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We hope all of our families had a safe and enjoyable Winter Break, celebrating holidays with loved ones, and staying warm during these chilly days. We are excited to welcome back our 450 students back on January 6, 2025 when school resumes for the second half of the 2025 school year!

Please take the remaining days of Winter Break to wash winter coats, clean out lunch boxes and backpacks, and make sure Chromebooks are charged for our first day back. As well as locate the essential warm winter gear so students are dressed appropriately for outside line-up and recess!

We know cold and flu season is upon us, please remind students the importance of washing hands. If you are unsure if your child should come to school or not, please call our nurse to discuss your child's symptoms. As a reminder below are the updated, health directives regarding student absences EVERY MINUTE MATTERS regarding student attendance.

A reminder our district goal is to be 95% or higher each week. That is only possible with guardian support in ensuring students are here and on time, daily! As you can see, we started off the 2024-2025 school year strong. However, we have been trending downward. Kindergarten, currently has the highest number of chronically truant students. A reminder that this is the foundational year for students to learn the academic basics that paves the way for their future academic skills. Every day, every minute matters! If you are having a difficult time getting your child to school, please reach out to your child's teacher. We will be bringing back out weekly attendance raffles for students!

Century Oaks will begin hosting once a month screenings to see if children 3-4 years old qualify for FREE Preschool offered by U-46. If you are interested in having your child screened, please contact 847-888-5000 x6094 to make an appointment!

Incoming Kindergarten Students for the Class of the 2025-2026 will be invited to our Kindergarten Rally and Registration Event on February 3, 2025 from 5-6 PM. More information to come, in the coming weeks!

Join us at Danny’s Pizza for Dine-in or Carry Out on 1/7/25 from 3-9 PM. You MUST mention our Century Oaks Class Dojo post for a percentage of the proceeds to benefit our Century Oaks PTO.

Come eat at McDonald's on 1/21/25 from 4:30-6:30 PM and have your meal served by your favorite Century Oaks staff! Proceeds from this night will benefit Century Oaks Elementary School. Additionally, ALL profits made from Apple Pies go directly to our school!

Download the Box Tops for Education App and join our school community. Scan your receipts and items purchased with Box Tops on them provide financial assistance to Century Oaks! Use code CA1B2PAF to earn a 25 Bonus!

Did you know if your purchase from Office Depot you can submit your purchase for Century Oaks will receive 5% back in credit for FREE supplies when you make a purchase of qualifying products and provide your school ID at checkout. It’s a small act that can make a huge difference. Our school ID is 70032205 .

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As the colder months are here and the winter germs are starting. We want to remind families of the importance of students being at school daily and on time. As we have previously shared, a big focus this year at Century Oaks and across the district is student attendance. Our school wide attendance rate, has been between 89-92% for the past six weeks!

We want to take this time, to remind all families our school-wide goal is 95% or higher everyday! All students have an opportunity to come for FREE Breakfast beginning at 7:30 AM daily. Students MUST eat first and then go line-up with their class. We also want to remind families that trips and vacations should be scheduled during school breaks, to not interfere with classroom instruction. Absences for vacations and trips are not excused absences.

If you are unsure if your child is too ill and needs to stay home for the day, please call the main office to discuss your child's symptoms. We have 15 days of school left until Winter Break, let's see how many days we can achieve 95% or higher!!

#EveryMinuteMatters

A reminder now that we have had our first snow fall. Please make sure the kiddos are dressed appropriately for outside lineup and recess. We are outside unless the feels like temperature is 10 or below.

Additionally, students are ONLY allowed to play in the snow during recess if they are dressed in: hats, gloves, boots, AND snow pants.

Please remind your child of the Snow dress expectations and a reminder that throwing Snow is not tolerated due to safety reasons.

Families stay tuned for more information, as we will be sharing details on our Winter themed spirit week that will be the week of 12/16/24. All students and staff are encouraged to participate.

