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Churchill
February 2016
Volume 15/16, Edition 4 Published by Churchill Elementary and its Home & School Association
Churchill Elementary 520 Secretariat Lane Oswego, IL 60543 630-636-3800 sd308.org
Principal: Tammie Harmon Asst. Principal: Casey O’Connell
Home & School Executive Board Acting President: Dana Lepkowski [email protected] 2nd Vice President: Colleen Zukauskas [email protected] Recording Secretary: Karla Jaeckel [email protected] Corresponding Secretary: Susan Hofmann [email protected] Treasurer: Rachel Keys [email protected]
“Churchill Chatter” “Churchill Chatter” is a monthly publication for all students, parents and staff of Churchill Elementary School. Please submit any news items to Tammy Lass at [email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/churchill308
Principal Notes
Greetings Churchill Families, Thank you so much for attending the Blizzard Bowl! The events of Churchill’s Annual
Family Reading Night were successful and fun for all who participated.
Thank you so much once again for your support of the Churchill Challenge and Churchill’s
Home and School Association! As a result of your efforts, every classroom at Churchill will soon
be equipped with an additional iPad for instructional and student use.
As you are shopping for or creating Valentines for your child(ren) to share with their
classmates on February 12th, please select Valentine cards only as opposed to Valentines with candy
items. Also, please make sure that your child(ren) has a Valentine to give to each child in the
classroom.
During the month of February, we celebrate the Character Counts! pillar of
Trustworthiness. We remind students to be honest, be reliable, be loyal, do the right thing, and do
what you say you’ll do. Remind your child(ren) to wear Character Counts! clothing or the color
blue on Wednesdays during the month of February to demonstrate the pillar of Trustworthiness.
Parents and Guardians (no younger siblings, please) are invited to join us for our Character Counts!
Assembly on Thursday, February 18, 2016 at 2:05 PM.
Our volunteers are priceless! It is amazing to see so many dedicated parents and
community members in our building on a regular basis. If you volunteer on a weekly basis or more
and have not been fingerprinted, please see someone in the office in order to complete this process.
Thank you for your support!
We appreciate your cooperation with following the Arrival and Dismissal Procedures that
are in place. Please adhere to the guidelines that have been established to assist us with the safety of
our students. Do not pick up or drop off students in the back of the building and/or interfere
with our bus lane. Remember that cell phone use in a school zone is prohibited and to please enter
at the Churchill Sign when picking up and dropping off students.
Please send your child(ren) to school with warm coats, hats, scarves, and gloves on these
chilly winter days. Remember snow pants and boots on snowy days as well. Students will
participate in outdoor recess when the temperature with the wind chill is above 10 degrees.
Parents/Guardians of students in grades four and five recently received their child’s
individual PARCC Assessment results from the 2014-2015 school year. To review Churchill’s
School Report Card including school-wide PARCC Assessment results, visit http://www.illinoisreportcard.com/School.aspx?schoolid=240473080262012.
Thank you so much for supporting our school when patronizing local businesses!
Churchill’s Chili’s Weeks generated $111.15 (November and December), Churchill’s October
Culver’s Night generated $200.94, and Churchill’s Rosati’s Nights generated $145.95 (November
and December) for our school.
Thank you for your continued support in assisting us with providing exemplary educational
experiences for your children!
Sincerely,
Tammie Harmon Casey O’Connell Tammie Harmon Casey O’Connell
Principal Assistant Principal
CHARACTER COUNTS!sm
CHARACTER COUNTS! Every day at Churchill School!!
February is the month when our Churchill community celebrates the Character Counts! pillar of TRUSTWORTHINESS. Trustworthy people
are people you can trust. Trustworthiness is made up of four major qualities: integrity, honesty, reliability and loyalty. Integrity means moral
wholeness as demonstrated by a consistency of thoughts, words and deeds. The honesty aspect of trustworthiness involves both what we say
(our words) and what we do (our conduct). Honest people always try to convey the truth. Reliability means keeping promises and following
through on commitments. The last quality is loyalty – standing up with and for someone in need. When you are loyal to someone or something,
you’re constant and dependable. Trustworthy people keep their word, honor their commitments, pay their debts and return what they borrow.
