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SHARK Bytes ISSUE
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Principal: Mr. Giovannoni Vice-Principal: Ms. Dwyer
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HELPING FOREST PARK HELP ITSELF z
The plaques honoring Barbara Thies and the Centennial of Field - Stevenson were recently installed at the Park by the two trees we planted late last spring.
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In addition to the various schools and houses of worship and the strong family values that permeate life in our village, one of the central players in keeping Forest Park a vital community is the Howard Mohr Community Center. Located at Jackson and Des Plaines, the Center provides activities for all ages. One of its most important contributions is the Food Pantry that it sponsors to assist residents here in town. Each year at Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Center distributes as many as one hundred – if not more – baskets to needy families in Forest Park. Right now, however, the Pantry’s shelves are nearly empty. The Rotary Club of Oak Park and River Forest came to FieldStevenson School to promote literacy. Rotary President Bill Planek, distributed dictionaries to third grade students
By: Mr. Giovannoni
We are asking the families of Field – Stevenson to help out. If each student could bring just two cans/boxes of non-perishable food, we would be able to do quite a bit! In addition, to allow the Community Center to assist needy families in other ways, we are going to revive a collection practice we have used in the past called, “EVERY PENNY COUNTS!” We will set up several large collection jars – actually, water bottles – in the lobby. We would like to encourage students to bring in whatever spare change they choose to donate. throughout the district. The kids were very excited about the books and even used them to write letters of thanks to the Rotary Club. Thank You Rotary Club!
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By: Mr. Giovannoni
As you enter the lobby area of Field – Stevenson School, you will see two new additions. The first is the elephant that was originally decorated for the Centennial of the Village of Forest Park. At that time, pictures of what Forest Park looked like over the years decorated the statue. However, that artistic “treatment” did not fare well in the brutal winters of Forest Park. So, two very generous souls on the Field staff – Mrs. Liz Broecker and Ms. Donna Nowak – took
The Field-Stevenson Lobby
By: Cheri Bussert
Over the summer and early fall, the Field Stevenson library underwent some major changes. First, it got a new paint job! Then some shelves got moved to make way for a new computer lab. Next, tables got delivered for the computers. Then the computers themselves arrived! The process of setting them up is still being completed, but in the meantime….. Mrs. Bussert, along with Mrs. Giglio from GrantWhite, and Mrs. Tengler from the Middle School,
matters into their own hands...literally. Over the course of several months, and on their own time, they took pieces of stained glass and artfully applied them with cement to the body of the elephant. The glass was donated by a neighboring enterprise on Madison Street – Two Fish – and the husband of one of our staff members, Mr. Jim Eichorst. The result is a spectacularly colorful and beautiful piece of art to greet people as they enter the building.
Above the statue is a second addition to the area. It is a plaque which gives the statues its name: Joy. Joy is dedicated to the Centennial of the school. She is also dedicated to the memory of our long time secretary, Barbara Joy Thies, who died early in 2008.
the students, staff and With the addition of some visitors to Field – greenery, we hope we have Stevenson to enjoy. created a small oasis for
What’s New in the Library tackled all the books at both Field Stevenson and the Middle School and put them on a web based electronic card catalog, Library World. Besides applying bar codes to all the books, each one is entered into the data base which students and teachers, and even parents at home now have access to. Field Stevenson is the proud holder of 7147 titles at this moment. Students now check their books out electronically. Each of them has a library card with their unique bar code on it (which stays in the
Autism Awareness By: Kimberly Behrens
Autism in the students of America is rapidly increasing. Studies show that 1 in 150 school children are afflicted with Autism. Even though the awareness
library for safe keeping). When the computer lab is done, they will learn how to search the database to find books based on favorite author, titles, or subject, lessons previously taught by using the old card catalog. If you would like to look at our holdings from your home computer, just go to:
http:// www.libraryworld.com/ cgi-bin/opac.pl? command=signin&libraryn ame=FIELD% 20STEVENSON
has increased, many people still do not know what Autism is. Autism Speaks defines Autism as “Autism affects the way a person’s brain and body works. It is not a disease and is not contagious. You cannot catch autism from a classmate or friend.
