Dear Huntley 158 Parents & Families,
As we finish out another week in Huntley 158, we want to take a moment to share some important updates, as well as an opportunity to spread some positivity and support all the good happening in our community.
#HuntleyHappy Fundraiser: Support the Grafton Food Pantry
As our teachers, staff, and administrators work to put our students first in the midst of a challenging year, Huntley 158 is also actively looking for ways to bring our community together and spread positivity. With that goal in mind, we’re excited to introduce our first #HuntleyHappy fundraiser: help us support the Grafton Food Pantry by purchasing a #HuntleyHappy yard sign to show your support of our Huntley 158 community!
Parents and staff are invited to purchase a sign to claim during your students’ arrival or dismissal time at your building. Signs will be available for purchase and/or pick up in the car line beginning Wednesday, October 13 through Friday, October 15. Signs are $10 and can be purchased by cash, check or Web Store payment (if using cash, please make an effort to bring exact change/ please make checks payable to Huntley Community School District 158). If you have ordered your sign online, please bring your receipt with you. All proceeds will go to benefit the Grafton Food Pantry, and a donation will be made on behalf of Huntley 158 ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Parents, staff and families have a choice between two designs!
Parents, students or staff at Huntley High School can enter through Door 1 to pick up a sign in the HHS entryway before or after school. Parents or staff at the Early Childhood Center (ECC) can also pick up signs in their front office to accommodate different arrival times. Please be aware that students will NOT be allowed to take signs home on the bus due to space restrictions and safety concerns.
- If you are unable to pick up a sign at your students’ building, they will also be available for purchase and/or pick up at the Huntley 158 district office daily from:
- 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
- Please enter through Door 1
650 Dr. John Burkey (Academic) Drive,
Algonquin, IL 60102
Thank you to all our families for your support of this initiative! We are continuously grateful for the patience and compassion that our community has displayed even in the most difficult times. We look forward to being able to give back in a meaningful way with your help. If you have any questions about sign purchases or pick up times and locations, please email [email protected].
Implementation of Behavior and Emotional Screening System (BESS)
As part of our ongoing approach to addressing and supporting the needs of our students, we will be implementing a social-emotional screener, the Behavior and Emotional Screening System (BESS), for the first time this school year. Similar to our approach in identifying the academic strengths and needs of our students through screening tools like Star, the BESS will serve as our social-emotional and behavioral screener. The BESS provides a brief snapshot of a child’s behavioral and emotional functioning, allowing us to quickly identify those who might be in need of additional support. For students in grades PreK-5, the classroom teacher will be completing the teacher form; for students in grades 6-12, the students will complete the student form. The BESS provides a comprehensive overview of social-emotional strengths and needs, and at an individual level, it can help identify factors that may be interfering with a student’s academic or social success.
We are excited to begin implementing this screener across the district in order to better serve our students. We will be completing the BESS two times this school year with the first screening period occurring October 19 – November 3. Information regarding your child’s BESS results will be shared with you after our screening period. As parent or guardian, you may be contacted about a variety of school and/or community supports available to assist your child.
Please reach out to Kat Romero ([email protected]) or one of your student’s building administrators with any questions. If you do not want your child(ren) to participate in the BESS screening, please complete this opt-out form by no later than next Friday, October 15.
ISBE Public Education Funding
We also want to inform you of an opportunity from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) for community input on state funding. ISBE is asking educators, parents, students, and community organizations to give their input on fiscal year 2023 state funding for public education. ISBE is accepting testimony in writing and at three budget hearings during the month of October. ISBE wants to hear from communities across the state about what investments will best support students. For additional information, please visit the ISBE website here.
Thank you for your continued support. Enjoy a safe and restful holiday weekend!
