LJ Stevens Intermediate

Newsletter
VENITA DENNIS, Principal

OCTOBER DATES
TO REMEMBER
Oct. 6

Picture Retakes
WE-PTO @WMS 4:00

Oct. 7

Early Dismissal 11:20

Oct. 12

No School

Oct. 14

Young Rembrandts

Oct. 16

1 Quarter Ends

Oct. 21

Young Rembrandts
School Board 7:30

Oct. 22

Early Dismissal 11:20

P/T Conf. 1:00-7:00 pm

Oct. 26-30

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Red Ribbon Week

Parent / Teacher Conferences

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Conferences are scheduled for Thursday, October 22 from 1:00 7:00 pm.
Students will be dismissed at 11:20 am. If you have not signed up for a
conference time, please contact the school office at 815.926.1689. Report
cards will not be sent home in the mail. Parents or Guardians must attend a
conference.

Homecoming Week

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Homecoming will take place the week of September 21 September 25 .

The theme this year is The Cats are Back to the Future. Dress up days are:
Monday Generation Day, (dress in your favorite time period)
Tuesday Future Dress, (what you think the future will look like or what you
want to be in the future)
Wednesday Neon Day
Thursday Class Color Day (2nd Red; 3rd Orange; 4th Purple; 5th
Teal/Green)
Friday Purple and White Day! Early Dismissal at 1:50 for the 3:00 parade

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Oct. 28

1 Quarter Awards
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2 8:25 3 8:45
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4 9:15 5 9:45
Young Rembrandts

Oct. 30

Halloween Parties
Parade 9:45
Parties 10:00-11:00
Dismissal 11:20

Go Wildcats!

Friday Night Football Games

Any student in kindergarten through eighth grade will not be allowed into
Wilmington High School football games without a parent. Student safety at
Wildcat football games has always been a top priority in our district. In order to
provide this safe environment, we ask that students remain under the constant
supervision of a parent while at the game. Students that are found playing
within restricted areas will be asked to leave the game. These restricted areas
include the Intermediate School playground, parking lots, baseball/softball fields,
and near the front of the Middle School or Intermediate School. No footballs,
soccer balls, basketballs, or any other recreational ball are to be brought to a
game. Students playing with any of those items will lose the ball. Just a
reminder-The Wilmington CUSD 209U campuses are smoke/tobacco free.

LJ Stevens Intermediate ~ 221 Ryan Street ~ Wilmington, IL 60481 ~ 815.926.1689

Awards Assemblies
Students in grades 2-5 receive Quarterly Awards. Second and Third Grade students receive Perfect
Attendance, Student of the Quarter, and Book Club Awards. Fourth and Fifth Grade students receive
Perfect Attendance, Student of the Quarter, Honor Roll, High Honor Roll, and Book Club Awards.
First Quarter Assemblies are on October 28th.

Halloween Parade & Parties

October 30, 2015
The annual Halloween parade will begin at 9:45 am (weather permitting) with the parties following from
10:00-11:00. Weather permitting, students will parade around the football field track behind the middle
school. Parents may sit in the bleachers or stand along the side to watch the students walk around the track.
Only parents who are assigned to work the Halloween parties will be allowed in the building AFTER
the parade. Students can wear costumes to school. Students will not be allowed to wear bloody/gory
costumes or bring weapons of any kind. Please no Slender Man costumes. Costumes must not interfere
with the regular work done during the school day.

Change in the Weather:

As fall arrives and winter soon after this is a good time to remind you of our school procedures
for colder weather. Students go outside unless the temperature is below fourteen degrees
Fahrenheit or it is raining. Students cannot decide to stay inside; everyone goes out. Please
make sure your child is dressed appropriately! Snow pants and snow boots are required to
play in the snow. Mrs. Dennis reminds the students of these requirements and tries her best
to warn students of upcoming temperature changes. However, Mrs. Dennis also encourages
the students to watch the weather and be prepared!

LJ Stevens Intermediate ~ 221 Ryan Street ~ Wilmington, IL 60481 ~ 815.926.1689

Creating Good Readers

Take time each night to read to your children or take time to listen to your child read. This will help in several
ways. Below are 5 essentials for good readers. Good reminders for all readers!

The Five Essential Components of Reading

Reading with children and helping them practice specific reading components can dramatically improve their
ability to read. Scientific research shows that there are five essential components of reading that children must
be taught in order to learn to read. Adults can help children learn to be good readers by systematically practicing
these five components:

Recognizing and using individual sounds to create words, or phonemic awareness. Children need to
be taught to hear sounds in words and those words are made up of the smallest parts of sound, or
phonemes.

Understanding the relationships between written letters and spoken sounds, or phonics. Children need
to be taught the sounds individual printed letters and groups of letters make. Knowing the relationships
between letters and sounds helps children to recognize familiar words accurately and automatically, and
"decode" new words.

Developing the ability to read a text accurately and quickly, or reading fluency. Children must learn to
read words rapidly and accurately in order to understand what is read. When fluent readers read silently,
they recognize words automatically. When fluent readers read aloud, they read effortlessly and with
expression. Readers who are weak in fluency read slowly, word by word, focusing on decoding words
instead of comprehending meaning.

Learning the meaning and pronunciation of words, or vocabulary development. Children need to
actively build and expand their knowledge of written and spoken words, what they mean and how they
are used.

Acquiring strategies to understand, remember, and communicate what is read, or reading

comprehension strategies. Children need to be taught comprehension strategies, or the steps good
readers use to make sure they understand text. Students who are in control of their own reading
comprehension become purposeful, active readers.

Visit SIS at:

Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/index.php?stype=lo&lh=Ac9xEGaY1yT2G4lu
School websitehttp://www.wilmington.will.k12.il.us/
Twitterppalvdennis

LJ Stevens Intermediate ~ 221 Ryan Street ~ Wilmington, IL 60481 ~ 815.926.1689