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!