Dear West Oak Intermediate Families,

We had a great week! Our Zumba Club kicked off with lots of energy and excitement, and our 4th grade students are busy preparing for their upcoming concert on Thursday, October 23rd. We can’t wait to see their hard work and talent shine on stage!

As a reminder, this month’s Wolfpack Value is Responsibility. We’ve been talking with students about what it means to be responsible at school, at home, and in our community. One important way students can show responsibility is by taking great care of their Chromebooks.

We’re excited to share that our 3rd grade students will begin taking their 1:1 Chromebooks home starting Thursday, November 6th! This is an exciting step toward helping students take more ownership of their learning both at school and at home.

To help all students keep their Chromebooks in great condition, please review these important reminders with your child:

• Keep the Chromebook safely inside its protective case at all times.

• Bring both the Chromebook and its charger to and from school each day in your backpack.

• Make sure the Chromebook is fully charged and ready for learning each morning.

• When not in use, store the Chromebook in a secure location.

• Chargers should not be shared or loaned to other students.

• Do not modify, tamper with, or add stickers or decorations to the device.

Thank you for your support in helping us maintain the integrity of our 1:1 program and ensuring every student’s device is ready for learning each day.

Additionally, we’re excited to share that October’s average daily attendance is up from August and September! Thank you for helping your child show up ready to learn each day. As a reminder, students are earning 3 Pack Points for every day they are present, and at the end of October, the grade level with the highest average daily attendance will earn 15 extra minutes of recess!

Have a wonderful weekend, Wolfpack families!

Sincerely,

Natalie Kalette

Principal

West Oak Intermediate School

Halloween Celebrations: We are so excited for our upcoming Halloween celebrations on Friday, October 31st! Please click here to view information about our parade, classroom parties, and costumes. Additionally, if you are interested in helping out with the classroom parties that morning, please email Joanna Lange (PTO Vice-President) at jhlange82@yahoo.com to express your interest by the end of the day today! 

4th Grade Concert: Our 4th Grade Concert is scheduled for Thursday, October 23rd at 7:00 p.m. in the West Oak Middle School Gym. 4th grade students should arrive by 6:45 p.m. and report to the middle school cafeteria to prepare. The theme is Hispanic Heritage Month!

Community Wellness Fair: Join us on Thursday, November 6th for a special visit with author and psychologist Doug Bolton and Community Wellness Fair! He’ll share insights from his new book and lead a conversation on how a student’s community—families, schools, and local partners—can foster wellness and drive academic success. Come learn practical strategies to strengthen belonging, build resilience, and create the supportive networks every learner needs to thrive. The Wellness Fair will take place from 6:00-7:00 p.m., and Dr. Doug Bolton will speak at 7:00 p.m. Please click here for more information. 

BPAC Meeting: Our next D76 Bilingual Parent Advisory Council meeting will be on October 23rd from 6-7:00pm. Here is a flyer English/Spanish for more details. 

SEL Focus of the Month: October's SEL focus is RESPONSIBILITY! Students will be developing skills like focusing, organizing, and goal-setting through our Character Strong curriculum during morning meeting. Please see below for the monthly family newsletters: 

• 3rd Grade Family Newsletter: English  Spanish  

• 4th Grade Family Newsletter: English  Spanish

• 5th Grade Family Newsletter: English  Spanish

Clubs and Activities: Clubs and activities are underway! Here is the after school clubs and activities schedule. 

Birthday Treats:  Due to dietary restrictions and various allergies within the classrooms, families will need to refrain from providing birthday treats.  Classrooms will recognize and celebrate students’ birthdays in other ways! We appreciate your understanding. 

MHS Feeder Basketball: Please review this flyer if any 6th-8th grade girls would like to try out for the MHS feeder basketball team.  

Diamond Awards: New to this year, we ask families to complete this nomination Form if they would like to recognize a staff member they feel are going above and beyond with what they do in the classroom, school, or district. Please consider spreading the positivity by highlighting the great work that staff our doing in our district. 

D76 CARES: At D76, the well-being of our students and families is our top priority. Understanding the critical role mental health plays in student success, we have launched D76 CARES - a comprehensive initiative aimed at improving access to quality mental health services across our community. D76 CARES stands for Community, Advocacy, Resilience, Engagement, and Support. Treatment services are initially provided free of charge to district families for up to 8 sessions. Click HERE for treatment request.

Encourage Questions: When your child asks questions—whether about schoolwork or topics they’re curious about—take the time to explore the answers together. Encouraging questions helps spark curiosity, promotes critical thinking, and shows your child that learning is exciting and valued both at home and at school.

Your student's classroom teacher should be your first point of contact. For building-related information, please call the front office at 847-970-3544 or contact the following individuals via email: 

• Front Office Staff: Ms. Kailey Leon: kleon@dist76.org & Cinthia Maldonado: cmaldonado@dist76.org 

• Principal: Natalie Kalette: nkalette@dist76.org 

• Nurse: Julie Marchese: jmarchese@dist76.org 

• DINE OUT: Please join us for our upcoming Culver's fundraiser on Monday, October 20th from 5-8pm. We still have a few volunteer spots available for this dine out.  Please click on the following link if you are interested. 

• Next PTO Meeting: Our next PTO meeting will be on Tuesday, October 21, from 6:00-7:00pm at the Diamond Lake Elementary School Library. 

• Winter Clothing Drive: This event will begin on Tuesday, October 21-November 7.  We are collecting new hats, gloves and scarves and gently used coats, snow pants, boots or hoodies?  Donation boxes will be available at each school office. 

• Parent Volunteers: The PTO is looking for 1-2 Parent Volunteers for each child’s classroom to plan and run a Halloween party on Friday, October 31. Look here for more information.  If interested, Email Joanna Lange (PTO Vice-President) at jhlange82@yahoo.com to express your interest by the end of the day today! 

Please visit the D76 PTO Website for upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and more!