You have to be careful to type the URL in exactly as it appears, but when you get to the site, you just type in the author, title, or subject that you’re interested in, and you’ll see whether we own those books, and whether or not they are currently checked out. As excited as we are about checking books out electronically, and being able to track our holdings and overdues much easier, we are even more excited about using our new computer lab soon!
A person with autism may have a hard time communicating with other people, making friends, or following directions. However, with the help of teachers, classmates, families, and friends, children with autism often can find it easier to learn in spite of
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New Year – New Faces at Field-Stevenson
By: Ann Murray
The new school year brings some new faces to District 91 as well as some “new” faces to Field-Stevenson. Miss Meeghan Dooley is our new music teacher for Grades K-5. She also teaches music at Betsy Ross School. Earlier in her teaching career, Miss Dooley taught music in District 300, in the northwestern suburbs. In her spare time, she likes to take part in triathlons and 5K races and travel whenever she can. Music takes up some of her free time as well: Miss Dooley performs with the Elmhurst Choral Union and also takes piano lessons. A member of the Chicago Chapter of the American Recorder Society, Miss Dooley is a free lance professional flute player, performing at weddings and recitals on occasion. “I love the friendly teachers and staff and am very excited to be teaching in Forest Park School District 91 this year,” says our sparkling new music teacher. There are also several “newbies” who are working at Field Stevenson for the first time although they have been employed by District 91 for a few years in other schools. Our cheerful administrator is Miss Erin Dwyer, working in a new position as Assistant Principal. Before this year she taught third grade at Grant-White School for two years and second grade in
Darien School District 61. In her spare time Miss Dwyer enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She thinks that Field Stevenson is a special place to work because everyone cooperates in making school the best place for children to learn. “I am honored to be a part of such a wonderful school community,” says Miss Dwyer. “Field Stevenson is a school in which EVERYONE feels welcome!” Mrs. Grace Finn, the current Challenge coordinator, is a transplant from the Middle School where she taught computer classes for many years, introducing current technologies such as podcasting and robotics. In her spare time, Mrs. Finn loves to spend time with her own young children, taking them on weekly family field trips, helping them with their homework, playing games with them, and baking cookies. Mmm! Time not spent with her children is used for professional growth: writing new lesson plans, applying for grants, updating web pages, and exploring any new technologies that she can use with the gifted children in the Challenge program. Mrs. Finn sees Field Stevenson as “a great learning environment where students and teachers are involved and making change happen.” The Challenge web page: http://sites.google.com/site/challengeclass
In one of the first grade classrooms, Mrs. Sara Boucek is another friendly “new” face. She, like Mrs. Finn, comes to Field Stevenson from the Middle School, where she taught eighth grade.
Teaching younger children is not new to Mrs. Boucek; she was employed at St. Bernardine School in Forest Park as a third grade teacher before coming to District 91. In her spare time, Mrs. Boucek likes to work out at the gym or sleep --or catch up on watching Project Runway! She finds FieldStevenson a great school to work because “the staff is nice and helpful.” Another “new” face this year is working in one of the senior kindergarten rooms. Mrs. Dina Farrington has worked for District 91 twice as a TPI teacher, returning in 2007 after having spent some years as a TPI teacher in Salt Creek School District 48 and District 2 as an ESL (English as a Second Language) kindergarten teacher. Mrs. Farrington likes to spend as much time as she can with her young children (Kaitlyn, age 9; Camryn, age 7; and Robert, age 3). Children at home and school keep her very busy, but she still finds time to run as much as possible. Mrs. Farrington says that Field- Stevenson is a place that she enjoys “working with my students and the faculty….” Besides the “new” teachers, we have a “new” aide in Ms. Dunaway’s kindergarten room. Mrs. Towanda Cadoree joins the Field-Stevenson staff from years at Grant-White School as both a building aide and a kindergarten aide there. She also has been a substitute teacher for District 91. In her spare time, Mrs. Cadoree loves to spend time with her family.
