Jane Stenson Roar 9-30-26

Posted Date: 09/30/26 (04:00 PM)

The Stenson Roar

September 30, 2026

Principal's Message

Parent-teacher conferences are an important opportunity for families and teachers to come together to talk about student progress, celebrate successes, and identify ways we can continue to support each child. You are an essential piece of your child’s educational journey, and your partnership makes a difference.

We strongly encourage all families to participate in conferences. When families and teachers work together, we create a stronger, more connected support system for every student. We look forward to partnering with you!

Conferences are:

Thursday, October 8th: 4:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Friday, October 9th: 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Conference sign up is through Parent Square and closes on October 5th.

Warm Regards,

Dr. Huemmer

A young boy and girl sit on a carpeted floor, playing with a bin of colorful plastic toys.

Kindergarten Spotlight

In this edition of the Stenson Spotlight we are shining a spotlight on Kindergartners. Our kindergarteners have had a wonderful start to the school year as they learn what it means to be part of our school community. They are practicing important social skills such as sharing, taking turns, showing kindness, and being respectful to their classmates and teachers.

Three children smile together at a sunny playground with woodchip ground cover.

Practicing Social Skills

Our students are also learning school rules and expectations and discovering what it means to be responsible, safe, and ready to learn. We are so proud of their growth and look forward to watching them build confidence, friendships, and a love of learning throughout the year!

A promotional graphic for Jane Stenson Elementary School emphasizes school attendance with a lion mascot and the text "Attend Today, Be a Stenson Lion!"

Attendance: Showing Up Is A Piece of Success!

On Thursday, each student will bring home a magnet and a dry erase marker to keep track of their attendance. Our goal is to stay in the green on the magnetic attendance tracker!

In the month of October there will be 3 surprise PAWSitive Attendance Days! Leo the Lion will make an appearance at arrival to announce that it is a PAWSitive Attendance Day! Be sure to be here in October to part of the PAWSitive Attendance Days!

October 30th: Halloween & Alternate Fall Activities

Here are a few things to note as families begin to plan for Halloween costumes and activities:

On Friday, October 30th, students should come to school dressed in school clothes. Students will change into their Halloween costumes prior to the parade. Please make sure that your child can independently put on their costume. Costumes that are NOT permitted are:

Violent themed costumes
Blood or bloody images
Masks
Weapon-like objects

The parade will begin at 1:45 p.m. and we will start by going outside the 1st and 2nd grade doors. We will walk on the path to Lyons. Walk from Lyons to Latrobe, then Latrobe to Church, then continue on the path in front of the school back to the 1st and 2nd grade doors. Feel free to choose a spot to watch anywhere along the parade route.

Classroom parties will take place immediately following the parade.

If you do not want your child to participate in the Halloween activities, please let your child’s teacher know. We have an alternate activity planned during this time.

Book cover for 'The Puzzle Piece' by Andrea Mendoza-Vasconcez, featuring three children building a globe puzzle.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. This is a time to reinforce our commitment to creating a school where every student feels safe, respected, and included. At Jane Stenson, we believe that every student has a role in creating a positive school community.

Throughout the month, students will participate in conversations and activities that promote kindness, inclusion, empathy, and standing up for others.

We encourage families to continue these conversations at home and remind your children that speaking up and asking for help is always the right thing to do.

This month we are using the book, The Puzzle Piece, by Andrea Mendoza-Vasconez, to be the foundation for classroom discussions and activities.

Parent Guardian Perception Survey: We Want to Hear From You

As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, Skokie 68 is conducting Perception Surveys to gather feedback from students, families, and staff about their experiences in our schools.

Your parent/guardian feedback will help us identify areas for recognition and improvement and support the goals of our 2026–2031 Strategic Plan. Survey results will also establish baseline data and help us measure our progress, including our goal of strengthening the sense of belonging among students, families, and staff.

The survey is anonymous and takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Complete the Parent/Guardian Perception Survey:

https://surveys.studereducation.com/f/41851667/31d8/

Please note that students in Grades 3-8 will also complete a Student Perception Survey during the school day. The student survey is also anonymous and will not ask students for personal information.

Parents/guardians may review the survey below to see what students will be asked.

Review the Student Perception Survey:

https://surveys.studereducation.com/f/41821085/e361/

Thank you for sharing your perspective and partnering with us as we listen, learn, and use feedback to make meaningful improvements for our students, families, and staff.

Student Directory

To help Stenson families connect with one another the 2026-2027 Student Directory is available. To access the directory Click Here. The link can also be found at skokie68.org in the Parents and Students section.

Parents log in using the same email that you use for the Parent Portal. Then reset your password to create your new password for the directory.