Halloween parties have been scheduled for Friday, October 30th from 1:45 pm to 2:45 pm. In order to ensure a safe and fun day for everyone, we ask that you adhere to following guidelines when planning your child’s costume: Masks and props are not allowed in school; please refrain from design-

ing costumes utilizing these items. No aerosol cans of hair spray or spray paint will be allowed in school. Students may wear makeup, provided they are able to put it on them-

selves or it has been put on at home. Children may wear costumes to school as long as the costumes do not

interfere with regular school activities. If you’re a room parent, please contact your child’s teacher regarding

any allergies in the classroom. Please bring proper ID’s with you on the day of the party. Please remember that room parents will not be allowed to bring children other than MES students to the room parties. It is very difficult for parents to attend to the needs of our students as well as supervise other young children in their care. If you are unable to be a room parent because of this policy, please contact your child’s teacher to see if you can help in an-other way. Please read page 6 of this newsletter for District policy regarding holiday room parties. Two important items to note are: Treat bags containing only non-edible items may be given at the

end of the party. The PTA will be providing the snack at all holiday parties. No

other snack will be allowed. Questions regarding this policy should be directed to Mrs. Kirchner or Mrs. Splayt at 708-342-4850.

October 2015 Newsletter

School Office:

708-342-4850

Absentee Line:

708-342-4850 ext “1”

On the Web:

http://mokena159.org

Fax: 708/479-3120

Donations 2

School Closing

Fall Fling

3

Lunch Accounts

Fire Assemblies

4

Little Obie

Disability Awareness

5

Holiday Parties 6

Kids Connection

7

Calendar

Parent University

8

9

Inside this issue:

Mrs. Anna Kirchner Principal Mrs. Judy Splayt Assistant Principal

Mokena Elementary School

Halloween Parties Friday, October 30th

A great big Thank you! to Treasured Smiles Pediatric Dentistry of Frankfort

for their donation to the

Mokena Elementary School Positive Behavior program!!!

The Mokena PTA

Thank you for their generous donation to our Positive Behavior program

and all that you do for our school and district!

Help make a difference — Be Involved —Join the Mokena PTA!

To the follow ing businesses and organizations for their generous donations.

Your support makes a huge difference in our school!

The Mokena Education Foundation

The Mokena Education Foundation recently funded grants to purchase Whiteboard Interactive Calendar Software and

Second Step classroom kits for our Kindergarten and First grade.

Thank you MEF!!!

Page 2

PAGE 3

FALL FLING

Please mark your calendar for the 4th annual Fall Fling on

Friday, November 6th at The Alley Grill & Tap House in Mokena

This event is aimed at raising money to enhance our children's educational experiences at school.

Part of the Fall Fling is a Silent Auction!

We are asking all parents if you may have something you could offer for bidding!

There are many things folks can offer, but consider the following as examples:

Art/music lessons Time shares Sporting event tickets Lawn care services

Scrapbooking Hotel stays House cleaning service Pet setting

For more information, sponsorship opportunities,

auction updates and online reservations visit:

www.fallfling159.com

DISABILITY/DIFFERENCES AWARENESS

MES social workers, Stacie Soroka and Emmaleigh Halweg, brought a story and activity to MES classrooms to promote disability awareness. This year's focus was understanding and respecting everyone's differences as learners. Students were read the book entitled, "We All Learn" and had the opportunity to discuss their learning style and identify one thing they wanted to

learn this year.

Let’s celebrate our differences and

Make Everyone Shine!

School Closing Information

While it may seem early to even think about winter weather, it will be here before we

know it! Should we have an emergency school closing, a Skylert message will be

sent. Additional information is available through the following:

Mokena School District 159 website at: www.mokena159.org

Emergency Closing Center at: www.emergencyclosingcenter.com

Announcements will also be made on Channel 9 television.

PAGE 4

Fire Prevention

Assemblies

Representatives from the Mokena Fire Department will be here to meet with every class during the week of October 5th. Each classroom will have a 30 minute presentation on fire safety. In addition, first and second grade students will go through a simulated escape in an inflatable “safe house.”

Thank you to the Mokena Fire Department for presenting this wonderful program to our students!

Fall Reminders from Nurse Therese and Miss Denise

Fall is here! Along with that comes crisp Fall weather.

Don’t forget to bring in a sweater or jacket.

Also, it’s helpful to keep a chap stick in your backpack.

Along with Fall, unfortunately, comes colds, coughs and fevers.

Let’s remember to wash our hands a few times a day.

It’s our best defense against illness.

When washing, sing the “ABC’s” or “Happy Birthday”.

That way you know you’ve washed them long enough!

Another good practice is covering our sneezes or coughs with tissue.

Please remember to wear close toed shoes. We want to keep those active feet safe!

