Dear Students and Families,
As we all know, February is a month filled with gray skies and cold temperatures. These days can feel long and draining, and we all look forward to the warmth of spring. During this time, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for our incredible staff, families, and students. Your dedication, perseverance, and commitment to learning make Old Post a truly special place to be. Each day, we see the kindness, effort, and care that create a welcoming and supportive environment for all. Thank you for all that you do to help our school community learn, grow, and thrive together!
February marks an important time at Old Post: February 21st is the end of Trimester 2! We have seen many months of great learning, engagement, and friendship through the first two-thirds of the school year. Let’s continue looking forward as we enter the final third of the school year!
Reminder on February School Calendar:
There are no students in session on the following dates in February:
Friday, February 14th for a School Improvement Day
Monday, February 17th for Presidents’ Day
Friday, February 28th for a County-Wide Institute Day
From the Nurse’s Office:
We are seeing an increase in student illness, which is not uncommon for this time of the school year. A reminder on Oswego #308 procedures from Nurse Sydney:
Students need to be fever/vomit/diarrhea free without medication for 24 hours before they can come to school. This is for everyone's health and safety. I would also strongly recommend if students have cold- or flu-like symptoms with a low grade temp keeping them home to rest as it is difficult to learn when you are not feeling well. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to reach out. My office hours are 8:30am-4:00pm daily and my office number is 630.636.3402.
Assessments:
We are heading into and through the bulk of assessment season now. Recently:
Our Multilingual Learner students have completed (or will very soon complete) their ACCESS assessment to evaluate their language development and current English proficiency.
Our students in Grade 2 and selected students in Grades 3 and 4 completed our CogAT assessment.
Student in Ms. Bornemann’s Grade 5 math class have been preparing and working through the IAAT assessment.
In late February, all Oswego schools will be administering the 5Essentials survey. This is intended for all parents, all school staff, and all students in Grades 4 and 5. Students are slated to complete the roughly 30 minute survey between the dates of February 21 and February 27. More information is here.
Immigration and Customs:
In late January, the school district sent out information regarding the potential enforcement of immigration and customs throughout schools in Oswego Community School District #308. Please review the following resources for families to understand our current practices to ensure a safe learning environment for those that are in our school buildings.
Illinois Attorney General Immigration Rights page: https://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/rights-of-the-people/civil-rights/immigration/
Illinois Department of Human Services list of Welcoming Centers: https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=146538
Family preparedness plan from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center: https://www.ilrc.org/resources/step-step-family-preparedness-plan
Kendall County Community Food Pantry + SD308:
Did you know that the school district partners with the Kendall County Community Food Pantry to support those in our community? Please find more information on the school district’s website here, including opportunities to register for help, opportunities to donate, and details on volunteer possibilities: https://www.sd308.org/Departments-and-Programs/Equity-and-Engagement/Engagement/Food-Pantry/index.html
School Safety Drills:
We are scheduled to conduct our second semester tornado drill next week on Wednesday, February 12th. This will occur during the school day and (like any tornado drill) we will keep students and staff inside.
This is earlier than we have conducted tornado drills in the past few years, but we feel it is appropriate due to changing weather patterns. (For instance, there was a tornado warning in our area in late February 2024.)
Please reach out to Assistant Principal Michael Swanson at mswanson@sd308.org with any questions.
Kindergarten Registration Now Open:
Kindergarten Registration for next school year has opened! Children registering for Kindergarten for the 2025-26 school year must be 5 years old by September 1, 2025. Please see this link for more information.