Additionally, PTO will be selling Smencils at school that are Winter themed. Order forms will be going home the week of 12/2/24. Orders will be filled on a first come, first served basis.

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We are excited to have completed the first seven weeks of school. As we transition into October, we remind everyone of the importance of your child being school ready each and every day. This includes having their homework completed, materials needed for the next day, and Chromebooks charged.

In the coming week(s) you will have an opportunity to meet with your child's teacher during Parent Teacher Conferences. At this time, you will find out the progress they have already made and identify goal areas for them to continue to work towards. Your child's teacher will be reaching out (if they have not already to schedule a time/day to meet with you.) Your participation in conferences is crucial in helping your child succeed.

We are continuing to work hard to reach our 95% goal each week. School wide we have come close, several weeks. However, we have yet to be successful. Will this week be the week we do it? Additionally, each classroom is racing against the other to spell out "PERFECT ATTENDANCE" first to win a special reward they have agreed upon. They earn a letter each day towards the phrase when all students are present and on time!

This month our school focus during Morning Meeting and throughout the building will be focused on teaching students the various types of bullying. As well as how they can stand up against bullying. In an effort to stand up against bullying, we are encouraging all students and staff to wear orange on Wednesday's during the month of October.

For this month, we are asking parents and guardians to sit down and talk with your children about school safety and expectations in School District U-46. Please stress to them that any threats or inappropriate content shared on social media platforms that affect the school community will be taken very seriously. Whether they write it, text it, snap it, or share it, making a threat of violence has real and serious consequences under the Student Code of Conduct. Potential criminal charges for intentional school safety threats may also include felony charges, according to the Illinois Criminal Statutes

Our school district has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to weapons of any kind on school premises, including lookalike weapons. We also will not tolerate inappropriate behavior such as fights. Our school district is committed to a safe learning environment for all our students and staff.

As a District, we encourage students to make good choices around healthy eating and physical activity to promote positive outcomes. We know that you are also committed to the same and desire the best resources and support for your child and the youth in our communities.

To celebrate the upcoming holiday season, U-46 will continue this practice by promoting celebrations with non-food items. To stay aligned with the USDA's Smart Snacks requirements, food-related celebrations or distribution of snacks to students to eat in the classroom during the school day will not be allowed. The USDA-defined school day hours are from midnight to 30 minutes after the end of the school day.

This time of year also provides an opportunity to talk to your children about not sharing food or snacks they bring from home with friends and, when offered home-baked goods, how to politely say no. We do not tolerate bringing banned items to school. Please remind your children that if they see or become aware of any safety concerns, to notify a trusted adult, a teacher, a school administrator, or the police.

Families we are asking for your input/feedback from the events we have had this year, in order to better plan our events for the remainder of the year. Please complete the survey in English or in Spanish ASAP. These are anonymous and your input is valued.

We've created an Amazon wishlist filled with books that our students are eager to dive into. By donating a book, you'll be directly contributing to our school library and supporting our young readers on their literary journey.

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/WXKVUG80112R?ref_=wl_share

Every book donated will make a significant impact and help foster a lifelong love of reading in our students. Thank you for your generosity and for being a part of our Century Oaks family.

Happy reading!

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As we plan out our family events for the remainder of the year, we want to hear from parents/guardians feedback on our events so far this year. What events are you hoping for this year and any suggestions/feedback you have for us! We need your help to continue to make Century Oaks the best place for all of our students and families. Please complete the survey linked below.

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In School District U-46, we believe that Every Minute Matters. Our schools are dedicated to providing an exceptional education for all students, laying a strong foundation for their future success. For this to happen, it's crucial that schools, families, and students work together to ensure consistent attendance. Research shows that missing just nine days of school can significantly impact a student's learning, potentially leading to falling behind in their work or declining grades. We understand that students may face challenges that affect their ability to attend school regularly. However, by partnering together, we can help students overcome these barriers. Providing resources and support tailored to each student's needs can make a positive difference in their attendance. Family participation is vital to this effort. None of our strategies can succeed without a strong partnership between families and our schools. Together, we can help students thrive and achieve a happy and successful educational experience. Learn more about the importance of attendance and what you can do to ensure your child is in school and learning by exploring the information and resources on our website.

