Letter from the Principal

Our annual ISAT tests for grades 3-6 are just around the corner.  Students in grades 3, 4, 5 and 6 will be taking the state required achievement tests from March 5th through March 16th.  The focus of the first days of testing will be on reading while the final days of testing will be on math.  Students in 4th grade will also be taking tests in science.  This is the assessment that the state of Illinois uses to assess the progress of your child and the effectiveness of our instruction.  Samples of the ISAT test are provided by the state and can be found via the following website: http://www.isbe.net/assessment/htmls/sample_books.htm.  If you have questions or would like additional information about the test, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or the main office.

As a school, we will review the results of these tests to assist us in making instructional decisions that best meet your child’s needs.  The staff here is committed to excellence, creating systems to support all students, and to ensure that each student can learn and succeed.

As parents, we are asking that you do the following to ensure our students highest achievement and success:

• Make sure your child arrives on time to school each morning in order to be mentally prepared for the tests.
• Ensure that your child gets a reasonable amount of sleep in the days leading up to and during the ISAT test dates.
• Provide your child a nutritious breakfast and plenty of fluids before they come to school.  Brain research supports the fact that students do better when they have eaten and are fully hydrated.

Most importantly encourage your child to “Show What You Know”.
Let your child know that you have confidence in his/her ability to do his/her best.  I encourage you to complete the “Show What you Know” message page in the Fox Tales for your child.  You can post it on the fridge, on the front door, in their bedroom or have them bring it to school.  Your belief that they can achieve anything when they work hard is essential in motivating students to perform their best.

Thank you for your support in helping the students of Anne Fox continue the tradition of academic success for all students – NO EXEPTIONS!

Cyndie Gordon
Principal

Principal’s Message

Dear Anne Fox Families,

We are off to a very busy start this New Year!  On our first day back, our students traveled through different places in the building to review how to “Be Respectful”, “Be Responsible”, and “Be Safe” both inside and outside Anne Fox School.  Our 6th grade peer ambassadors did an outstanding job of leading our review.  These behaviors contribute to making Anne Fox a successful learning environment.  As a parent, you can continue to support positive behavior by discussing how to be safe, respectful and responsible at home and in the community.

Starting the week of January 9th, our English Language Learners will take the ACCESS test.  This assessment is mandated by the state of Illinois and is an adaptive test that measures Speaking, Listening, Writing and Reading skills.  Prior to break, students completed their MAP testing in Reading and Math.  Student’s individual MAP scores will be reviewed with you during Student-Led Conferences which will be held on Thursday, January 12th and Friday, January 13th.  If you have not already scheduled a conference time, please contact your child’s teacher.  Due to conferences, school will be dismissed at 11:40 on Thursday, January 12th.  There will be no school on Friday, January 13th or Monday, January 16th in observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Also beginning the week of January 9th, PTA will host the Scholastic Book Fair.  The book fair will be open during the school day and during the evening conference night.  PTA will also have a membership sign-up during conferences.  Please consider joining the PTA, volunteering your time or talents, or attending a PTA meeting.  This wonderful organization sponsors many events at Fox including the all school field trip, assemblies, ice cream social, and family fun night.  The next PTA event will be the spaghetti dinner Friday, January 27th from 5:30-7:30.  Our 1st Anne Fox Art Show will also take place on that night.  Plan to spend the evening viewing your child’s creativity.

The weather has been unseasonably warm but colder weather will soon follow.  Please have children dress accordingly.  Students should dress for outside play each day with appropriate jackets, hats, scarves, gloves or mittens.  When there is snow on the ground students still go outside for recess so your child will need snow pants and boots to play on the playground.  Students go outside for recess each day unless it is raining or the temperature is unsafe, falling below zero.

Though District 54 makes every effort to keep our school open and operational, circumstances beyond our control oftentimes dictate school closings.  To read more about the district procedures during school closings please visit the District 54 website at:  http://sd54.org/schoolcancellations/.  Please take some time to consider what kind of alternative arrangements need to be made for your children should our school be closed for inclement weather or other related emergencies.

Anne Fox is seeking a parent representative for the District Citizens’ Advisory Committee (DCAC).  This is a School Board committee composed of staff members; parents; representatives of various governmental, community and business organizations; and members of the community-at-large.  The Board established this committee to increase communication and provide citizen involvement at the school and district levels.  DCAC offers members an opportunity to offer input on district topics and promote education and community involvement.  DCAC has been a valuable resource for the district.  Some recent projects include helping to develop a parent brochure about interventions, creating parent booklets, explaining MAP testing (Measures of Academic Progress), and providing feedback on a revised junior high report card, social studies curriculum and a new writing framework.  For more information or if you are interested in representing Fox, contact Cyndi Ballmaier at (847) 357-5141.

2012 is going to continue to be an outstanding year at Anne Fox.  Welcome back everyone!

Cyndie Gordon
Principal

A Message from the Principal

Given November is the month of thanks, I’d like to start by thanking our PTA and parent volunteers for all their work with our Halloween celebrations.

