Dear West Oak Intermediate Families,

Thank you so much for your patience and flexibility on Wednesday and again this morning as we navigated difficult commutes due to inclement weather. We truly appreciate your understanding and partnership in helping everyone arrive safely.

As winter weather continues, please remember to send your child to school with appropriate cold-weather gear. We will continue to go outside for recess each day unless there is extreme cold or rain. When there is snow on the ground, students will need a hat (or hood), jacket, gloves, snow pants, and boots in order to play safely in the snow.

A friendly reminder that we will not be having school on Monday, January 19th, as we recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Wishing you and your family a warm, safe, and relaxing three-day weekend. Thank you for your continued support!

Natalie Kalette

Principal

West Oak Intermediate School

• 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

• Great Kindness Challenge: The week of January 26-January 30, our school will be participating in the Great Kindness Challenge, a global initiative that encourages students and staff to create a culture of kindness through simple, meaningful actions. This year, the theme of the challenge is: Show Us Your Kind!  Please review this letter for more information. 

• Yearbook Club: Our Yearbook Club will be starting in February and will be open to 5th graders. Yearbook Club will meet on Thursdays during recess time. A flyer with additional information and permission slip is included here and will be sent home with 5th grade students today. If your 5th grader is interested in joining Yearbook, please have them return to the flyer to Ms. Shores by Friday, January 23rd. Space is limited! 

• Parent Flu Guide: It's flu season! Please see this flyer from the Lake County Department of Health for some helpful guidance surrounding the flu: English and Spanish.

• ACCESS Testing: ACCESS testing will begin January 20th and we will be assessing how our multilingual students are growing in their English language proficiency. Each English Language Learner will be taking four exams, and they will be assessed on their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.

• 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.

• 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.

Stay Connected: Staying in touch with your child’s teacher strengthens the home–school partnership. Open communication helps celebrate successes, address concerns early, and support your child’s growth. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions. When families and schools work together, students benefit most!

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, 2026 6:00-7:00 pm Diamond Lake Elementary School Library. 

• Save the Date- New event Family Loteria Night! Friday, February 20th.  More information to follow. 

• Next DINE OUT- Luke's Tuesday February 24th from 10:00 am-9:00 pm.

• Visit our website at any time for more information and volunteer opportunities.