Let’s help our kids know the importance of trust in life in all that they do.
In honor of Trustworthiness throughout the month of February, students are encouraged to wear blue on Wednesdays to show their support for
the Character Counts! pillar of Trustworthiness.
H.O.O.F. Dear Churchill Community,
I want to send a special thank you to this entire community. Our school organization, H.O.O.F (Helping Out Our Families), has
the privilege of supporting families in our community. Over the past few years, H.O.O.F has assisted several families and it was only possible
through the Churchill Community. It is a great honor to deliver the compassion and generosity of this community to families that greatly
appreciate it. I truly believe that it is our students who benefit the most, when they see compassion lived out through their parents and school.
Thank you again and again.
I want to give a special shout out to Mrs. Harmon and Mr. O’Connell for being administrators who make compassion and
character a priority in their leadership. It is a rarity to have leaders that care for each and every person that walks through our school. I would
like to also thank Mrs. Julie Van Camp for all that she does with Character Counts. She is one that does so much work behind the scenes to
facilitate a culture of high character in our school. We are blessed to have her and all the staff that support her in that effort. Lastly, our
H.O.O.F. president- Rachel Keys has been instrumental in making this program work. I have been personally thankful for her efforts in
assisting our families in need. As you can see, Churchill Elementary has an amazing community behind it and amazing staff that make it a
wonderful place for our students to grow.
Thank you,
Charles Barr, LCSW
School Social Worker
Nurse’s Notes
February is: American Heart Month – In an effort to bring awareness to heart health, students and staff partnered with the American Heart
Association, collecting donations toward continued efforts of education, awareness and prevention. In return for a $10 donation, student and
staff received a special edition t-shirt. Churchill raised $580 for the American Heart Association! Way To Go MUSTANGS!! “National Wear
Red Day” is Friday, February 5, 2016. Please remember to wear RED on February 5th to show your support!
Dental Health Month – Reminders for a healthy smile!
Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and rinse thoroughly.
Floss daily to remove plaque from between teeth.
Eat fruits and vegetables, limit snacks, drink plenty of water and milk.
Visit your dentist regularly to help keep your smile healthy!
*Athena Dental will be returning to Churchill on Tuesday, April 26, 2016. Watch for information to come home early April.
*Naperville based Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation will be at Churchill on Thursday, March 31, 2016 presenting ”Land of Smiles,” to
Kindergarten through 3rd grade students. Students will learn how to properly clean their teeth and prevent cavities while helping the heroic
Tooth Wizard defeat his arch-enemy, PlaqueMan.
*Kindergarten and 2nd grade Parents – Please remember, dental exams are required by the State of Illinois for Kindergarten and 2nd grade, and
are due by 5/15/16. If you have not done so, please schedule an appointment ASAP and provide a copy of your exam to Nurse Kim.
Please call Nurse Kim if you have questions 630-636-3802. Thank You!
News from the Home & School Association
Hello Churchill Families!
We hope everyone had an amazing winter break. It is hard to believe we are halfway through the school year. The first half of the
year was successful with some great events, such as the Churchill Challenge, Holiday Give Back, and Fall Fest. Thank you to
everyone who has helped out thus far.
We have many exciting opportunities still ahead of us. Our next event will be the Daddy/Daughter Dance in February. We also have
the Fun Fair and Blue and Silver Bash coming in the spring! Most of these committees have already started planning, and are
seeking volunteers to help if you are interested.
We have many volunteer opportunities available! If you are interested, please contact one of the board members. Our next meeting
is Tuesday, February 9th at 7pm. You can also visit our website at churchillhsa.com and join our Facebook page to keep up to date!
