Updated Information from Specials Classes

Click on the link to the updated newsletter from our specials’ teachers and take a few minutes to see what children are doing in each of our special areas!! 

50TH Day of School - November 1st 

Barrington 220 is celebrating its 50th anniversary this school year! Please join us in celebrating on Wednesday, November 1, which marks the 50th day of the 2023-24 school year. On this day we are asking students and staff to wear their district and school spirit wear. Please post your spirited photos to social media using the #Unifiedfor50 hashtag!

Halloween Celebrations - 2023

We are looking forward to having a great Halloween this year at Grove! Exact details and a schedule for the festivities for the day were shared in previously Grizzly newsletters and can be accessed by clicking on the link to Halloween celebration details. Please read the section about costumes carefully! 

Halloween Parent Volunteers 

Any parent who signed up with the PTO to volunteer to help with the classroom parties must submit their name, child’s name, and classroom teacher on the Halloween Volunteer Google Form in order to have a badge pre-printed for entrance into the building. Badges will be available on the day of the party at our check-in table. If you have not had your valid driver’s license scanned by the main office this school year, you will need to come into the office ahead of time to have your I.D. scanned so that a badge can be printed for you. If you are unable to come in prior to the date of the party, be sure to bring a valid driver's license to be checked in at the main office on Halloween; however, please know that there will likely be a wait for badges to be scanned and printed. We will not admit adults into the school without a visitor’s badge. This is for the safety of our students and staff and we greatly appreciate the cooperation of our parent community with this procedure!

 

Parent volunteers will be permitted to go down to classrooms to drop off supplies after check-in and starting at 1:10 and then may watch the start of the parade. Following the start of the parade, volunteers can then enter the classrooms to set up around 1:15 and 1:20 p.m.

Bully Prevention Month Concludes

While we have been highlighting Bully Prevention this month, our lessons and dialogue will continue with students throughout the year. We believe that it is important to keep our school a safe place where all members of our community continue to make Grove a great place to live and learn!! We hope that you will also continue the dialogue with your children at home about how much kindness, acceptance, and inclusion makes a difference for everyone in our school community. 

One topic that our library teacher, Miss McClean, will cover during the year with our students, is internet safety. We also discuss online bullying with our older students in our Second Step lessons as well. I have included a link for parents with information regarding social applications, as there can be a place where students may experience issues with bullying and it is helpful for both school staff and parents to monitor student’s interactions with others online closely.

Upcoming Dates

Tuesday, October 31st - Halloween Parade, 1:15 p.m. followed by Halloween Parties  

Wednesday, November 1st - 50th Day of School!! Wear district and school spirit wear or colors!! 

Thursday, November 2nd - End of First Trimester Grading Period 

Friday, November 3rd - NO SCHOOL for Students, Teacher Institute Day 

Sunday, November 5th - Daylight Savings Time, Clocks Fall Back 

Thursday, November 9th - Donut with a Grown-Up Event, 7:15 p.m. 

Thursday, November 9th - 3rd Grade Field Trip to see The Jungle Book Play @ BHS 

Thursday, November 16th - 5th Grade Musical 

Tuesday, November 21st - Report Cards Available for Parents in IC, 5 p.m. 

Wednesday, November 22nd - NO SCHOOL, Thanksgiving Break 

Thursday, November 23rd - NO SCHOOL, Thanksgiving Day!! 

Friday, November 24th - NO SCHOOL, Thanksgiving Break 

Our PTO is in need of volunteers for our upcoming Donut with a Grown-Up Event! Please Click on the Link to sign-up for a time slot to volunteer!!!  

Thank you to all of our parents who attended our Parent/Teacher conferences this week! It was great to see so many parents in attendance!! Also, a HUGE shout out to our PTO and our parents who donated for our staff meals over the past two days. We had such beautiful dinners to enjoy and we greatly appreciate the support! THANK YOU ALL!!! 

District Cross Country Meet Participants

Congratulations to all of the Grove students who participated in the District Wide Cross Country Meet for 5th graders and Fun Run for students in Grades K-4! All of our participants are listed below!!!

