The Blizzard of 2011 is behind us, and I am pleased with how our snow clearing, custodial, and transportation services responded to the historic weather event. Thankfully, our students were safe at home on the snow days, and now we turn to the business of making them up.

Casimir Pulaski Day, March 7, 2011, was scheduled as a school holiday for students. It will now be a day of student attendance.

School District 118 has made this change to the school calendar in order to "make up" the pupil attendance day taken off as an emergency day on February 2, 2011.

As you are aware, pupils must attend school a specific number of days each school year. When emergency days are used, they must be made up. This has usually been done by adding days to the end of the school year.

The use of Pulaski Day for pupil attendance as an alternative to a make-up day at the end of the school year has a number of advantages. The sequence of our curriculum makes an instructional day in the middle of the school year more beneficial for student learning than an end of the year make-up day. Use of Pulaski Day also creates a full week of instruction which tends to improve student focus during a shortened week schedule. Students will be taking the Illinois State Achievement Test and Pulaski Day attendance will provide additional support and coordination for the process.

In addition, we limit how many days must be added to our calendar in June. Currently, with the use of Pulaski Day for student attendance, we will be required to make up only one additional emergency day and our school year will end on June 8, 2011. Obviously, we are still in the middle of the winter season and additional emergency days may be needed which would affect our ending date. However, we want parents to be able to plan ahead and know that Pulaski Day, March 7, 2011 will be a day of student attendance regardless of any further use of emergency days.

We would like to note that as a school district, we respect the contribution that Casimir Pulaski has made to our nation. On March 7, 2011, students will participate in a Casimir Pulaski recognition activity to honor his memory. The Pulaski holiday was selected for student attendance because it is a state, not a federal holiday, and because of the time of year it occurs.

Finally, the published graduation date of June 2, 2011 is not affected by this change. Thank you for your understanding of this calendar adjustment and for your continued support of our schools.

With spring still officially one month away, please continue to check our website at palos118.org/SchoolClosing/emergency for late starts or cancellations when the weather becomes threatening.  As in the past, parents will also receive phone and email notification. 

Sincerely,

Kayla McCarron of West, and Emily Baca and Natalie Krammer of East celebrate Antione de Saint-Exupery's "The Little Prince" at the One District-One Book event at Palos South on February 9.

One District-

One Book Reading Program Ends with a "Princely Party"

Palos 118's first annual One Book One District event took place last Wednesday at Palos South. Students and their families who participated in reading Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's "The Little Prince," over the past few weeks gathered for a "Princely Party" marking the close of the reading program.

The evening featured raffles, games, and activities centered around themes of the book where kids enjoyed playing Little Prince Jeopardy, constructing paper airplanes, making royal crowns, flower planting, taking pictures with the life-size Prince, and much more. All participants earned chances to win prizes at the celebration by adding comments to blog entries, or by completing activities.

The independent community reading adventure began in mid-January as students and their families were invited to read the famous novella and join in district supported online podcasts, blogs, and activities. "I am absolutely thrilled with the support of the committees, their creative ideas, and the response of the parents to the program," said Dr. Margaret Johnson, Palos 118 Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning. Media Specialists, Gina Shem, Gail Curran, and Rosalie White developed the concept, and Dr. Johnson and Deb Balayti coordinated the event with many staff committee members from Palos South, East, and West Schools.   

We wonder what next year's book selection for the One District One Book reading program will be...   

Do you have a child or know someone with a child not yet  

FIRST GRADE

ROUND-UP

Thursday, February 17, 2011

at Palos East and West Schools