W E E K L Y C O M M U N I Q U E

J U N E 1 , 2 0 1 8 D R . J O H N H U T T O N , S U P E R I N T E N D E N T

G U R N E E D I S T R I C T 5 6 B O A R D O F E D U C A T I O N Dr. Jim Blockinger Becky Kotsinis Odie Pahl Mark Pos Lynn Schroetter Helen Scott Brian Weir

As I approach my final days as your superintendent and look for the right way to say thank you and goodbye, I struggle to find the right words. After all, think about how many times each day we say thank you and goodbye. In ending a conversation on the phone, we say goodbye, and even after finishing a conversation with a total stranger, we say goodbye. As I say goodbye to this community after eleven years of service to this District, the goodbye I use to end a conversation just does not seem like the best way to conclude our relationship.The same thing is true about thank you. If someone holds a door for you or is simply courteous to you, we most always say thank you. With that in mind, for all the support you have extended to me over eleven years, the same thank you we use for a courteous act does not seem to be the right way to thank all of you for all you have done for me. I remember watching Bob Hope when I was a young boy, and he ended all of his shows by singing Thanks for the Memories. When David Letterman signed off for the very last time, he simply said “Thank You and Good Night.” General Douglas McArthur said in 1942, when he left the Philippines, “I shall return.” President Barack Obama’s final words to the American People were, “Thank you.”

There is something to say about being a minimalist and keeping your last words brief, but it does not work for me. I am feeling way too many emotions and would be disappointed in myself if I did not adequately convey my feelings to you as I leave this great opportunity that was extended to me by the Board of Education in December of 2006.I thought about looking at other languages to find the right words to say to you, but eventually, I would have to translate it for you. So, it did not make a lot of sense to say it another language just to say it again in English.I then looked at ways others have said goodbye and thank you and came up with this idea based upon what I have learned from others.“For eleven years, I have been fortunate enough to have the greatest job in the world, and oh how lucky I feel to have had something so special to me that makes saying thank you and goodbye so difficult.” As I sign off for my final time, please accept my heartfelt thanks for allowing me to be your superintendent.

Thanks for the Memories

DON’T FORGET TO REGISTER YOUR

STUDENT(S) ONLINESAVE $20 ON THE MATERIAL FEES IF YOU

REGISTER BY JUNE 27TH!

Click here to go to the Skyward Login Page to complete your

Online Registration

DEADLINE FOR HOMEOWNERS TO TURN IN THEIR PROOF OF RESIDENCY IS JUNE 7TH. IF YOU MAIL

YOUR INFORMATION, IT MUST REACH THE SCHOOL BY JUNE 5TH.

IF IT IS NOT TURNED IN BY JUNE 5TH, YOU MUST ATTEND THE FOLLOWING EVENT:

PROOF OF RESIDENCY EVENT DATES

FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2018 - 2019AUGUST 2ND: 10:00AM - 2:00PMAUGUST 7TH: 2:00PM - 7:00PMAUGUST 9TH: 2:00PM - 7:00PM

PRAIRIE TRAIL SCHOOL13600 W WADSWORTH RD

Tweet of the Week

This week’s guest blogger is Dr. John Hutton the Superintendent for District 56, his blog is called…

“Gurnee District 56: A Beacon of Light”  Click here to go to the District 56 Blog and check it out!

District 56 Blog - Great Things…

@GurneeD56

Spaulding School Field Days

RIVER TRAIL SCHOOL FIELD DAYS

RIVER TRAIL SCHOOL SIBLINGS!

RIVER TRAIL SCHOOL 1ST GRADE STUDENTS IN MS. PEREZ’S CLASS THAT GOT 100% ON SPELLING TESTS “MOST OF THE TIME!” 

Prairie Trail “Reading Counts”

P r a i r i e t r a i l held their first ever All School M o r n i n g M e e t i n g o u t s i d e . S t u d e n t s re f lec ted on accomplishmen t s a n d summer plans and goals for next year.

Prairie Trail

School

PTO News CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR SCHOOL SUPPLIES TODAY!

LAST DAY TO ORDER IS JUNE 30th

District 56 2018-2019 Sports Registration Information !

For the school year, 2018 – 2019, the registration for sports will be completed on the Gurnee Schools District 56 website.

(https://goo.gl/forms/MOclF8DD1aQtVzMK2) There they will need to click the tab for parents. Scroll down to Viking and River Trail athletics. Click on the link for Sports Registration Forms to the right. In the folder, students will find the registration form for sports. Parents, you must fill out a general permission slip that gives your student permission to participate in any after school sport, also found in the folder.

