bernotas has turned
right thing." Students can
earning Thor Hammers into a
redeem their Star Bucks
contest, where the team that earns
tickets at the school store to
the most wins the actual Thor
purchase a variety of items,
Hammer (see bottom photo at
including stickers, pencils, and
right) for the month.
more. Twice a month there is
Prickett says that staff plays a key
also a raffle drawing where
role in the success of PBIS. Each
students who?ve earned Star
month focuses on a particular area
Bucks get a chance to win
of the PBIS matrix and staff is
bigger prizes. The names of
the winning students are then expected to teach several 3-5
minute corresponding lessons
read off during Monday
throughout the month. ?A big part
morning announcements.
of the success of this program
Similar programs are being
depends on teaching
implemented at other D47
expectations, and then reteaching
elementary buildings. At
those expectations,? says Prickett.
Coventry, for example,
Teachers are also responsible for
students and staff learned
rewarding and recognizing good
about PBIS at a recent
student behavior and for handing
all-school assembly where
out the Thor Hammers, Prickett
they watched a humorous
says. In addition, they report and
video with principal Matt
track behavior data so staff and
Grubbs handing out
PBIS AT BERNOTAS
THOR HAMMER TICKETS
ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS
SCOTT MEYER AND
KELLIE MARKS DISPLAY
BERNOTAS' PBIS
COLLECTION.
HEADLINE
THE THOR HAMMER
PBIS (cont'd)
administration know where
concerns lie. To reward them for
their efforts, teachers who
nominate students for Thor
Hammers are also highlighted at
monthly all-school assemblies
where they, too, have a chance to
win gift cards to local eateries,
Starbucks, etc.
?What PBIS doesis
powerful because it
reinforcesthat we're all
ownersof school culture."
This is of particular importance as students
transition to middle school, where negative
behaviors can become problematic.
?In the end, what PBIS does is powerful because it
reinforces that we?re all owners of school culture,?
says Scarfe.
*Tier 1 and Tier 2 refer to a basic principle of the PBIS
approach, which identifies students at risk of behavior
problems in one of three categories: primary, secondary and
tertiary. To learn more about the tiered approach to PBIS, click
here.
Is al l of t his paying of f ?
Both principals had a resounding
?yes? to this question, citing that
they?ve heard multiple remarks
from both staff and parents about
the positive school climate that
seems to permeate their
buildings this year.
According to director of special
education Kelli Catini, who
oversees PBIS, one of the real
values of implementing a
program like PBIS is that it
establishes consistent behavioral
expectations and language across
the district. ?With PBIS, our
students can go from one
classroom to the next, one grade
level to the next, and even one
school to the next and know that
similar rules apply,? she says.
COMMUNITY HARVEST FOOD DRIVE: OCT. 2-20
Did you know t here is a hunger probl em here in McHenry
Count y? Approximat el y 8.8 percent of McHenry Count y?s
popul at ion is considered t o be ?f ood insecure,? which
t ransl at es t o roughl y 27,210 peopl e. As t he Communit y
Harvest Food Drive kicks of f in November, t he Cryst al Lake
Food Pant ry is asking f or hel p f rom Dist rict 47 school s.
Wit h our f ocus on cit izenship in November (t he Charact er
Count s pil l ar f or t he mont h), Dist rict 47 school s wil l
part icipat e in a f riendl y compet it ion t o see which school
can col l ect t he most f ood. Two winners (one K-5; one
middl e school ) wil l be announced and awarded pl aques
f rom t he Cryst al Lake Chamber of Commerce and winning
cl assrooms wil l receive a pizza part y. The drive wil l run
f rom November 2-20. For det ail s and a l ist of suggest ed
donat ions, cl ick here.