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Weekend time is family time for her: visits to the library, watching movies, bowling, and shopping are some activities that her family does together. As for feeling welcomed at Field-Stevenson, Mrs. Cadoree says that she was glad to see some familiar faces from Grant-White, such as Miss Dwyer, Mr. McElligott, Mrs. Murray, and Mrs. Leo. The staff at Field has welcomed her “with a smile and open arms,” she said.
Music Class
By: Meeghan Dooley
Take a look at what our students are working on in the music classes at Field-Stevenson Elementary School. Our fifth classes are learning how to play hand drums. Through using the rhythm of words, we can perform musical pieces that help us work on proper technique and rhythm. We have also been singing two traditional Native American Folk Songs entitled, “Land of the Silver Birch,” and “My Paddle.” With these two songs we have been working on part singing through turning them into canons and partner songs. Fifth grade also is learning about various careers in music this year. We have started off learning about performers and have focused on the great Stevie Wonder and all that he contributed to the world of popular music. Fourth grade students have added sixteenth notes to their rhythmic repertoire! As we progress the year, we learn to compose with, identify and dictate more complex rhythms. We have also been working on singing in canon and have begun working on
Mr. Dan McElligott, fourth grade teacher, is both”new” and “not new” to Field Stevenson. He began his teaching career at Field as an aide in the fourth grade special education room. He then moved the following year to fifth grade as a student teacher with Mrs. Bogdan. Having finished his teaching certification, Mr. McElligott moved to Garfield School as a fourth grade teacher, then on to Grant-White as a fourth grade teacher there also. An AVID sports fan, he is involved in watching sports and participating in fantasy sports teams throughout the year. He likes to play softball and
basketball himself and will join a team if he can. When he is not thinking about or playing sports, the fourth grade teacher likes to work on puzzles and play popular games, such as Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?. Mr. McElligott is glad to return to Field Stevenson; he sees it as a successful school because it “functions as a team.”
“The Star Spangled Banner.” Fourth graders have also begun using their recorders from last year to create exciting musical experiences while working on how to read notes on the staff, an activity we will continue all year long to strengthen music literacy skills. Third grade have begun their recorder journey as well! The song “Hot Cross Buns,” has been our first big song we have learned. We have had a great start; I can’t wait to hear them at their concert in the Spring! Our second grade classes have been learning about the musical terms piano (soft) and forte (loud). They have also discovered that when we have one beat of silence, it is called a quarter rest. First grade discovered that one sound a beat is a quarter note and two sounds on one beat are two eighth notes. Kindergarten is still working on beat through singing and tapping the beat on pictures and instruments. All three of these grades have also begun working on the “Four Aspects of Proper Performance.” This year we are featuring all kindergarten, first and second grade students at the Winter Music Program on December 16, 2008 (please note the date change) at 6:30 in the Cafetorium at Forest Park Middle School. Be on the look out for letters to be sent home in November with more details about our winter show.
continued from page 2 these challenges.” (www.autism-speaks.org) Children with Autism do no all behave the same way. Some students may have problems speaking whereas others talk nonstop. Sometimes loud noises are hard for the students to bear. Others may need to be in constant motion for extra sensory input. Children with Autism often do not understand feelings or things that teachers and peers have told them. However, this does not mean that they should be left alone. It is okay to interact with a person with Autism. Some ways to help a child with Autism: •Acceptance •Use pictures or write down what you are saying to help the student better understand. •Allow for extra processing time when you have finished talking. •Include the child in activities. •Be patient
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Trustworthiness
Responsibility Respect
Fairness
Caring
Citizenship
Good Character truly does Count!!
By: Ms. Dwyer
This year at Field-Stevenson we will be “accentuating the positives.” Field-Stevenson School has added a few changes to the way in which behavior and discipline are handled. The teachers and staff are working very hard on recognizing positive behaviors being displayed by students within the school building.