Sport Tryout/Begin Date Online Form Due Date

Boys and Girls Soccer* Wed. Aug. 22, 2018 Wed. Aug. 22, 2018

Girls Softball Wed. Aug. 22, 2018 Wed. Aug. 22, 2018 Cross Country (Coed) Mon. Aug. 27, 2018 Fri. Aug. 24, 2018

Boys and Girls Basketball* Tues. Oct. 9, 2018 Fri. Oct. 5, 2018 Cheerleading (Girls)* Mon. Oct. 15, 2018 Fri. Oct. 12, 2018

Poms (Girls)* Tues. Oct. 9, 2018 Fri. Oct. 5, 2018 Wrestling Mon. Nov. 26, 2018 Fri. Nov. 16, 2018

Boys and Girls Volleyball* Tues. Jan. 8, 2019 Wed. Dec. 19, 2018 Boys and Girls Track* Mon. April 1, 2019 Wed. March 20, 2019

!6th!graders!may!only!participate!in!Cross!Country,!Poms,!Wrestling,!and!Track. *There will be cuts for these sports.

Tryout Locations School Early Winter Late Winter Viking 7th Grade Boys Basketball Boys Volleyball

Prairie Trail Girls Basketball 8th Grade Girls Volleyball River Trail 8th Grade Boys Basketball 7th Grade Girls Volleyball

All athletes must have a current physical on file with their school’s nurse to participate in any sport. A current physical is one that is less than one year old at the beginning of the sport and does not exceed the one-year time span during that sport. An athlete will not be allowed to tryout, participate in practices, or watch these activities until a current physical is on file. If you have any questions regarding physicals, you should contact your school’s nurse’s office.

DuSable Mobile Museum Tues., June 19, 1-3pm Located in the parking lot. Celebrate Juneteenth through engaging exhibits and captivating story adventures! This traveling museum provides a unique learning environment to explore the life of Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable, who in 1779 established a permanent settlement in the place called “Eschikagou” (also known as Chicago). Registration is not required. StoryWalk© at Hunt Club Park Sat., Aug 118, 10 am All ages with adult. In conjunction with Gurnee Park District, we’ll be kicking off our new StoryWalk© around the pond. Join us for storytime, crafts and more! Registration not required. Drop in @ The Point Grades 1-5. Join us for weekly activities in The Point: Maker Monday, Lego Club Tuesday, WiiU Wednesday, Disney Nature Movie Thursday, Xbox Friday, puzzles, board games and much more. Registration is not required. Movie Matinees Mondays, 2-4pm All ages with adult. Bring beverages and snacks to watch movies on our big screen. Animal crackers will be served. A raffle drawing will be held to win the DVD. Registration is not required. Charlotte’s Web (G) (1973) June 18 Cars 3 (G) July16 Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (G) Aug. 6

Drop in @ The Vault Grades 6-12. There is always something happening in The Vault! Weekly activities include Maker Monday, Tech Tuesday, Gaming on Wednesday and Friday, Feature Movie Thursday, open drawing, puzzles, board games and more. Check the white board for a schedule.

June 2018 Reading Takes You Everywhere! May 25 – August 3 Reading clubs for all ages, from babies to adults! Register online, at the library or on the Bookmobile beginning May 25. Early bird registration available online only Fri., May 24. WNPL Summer Reading Champs Award Want to help your school win WNPL’s newest award? All you have to do is complete the summer reading program! Each year the school with the highest percentage of finishers will have its name engraved on the plaque at the library. A traveling trophy will reside at the winning school for the following year! Which school will win? Summer Contests Estimation Jars (weekly) If you have the closest answer, you win! One entry per day; children only. (Stop by the Children’s Desk to see prizes.) Dill Pickle’s Favorite Vacation Do you know where some of Dill Pickle’s favorite vacations are? Each week there will be a clue. Guess which vacation location you think it is for a chance to win a prize. Where’s the RV? Each week a picture of an RV will be hidden somewhere in the library. Tell us where it is to receive a special prize. One entry per person per week.

Upcoming Programs The library offers enriching and fun programs for kids of all ages. Listed below are programs that will run June - August. Register online at www.wnpl.info by clicking on the “Programs” link beginning Friday, May 18. Summer Reading Kick Off with Jim May Sat., June 10, 10-11 am To kick off summer reading, join Emmy award winner Jim May for a Bilingual Storytime. Enjoy folk and fairy tales from around the world in English, Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL). (Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult.) Register everyone attending. Let’s Draw Cars and Trucks! Mon., June 25, 1:30-2:30pm Grades 1-3. Join art teacher Christine Thornton as we read a story with many different vehicles. Young artists will then create their own drawings with lots of room for creative variations! Registration is required.

(See page 2 for more programs)

Reminders of Library Closings The library will be closed on the following days this summer: Sundays as of May 27 Memorial Day – May 28 Independence Day – July 4 Independence Day July 4

