HCS Parent Newsletter for 2.17.23
THINGS TO KNOW…
We will continue with weekly Messengers on Fridays throughout the school year. All school messengers can also be found and translated into over 125 languages on our News Wall.
Continuaremos con Mensajeros semanales los viernes durante todo el año escolar. Todos los mensajeros escolares también se pueden encontrar y traducir a más de 125 idiomas en nuestro muro de noticias.
Fourth and Fifth Graders Celebrate Their Reading Goal Together
What do you do when the school librarian challenges you to read eight Bluestem nominated books…you read! Forty-three fourth and fifth-graders rose to the challenge which qualified them for an after school pizza celebration. Four students went beyond the challenge to read all twenty of the books. Congratulations to Hailey Novack, Lucille Weis, Alli Sligar and Izzy Mathis for challenging yourself. All told, these forty-three students read 451 books. The ballpark calculations show these students read over 6,880,000 words. I am so proud of all of these kids who have told me they really enjoyed many of the books. This inspires them to read other books by these authors and introduces them to genres they may not usually read. When I overhear students suggesting books to other students I know this program is working well. Their peers are the best marketing resource I have in the library. Thank you to the PTO for helping to financially support the celebration and to the teachers, and parent volunteers who help me run this program. Your support is invaluable.
Battle of the Books
Battle of the Books is coming up in March and the fourth and fifth graders are reading to prepare for the battles. Teams of four students can compete against other teams during the school day to try to win the one spot to go on to the Batavia District battle. The teams will get points for every correct answer about the eight books that were selected by the district librarians. The district battle will be held on March 20 at 7pm at the Batavia Public Library. May the best reading team win!
Next PTO Meeting & Referendum presentation
Please join our H.C. Storm Referendum Team at the next virtual PTO meeting on Wednesday March 1st at 6:30pm for some factual information pertaining to the referendum and how it could potentially impact all of the BPS school buildings. From the feedback received, we want to ensure clarity in communication, so you are more equipped to make informed decisions. This question will be placed on the April 4th ballot and remember there are opportunities for early voting.
2023 Illinois Parent Survey
Currently we have 10%, so thank you to those who have taken the time to complete the survey. The 5Essentials Survey identifies five indicators that lead to improved outcomes for all students, including improved attendance and larger test score gains (ISBE 5Essentials Survey Info). The survey is completely optional and anonymous, but we always like to get our parent perspective and require a minimum of 20% parent responses for the report to generate. The survey is now open and will close on March 31st, 2023.
Link to survey: http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/
Important Dates:
- 2022-2023 Theme: WE BELONG HERE!
- No School next Monday February 20th – Presidents’ Day.
- No School Friday March 3rd – County Institute Day for Staff.
- 2022-23 School Year Information. For updated information on the 2022-23 school year, please click HERE.
HC Storm Shares:
- Batavia Special-Education Parent Network’s (BSPN) 10th Annual Parent Resource Fair will be held NEXT Thursday, February 23 from 6:00-7:30pm at Batavia High School. It is a wonderful night with community resources for students from early childhood through age 22+, including recreational opportunities, therapy providers, educational consultants, transition planning and advocacy and support. Admission is Free. All families, friends, community members (not limited to Batavia) are invited to attend. Visit BSPN-Batavia.org for more information.
- A friendly reminder from the nurse to please think about keeping your child home if they have a persistent cough that could potentially be distracting to their learning and their peers. Also to eliminate the spread of germs, please remind your child(ren) to cough into their elbow.
- Batavia Music Buffs will not be selling hoagies in spring 2023. This event is run by a team of volunteers. The Buffs were unable to secure a volunteer to lead the fundraiser this year. If you’re interested in working on efforts that support music students in all Batavia schools, please come join us for the 2023-2024 school year. We have various positions open and welcome choir, orchestra and band parents from any Batavia public school. Email president@bataviamusicbuffs.org for more information.
- The school store is open! Please fill out the order form linked here and return all cash in a ziplock bag stapled to your order form. Thank you from HCS Student Council.
- Green Team Plastic Bag Challenge is going strong! There are three bins located at the front of the school – 1 in front of the school outside and 2 in the school. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP WITH THIS!
- All plastic must be clean, dry and free of food residue.
- Recycle Beyond the Bag with the GreenTeam. The school who produces the most plastics will win a Trex recyclable bench!
- Follow us on Twitter: @HCSBatavia
- Drop Off/Pick Up Procedures Reminder
- FUNWAY Skate Night! Next Wednesday, February 22nd from 5:30-7:30pm. More information? Click here for English and here for Spanish.
- Save the date! HCStorm at the Kane County Cougars on Sunday, May 21st from 1:00-5:00pm. The HCS Chorus will sing the National Anthem.
- Want to join the PTO Board? Four positions will be open for the 2023/24 school year: VP Executive Committees, VP Ways & Means, VP Special Events and Secretary. Questions? Email Ashley Murtaugh at ashleymurtaugh@gmail.com or click here for the PTO Facebook page.
- Send Us Your Snaps for the Yearbook! Please send photos from events like the first day of school, Halloween, Movie Night, walk/bike to school day to hcstormyearbookphotos@gmail.com
- Yearbooks will be available at the end of the school year. Families can either order early online or we submit a paper order form in the spring. (Due date for orders is TBA.)
- Please make sure to follow us on Facebook for the most up to date information: What’s Happening at HC Storm Elementary: PTO Updates. This will be the best way for remote learners to connect with Storm for the time being while email lists are sorted out through the district.
Other Important Information:
- Nursing Staff Needed. Do you or someone you know have a nursing degree and are ready for a change? If so, we have an amazing opportunity for you to join our health services team at Batavia Public Schools and help shape students’ futures. You would be helping students stay healthy and safe and achieve greatness at school. We have openings at the elementary and high school levels. Please check our Human Resources page if you are interested in this or any of our open positions.
- 2-1-1 Information/Referral Hotline Now Available in Kane County. Just like you dial 9-1-1 for emergencies, you can now call “2-1-1” in Kane County and be connected to a live specialist, any time of the day or night, to assist you with your human service and resource needs. Read more >
- Social Emotional Resource: BPS101 student services staff have put together a Virtual Calming Room containing tools and strategies to help students manage emotions and feelings in productive ways.There are resources for all ages.