Import ant 2015-2016 Dat es
November 3
Teacher Institute Day; no school
November 10
Parent University
November 18
Early Release Day*
November 25-29
Thanksgiving Break; no school
December 19
Winter Break begins
January 4
Classes resume
January 15
Teacher Institute Day; no school
January 18
Martin Luther King Jr. Day; no school
January 27
Early Release Day*
February 12
School Improvement Day; half-day for students (noon
dismissal for grades K-5; 11 a.m. dismissal for grades 6-8)
February 15
Presidents?Day; no school
February 24
Early Release Day*
March 25
Spring Break begins; no school
March 28-April 3
Spring Break
April 4
Classes resume after Spring Break
April 27
Early Release Day*
May 6
D47 Art Show
May 18
Early Release Day*
May 30
Memorial Day; no school
June 1
Last day of Kindergarten and Wehde ECE attendance
June 2
Last day of student attendance if no ?Snow Days?
are taken; Early Release Day* for students
June 3-June 9
?Snow Days? to be added if necessary
*On early release days, K-5 buildings dismiss at 2 p.m. (AM only Kindergarteners are released at normal 11:30
a.m. time). Middle school buildings dismiss at 1 p.m.
NOTE: 8th grade Honors Night will be determined after Spring Break.
Dist rict 47 Goal s & Project s f or 2015-2016
District 47 goals and projects are designed to identify priorities, provide focus, and support our
mission of Educational Excellence for All Students. The goals and projects affirm our long-standing
commitment to continually improve and enhance the learning opportunities that we provide our
students.
Goal s
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By spring 2017, District 47 will perform at or above the 90th percentile (top 10%
nationally) at each grade level in reading and mathematics as measured by Measures of
Academic Progress (MAP).
By 2017, District 47 will be the top performing school district in McHenry county in reading
and mathematics as measured by State assessments.
Project s
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-
Upgrade bandwidth and wireless infrastructure throughout the district.
Implement Food Service POS and Online Payment System
Fully implement Synergy SE (Special Education) module
Fully implement web based MAP testing
Implement new progress report at the elementary level and research best middle school
grading and reporting practices
Align elementary math curriculum with CCSS
Align middle school science curriculum with the NGSS
Roll out PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention System)
Implement a new IEP parent survey
Continue reviewing and revising K-8 units of study/ modify for special groups (including
EC)/ begin collecting assessment data
Identify and seek out competitive and non-competitive grants to support district initiatives
Create a handbook and initiate the pilot of the Student Growth initiative. The purpose of a
pilot for 15-16 is to obtain feedback from constituents prior to full implementation in the
16-17 school year
Gather communication benchmark data about district by surveying parents, community and
staff
Launch Parent University in fall
NEW FOOD SERVICE POINT-OF-SALE SYSTEM
Beginning in January 2016,
parents will have a new way to
pay for their child?s school
lunch. By using a new service
called MyPayments Plus,
parents will be able to pay
electronically for meals using
an e-check, credit or debit card.
Once a payment has been
made, funds are usually
available for student use within
minutes. The new electronic
system will allow parents to
monitor their student?s
cafeteria purchases and to
receive low balance alerts.
Families with multiple children
will be able to make one large
payment and distribute it as
necessary to the children
within the family. ?We are
pleased to be able to offer this
convenience to our parents as it
eliminates the need to send
checks to school and prevents
worry over lost or forgotten
lunch money,? says assistant
superintendent of business
Cathy Nelson. Nelson points
out that another advantage to
the new point-of-sale service is
that it will speed up the serving
lines in the cafeterias as
student meal tickets will simply
be scanned and tracked
electronically.
The new point-of-sale lunch
system has been made
available, in part, through the
generosity of District 47?s new
food service provider Sodexo.
A link will be added to the food
service page of the district
website when services become
available.
