Principal's Newsletter

Welcome to the 2023-24 school year!

The staff and I want to welcome you to the 2023-24 school year and hope you had a wonderful summer. We have been busy preparing for the children to return to school, and we are ready to greet all those smiling faces on August 24 for the first day of school.   

We believe communication between home and school is essential. The principal’s newsletter and teacher’s announcements in Canvas will continue to be our primary communication tools for general information. Please take time to read those newsletters as they have important details regarding school. The teachers will share information about their partnership structure and curriculum content during the curriculum night on Wednesday, August 30.  

The school day begins with the first bell at 8:40. Morning supervision starts at 8:25, and dismissal is at 3:15. Do NOT drop off your child prior to 8:25 as staff is not present to supervise, and children will not have access to the building. Students will be allowed into the building to wait for the first bell beginning at 8:25 when school staff begins morning supervision. Buses will run on their regular schedule on the first day of school. Staff will be present to assist the children inside to get them to their designated locations. To maintain safety and security protocol, parents may not accompany their child into the building on the first day. With your cooperation and support, we ensure the safety of everyone.  

 Staffing Updates:

I’m pleased to share some additions and changes to our staff this year: 

• Ms. Claydon is the new Assistant Principal. Ms. Weingarten is now the full-time Assistant Principal at Hickory Point. 
• Ms. Schaumberger is teaching fourth grade reading/language arts following Mrs. Boron’s retirement in June. She is the partner teacher of Ms. Feldmiller.
• Ms. Rogowin will teach fourth grade math, science, and social studies in the mornings, and she will be the partner teacher of Ms. Siedband. Ms. Wild is teaching full-time in another school district this year. We thank her for her service to Shabonee and will miss her! 
• Ms. Shaykin is our school nurse. Ms. Woodward had a wonderful opportunity arise this summer and has moved to a new school district. We wish her all the best! 
• Ms. Myers is a special education teacher working with children at all three grade levels. Ms. Lipasek returned to Hickory Point, where she began her teaching career in District 27. 
• Ms. Schwartz is a new instructional assistant working with children in fifth grade. (not to be confused with third grade teacher, Mrs. Schwartz)
• Mr. Lundholm is an instructional assistant working in fifth grade. 
• Ms. Varghese is an instructional assistant working with Ms. Fried to support children throughout the fourth grade. 

Our school office hours remain 7:45 to 4:15 Monday through Friday. Our school office staff members are Mrs. Coppess, Mrs. Burke, and Mrs. Wishnia. Our school nurse is Ms. Shaykin. If you still need school supply lists, they can be found on our school website under the tab “For Parents.” 

 

Teacher Assignments and Meet & Greets 

Teacher assignments will be released on August 17 at 3:00 PM in the Parent Portal. Please contact James Phillips if you need a password reset upon logging into the system. 

LINK: Instructions for locating the teacher assignment  

At this time, teacher assignments are final. As we’ve shared in the past, the class development process we follow seeks to create classes where we want the children to thrive academically and socially. While we try our best to develop classes where children will be successful, we understand that some children may still be a bit reluctant. Please reach out to your child’s teachers if he/she is nervous or anxious. To help with the transition, we are holding a brief meet and greet during the teacher institute days. We ask for your cooperation and understanding to make this a positive experience for our students and adhere to the following requests: 

• To keep the number of visitors smaller, we request that only a parent and their current Shabonee student(s) attend this activity. 
• Teachers have many final preparations to make, so we kindly ask that parents make this a quick visit with their child so that the staff can say hello to each of their students during this short time. 
• We encourage carpooling. Park only in designated parking spaces in the main school parking lot at the front of Shabonee.
• Third grade is scheduled first so that there's time for families to exit the parking lot before the fourth and fifth graders and parents arrive.
• Former students may not visit teachers. This time is reserved for the teachers to meet their new incoming students. While the teachers would love to say hello, their priority on this day is to welcome all the new children to their rooms. If former students want to drop off a note to a staff member, parents may drop them off at the school office, and we will deliver them to the teachers. 

Meet and Greet Schedule - Wednesday, August 23 

Grade 3: 2:00 pm - 2:30 PM

Grade 4 and 5: 2:45 pm - 3:15 PM

Parents and their Shabonee student should arrive at Door A, the main school entrance. 

 

Our Commitment to School Safety

Northbrook District 27 wants to remind our school community that the Northbrook School District 27 Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP) remains in place. The EPP is a comprehensive, all-hazard emergency response program designed to protect students and staff, and to respond rapidly in the event of an emergency. This plan is continuously updated and reviewed annually with the Northbrook Police and Fire Departments, and a Northbrook Police liaison officer is assigned to each school. All staff are highly trained for all emergency scenarios, above and beyond state requirements. In addition, both students and staff regularly participate in emergency drills throughout the school year. It is important that our school community maintains safe practices at home and continues to “see something, say something” by calling 911 when there is something suspicious to report. Thank you for your partnership.

 

Lunch and Recess

We will run two lunch periods between 11:35 and 12:20. The first lunch will take place from 11:35 until 11:55 and the second from 12:00 until 12:20. There will be a five-minute transition between lunch and recess. While students are not eating, they will have recess. This schedule provides maximum use of instructional time during the school day and the greatest flexibility for students from any grade level to participate in the activities and/or social groups that take place during the school-wide lunch break. In order to run our schedule with three grade levels, students in one grade will be divided for a single trimester. This rotation allows students to eat with all of their grade level friends during at least two-thirds of the school year. Our PTA-sponsored hot lunch program will be coordinated accordingly. Should parents need to drop off a lunch after the school day begins, lunches should be placed on the lunch cart inside Door A by 11:30 a.m. and have the student's first and last name on them.  

