Summer Reading Info for Incoming Middle School Students and Parents

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Attached is the 2014 summer reading program information for incoming 6th grade students.  Please note, there is not a required or suggested reading list this year.  We are encouraging students to read and record their personal reading choices over the summer.  
Parents, you and your students can purchase summer reading materials at the upcoming summer reading PTO book fair May 13th through May 16th.

2014 Summer Reading Letter

2014 Summer Reading Log

You can find more PTO Book Fair information here:

PTO Book Fair

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Congratulations to Gillian J.

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Congratulations to Gillian J., who is one of the winners of the Cook Library District’s Creative Writing Contest! There were 106 entries this year. All of the winners will have their writing published in the library’s literary magazine. The literary magazine will be available by mid-May. The winners and their families will be invited to a Signing Party. Thank you to all the students who participated in the contest, and please keep writing and to try again next year.

First Graders Study Habitats

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First graders have learned interesting information about habitats. Miss Leahy’s class collaborated with Mrs. Heaser to create a podcast of facts they learned about the polar regions. Enjoy listening to these young researchers!

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Congratulations to All Aspen Educators and Students!

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Aspen’s second, fourth and fifth grades all placed first regionally in the Continental Math League contest this year. Wow! This contest operates in this manner: The contest is given once a month starting earlier for the older grades and starting in January for second and third grades. We end in March. Each contest consists of 6 challenging word problems.  The top scores are then submitted each time. It is a popular problem solving contest for schools in this area. 

Reorganization Committee Information From Superintendent Brown

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Decisions by the board regarding direction to the Reorganization Committee after reflecting on the proposed strategic plan:

  1. Full day kindergarten at all schools.  The Board would like the Reorganization Committee to explore the opportunity to provide a full day kindergarten program for all students.
  2. Grandfather clause.  The community has provided consensus.  They would like current students to be grandfathered into their current school.  The Board of Education would like the Reorganization Committee to determine how to grandfather students into their current schools.  If not possible, the Board wants a compelling rationale why it would not work.
  3. Dual Language.  The School of Dual Language is a curriculum program school as opposed to a choice.  The board has affirmed that any reorganization recommendations include the School of Dual Language as it currently exists (K-5) and has asked for more information to be gathered from the DL community to determine whether there is community interest in expansion of the program to K-8.
  4. School Choice.  The Board of Education has agreed that the current state of school choice is not supported nor in alignment with the newly proposed strategic plan.  They are open to other choice possibilities in the future.  The Board is directing the Reorganization Committee to not maintain the current choice model in the reorganization plan.

 

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Upcoming Aspen Family Partnership Council Events & New Chairs Needed

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Upcoming events include Parent Education Night (April 15, 7:00-8:30pm at Aspen School in the library, Free event) and this year’s last Family Night (May 2, 6:30-7:30pm, $2 per family) where the amazing demo team from Ki Martial Arts will perform.

We are in need of volunteers to Chair the following teams on next year’s Council:  Choice Time, Principal’s Helpers and Welcome Wagon.  For a detailed description of these teams’ activities, please visit Aspen’s website and click on the Building Links tab and AFPC, or contact Nicole Carson at aspenfpc@gmail.com.

Important Calendar Dates

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The Aspen office has received several phone calls to verify important family school dates.  In order to be sure everyone knows the same information, the last day of attendance for students this year will be Monday, June 9th.  This will be a full day of attendance for students.  While this date is still called tentative, let’s all hope we don’t have any more snow days to change that.

The 2014/15 school year will begin on Wednesday, August 27th.  This will be a full day of attendance for students.

The Aspen website has a full Calendar for your convenience.  You can find this calendar in the Calendar tab above.  All dates for this year and next are posted on this calendar for easy access.

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District Strategic Plan Discussion

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Please be informed that at Monday’s Board of Education meeting, the School Board will begin discussion on the proposed strategic plan that has been developed by the Strategic Plan Committee. Included in this conversation will be how this proposed plan provides guidance to the Reorganization Committee on many important issues that face the district.

Dr. Lisa Cerauli

Mrs. Heaser’s Library Newsletter

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The results are in for the Monarch Award and Bluestem Award winners.  You can read all the details on Mrs. Heaser’s blog.

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Teacher Appreciation Week

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Aspen’s PTO-sponsored Teacher and Staff Appreciation week is just around the corner!  We have a great week in store for our amazing staff, and need your support to make it a success!  Please send in your cash or check (payable to Hawthorn PTO) donations to school with your child by Friday, April 11.  You can also visit http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4AA4A82EA7FB6-staff to donate food items.  Thank you for helping show our staff how grateful we are for all they do!