D47 HOSTS PARENT UNIVERSITY:
NOVEMBER 10, 2015
District 47 will host a Parent University on Tues., Nov. 10th from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at
Bernotas Middle School, 170 N. Oak St. in Crystal Lake. The event is open to all
District 47 families and interested community members. Topics presented will
include online safety and social media (presented by The Parent Feed) and youth and
mental health (presented by the National Alliance for Mental Illness). Community
not-for-profit organizations offering programming for youth will also be at the event
to inform and educate parents about their organizations and classes. For details and
to RSVP, click here. For Spanish, version click here.
D47 FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT
Financial pressures face school districts across the state. Over the past few years, the
district has been working hard to spread valuable resources farther to offset federal and
state categorical reductions while maintaining current programs and services in a manner
that saves taxpayers?dollars.
A proposed budget was formally approved by the Board of Education at the public hearing
on September 21. This budget would not have been possible without the collective efforts
of District 47 board members, staff and supporting families. For a copy of the approved
2015-2016 budget, please see the District 47 website at www.d47.org.
Please note that with any budget, there are a number of unknown variables, including a
possible pension shift and state-approved budget, many of which can have a potentially
material impact on the current year budget and future years.
ABSENTEEISM: A GROWING NATIONAL PROBLEM
With an estimated five to seven
and a half million students
chronically absent each year,
chronic absenteeism is a national
problem that affects our youth
and our nation as a whole.
Chronic absence from school is
defined as a student missing at
least 10 percent of school days in
a year for any reason, excused or
unexcused. The U.S. Department
of Education, along with other
federal, state and local
government entities, is
committed to identifying and
supporting students who are or
could be at risk of becoming
chronically absent, and has set a
goal of reducing chronic
absenteeism by at least 10
percent each year starting with
the 2015-2016 school year.
D47 At t endance Procedures
and Truancy Absences
Crystal Lake Elementary District
47 considers attendance in class
to be a crucial component of a
student?s education. As such,
attendance constitutes part of the
academic program in the district
and is an important part of a
student?s academic performance.
When a student is absent for all or
part of a day, a parent or guardian
must call the school on that day
and report the reason for the
absence daily.
On October 13th, all three District
47 middle schools implemented a
common attendance and truancy
policy that was developed with
the assistance of the McHenry
County Truancy Department. To
view the policy, click here.
FACTS ABOUT CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM
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Children who are chronically absent in preschool,
kindergarten, and first grade are much less likely to
read at grade level by the third grade.
Students who can?t read at grade level by the end
of third grade are four times more likely than
proficient readers to drop out of high school.
By high school, irregular attendance is a better
predictor of school dropout than test scores.
PARCC UPDATE
Like many other school districts
around the country, District 47
implemented the new PARCC test
for students in grades 3-8 last
year. The PARCC test replaced the
Illinois Standards Achievement
Test (ISAT). We are still awaiting
the release of last year?s PARCC
results due to significant delays
at the state level. However, we'd
like to remind parents that
students will take the PARCC test
only once this year. The PARCC
testing window has been
tentatively set for March 7 to
April 25.
NEW PARCC RESOURCES
I
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has set up a new website called
Underst and t he Score.Org (http:/ / UnderstandTheScore.org/ your-state/ illinois/ ). The
site is designed to help parents and community members know what to expect when
their children's score reports arrive at home. It outlines how to read and understand
the new score reports, provides guidance on how to use the score reports to support
children, and highlights learning resources that parents can use to help their children
improve academically. To view a sample PARCC score report, click here.
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ISBE has introduced a new website dedicated solely to the PARCC exam. The new site,
called PARCC Pl ace, provides access to fact sheets, online resources, and the latest
updates on test format and administration.
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PARCC pract ice t est s are now available at http:/ / parcc.pearson.com/ practice-tests/ .
The practice tests are scored and are available in accommodated versions, including
TTS, ASL, and Spanish. Currently, there are two separate practice tests (PBA and EOY)
but the State plans to combine these into one practice test soon.
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In September, the state of Illinois released state-level preliminary PARCC results for
students who took the exam online. It is important to note that these scores do not
reflect the scores of students who took the test with paper and pencil. Click here for
more information: http:/ / www.isbe.net/ news/ 2015/ sept16.htm.