There is much to celebrate at Fox School; 98% of our students meet or exceed state standards in reading and math.  We appreciate the support from our parent community in reaching our goals.  Our School Improvement Plan outlines our goals for this school year and reflects a process of continuous improvement.  Our school report card can be found at http://sd54.org/schoolreportcards/.  I encourage you to view this report.  It not only provides an overview of Anne Fox, but also shows the academic performance of each Grade, 3rd-6th in reading and math.  If you would like a hard copy, please contact our school office and we will send it to you.

It is hard to believe, but we are already working on our schedule for MAP testing which will begin November 28th.  It is very important for all children to be in school in order to gauge progress toward our building goals and individual student growth.

In closing, I’d like to say that I am truly thankful for being able to witness the academic growth and daily successes of the students at Anne Fox.  I am thankful for the support of our parents; providing assistance in homework, encouraging reading in the home, and practicing math facts.  I am thankful for our dedicated staff members who are the Treasure Hunters of our school searching for the talents and gifts each child has to offer.  Thank you for supporting your child’s educational success and sharing the belief:  All children are capable of success – NO EXCEPTIONS!

Happy Thanksgiving,
Cyndie Gordon
Principal   

Letter from the Principal

Dear Anne Fox Families,

ISAT results were sent home for all current 4th, 5th and 6th grade students.  As a school, Anne Fox did extremely well.  98% of our students met or exceeded state standards in Reading and 98% of our students met or exceeded state standards in Math.  High achievement for all students continues to be the standard at Anne Fox School year after year.  These results are a reflection of the parent-teacher partnership we share for student learning.

That partnership was observed at Parent-Teacher Conferences.  It was great to see so many families at Anne Fox.  Many of the teachers have been talking about how well students did setting goals, conveying their strenghts and working with both parents and teachers.  As the school year goes on, continue to ask your child about their progress towards these goals.

Please be sure to try our new Everyday Mathematics Online program for use at home.  Just as you are making sure your child reads at least 20 minutes every day, spending time to practice and develop math skills is equally important.  Thank you for investing the time and support in your child’s goals.

As Halloween approaches and families are selecting costumes, keep in mind District 54 School Board policy prohibits weapons at school and follow these guidelines:

• Students should not wear costumes that represent alcohol, drugs or violence.
• Items such as fake blood, knives, guns or any other type of weapon may not be brought to school.
• No props will be permitted on the bus.
• Students may not come to school in the morning with make up or colored hair.
• No hair colorings, sprays or supplies are to be brought to school.

One last important announcement, we proudly extend our congratulations to Gail Mehlan who recieved a 2011 “Those Who Excel” Award of Merit from the Illinois State Board of Education as a resource teacher of English Language Learners at Fox Elementary School.  Thank you for your dedication to Anne Fox and the Hanover Park community.

Message from the Principal

Dear Anne Fox Community,

We have had another incredibly Responsible, Respectful and Safe week at Anne Fox.  Students in grades K through 6 will continue to complete MAP testing for reading and math.  All students will be using this information to set academic goals for the year.  They will share with you at Student Led Conferences the first week of October.

I would like to remind you that one of my favorite District 54 events, Run to Read, is on Sunday, September 25.  Run to Read is a day of races offering something for everyone.  The day begins with 100-yard and 400-yard dashes for children.  Every child will receive a medal and a t-shirt for just $5 (if you register by Sept. 8).  At 8:30 a.m., we will start our 5K run on a USATF-certified course.  There is also a 1-mile family fun walk for adults and children alike.  All four events support our goal of collecting 1,000 children’s books for every classroom in District 54 as well as the healthy community’s initiative.  It’s great to see parents and children exercising together on a Sunday morning and I hope to see you there.  Every student received a Run to Read registration form, but you can also register online at http://sd54.org/runtoread.  

Thank you for your continued support in ensuring our pick-up/drop-off process goes smoothly.  Our main focus remains that we ensure the safety of our students.  I would like to also thank everyone for making sure our students are on time to school and in line each morning.  Please keep in mind that students should not arrive to school prior to 8:25 a.m. each day in order to be safely supervised.  Our parking lots are closed from 8:25 a.m. - 8:40 a.m. every morning and again from 2:50 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.  This is done to ensure that all of our buses are able to enter our parking lot without any trouble and that our students are safe during our entrance and dismissal times.  As a gentle reminder, we also ask that all parents and students do not ride their bikes on school property.  Please remember to walk your bike on school grounds.  When students do ride their bikes to school please be sure they have a proper secure bike lock and remind your child to use it.  Our bike racks are not monitored during the school day.  Lastly, please do not bring your dog on school property.  Dogs make some of our students feel unsafe.

Cyndie Gordon
Principal

Academic Excellence Award!

To earn an Academic Excellence Award a school must meet the following criteria:

• Made Adequate Yearly Progress in 2009 and 2010 as required by the No Child Left Behind Act.
• 90 percent of students must have met or exceeded state standards in both reading and mathematics for the three most recent school years.

This is the first time Anne Fox has received this award.  It truly reflects the hard work and commitment shared by the students, parents/guardians, and staff over the past three years.   Thank you for your continued support and congratulations to the entire Anne Fox Community!