Dear West Oak Intermediate Families,

We want to share how wonderful our Spelling Bee was yesterday! Congratulations to Addisyn G. (4th grade), our 2025 Spelling Bee Champion, who won with the word “psyche.” We are so proud of all the students who participated and showcased their hard work and bravery. A big thank you to Ms. Jemimah Kim for organizing such a successful event, to all the staff members who helped make the Spelling Bee a memorable experience for our students, and to our families who came out to support our spellers!

As we wrap up the month of December, we want to express our gratitude for our incredible WOIS community. Even during a busy time of year, our staff and PTO continue to bring joy, care, and positivity to our school each day. The PTO-provided snacks and crafts made today's holiday parties so fun and special. Thank you to our families for your continued partnership and support!

We wish you and your families a warm, cozy, and relaxing winter break. We hope you enjoy this special time together and are able to rest, recharge, and make lasting memories.

Natalie Kalette

Principal

West Oak Intermediate School

• January 5th Late Start: This is a friendly reminder that our first day back from winter break, January 5th, is a late start to accommodate teacher professional development. Our doors will open at 9:15 a.m. and school will begin at 9:30 a.m. 

• SEL Focus of the Month: January's SEL focus is PERSEVERANCE! 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

• Safe2Help Illinois: Speak Up, Stay Safe: The safety of our students, staff, and community is our top priority. Safe2Help Illinois is a confidential reporting system that allows students, families, and community members to report concerns such as threats of violence, bullying, self-harm, or other safety issues, before a situation escalates.

Reports can be made 24/7 and can be submitted anonymously. If you ever hear or see something that raises concern, trust your instincts and speak up.

Report online: Safe2Help (also found on our district website and at the bottom of each weekly bulletin)

Call: 844-4-SAFEIL (844-472-3345)

Text: SAFE2HELP to 72332

Together, we can help keep our schools safe by saying something when something doesn't feel right.

• Bus Bulletin via Lakeside Transportation: To help you stay informed about any future bus delays directly from our transportation company, you can sign up for Bus Bulletin notifications here: Transportation Page. This service will send updates via email about delays or route changes.

• It's getting chilly!: As the temperatures start to drop, please ensure you are sending your student with warm winter-weather gear. We will continue to go outside for recess every day, except in the case of extreme cold or rain. If there is snow on the ground, students will need a hat (or hood), jacket, gloves, snow pants, and boots to play in the snow. 

• 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.

This week was filled with so many celebrations! From the Sparkly Breakfast on Saturday to our classroom parties today, we had a blast spreading holiday cheer and making meaningful connections!

Break Routines: Winter break is a wonderful time to rest, recharge, and spend time together as a family. While enjoying the break, consider keeping a simple daily routine that includes reading, creative play, and regular sleep times. 

Maintaining light routines helps children transition back to school more smoothly and keeps learning habits strong, while still leaving plenty of time for fun, relaxation, and family traditions.

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 

• Next PTO Meeting- Tuesday, January 20th 6:00-7:00 pm Diamond Lake Elementary School Library. 

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