Sincerely,
Dana Lepkowski
Home & School Assn. President
UPCOMING EVENTS
Thursday, February 4: Rosati’s Night
Friday, February 5: Wear RED for American Heart Month
Tuesday, February 9: 7-8pm Home & School Assn. Meeting
Tuesday, February 9: Salsa Verde “Dine & Donate”
Wednesday, February 10: Salsa Verde “Dine & Donate”
Thursday, February 11: Salsa Verde “Dine & Donate”
Friday, February 12: 10:20-11:20am Kindergarten Valentine Party
Friday, February 12: 2:35-3:35pm Grades 1-5 Valentine Parties
Monday, February 15-Friday, February 19: Chili’s Week
Monday, February 15: NO SCHOOL (President’s Day)
Thursday, February 18: 2:05-3:05pm Character Counts! Assembly
Wednesday, February 24: Culver’s Night
Saturday, February 27: 6-8pm Daddy/Daughter Dance
Save the Date!
Saturday, February 27, 2016: Daddy/Daughter Dance
6:00pm-8:00pm
Saturday, March 12, 2016: Family Fun Fair
11:00am-3:00pm
April 2016: Blue and Silver Trivia Night
Looking for more committee members and volunteers. If
interested, please contact Colleen Zukauskas at
Home & School
Committee News
Label Redemption Program Thank you for sending in your Box Tops and Labels For Education!
If we reach 30,000 Box Tops by the end of February, Mr. O'Connell
has graciously agreed to let us duct tape him to a wall! As of the end
of December's contest, we have collected 11,282 Box Tops.
Recently, we had enough Labels For Education points to order the
school a free mini iPad. Your participation does great things...so
keep clipping and sending them in to school!
Our monthly contests are also going strong! Mrs. Huddleston's class
was the October winner. Mr. Shaw's class won for November. Mrs.
Clark/Mrs. Gates' class was the most recent winner for December.
These classes had the most combined totals (Box Tops and Labels)
for those months with 1,071, 508, and 463, respectively.
Congratulations to those classes! Thanks for your continued support
of this fun program that allows us to earn free money and needed
items for our school!
Jacquie Bucher & Rachel Keys
Label Redemption Committee
H.O.O.F.
H.O.O.F. is an outward, community-supported program that partners with Churchill Elementary to provide short term,
immediate material assistance and resources to our Churchill families who are distressed due to various life
circumstances. All assistance is provided with compassion and privacy. If you would like to be notified when assistance
is needed, please see the attached flyer to sign up for our email contact list.
Rachel Keys H.O.O.F. Chairperson
in art that plays tricks on the eyes of the viewers.
Notes from the Music Room. . . Wow! Here we are in February already and the school year is already more
than half over. I can’t believe how quickly the school year flies by!
Here’s what’s in store for music classes during the month of February:
First grade: Rhythm—During the month of February, students will be
learning how to perform rhythms using quarter notes, paired eighth notes
and quarter rests and writing down rhythms that they hear. They will also
be working on creating their own 4-beat rhythm patterns. This will be
assessed around the end of February. We will then begin to study our
classroom rhythm instruments: how to play them, learning their names, and
being able to identify them by their sound. This month will also include
some Valentine’s Day songs.
Second grade: Patriotic music—During this month, we will be finishing
up our study of patriotic music. Students have been learning patriotic songs
and the characteristics of patriotic music, both vocal and instrumental.
Around the middle of the month, we will begin reviewing the letter names
of the notes on the treble staff that were learned in first grade and
continuing on to learn the rest of the notes. We will be using this and the
rhythms we learned earlier in the year to read and play some songs on the
xylophones. We will also be singing a Valentine’s Day song or two around
the middle of the month.
Third grade: African American Spirituals and Note reading—Students are
currently learning about the historical context and characteristics of African
American Spirituals. They will also learn about the Underground Railroad
and a little bit about the Civil Rights movement. Around the third week of
February, we will begin a review of the letter names of the notes on the
treble staff and then a couple of weeks before Spring Break, we will begin
working on the 3rd grade musical which will be performed on Thursday,
May 5th at 7:00 p.m. (Please mark your calendars now!)