STUDENTS OF THE QUARTER Wesley Cannon Uriel Rosales Fiona Satterfield Vaughn Jordan-Whiting Mayumi Pascual Julio Luna-Pina Evelyn Carrera Maeve Evitt Ismael Magallanes Kyler Pacyga Mary Gene Miraflores Dayana Sunil Congratulations Students!
1st Quarter Honor Roll
These changes go hand in hand with following the six pillars of character recognized by the Character Counts! Program. These pillars include trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, caring, fairness, and citizenship. Staff members look for students who are showing good character traits and being a “kid with character.”. As in years past, the students receive Character Points when they are caught being a “kid with character.” The students bring their character point down to the office to be displayed on the bulletin board for all to see. These students also receive prizes for their hard work and effort. Along with character points, the staff has added the use of positive office referrals. At the end of the day each classroom teacher chooses one student whom they feel has had an exceptional day showing positive behavior and good character. These names are sent to my office where Mr. Giovannoni or I have the honor of making phone calls to the parents of these students to inform them of the great behavior their child has shown
1st Grade Shalah Russell Fiona Satterfield Heather Shortall Sonny Valdez Adedoyin Aderele Bryant Boyd Micah O'Neal Seymone Russell 2nd Grade Mikala Ballard Reyna Carera Fatlinda Gashi Faith Johnson Mayumi Pascual Madison Rostello Bryanna Barker Mary Barnett Simone Birriel
Perry Cowan Christian Harper Korbin Hawkins Julio Luna-Pina Jaqueline Mostacero Kalen Rhodes Allen Serrano Indya Woods 3rd Grade Joshua Almawi Elena Buenrostro Evelyn Carrera Jonathan Gonzalez Ranen Maddi Rebekkah Montanez Aidan Remington Elizabeth Rojas Christopher Avner Anaya Boyd
throughout the day. It is always wonderful to hear the excitement in parents’ voices when they hear their child has been chosen. This year we are also working hard on teaching students how to take control of their own behaviors and actions. Each classroom has a management plan that includes a card system. In the past students who have misbehaved or made bad choices would pull a card and that would stick with the child for the whole day. This year, we are working with students to make positive changes in their behaviors throughout the day. Students are able to earn back their cards through the use of positive choices. This truly has been a success this year and students continue to work hard on changing behaviors after making poor choices. This year is off to a great start and I am truly seeing wonderful behavior from all of the students. I am very proud of their hard work! Keep up the great work FieldStevenson!
Maria Garcia Rylee Rivera Lelia Rodgers-Young 4th Grade Bianca Botello Adam Clarke Paris Cowan Taviana Dunlap Mohit Jain Darien Jones Jacob Jordan Briana Mingo Makail O'Neal Gerardo Perez Brianna Spinelli Tyric Edwards Trevor Evitt Jalen Grayson Theresa Holden
Alyssa Mance Sydney Mangiaracina Nichole Martin Kyler Pacyga Kevin Wilson 5th Grade Maya Buenrostro Chezlan Daggs Mary Gene Miraflores Jada Rhodes Keyuna Wilson Jonathan Almawi Jesus Botello Eboni Drane Arianna Mullins Deja Sibby Autumn Skelnik Dayana Sunil Kristen Svoboda
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Covenant Harbor: A Place that Leads to Fun The fifth-grade trip to Covenant Harbor in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, is an annual September event for students at Field-Stevenson. This year was no exception.
On September 17-19 chaperones Mrs. Bogdan, Mr. Becker, Mr. Dudlo, Mr. Almawi, Mrs. Svoboda, and Mrs. Hampton accompanied children as they worked together in teams with their classmates in lots of outdoor activities, such as fishing, archery, and hiking. Some arts and crafts were included for the creative people as well as climbing the high ropes, the climbing wall, and zip lining for the more adventurous. Warm, sunny weather helped everyone enjoy the time as they learned some leadership skills as well as some new things about their classmates.
By: Ann Murray
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