Also, please refer to our student/parent handbook regarding illness and absence.

Halloween is approaching! It’s a fun and exciting time.

Remember, while trick or treating to look both ways crossing streets.

Always have mom and dad check your treats before eating.

And most of all have fun!

Step by step instructions are provided on the Mokena School District website on how to: Put money on your child’s lunch account Check the balance on their lunch account See exactly how their lunch money was spent on (i.e. hot lunch or snacks) Simply go to www.mokena159.org - click on “Parents” and follow the “Lunch Information” link to access the “Skyward Family Access Basics” document with instructions. Mokena School District is dedicated to providing all available resources to our parents/families. Please be sure to visit our website and familiarize yourself with all that is available to you online!

How to check Lunch Account Balances

Mrs. Jane’s class celebrated red, white and blue day!

ALL ABOARD!!! The Little Obie Train came to MES in September. The main purpose of Little Obie is to teach children and adults about railroad crossing safety. “Operation Lifesaver” is a nationwide program dedicated to safety around trains and especially at railroad crossings. Students viewed a video presentation and were given a ride on the Little Obie Train!

Many thanks to Mark Schmale and the CN/Illinois Central Railroad for this free event!

Page 5

Evening Building Availability

Please note that unless there are planned evening activities, the doors to Mokena

Elementary School will be locked at 5:00 p.m.

If students need to return to MES to retrieve books or assignments after school hours, please

be sure to arrive at the school prior to 5:00 p.m.

Thanks for your cooperation!

Mokena Elementary School Holiday Parties

In an effort to simplify the planning for holiday parties, we ask that as you prepare for the upcoming party you take into account these guidelines.

General Planning Guidelines: One parent should initiate calling the other parent(s) who will be helping to organize the party. Please check with your

child’s teacher for names and phone numbers. Treat bags containing only non-edible items may be given at the end of the party. Have the treat bags prepared prior to

the party. Doing so will allow more time for games and fun on party day. If you call parents from the directory and ask them to send in specific non-edible treat items for the party, I will send those items home with your child, as long as he/she is able to easily carry them.

If you wish, you may ask for a dollar amount (anywhere from $1.00-$3.00) to be collected from each student so that you

can shop for the items yourself. If you create a note to go home for collection of money, I will send that home with the students for you.

A sample party schedule.

Simple craft (10 minutes) The students should be able to take it home with them, so glue should be left to a minimum. Also, most students will be taking the bus home so the craft should be easy to transport. Having a completed sample of the craft is also helpful.

Snack (10 minutes) The PTA will be providing the snack at all holiday parties. No other snack will be allowed. Games (30 minutes) Games should involve everyone. Please have two or more games going on at the same

time. Small group games allow everyone to actively participate. If prizes are given all children should re-ceive one, not just the winner. Student desks may be moved for extra space.

Party Day! Please try to car pool with other room parents if possible. Parking space is limited. Also plan on arriving no

more than 15 minutes prior to the party and wear the nametag sent home with your child. It is also important that you write a note to the classroom teacher of any of your other MES children that you will be transporting home on party day.

Please check with your classroom teacher for: Suggestions about games and activities.

Please abide by the following requests: Please keep room decorations to a minimum. Plastic confetti is not allowed in the classrooms. Any help you can provide

at the conclusion of the party with some general clean up of the room would be greatly appreciated. Latex balloons are not allowed in the building. Please do not bring other children. We greatly appreciate the time and effort you have given to planning and putting the

party on. Whenever a parent volunteers to be a room parent, it is a special day for the classroom child. Bringing other children to the party will only take your attention off running the party and devoting your time to your child and others in the class. With this in mind, siblings who are not MES students are not allowed to come to the room parties.

If your child is sick on the day of the party, please do not send them to school. Also, if you are a room party parent and your child is home sick, please contact your child’s teacher so she can make arrangements to have another parent attend the party.

Scheduled Parties: Halloween – Friday, October 30, 2015 (1:45-2:45 pm) Winter Break – Friday, December 18, 2015 (1:00-2:00 pm) Valentine’s Day – Thursday, February 11, 2016 (1:45-2:45 pm)

Page 6

KIDS CONNECTION

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Mokena Elementary School is pleased to announce that we will be offering the KIDS

CONNECTION program during the 2015-2016 school year. This voluntary program consists

of twelve weekly sessions and is available to students Kindergarten through 3rd grade.

When a significant event takes place in a family, everyone in the family is affected. Although

death and divorce seem to be adult problems, children can have profound reactions to these

changes. Due to their age and brief life experiences, children often find it difficult to deal

with their feelings. In the KIDS CONNECTION program, sensitive, caring staff members

volunteer to help children express their feelings and adjust to the changes in their family.