Fourth grade: Sea Shanties and Ballads (musical form)—During the
month of January, students have been learning about work songs (called
“shanties”) and ballads sung by sailors during the heyday of ocean travel.
The assessment for this unit will be around the 2nd week of February. The
remainder of the month into the beginning of March will be spent
reviewing the letter names of the lines and spaces of the treble staff. This
unit is in preparation for playing the recorders during the 4th quarter.
Students will receive their recorders (along with some instruction on proper
sound production) about 2 weeks prior to Spring Break.
Fifth grade: Instrument Families and Rhythm—During month of
February, students will begin a unit on performing rhythm notation,
creating rhythms of their own in 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4 time signatures, and
correctly notating teacher-performed rhythm patterns using quarter notes
and rests, half notes and rests, whole notes and rests, eighth notes, sixteenth
notes and eighth note triplets.
“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which
cannot remain silent.”
Victor Hugo French dramatist, novelist, & poet (1802 - 1885)
-- Julie Van Camp, Music Teacher
From the P.E. Department
Happy New Year! When we returned from winter break, the 3rd, 4th
and 5th grade students practiced a wide variety of skills while
participating in the activity called the Hula Hut Throw Down. The
activity incorporates both physical skills as well as math skills, with
students counting up the total number of points earned each round.
During the last two weeks in January, students completed a Volleyball
unit, focusing on the bump and set. We practiced our skills and moved into small sided games at the end of the unit.
February is designated as Heart Month! Students will participate in our
Heart Obstacle Course for an entire week, expanding their knowledge
of the circulatory system. Following that, we will focus on fitness with
the Jump Rope and fitness stations.
Have a Fantastic February and stay tuned for more updates!
- Churchill P.E. Teachers
Brittany Lindeman (636-3857)
Tom Clason (636-3848)
From the Art Room… 1st grade classes designed their very own helpful robot. Students used
details on their robot to show the special helpful task of their robot.
First grade students experimented with creating visual texture in their
robot artwork, using special texture plates and rubbing crayons.
2nd grade students are learning about the unique life and family units
of the Arctic Emperor Penguins. Second grade students created their
arctic emperor penguins in their natural environment of Antarctica
using oil pastels and watercolors.
3rd grade students are celebrating the Chinese New year by learning
about the long cultural traditions of this holiday, and how the Chinese
New Year traditions are similar to the New Year’s traditions celebrated
in America. Third grade students also learned about the cultural
importance and symbolism of the Chinese dragon in the Chinese
culture and art. To ring in the upcoming Chinese New Year students
are creating their own colorful Chinese Dragon art pieces.
4th grade students are expanding their art making skills by creating
colorful eye catching and eye tricking optical illusion art. Fourth grade
students are discovering how lines, shapes, and colors can be used to
create optical illusions in art that plays tricks on the eyes of the
viewers.
5th grade students are learning about the famous artist Andy Warhol.
Fifth grade students are learning about Warhol’s iconic pop art images
as well as his importance in the art world. Students are creating with
own updated pop culture art, using images from today’s popular
culture, in their own colorful Andy Warhol style inspired art pieces.
Ms. Heidi Miller Art Educator [email protected]
630-636-3866
February 2016
Sun. Mon. Tue. Wed. Thu. Fri. Sat.
1 2 3 4 5 6
Rosati’s Night
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
7-8pm Home & School Mtg.
10:20-11:20am Kindergarten Valentine Party
2:35-3:35pm Grades 1-5 Valentine Party
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 NO SCHOOL
(President’s Day)
2:05-3:05pm Character Counts! Assembly
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
Culver’s Night
6-8pm Daddy/Daughter Dance
28 29
Chili’s Week
Salsa Verde “Dine & Donate”