5th Graders 

Milo Dill

Max Bosch

Evan Werner

Ibrahim Farooqui 

Arnav Modi

Molly Vlaming

Margaret Dever 

Madeline Juster 

Reece Erickson 

Layla Cabana 

Naisha Panda

K - 4th grade ½ mile - Noah Gorr, Jaxin Martinson, Noah Siebold, Leo Billen, Eli Kruska, Jack Bosch, Eli Cohen, Simon Bauman, Colin Kiss, Chase Gorr, Michael Katsenios, Max Juster, Samir Mago, James Dever, Samuel Rajendram, Luo Yasuoka, Theo Sambanis, Liam Nolan, Brooks Wulbecker, Deen Farooqui, Oliver Oprea, Nick Panzica, Claudio Zelaya, Kayla Kiss, Yovita Zymancius, Summer Kanchwala, Tesa Ruscitti, Fiona Slaters, Nicolene Helberg, Lyla Nolan, Olivia Ewert, Kathleen Dever, Emma Dabrowski, Evelyn Williams, Mili Kiran, Elena Rachel, Primrose Cabana, Zoe Sambanis, Rachel Levin, Sarina Patel, Jenna Edmiston, Sarah Rajendram, Esther Malley, Penelope Slaters, Lydia Kruska, Marcella Zyrkowski, Kiera Donlon, Lillian Williams, Maanya Varandani, Riley Yasuoka, Maddie McGivern.

50TH Day of School - November 1st 

Barrington 220 is celebrating its 50th anniversary this school year! Please join us in celebrating on Wednesday, November 1, which marks the 50th day of the 2023-24 school year. On this day we are asking students and staff to wear their district and school spirit wear. Please post your spirited photos to social media using the #Unifiedfor50 hashtag!

Grove Halloween Celebration Plans 

We are looking forward to having a great Halloween this year at Grove! Below is information regarding our Halloween festivities; please read the section about costumes carefully. 

Lunch – October 31st  

• If your child is staying at school for lunch, please send your child's costume to school. Lunch and recess times for students will remain the same and students will change into their costumes following lunch and recess. Please be sure to communicate if your child is staying at school by indicating this option by clicking on the link to the Halloween Google Form.

• At 11:15 a.m., students may be picked up if it is easier for them to dress and eat lunch at home.  Please do not expect your child to leave before 11:15 a.m. 

• Students do not need to be signed out, but if you plan on picking your child up for lunch, be sure that you have indicated this option by clicking on the link to the Halloween Google Form. 

• There will be adults supervising the parking lot during the 11:15 pick-up and by the Grove entrance. Please focus on safety! 

• Students should return to school by 12:55 p.m. 

 

Parade – October 31st   

• Our parade will begin at 1:15 p.m. and will follow the route below:

• Leave from the Grove door and travel north to Wisconsin.

• Travel east on Wisconsin to Summit.

• Travel south on Summit to Yale.

• Travel west on Yale to Cook.

• Travel north on Cook to our parking lot entrance.

• We love parents and guests cheering us on. 

• We will be back at school at about 1:45 PM

•  If it rains, we will parade in the school hallways, Gym, and MPR.

 

Room Parties – October 31st

• After the parade, students will return to classrooms for our fabulous room parties organized by our PTO room parents.

• Parties will conclude at 2:30 p.m. 

• AM Kindergarten students are invited to stay for the entire school day in order to participate in all festivities.

Costumes

Please review the following guidelines when selecting a school Halloween costume for this year: 

• Students should not wear costumes to school, as they will change at school after lunch and recess or go home to change into costumes. 

• Consider safety and the appropriateness of a costume for an elementary school.

• Costumes involving fake blood or violent attributes are not allowed.

• Look-alike weapons are prohibited on school grounds as noted in the student handbook.

• Masks are a safety concern, and therefore, will not be allowed. 

• Please keep face paint to a minimum as students need to be easily recognized and often become uncomfortable. Examples of appropriate face paint include: cat whiskers, Harry Potter’s scar, “eye black” on an athlete, etc. 

 

We hope to create a safe and fun event for our students, so thank you for your cooperation! 

Bully Prevention Month Continues 

We had great participation in our Unity Day this past week and students had fun meeting with their buddy class to talk about how they can make a difference in our school. Together, students created Unity Chains where they wrote a quality about themselves that makes them unique and proud of who they are as individuals. The links were put together to reflect the fact that even though we are all different, we are all a part of this community! Check out a few photos from the day below!