Showing up to school every day is critical for children’s well-being, engagement and learning.

• A whole year has 365 days.
• A school year has only 176 days.
• That leaves 189 days to spend on family time, visits, holidays, shopping, and other appointments.

Attendance is also a factor as we receive our annual report card rating from the Illinois State Board of Education. As part of our School Improvement Plans, our goal is to reduce our Chronic Absenteeism in each school building. Across the District, we are striving for students to achieve 95% attendance, which equates to missing 9 or fewer days per school year.

To help parents and students track their attendance, please download and print the Attendance Tracker, and post it on your refrigerator. Mark every absence to ensure your child does not exceed nine absent days.

Below you will find the Updated District Guidance As to When to Keep Your Child Home regarding Illness/Sickness. As always, if you are unsure please call Nurse Barb in the mornings for further guidance. She can be reached at 847-888-5181 ext 6734

A celebration for our August data, according to the graph below. You will see our students attendance rates were at our school and district goal of 95% or above for several days in August! We did see a decrease for several days beginning on 8/23/24 when we fell to 92% and then increased again. Our lowest student attendance day was on 8/30/24 which directly correlated to the long holiday weekend.

At School District U-46, we are committed to creating a safe and welcoming environment for all students where every child feels respected and valued. Our focus is the concerns regarding hate speech in our schools and online, as such behavior has no place in our learning community. To support this, we encourage parents to have an open dialogue about the importance of kindness and respect. This will help children understand the emotional and psychological harm that hate speech causes. Encouraging respectful communication and discouraging offensive language fosters empathy and creates a more inclusive environment for everyone. This quick guide is a resource that could assist you with your conversation. Together, let’s continue to foster a positive and supportive atmosphere where every student can thrive. Please note that any behavior that violates these principles will be addressed according to our Student Code of Conduct, linked here.

In U-46 we believe that all students deserve daily access to high quality, rigorous grade-level instruction, and we use standards based learning and assessment to align student-learning based on state and national standards. This practice provides fair and equitable grading using evidence of ongoing student learning against grade-level standards.

In an effort to be responsive to feedback from students, teachers, parents, and our post-secondary partners, we have an updated grading and assessment system starting with the 2024-2025 school year. Reported grades will be a combination of a student’s demonstration of mastery through summative, formative, and intentional practice work.

Detailed information about these updates, including the category definitions and the calculated weights, can be found on the Standards-Based Learning and Assessment Grading section of the u-46.org website.

Questions about specific grades and classroom practices should be directed to your children’s teacher.

Century Oaks is competing against other schools to win money for the most donated clothes and shoes during the month of September 2024!! Donated items need to be placed in the "Green Machine clothing bin" out front of school! All sizes excepted!

Please click on the below link to read through the Power Point Presentation which includes the updated Attendance Presentation from the District.

If you were unable to watch the U-46 School Board Meeting on 8/19/24. A facilities update was shared during the Board Meeting which included several facility updates. One facility update that was discussed was an update on Century Oaks Elementary School. The update includes a proposal for a $25 Million worth of updates to our school building to provide a better learning facility for our students. The majority of the major renovations would be completed during the summer months in order to create minimal disruptions to our students. This is a HUGE celebration to our entire school community! If you are interested in watching the Board Meeting where this was shared, you may find it linked below. The update start at roughly 1 hour 35 minutes into the recording.

A reminder that the district does NOT allow any food/edible treats to be brought in for students birthdays or for holiday party events. If you wish to send something in for your students birthday. You are welcome to send in non-edible items such as; pencils, stickers, fidgets, etc.

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Dear Century Oaks Families,

I hope all of you enjoyed your summer and are excited to start the new 2024-2025 school year. As the Principal of Century Oaks Elementary School, I look forward to welcoming all students back and am excited to start a new school year with opportunities to work together to support your children as they grow. We are continuing our mission to provide all students a safe, rich learning environment that nurtures social-emotional, and academic growth.