This is one step in a process of understanding and acceptance.

The KIDS CONNECTION program will begin on Wednesday, October 28th and continue on

consecutive Wednesdays until Wednesday, February 10th. The program will meet from 8:00-

8:40 each Wednesday. You will need to provide transportation for your child to the program.

After the group is over each day, group leaders will take the students to the appropriate

waiting area for dismissal to class. If your child attends Ivy League in the morning, please

indicate on your permission form so we can notify Ivy League staff.

If your child has recently been affected by death or divorce, this is an opportunity to share

their experience as well as make a “connection” with other children. Please contact me with

any questions you may have by Wednesday, October 21st.

Sincerely,

Stacie Soroka

School Social Worker/Kids Connection Coordinator

Mokena Elementary School, 708/342-4850

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2

3

4

5

6

PTA Meeting 3:30 pm MES

7

8

9

10

11 12 No School Columbus Day

13

14

15

16 Picture Retake Day End of 1st Quarter

Rainbow Day

17

18 19

20

21 Early Dismissal at 12 Noon Board of Ed. Meeting at MES, 7:00pm

22

23 Report Card

Day

24

25

26

27 PTA Pumpkin Decorating Contest 6:30pm MES

28

29

30 Halloween

Parties 1:45-2:45 pm

31

October 2015

The Focus and Mission of the Parent Advisory Council A group of parents dedicated to examining, questioning, and discovering the needs of our school community in order to

better the educational and life experience of all children served by District 843 in the Lincoln-Way area.

Join us for our 6th annual

Parent University Saturday, November 7, 2015 Pioneer Grove Educational Center 601 Willow Street Frankfort, IL 60423

FREE presentation for all parents!

Schedule of Events: 9:00am-9:15am Registration 9:15am-10:15am Keynote Speaker

Scott Uhler ~ “Navigating the World of Special Education – A Parent’s Guide” 10:15am-10:30am Break 10:30am-11:15am Session 1 Eileen Parente ~ “What About My “Other” Kids” 11:15am-12:00pm Session 2:

Mary Harrison & Jan Smith ~ “Transition: Making It in the Real World” 9:15am-10:15am: Keynote Session ~ Navigating the World of Special Education– A Parent’s Guide Back by popular demand! Attorney Scott Uhler will provide an interactive session will provide parents with suggestions on how they can navigate the world of special education as a parent to best advocate for their child. Questions will be addressed, such as: What are important questions that I should be asking my child’s educational team? What are strategies if there are questions/concerns about my child’s programming? What are practical tips for parents of children with special needs? 10:30am-11:15am: Session 1 ~ What About My “Other” Kids Participants will acquire the knowledge on the dilemmas and advantages of siblings of special needs children, parents’ considerations regarding siblings of special needs children, and discussion regarding what siblings want from parents, family members and service providers. This session is provided by Eileen, Lauren, and Jenna Parente. Eileen Parente is the Director of Student Services for Mokena School District 159. 11:15am-12:00pm: Session 2 ~ Transition: Making It in the Real World An overview of the transition process will be provided by Mary Harrison, Director of Special Services for Lincoln-Way High School District 210 and Jan Smith, Transition Specialist for Lincoln-Way High School District 210.

R.S.V.P. by Monday, October 26th to Marie Goulet, Parent Advisory Council Liaison, at: mgoulet@lwase843.org

© 2015 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

w

October 2015

What is a poplolli? It’s a mixed-up version of lollipop!Playing with words helps your youngster hear the sounds and syllables within them. Use these clever activi-ties to build his phonologicalawareness—an important predictor of reading success.

Where in the word?Let your child pick out a

stuffed animal. Then, label one sheet of paper “Beginning,” another “Middle,” and a third one “End.” Now, say a three-letter word (cup), choose one letter (u), and say its sound (uh). Does your youngster hear that sound in the beginning, middle, or end of cup? He can show you by hopping the stuffed animal to the right paper.

Rhyming riddlesAsk your youngster to name a cate-

gory like food or games. Think of a word that fits in the category, and make up a riddle for him to guess it—ending with

Play with sounds and syllables

■ Fire! Fuego! Brave Bomberos(Susan Middleton Elya) Follow the brave bomberos as they race their fire truck, put out a fire, and save a kitty! Learn how the firefighters use the hydrant and hose to battle the flames. This fast-paced rhyming story is told with English and Spanish words and contains a glossary in the back.

■ The Dark (Lemony Snicket) A little boy named Laszlo is afraid of the dark, but the dark lives in the basement and out-side at night. One

day, the dark visits Laszlo in his room, and they have a talk. Will Laszlo stop being afraid? Find out in this beauti-fully illustrated tale.