NEW VISITOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM LAUNCHES IN JANUARY
Effective January 4, 2016, a new
visitor management system will
be in place in all D47 schools.
Visitors will be required to bring a
U.S.-issued state ID or driver?s
license when visiting their child?s
school for any period of time. The
ID will be scanned to check
visitors against a sex-offender
database prior to granting them
access to a building.
The purpose of this initiative is to
expedite and enhance existing
security procedures for the safety
of students and staff. The new
electronic system being
implemented is used in many
surrounding school districts,
including District 155, and will
replace the current sign-in
system.
Once scanned, the information
will be stored so parents will not
be required to present
identification on future visits.
Also important to note is that the
new process pertains only to
granting visitors access into the
school beyond the main office
during the school day while
students are present. It does not
apply to parents who are simply
dropping off a forgotten item or
who are picking up their student
from school.
According to Dave Schuh, director
of operations,?We are committed
to providing a safe environment
for all students and staff and feel
confident the new visitor
management system will both
increase our security measures
and streamline our processes. ?
PROGRESS REPORT AND GRADING CHANGES
D47 has made several grading changes this
year at both the K-5 and middle school
levels.
For further information about
elementary progress report changes,
click on the FAQ document below:
Grades K-5
Elementary Progress Report FAQs
Revisions to standards-based progress
reports include changes to the literacy
portion as well as the elimination of letter
grades for students in grades 4 and 5. Click
the video below that highlights these
changes:
Grades 6-8
In middle school, major changes reflect
how different assessments are
weighted when considering final letter
grades. To learn more, watch the video
below:
In English:
There are different benchmark systems for
District 47's new elementary progress
reports. All literacy-related areas are scored
according to nine-month, end-of-year
benchmarks. Other subject areas, like math,
science, social studies, and encore classes,
are scored according to three-month,
end-of-trimester benchmarks. Watch the
following video that further explains the
district?s benchmarks:
In Spanish:
STATE REPORT CARDS
On October 30, 2015, Illinois state report card data was posted on the Illinois Report Card
website. Here you will find student and teacher demographics, enrollment, and district-level
financial information.
Data involving student academic growth and achievement is not currently available. This
data will be based on student-, school-, and district-level PARCC test results, which are not
expected until later this year.
To see the report card data for District 47 and its 12 schools, go to
www.illinoisreportcard.com.
WEBSITE UPDATE: MOBILE APP COMING SOON
We are excited to announce that soon D47 parents will
be able to stay better connected to District 47 schools
with the new Parent Link mobile app - Phase Two of the
new District 47 website rollout.
The new app is designed for website viewing on mobile
devices and will allow parents quick and easy access to
their child?s school. Parents will be able to customize
news and notifications, integrate calendars, and more.
Language translation and 24-hour customer support are
also available with Parent Link. The mobile app will be available for download in Google
Play and the App Store in early 2016.
WEBSITE TIPS & TRICKS
Tip # 1: We've added instructions on the staff directory page of each building's website
to make getting to teacher web pages faster and easier. See below.
Tip # 2: All building websites have the following URL/ domain: www.d47.org/ plus the
3-letter school abbreviation: can, cov, grs, hus, ips, nor, sou, wes, wds, hbm, l ms, and
rbm. f you are having trouble accessing D47 websites when plugging the building's URL
into your web browser, you may need to clear your cache. For instructions on how to do
this, search "how to clear your cache on xx," and add the name of your web browser.
TEXT-A-TIP SERVICE LAUNCHES FOR MCHENRY COUNTY YOUTH
As the new school year began in
August, a new resource called
Text-A-Tip launched for students
across McHenry County. Text-A-Tip
is an app that allows students to
anonymously text concerns about
themselves or others to licensed,
trained mental health
professionals. Developed by a
not-for-profit organization based in
Lake Forest called LEAD (Linking
Efforts Against Drugs), the app is a
proactive tool that connects
students to mental health resources
anonymously. The app was rolled
out to school districts and
communities on Chicago?s north
shore last year and is expanding
into other school districts and
communities around the country.