Our dedicated staff is excited to provide an array of engaging and challenging learning experiences for all students. I encourage you to continue to stay actively involved in your child(ren) education by sending them to school each day, attending school events, volunteering, and maintaining open communication with our staff. Your partnership is key to the success of our school community. We believe that the 2024-2025 school year will be a successful school year for all of our students.

Please read through the below information for key details about back to school information to help make the first day a successful one for all!

Sincerely,

Cheryl Frederickson/Principal

Century Oaks Elementary School

U-46 will provide school supplies for students entering Kindergarten through 6th grade and will be waiting for students in their classrooms on the first day of class. Families will ONLY need to provide a backpack!

Teacher assignments for elementary students who have completed their 2024-25 school year registration are now available in Infinite Campus. A complete registration includes filling out the online registration application, confirming residency, and submitting paperwork to demonstrate that the necessary health requirements have been met.

Access to this information is through a special app, the Registration Checklist. For more information on how to access this information, click here.

If you have not yet completed the online registration process for the upcoming school year, we ask that you do so as soon as possible. For help finishing the process, please call our main office at 847-888-5181.

Remember, to complete your child’s registration, it is important to schedule a physical. If you cannot get an appointment with your family’s medical provider, another option is the health clinics housed in stores like Target, Walgreens, CVS, and Wal-Mart, or medical care providers that might be termed “urgent” or “immediate” care clinics.

Students entering Kindergarten, 6th, 9th, or 12th grade must meet certain health requirements. You can find details on the requirements, as well as the necessary form, in English and Spanish on this page, in the Health Services section of the U-46 website.

If you have questions about health requirements, our Health Services team can be reached at 847-888-5000 ext. 5334, via email at healthservices@u-46.org, or by using Let’s Talk. Health requirements are due on or before the first day of school, Aug. 13, 2024. Students will not be permitted to attend class if they do not have these requirements on file by the first day of school.

More information on how to help your child be ready for the first day of school can be found at

u-46.org/firstdayready.

U-46 will again offer breakfast and lunch meals at no cost to all students at all U-46 schools. Although meal applications will not be required for the 2024-25 school year, we recommend families complete the Fee Waiver Form, which can apply to athletic fees, driver’s education, parking permits, and more. The 2024-25 fee waiver forms can be found here. See below for the menu's for the month of August!

Breakfast opens at 7:30 AM, students may buzz in at Door 3. Students who are eating at school MUST eat first and then go line up. There are adults and student patrols to help younger students find their classroom lines.

Information on bus stops and schedules for the 2024-25 school year will be available for students who qualify for transportation services in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal about a week before the first day of school. We will be hosting a bilingual Call Center on Aug. 9, 12, 13 and 14 for parents/guardians who have transportation services questions We will share that Call Center phone number and hours with you closer to the dates, and the information will also be posted at the top of the u-46.org/transportation page.

Car riders get dropped off at Door 1- Students in 1st-6th grade ALL line-up in the back of the school. All staff will be outside to help students find their lines. Teachers will have their names on sticks to help assist making it easier. We ask that adults do NOT stand in line with your child, so our staff can easily monitor the area and keep our kids safe.

Bus riders also will line-up in the back once they get off the busses. Kindergarten students are the only students who line-up in the front at Door 23. There is a designated staff member to assist as well as student patrols.

Staff will be wearing yellow vests if you need help or have questions, please practice with your child their teachers name ahead of time to help them feel more confident on the first day.

Walkers and Car riders exit from various doors throughout the building but make their way to Door 1, guided by student patrols and staff. AN IMPORTANT REMINDER- If you are picking up your child in a car. You MUST stay in your car and wait in line patiently to assure everyone's safety. Remember, it is ILLEGAL to talk on your cellphone's in school zones!

PLEASE leave room for the daycare busses! There is a sign outside indicating where the daycare busses park.

