Glen Ellyn School District 41

March 3, 2015

Dear Forest Glen Families,

PARCC Testing

Students in Grades 3 - 8 in District 41 will be taking the PARCC assessment throughout the March, beginning on March 9. As a reminder, Partnership for Assessment and Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is the new state assessment and accountability measure for Illinois students enrolled in a public school district.

In the place of the ISATs, PARCC assesses the New Illinois Learning Standards and the Common Core Standards in English / Language Arts and Mathematics. The PARCC assessment differs from the ISATs in the fact that it is a computer-based test, and paper options will not be available to District 41 students.

Throughout the testing time frame of March 9 - 27, students should make every effort to be in attendance. Students are urged to get a good night's sleep and eat a healthy breakfast throughout the testing window. If students arrive late to school, they will not be allowed in their classrooms until the testing session is completed. Additionally, a make-up session will be required.

Our testing schedule is as follows:

March 10 - Math Unit 1

March 12 - Math Unit 2

March 17 - English/Language Arts Unit 1

March 19 - English/Language Arts Unit 2

March 24 - English Language Arts Unit 3

Our students will be testing in the morning with their homeroom teachers beginning at 9:15 AM. The schedule on these days will be altered and we will balance the time in Literacy, STEAM, and specials to the best of our ability.

District 41 has created the following webpage to provide more information about PARCC:

PARCC Information

Thank you for your support. If you have any question regarding the assessments and/or the schedules above, please call your child's homeroom teacher or the school office.

2015-2015 School Registration - Please Do It Today

It's that time of the year again! Online registration is now open until Friday, March 20. Please take a few moments to update your information and register your children today via Skyward Family Access. We will soon be creating the building schedule for next year. Having a clear number of students at a level is extremely important as we begin this work. If you need assistance with completing the on-line registration process, we are offering an evening to assist families on March 11 from 5:00 - 7:30 PM. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

5Essentials Survey

Please take a few minutes to provide us with feedback by taking the 5Essentials Survey. This survey is based on the Five Essentials for School Success, an evidence-based framework developed by the University of Chicago. The information we receive from the survey will help us identify how our school performs on five factors or "essentials." This feedback will help the Forest Glen staff identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. The 5Essentials are:

Effective Leadership
Collaborative Teachers
Involved Families
Supportive Environment
Ambitious Instruction

Thus far, Forest Glen has not reached the 20% response rate required for us to receive any data. Thank you in advance for taking this survey. Click Here and select the appropriate survey to begin.

The survey is available now through March 20, 2015.

PTA Safety Fair - March 7 - 9:30 AM - Noon at Hadley

The D41 PTA Council is working with several organizations to present a morning of safety instruction and fun for you and your family. The event will include a vendor fair with interactive activities, an informal coffee and conversation with Deputy Police Chief Bill Homer, and breakout sessions on "Adolescent Survival" and "Traumatic Brain Injury, Concussions, and Spinal Injuries." Hope you will be able to attend.

Outdoor Recess

As a reminder, if the wind chill is 10 degrees or above, our lunch recess is held outdoors. Please be sure your children come to school with hats, gloves, and warm coats.

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Join Our Mailing List!

Sincerely,

Mary Hornacek

Forest Glen Elementary School

Glen Ellyn, IL