Page 2 Sensory Playtime Sat., July 14, 2-3 pm Ages 4-8 with adult. Children with special needs and their caregiver are invited to the library for sensory activities and play. Activities include bean bags, parachute and more! Registration is required. Animal Quest Sat., June 21, 3-4pm All ages with adult Get up close and learn about amazing animals in this entertaining program. Register everyone attending. Messy Art Wed., Aug 8, 2-3 pm Are you creative? Do you like to get messy? Then you’re invited to come to the library to make some fun messy art projects. Please dress in clothes that can get dirty. Registration is required. Especially for Tweens (3rd-5th graders) Camp Tween Fri., 2-3pm Grades 3-5 June 16 - Emoji Crafts June 30 - Robot Junk Sculptures July 14 - Galaxy Jar July 28 - Marshmallow Towers Register for each session separately. LEGO® WeDo Tues., June 13 & July 18, 2-3 pm or 3:30-4:30 pm Grades 3-5 Take your STEM skills to the next level - build robots that really work! Tinker and test your creations by coding with Scratch in this independent workshop. (There are two time slots each day. You may sign up for only one session on a given day.) Registration is required. Minecraft Selfies Mon., June 26, 1-2:30 pm Ages 7-12 Art teacher Christine Thornton will teach you how to make a Minecraft-themed portrait. Use scissors, paper and glue to simulate pixels. Portraits can be selfies, a Minecraft character, or whoever you’d like! Registration is required. How to Draw a Robot Mon., June 26, 3-4:30PM Ages 7-12 In this drawing class, you’re the inventor! Practice drawing a robot step-by-step with teacher Christine Thornton. Then draw your own, either using worksheets for guidance or entirely from your imagination. Registration is required.

Acts of Kindness Club Wed., 2-3PM Ages 7-12 June 21 - Kindness Rocks Pick a rock from our collection, use colorful sharpies to design an uplifting message or image, and brighten the day of anyone who sees your creation. Registration is required. July 26 - Card Making Create a homemade card or a thank you note for a special person using our supplies. If you want to send your card to a children’s hospital, local senior citizen or a U.S. serviceperson, we’ll provide the information. Registration is required. Tweens Read Wed., 2-3PM June 28 and July 19 Entering grades 4-5 Discuss great books with your friends! Our first book is Full of Beans by Jennifer Holm; then Kid President’s Guide to Being Awesome by Brad Montague. Register in the library only, beginning May 26. Registration is required. Especially for Teens (6th-12th graders) Teen Teasers Use your deductive skills and enter our monthly contest in The Vault to win a gift card. Look for the Teen Teasers on The Vault Blog, too! Teen Estimation Jar Make a guess and if you are the closest, you win! One entry per day, per teen. Changes bi-weekly. Drop-in Activities Maker Mondays, Animated Tuesdays, Gaming on Wednesdays and Fridays, Feature Movie Thursdays, Drawing Club, puzzles, board games and more! On Fridays, from 3-5:30pm, play “Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes” on laptops in The Vault. Check the white board for a weekly schedule. Open Drawing in The Vault Grades 6-12 Wed., June 21, July 5 & July 19, 6-7 pm Do you love to draw? Drop in to learn techniques from other teens, share ideas or just hang out and doodle! All skill levels are welcome. Registration not required.

(See page 2 for more programs) Page 3 TAG (Teen Advisory Group) Grades 6-12 Sat., June 10, 11am-Noon Volunteers in middle school and high school are needed to help plan teen activities at the library. Light refreshments served. Registration is required.

Teen Self Defense Sat., June 10, Noon-1 pm Grades 6-12 Northshore Academy of Martial Arts will teach basic self-defense and simple, safe techniques to handle bullies and peer pressure. Registration is required. T-Shirt Totes Thurs., June 14, 6-7 pm Grades 6-12 Make a no-sew tote bag out of an old T-shirt! Bring your own T-shirt that you don’t mind repurposing. No registration is required. Engineering Mystery Bag Challenge Tues., June 20, Aug. 1, 3-5 pm Grades 6-12 Drop in The Vault for a mystery bag and a challenge. Stay and create or take a bag home. No registration is required. Paper Roller Coasters Grades 6-12 Tues., June 27, 1-3 pm Love riding roller coasters? How about making them? In this program we’ll work with paper templates and physics to make loops, drops and spirals. Registration is required. Stitching Scented Sachets Grades 6-12 Wed., July 12, 6-7 pm Stitch scented sachets to keep your locker or dresser drawers smelling fresh. Supplies will be provided. No registration is required. Ultimate Cupcake Challenge Wed., July 19, 7-8PM Grades 6-12 Enter Best Tasting, Best Decorated or take our Secret Ingredient challenge. The Secret Ingredient and rules will be revealed in The Vault July 1. Cupcakes must be delivered to the library by 5pm for judging. Teens and their families are invited to sample cupcakes and attend the awards ceremony at 7PM. Registration is required. Harry Potter Past & Present Fri., July21, 2-5 pm Grades 6-12 It is 19 years later and Harry, Ron and Hermione are all grown-up. Join us to discuss the play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Then watch Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on our big screen. The book will be available for check-out beginning June 21 at the Youth Services Desk. Registration is required. Super Smash Bros. Wii U Tournament Tues., July 25, Noon-3 pm Grades 6-12 Battle your foes on the big screen. Prizes and snacks provided. Registration is required. Escape Room Challenge Thurs., Aug.10, 4 pm, 5 pm, 6 pm, 7 pm Grades 6-12

Groups of eight teens will race against the clock to solve puzzles, find clues and escape before time expires. Sign up for one time slot. Registration is required. DIY: Back to School Thurs., Aug. 17, 2-4 pm Grades 6-12 Join us in the Vault to make your own personalized school supplies. Registration is required.