Yes! If your child will be riding the bus to and from school they MUST have their yellow bus lanyard ID's around their neck and hanging on the front of their bodies, so that it is clearly seen by the drivers. Please do not tie them to their backpacks or store them in their backpacks. The Kindergarten chaperone card must be filled out and in the plastic sleeve with the chaperone names facing out. If a Kindergarten student does NOT have their ID or a Kindergarten chaperone card, they will be sent back into school for parent pick up. Our main office will be contacting parents later this week and next week to have these completed for pick-up!

Yes! Century Oaks is a site that has Boys and Girls Club after school care from 2-6PM Monday through Friday for grades K-6th! Students MUST be registered and approved to attend. If you have not registered yet, but are interested in having your child attend. Please see the below flyer for more information.

If you have already registered your child for the 24-25 school year. Please double check that you have received the official welcome email from Boys and Girls Club with an official start date for your child to begin the program. If you are unsure of the status of your application or need help/have questions. Please contact jcardenas@bgcncil.org or sprice@bgcelgin.org. You may also call 847-608-5017. Unfortunately, if your child(ren) are not fully registered on the first day of school they will NOT be able to stay at club until registration is completed!

Our school platform to easily communicate with parents is through Class Dojo! Class Dojo is a free app you can download. To receive direct communication from your child's teacher(s) including important class activities, homework, see pictures of activities they are doing in class, and learn of important documents being sent home. As well as having an easy way to connect directly to your child's teacher to share any concerns or any support staff who works with your child(ren). Class Dojo is available is English and Spanish!

Class Dojo is also where we share all School Wide Events and Celebrations! These events are also shared via our Monthly School Newsletters and emails to Parents/Guardians. Our goal is for 100% of families to participate in Class Dojo this school year. Your child's teacher(s) will be sending you an invitation to invite you to their class for this school year!

At Century Oaks and a U-46 District initiative this year is to increase attendance and decrease chronic absenteeism. However, we do understand that children do get sick. If your child is too ill to come to school (has a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.) please call the main office at 847-888-5181 BEFORE 8AM to have with the reason so they can be marked excused. If you are unsure if your child should stay home or not, please contact our school nurse for further guidance. If your child is out for a doctor appointment, please submit a doctors note when they return. Further information will be coming regarding updated attendance policies. #EveryMinuteMatters

In order to guarantee your child's safety, you MUST contact the MAIN office at 847-888-5181 BEFORE 1:30PM that day so we can make your child's teacher and your child aware of the change in dismissal procedure.

Due to safety reasons and U-46 policy, no parents/visitors are allowed inside the building. Unless you have been buzzed into the building through the Main Office and are here for an appointment with a Visitor badge. You must have a valid License or State ID to be entered into the system, no exceptions. This is to keep everyone safe which is our top priority, no exceptions! Staff will work everyday for the first week or more to help every child find their classroom.

We have partnered with Printloop in Elgin, IL to provide Spiritwear for families and staff. Please click on the attached link to purchase directly.

Families- If you are wanting to be involved in your child's school day. We are always in need of volunteers to help out in a variety of ways. This can include helping your child's teacher with a variety of tasks (like cutting, sorting, reading with kids, doing flash cards, volunteering in the classroom, etc.) We also are seeking volunteers to come play games with students during recess to build social-emotional skills. If you are interested in volunteering, please talk to your teacher or contact Miss Talip the Assistant Principal to find out about the finger printing process.

We also need parents to join our PTO. Many families think the PTO is a big time or financial commitment. The PTO is parents and teachers working together to supplement and enrich a positive educational experience. Being part of the PTO does not cost you anything except an hour a month to attend the meeting and hopefully come to our events!

Here is the information for the job posting for Noon Hour Supervisor at Century Oaks. If you need assistance completing the application, please contact AshleyTalip@u-46.org

https://www.applitrack.com/u46/onlineapp/default.aspx?AppliTrackPostingSearch=location:%22Century+Oaks+Elementary%22