It's IAR Week!
Students in grades 3-8 will be taking the Illinois Assessment of Readiness this week! There's no need to study for this, but kids sure do better when they have:
*A good night's sleep.
*A healthy breakfast (at home or at school).
*Reminders that they are smart and need to do their best.
To make the week a little more fun, we also have themes at each school:
LOTUS
STANTON
D114 Day of Service--Coming April 22!
We have changed the calendar to make this day (a Tuesday) an Early Release Day. Once the kids and staff do their day of service projects, they are usually tired and ready to call it a day. The updated 24-25 calendar is attached to this week's email. Moving forward, the Day of Service will be scheduled on a Wednesday so it's a naturally occurring Early Release.
Come meet Stanton's new Principal (starting July 1)!
Family Night Out!!!!
Parents’ Night Out
Friday, April 11th
5:30 - 8:00 pm, Lotus School
The Stanton School National Junior Honor Society is hosting Parents’ Night Out at Lotus School. This is an opportunity for parents/guardians of Lotus students to enjoy an evening out while your child has fun with us! Here is the important information:
Child MUST be a Lotus student grade K-4
Each child is $10.00 (proceeds will go to a local charity)
Children can be dropped off at Lotus at 5:30pm
Children MUST have a ride home at 8:00pm
There will be games and a G-Rated movie for your child
Snacks, water and juice boxes will be served
Permission slip is attached this this week's email!!!
IAR TESTING
lllinois' students in grades 3-8 will participate in the state assessment called the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) exam in English Language Arts and Mathematics. The 2025 window for testing is from March through April. Our students will be completing the assessments during the week of April 7. Make-up testing for students who are absent will be given as soon as possible within the remainder of the testing window.
The IAR exam asks students to demonstrate and apply their knowledge and skills with the updated Illinois Learning Standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics. The exam measures students’ problem-solving abilities, critical thinking, and reading and writing skills, which are abilities all students need to stay on track for college and career readiness after high school. These spring assessments correspond with what your child is learning in the classroom and they should not require time outside of school to prepare for the test, however you can visit the following link to see practice questions to better understand the types of questions your child may be asked.
https://il.mypearsonsupport.com/practice-tests/
It is important to remember that no test provides a complete picture of student performance; the IAR results are one of many factors that we use to measure progress. Assessments help provide a sense of where and how we are succeeding and where and how we must improve, along with other indicators such as classroom work samples and teacher observations. While the scores from last year’s test administration have provided a new baseline for student performance going forward, the IAR assessment is designed to give schools and teachers more information to support improvement efforts and personalize teaching to better guide your child’s learning.
Results from the IAR assessment should be received in the fall. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns, including any requests for students to not participate in testing. We thank you for your continued support and commitment to your child’s academic and social-emotional growth and success.
Summer School 2025
If your child has been invited to attend summer school, you should have gotten a phone call and letter via US Mail with information. PLEASE return this letter to school--no student will be officially signed up until this letter is returned. If you have any questions, please contact Kristie Paul at 847-973-4028!
5Essentials Survey
Each year, D114 participates in the 5Essentials Survey, a valuable tool developed by the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research. This survey helps us assess our school climate and culture by collecting feedback from students, teachers, and parents. We strongly encourage families to take a few minutes to complete this online parent survey. The results of the parent portion of this survey are only utilized if we have enough participation.
Please note that this survey is intended as a public-facing, “high-level look” at our community; we do not receive the feedback in a way that allows us to be responsive to immediate or individual needs. As always, please reach out to your child’s school if you have questions or concerns that need to be addressed.
CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY, PLEASE!
We sure appreciate your input!
Mark Your Calendars!
April 22, 2025!!!
More information coming soon...but let's make a new playground for Lotus happen!
May 17, 2025!!!
Come celebrate our GOTR program AND Jeff Sefcik's retirement! There will be food, fun, music, and community!
There will be a different sign up link for the Girls on the Run event, which you can run, walk, skip, dance, or whatever you choose for FREE!
Calling Incoming Kindergartners!
Attendance Matters!!!!
The Day of Service fundraiser is underway! Your children were sent home with envelopes to collect their pledges last week. Students will be asking family and friends for pledges for the service projects they'll be doing on Tuesday, April 22nd. Here are the projects the different grade levels will be working on:
- Kindergarten: Planting flowers in the PreK/Kinder playground
- 1st Grade: Decorate bird feeders with Leisure Village residents
- 2nd Grade: Making goody bags and writing letters to firefighters and police officers
- 3rd Grade: Creating flower pots for community members
- 4th Grade: Creating suncatchers for retirement communities
- 5th Grade: Making dog treats, dog toys, and care packages for a local dog shelter
- 6th-7th Grades: Service projects in the community (community garden clean-up, planting flowers, cleaning up garbage, etc)
We hope to see you at our next PTA meeting! It will be Tuesday, April 14th at 6:00 pm in the Lotus library!
Don't forget to join our
Facebook group to see the meeting highlights and more, and while you're at it,
join the PTA here! Membership dues are only $6 for the whole year!
Your PTA Board
Key 2024-25 Dates
April 22
Day of Service
We'll be forming a committee of parents and staff to plan this event for the SPRING of 2025
May 2
Rocket Launch (Stanton)
Possible Star Wars Theme
Rain date May 9
April 18--District Closed
April 22--Day of Service--Early Release, Welcome to the new Stanton Principal, and Board of Education Meeting
May 17
Want to CHEER???
SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES
Innovation Learning Options!!!!
Option 1--before and after summer school
Option 2--before and after summer school and/or 606 Basketball Camp (below):
FREE Basketball Camp!!!
District 114 CARES
At District 114 Fox Lake, the well-being of our students and families is our top priority. Understanding the critical role mental health plays in student success, we have launched District 114 CARES—a comprehensive initiative aimed at improving access to quality mental health services across our community.
What is District 114 CARES?
District 114 CARES stands for Community, Advocacy, Resilience, Engagement, and Support. This program is specifically designed to provide essential mental health resources and support to students and families, with a focus on those facing financial challenges.
Our mission is to ensure that every student has the tools they need to thrive—both emotionally and academically. By addressing barriers to care, we aim to empower students to reach their full potential in and out of the classroom.
Our Commitment
Through District 114 CARES, we reaffirm our dedication to fostering a supportive, resilient community where every student has equitable access to the resources and support they need to succeed.
If you or your student are in a crisis, please call the following numbers as applicable:
For a Life Threatening EMERGENCY CALL 9-1-1
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline call or text 9-8-8 or chat 988.lifeline.org provides 24/7, free and confidential support
CRISIS TEXT LINE: text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the United States anytime. A live trained Crisis Counselor receives the text and responds.
The Trevor Project 1-866-488-7386 provides crisis support services to LGBTQ youth.
Non-Emergency Community Help Line 2-1-1
JARS Resale Shop
36325 N Maple Ave. Ingleside, IL 60041.
Hours:
Wednesdays 5:30-730pm
Saturdays 9-1pm
2nd and 4th Fridays 9-1. Or by appointment
D114 is a special place to be! Thank you for your partnership with us!