According to a recent report from
LEAD, youth are taking advantage of
the new service. The report, which
provides anonymous usage data,
shows that between August 17 and
September 30, there were 48
unique users of the service and a
total of 736 texts (with an average
exchange of 15.3 texts). The report
also showed that primary concerns
included stress, bullying, depression
and anxiety, followed by
relationship conflict, substance
abuse and self-harm.
If you have a middle schooler, ask if
he or she knows about Text-A-Tip
and encourage your student to add
Text-A-Tip to his or her cell phone
contacts.
For more information about
In light of concern for our youth
Text-A-Tip and how it works, click
following last year?s suicides in
here.
Crystal Lake, District 47 became
interested in this service as a way
for students in need to get help
and, along with the McHenry
County Community Foundation, has
led the charge to bring this
valuable resource to middle and
high school students across
McHenry County.
REMINDERS
EMERGENCY CARDS
We are no longer sending home emergency cards with students;
instead, we are recording this information in ParentVue, our student
management system. If you have not done so already, please review
your child?s contact, medical and emergency contact information in
ParentVue and report any changes to this information to your child?s
school office. If you need help with your ParentVue login or
password, please contact our help desk at 815.788.5080 or hd@d47.org. For more
information about ParentVue, click here.
CHECK WRITING
When writing checks to the business office, please refrain from
using gel pens as the ink does not show up when the checks are
scanned electronically. Black or blue ink is preferred.
PHOTO/VIDEO PERMISSIONS
District 47 has changed its photo/ video permissions procedures. To
celebrate student success, District 47 wants to share news of
notable achievements with the various communities it serves. As
such, it reserves the right to use and/ or produce photographs,
video, movies and voice recordings of any student in any legal
manner for the internal and external promotional and
informational activities of the District. Photos and/ or video may be published on
the District web sites, newsletter and social media sites, as well as shared with
media outlets (both print and online). Note: Students may be referenced by first
name, last initial or first initial, last name unless submitting to local newspapers,
which may require both first and last names.
If you do not want your child photographed or videotaped for District 47 use,
please send a signed statement to this effect in writing to Denise Barr,
Coordinator of Community Relations, Crystal Lake Elementary District 47, 300
Commerce Dr., Crystal Lake, IL 60014. Please note that this opt-out statement
must be filed annually with the District.
Find Dist rict 47 on social media!
Dist rict 47
Twitter: @crystallakesd47
Indian Prairie
Facebook: d47schools
Twitter: @IndianPrairie47
Facebook: IndianPrairie47
Bernot as Middl e School
Twitter: @BernotasVikings
Lundahl Middl e School
Facebook: BernotasVikings
Twitter: @LundahlLions
Instagram: Bernotas1
Facebook: LundahlLions
Cant erbury
Nort h
Twitter: @CanterburyD47
Twitter: @StarHuskies
Facebook: CanterburyD47
Facebook: StarHuskiesD47
Covent ry
Sout h
Twitter: @CoventryD47
Twitter: @SouthD47
Facebook: CoventryD47
Facebook: SouthD47
Gl acier Ridge
Wehde Earl y Chil dhood Cent er
Twitter: @GlacierRidgeD47
Twitter: @ECD47
Facebook: GlacierRidgeD47
Facebook: ECD47
Hannah Beardsl ey Middl e
School
West
Twitter: @HBMBears
Twitter: @D47West
Facebook: D47West
Facebook: HBMBears
Woods Creek
Husmann
Twitter: @HusmannD47
Facebook: HusmannD47
Twitter: @WoodsCreekD47
Facebook: WoodsCreekD47