■ The Barefoot Book of Ballet Stories (Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple)Read the stories behind The Nutcracker,Swan Lake, and other famous ballets. Perfect for the young dancer, this book also includes historical information about classical ballet and tells about performances of each tale.

■ The Great Seal of the United States (Norman Pearl) Your child has probably seen the United States seal before—an eagle with a shield—but does he know what it means? Ben Franklin narrates the history of the seal and how the design came to be a symbolof America. Every aspect of the seal is explained with pic-tures and descriptions.

Writing: Decorate for inspiration

a made-up word that rhymes with your word. Example: “I am green and spicy, and I taste good with chips. I rhyme with wuacawole” (guacamole).

Scrambled syllablesTake turns secretly picking a word

with at least two syllables (scarecrow) and saying it with the syllables in the wrong order (crowscare). Try to guess each oth-er’s word. Tip: It doesn’t need to be a word your child can spell or read—it could even be expialisuperfragilisticdociouscali(supercalifragilisticexpialidocious).♥

“What should my story be about?” Your child can use these suggestions for dreaming up story topics—and decorating her room.

● Collect photos. Encourage your youngster to gather interesting pictures, such as a photo of a stormy night or a camel in a desert. Together, string yarn along a wall and use clothespins to hang the photos from it. Then, she can pick one to write about.

● Make story sticks. Help your child write possible story titles on craft sticks. Examples: “The Day the Sun Didn’t Set,” “The Lonely Polka-Dotted Zebra.” She can decorate a jar, add sand, and insert the sticks. Let her put the jar on her dresser and choose a stick when she’s ready to write.♥

Read-aloud favorites

Anna KirchnerPrincipal

© 2015 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

To provide busy parents with practical ways to promote their children’s reading, writing,

and language skills.Resources for Educators,

a division of CCH Incorporated128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630

540-636-4280 • rfecustomer@wolterskluwer.comwww.rfeonline.com

ISSN 1540-5648

O U R P U R P O S E

October 2015 • Page 2

Get hooked on a series

Here’s a fun idea: Go out-side together, and help her write “Characters,” “Setting,” “Problem,” and “Solution” in chalk on separate sidewalk squares or on paper plates scattered in the grass. She can draw a picture for each part, then jump to each

square or plate as she retells the story.

If your daughter doesn’t seem to know what to say during retell-

ings, talk to the teacher to make sure her reading-comprehension

skills are on track.♥

Retell a story ●Q This year, my daughter will be tested on how well she can retell books she has read. Why is this, and how can I help her do a good job?

●A Retelling a story lets the teacher know how well your daughter understands what she read. During a test, she’ll need to identify the characters and setting, and she’ll have to describe major plot events in the right order.

I loved series books when I was little—I could

hardly wait to find out what would hap-pen in the next installment. Now that my daughter is reading, I wanted to help her find series books to fall in love with, too.

Our librarian was happy to help. She said kids feel com-fortable reading books in a series because the characters become famil-iar to them. She recom-mended a new series by

Super sentence strips

Teachers use sentence strips to help students practice writing good sen-tences. Together, cut sheets of paper into strips at home, and try these ideas.

Shared sentence On a strip, one

person writes an opening word for a sentence (“I”). The next person reads that word and adds another (“like”). Keep going to fill the entire strip. When you get close to the end, the last person has to think of a way to end the sentence so it makes sense. (“I like to jump in leaves when I rake.”)

Forbidden vowelYour youngster can practice choosing

words carefully as he writes a sentence. Pick a vowel, and work together to make up a sentence that does not include that letter. For example, if the vowel is e,he might use a or an instead of the, or road instead of street. (“A cow ran down a road.”)♥

A listening treasure hunt If you ask a little one to put on his coat

and grab his backpack, he may get the

backpack and forget the coat. That’s

because it’s challenging for young chil-

dren to follow multi-step directions. This fun treasure hunt can boost your

youngster’s listening skills and increase the number of steps he can handle at once.

1. Hide a small “treasure,” such as a colorful eraser, a spinning top, or a bouncy ball.

2. Give your child directions, one step at a time, to find the treasure. You might say,

“Walk to the couch.” When he gets there, say, “Look under the middle cushion.”

3. After he spots it, hide a new treasure, and give two-step directions this time.

(“Open the cabinet door, and look behind the DVDs.”)

4. Once your youngster is comfortable with two-step instructions, try directions

with three or four steps.♥

Herman Parish about Amelia Bedelia when she was a little girl. She also sug-gested Owl Diaries by Rebecca Elliott, and Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold.

Maya started with Owl Diaries. By the time she finished the

first book, Eva’s Tree-top Festival, she felt like Eva the owl was her friend. Now, she wants to read on to see what Eva does next. And when she finishes that series,

she has a whole list of new ones to try.♥