Classes are continuing to have conversations about Bully Prevention this week. We will be talking about kindness, inclusion, and the difference between Bullying and Conflict. In addition to saying the “Pledge of Allegiance” and “The Power of One Pledge” each day, our students also say “Grove’s Pledge”, which addresses how we should resolve conflict when it occurs. I have included the Grove Pledge below for your information. 

Grove’s Pledge 

We pledge to keep Grove Avenue School a safe place. 

Our Grove Family resolves differences through talking, not fighting. 

We care for, protect and respect one another’s person, property, and feelings. 

Conversations with students throughout the month have also included what to do if they or someone they know is experiencing bullying. This includes standing up for themselves, standing up for others, and reporting bullying. We highly encourage students to report directly to staff members with whom they are comfortable, however, we also know that students may also be reporting to their parents. As a result, we ask that parents approach staff either in person, by phone, or email and describe an incident so that we may respond accordingly. We do recognize that bullying, especially as students get older, may not be reported using these traditional channels of communication. As a result, I have included an official letter in English and Spanish with more information for parents regarding how we address bullying and additional resources where information can be reported. 

Upcoming Dates

Friday, October 20th - NO SCHOOL 

Tuesday, October 24th - 5th Grade Outdoor Education Field Trip to Camp Timber-lee

Tuesday, October 31st - Halloween Parade, 1:15 p.m. followed by Halloween Parties  

Wednesday, November 1st - 50th Day of School!! Wear district and school spirit wear or colors!! 

Friday, November 3rd - NO SCHOOL for Students, Teacher Institute Day 

Thursday, November 9th - Donut with a Grown-Up Event, 7:00 - 7:45 a.m.

Updated Information from Specials Classes

Click on the link to the updated newsletter from our specials’ teachers and take a few minutes to see what children are doing in each of our special areas!! 

Elementary Cross Country Meet

This Monday, District #220 will be hosting the annual Elementary Cross Country Meet at Beese Park! We look forward to cheering on our students who participated in our running club this fall, but all students are welcome to participate if they would like! Please check out the flier below with more information regarding this event!! 

50TH Day of School - November 1st 

Barrington 220 is celebrating its 50th anniversary this school year! Please join us in celebrating on Wednesday, November 1, which marks the 50th day of the 2023-24 school year. On this day we are asking students and staff to wear their district and school spirit wear. Please post your spirited photos to social media using the #Unifiedfor50 hashtag!

Grove Halloween Celebration Plans 

We are looking forward to having a great Halloween this year at Grove! Below is information regarding our Halloween festivities; please read the section about costumes carefully. 

Lunch – October 31st  

• If your child is staying at school for lunch, please send your child's costume to school. Lunch and recess times for students will remain the same and students will change into their costumes following lunch and recess. Please be sure to communicate if your child is staying at school by indicating this option by clicking on the link to the Halloween Google Form.

• At 11:15 a.m., students may be picked up if it is easier for them to dress and eat lunch at home.  Please do not expect your child to leave before 11:15 a.m. 

• Students do not need to be signed out, but if you plan on picking your child up for lunch, be sure that you have indicated this option by clicking on the link to the Halloween Google Form. 

• There will be adults supervising the parking lot during the 11:15 pick-up and by the Grove entrance. Please focus on safety! 

• Students should return to school by 12:55 p.m. 

 

Parade – October 31st   

• Our parade will begin at 1:15 p.m. and will follow the route below:

• Leave from the Grove door and travel north to Wisconsin.

• Travel east on Wisconsin to Summit.

• Travel south on Summit to Yale.

• Travel west on Yale to Cook.

• Travel north on Cook to our parking lot entrance.

• We love parents and guests cheering us on. 

• We will be back at school at about 1:45 PM

•  If it rains, we will parade in the school hallways, Gym, and MPR.

 

Room Parties – October 31st

• After the parade, students will return to classrooms for our fabulous room parties organized by our PTO room parents.

• Parties will conclude at 2:30 p.m. 

• AM Kindergarten students are invited to stay for the entire school day in order to participate in all festivities.