 

Curriculum Night, Wednesday, August 30

We will share more information with you about the school year during curriculum night on the evening of Wednesday, August 30. Mark your calendars! A tentative schedule for the sessions is included below, and an agenda for the evening will be included in the next principal newsletter. 

6:00 PM - Grade 4 Classroom Presentations

6:40 PM - Grade 5 Classroom Presentations

7:20 PM - Grade 3 Classroom Presentations

The following teachers will also present during the evening: 

• Art 
• Music
• Library
• Physical Education 
• Support Services (Special Education, Social Work, Speech & Language, English Learner) 

 

Going Home Feedback from Parents - Please Complete Before August 23

To help students get home safely, we are asking parents to complete this form so that the teachers and staff know the student’s anticipated plan for dismissal. Please fill out the form before the first day of school. If you have multiple children, please fill out a form for each child. 

 

Arrival and Dismissal 

The safety of all our children is everyone’s responsibility, and we expect all parents and visitors to follow our traffic patterns and rules. Thank you for your increased awareness of students and staff while driving on school grounds, and remember that the speed limit in our school zone is 5 miles per hour on school days. Please stop at the crosswalks and the stop signs along Shabonee Trail. As a reminder, Shabonee Trail is a ONE-WAY from Moon Hill Drive to Pfingsten Road. For the safety of everyone and per Illinois law, please refrain from using your cell phone while driving on school grounds. Your undivided attention should be on the safety of all children. 

Arrival (8:25 – 8:40) 

Third and fourth grade students will be dropped off on Shabonee Trail between Doors O and P. Children in grade 3 will enter at Door P. Children in grade 4 will enter at Door O. Fifth grade students will be dropped off outside the main entrance and enter through Door A. Staff will be present at the designated entrances to greet the students. Upon entry, the children will move to their dedicated locations while waiting for the first bell at 8:40. Children may not arrive earlier than 8:25 when staff is present to supervise and let them into the building. 

Dismissal (3:15)

Should parents need to park, do so in the east parking lot located off Pfingsten Road shown on the map below, exit your vehicle, and meet your child on the sidewalk. Children are not allowed to cross over to the parking lot without an adult accompanying them. This is for the safety of the children. School personnel will continue to help supervise students during dismissal and ensure parents follow safety rules during peak traffic times. Please drive cautiously. Parking is prohibited along Shabonee Trail and in the west parking lot. 

THIRD AND FOURTH GRADE STUDENTS will be dismissed between DOOR P (Grade 3) or Door O (Grade 4) on Shabonee Trail. Vehicles should pull up as close to Door P as possible and wait in line along the sidewalk on Shabonee Trail for students to walk to the vehicle. Please do not pull around the line to the front or park along the North side of Shabonee Trail. Remain in your car, and students will load as vehicles pull up. Traffic cones indicate areas for pick-up. Staff is present to help support this process. As always, please use caution at all times. 

FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS will be dismissed from the main entrance Doors A & B. Vehicles will access the main entrance from Pfingsten Road only. Right turns from Shabonee Trail through the parking lot will NOT be allowed during dismissal. If using Shabonee Trail from Moon Hill, please exit on Pfingsten Road and re-enter through the main driveway entrance. Students will wait on the sidewalk in front of the main entrance. Please remember to pull up as far as possible to promote the efficiency of our dismissal protocol. Using the pick-up line is the preferred method for parental pick-up. 

Sibling Pick-Up 

We realize that families have multiple children attending Shabonee School. We recommend that siblings meet together at one of the dismissal locations, preferably at the location of the youngest child.  

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns. We appreciate your cooperation for the safety and well-being of all our students and staff. 

 

Allergy Information

There are several students in our building who have severe food allergies to peanuts or tree nuts. Exposure to these allergens could cause a life-threatening reaction. Strict avoidance of all nut products, by-products, and residue is the only way to prevent an allergic reaction.

Peanut butter and nut products are allowed in the lunchroom or alternate lunch locations except at the designated “nut-safe” tables/desks. For the safety of all students, we will educate and remind students about our “no sharing” protocol. That is, students are educated about the dangers of swapping or sharing snacks, lunch items, or food of any kind.

Additionally, some students in the building have life-threatening food allergies beyond nuts. If your child is in a classroom with one of these students, you will receive another letter indicating the specific allergens that need to be avoided if/when food is consumed in the classroom. If snacks are permitted in the classroom, children should only bring fresh fruits and vegetables for snack time. 

It is our goal to ensure that every student in our school is safe. Our District has adopted a policy for managing students with food allergies. Our policy is in compliance with Public Act 96-0349 and meets the guidelines created by the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Please discuss the importance of the following items with your child:

• Do not share or exchange any foods with other students at school.
• Wash hands with soap and water after eating to decrease the chance of cross-contamination on surfaces at school.
• Food should not be eaten on school buses.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact our school nurse, Ms. Shaykin, your child’s classroom teachers, Dr. Panozzo or Mrs. Claydon. 

 

Last call to register for the Little Bulldogs program! 

There are a few registration slots left in the Little Bulldogs early childhood program at Hickory Point. This program is held 5 days per week and serves children ages 3 through 5. Additional information can be found on the Hickory Point website. If you are interested in enrolling your child, please contact Heather Miehl at miehl.h@nb27.org.

 

District Information 

Please reference the following District 27 required communications regarding Asbestos and Pesticides.