Costumes

Please review the following guidelines when selecting a school Halloween costume for this year: 

• Students should not wear costumes to school, as they will change at school after lunch and recess or go home to change into costumes. 

• Consider safety and the appropriateness of a costume for an elementary school.

• Costumes involving fake blood or violent attributes are not allowed.

• Look-alike weapons are prohibited on school grounds as noted in the student handbook.

• Masks are a safety concern, and therefore, will not be allowed. 

• Please keep face paint to a minimum as students need to be easily recognized and often become uncomfortable. Examples of appropriate face paint include: cat whiskers, Harry Potter’s scar, “eye black” on an athlete, etc. 

 

We hope to create a safe and fun event for our students, so thank you for your cooperation! 

Bully Prevention Month 

As bully prevention month continues, we are looking forward to Unity Day this coming Wednesday! On October 18th, we will celebrate Unity Day as a school by wearing orange to show unity for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion and to send a visible message that no child should ever experience bullying. Please join us in these efforts in order to continue the dialogue with your child at home to make the commitment to live out our “Grove Power of One Pledge.” I have included the pledge below once again for your knowledge. We hope to have a sea of orange throughout the school on October 18th!! 

Grove’s Power of One 

I will not bully others. 

I will not stand by while others are bullied. 

I will report bullying whenever I see it. 

I have the POWER OF ONE!! 

Students will also be participating in activities with their buddy classes to talk about how they can make a difference in our school community and to celebrate their unique differences that make our school special! The buddy class activities will result in a visual representation that highlights unity and the important link that each individual can make in our community! 

Erin’s Law Presentations

Our School Psychologist, Tonya Tompkins-Wisz, will be starting our Erin’s Law presentations with classes in October. There will be one lesson per class and it might take into November for her to go into each classroom in the school. Erin’s Law requires schools to teach children, at age appropriate levels, about personal body safety. Please be sure to click on the link to our official letter regarding Erin’s Law to learn more about the Law and what will be covered in the lessons. Please feel free to reach out to Mrs. Tompkins-Wisz or Mrs. Matthews directly if you have questions after reading the letter. Classroom teachers will communicate with parents as to when exactly the lesson will take place in each individual classroom. 

Upcoming Dates

Monday, October 16th - District 220 Elementary Fun Run and 5th Grade Mile Race @ Beese Park 

Tuesday, October 17th - Picture Retakes 

Tuesday, October 17th - October PTO Meeting, 6:30 p.m. via Zoom 

Wednesday, October 18th - Unity Day, Wear Orange!! 

Wednesday, October 18th - Parent Teacher Conferences, 4-8 p.m., Book Fair 

Thursday, October 19th - NO SCHOOL for Students, Parent/Teacher Conferences 

Thursday, October 19th - Parent Teacher Conferences, 1-7 p.m., Book Fair 

Friday, October 20th - NO SCHOOL 

Tuesday, October 24th - 5th Grade Outdoor Education Field Trip to Camp Timber-lee

Tuesday, October 31st - Halloween Parade, 1:15 p.m. followed by Halloween Parties  

Wednesday, November 1st - 50th Day of School!! Wear district and school spirit wear or colors!!

PTO FALL BOOK FAIR 

The Scholastic Book Fair is this week! You can find out more information and preview some of the books and watch book trailers by following the link in the flier below. Students will be making their wish lists during the school day walkthrough on Wednesday, October 18th and will bring them home to share later that day. If you are unable to attend the Book Fair in person, students will have the opportunity to purchase books during the school day walkthrough by using their E-Wallet. E-Wallet's must be set-up ahead of October 18th in order for them to be used. Please use the links in the flier below to find out more about setting up your E-Wallet. 

We are also looking for parent volunteers to help with set-up, assisting students with their wish lists, and check out/cashier duty the evening of the event. Please use this sign-up link if you are interested: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090945A9AD23A5FB6-44650673-fall#/

Grove Yearbooks

The Grove Avenue community has the opportunity to save 10% off Yearbooks through TreeRing this year. You must purchase books by October 31st to get the discount! Yearbooks can still be ordered later in the year, but they will be at the regular price of $22. Please see the flier below for more information on how to make your purchase early!