July 2017

Hello, Edison Families,

We hope you are enjoying the summer! It’s hard to believe the start of school is just a few weeks away! This letter will provide you with details about the opening of the 2017-18 school year. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact the school office at 630-682-2050.

REGISTRATION: By this point, you should have already registered your child for the 2017-18 school year. If you have not, please log in to your ParentVUE account and complete the following 3-step process for each student:

1. Review, update and confirm student permissions, contact information and demographics.

2. Review fees and select a payment option.

3. Confirm processing of information and fees.

If you are aware of new families that have moved into your neighborhood but have not yet registered their children for school, please ask them to stop by Edison to begin the registration process. Thank you!

NEW HEART RATE STRAPS FOR ALL STUDENTS: Due to a required District 200 upgrade of the heart rate monitoring system that is used in PE classes from grades 6-12, all District 200 students in grades 6-12 (except Franklin Middle School 7th and 8th graders who were piloting the new system last year) will need a new heart rate strap for the 2017-18 school year. The strap fee is included in the student registration fee. Students will receive their new straps in PE classes when they return to school.

YEARBOOK SALES NOT INCLUDED IN REGISTRATION: Unlike in previous years, you are not able to order a yearbook during registration. All yearbook sales will take place in the fall after school begins. This will help us cut back on duplicate orders that resulted from our web-based systems not communicating with one another. Information about how to order a yearbook will be available on our website and will be sent home via the Edison Updates weekly e-newsletter.

FEE WAIVERS: Families experiencing financial difficulty may want to consider applying for fee waivers. The School Fee Waiver Program and the National School Lunch Program (free & reduced meals program) require two separate applications and must be completed each year. Both applications are available on the District 200 Fees webpage and from the Edison office. To allow time for processing, fee waivers should be submitted to Chris Boyd in the main office as soon as possible.

1.   STUDENT FEE WAIVERS – Parents seeking financial assistance with student fees will be required to complete an application for fee waiver with supporting documentation of family size and income. Supporting documentation will be required at the time of application. Parents are asked to submit their application for fee waiver at their oldest child’s school.

2.   NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM – Applications for the National School Lunch Program are available as well. Click here for English or here for Spanish or visit the District 200 Meals Program webpage.

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS:  The Illinois school code requires that students entering sixth grade and transfer students submit evidence of a physical examination and a complete record of immunizations to the Health Office before the first day of school. Please drop health forms off when you come for Locker Set-Up on August 17. If you have questions, please contact the health office at 630-682-2050 x3635. A copy of the form is available here: Health Physical Form

DENTAL EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS: Students in sixth grade must submit evidence of a dental examination by May 15 of their sixth grade school year. Dental exams must be completed within 18 months prior to May 15, 2018. Form or Waiver

VISION EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS: Transfer students entering Illinois schools for the first time must also submit evidence of a vision exam. Form or Waiver

TAKING MEDICATION AT SCHOOL:  Students who require medication during the school day must submit a medication administration form.  A parent must bring a supply of the medication in a small labeled bottle. If your child has a serious health condition please contact the school nurse to create or update the health plan.

SPORTS PHYSICALS:  Any student planning to participate on a sports team must have a physical on file. Physicals are good for 395 days from the date of the physical. Sports physicals may be dropped off on August 17, but students may also deliver them to the Athletic Director, Ms. Bruhn, in the gym prior to their try-out or first day of the sport, whichever is first.

Girls Volleyball - Tryouts begin on Thursday, August 24:  8th grade - 6:45 AM; 7th grade - 3:15 PM.

Cross Country - Open to boys and girls in grades 6-8. Begins Tuesday, August 29, at 3:15 PM.

STUDENT COURSE SCHEDULES:  On Wednesday, August 16, student schedules will be available on StudentVUE/ParentVUE. Students are asked to log in and print their schedules. If you have a question about your child’s schedule, please email or call your child’s counselor.

6th Grade - Mrs. Bobbi McFarland, roberta.mcfarland@cusd200.org

7th Grade - Mr. Tim Hower, timothy.hower@cusd200.org

8th Grade - Ms. Cyndi Menza, cynthia.menza@cusd200.org

LOCKER SET-UP - AUGUST 17:  On Thursday, August 17, the building will be open for students to set up their lockers. Locker assignments will be printed on student schedules. New students and 6th graders will receive a school lock upon check-in. Returning 7th and 8th graders should bring their school lock with them on August 17. Students who have misplaced their school lock can purchase a replacement lock for $8 (cash or check only). We ask that students come at the designated times listed below so there are enough staff and volunteers on hand to assist students and parents. Alternate date for all grades: August 21, 3-4 PM.

6th Grade/New Students - 8:00-11:00 AM 7th Grade - 12:00-1:00 PM 8th Grade - 1:00-2:00 PM

SUPPLY PICK-UP/DROP OFF:  If you pre-ordered school supplies through the PTA, students may pick up their orders on August 17, and place school supplies in their lockers. Students who have not pre-ordered supplies are encouraged to bring their school supplies to school on August 17, and leave all materials in their lockers. School supply lists are available here: School Supply Lists.

27th ANNUAL BACK-TO-SCHOOL FAIR: The Catholic Charities Back-to-School Fair takes place on Wednesday, August 2, 2017 from 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM at St. Francis High School, 2130 Roosevelt Rd., Wheaton. The fair includes free school supplies for students K-12th grades, free books, free haircuts, free medical, dental and vision services and financial information. Please see attached flier for information about information needed to access these services.

PE UNIFORM PICK-UP/ORDERING: PE Uniforms may be purchased online at www.cusd200peuniform.com and can be picked up on Locker Set-Up Day. Uniforms may also be ordered on Locker Set-Up Day and paid for via check, cash or credit card. There will be extra inventory in the event of the need to exchange.

If you have questions, please contact the Wheaton Sport Center at cusd200peuniform@gmail.com. New families qualifying for fee waivers will receive a voucher to exchange for a PE uniform either at Wheaton Sport Center or at Locker Set-Up Day. *Even if your child has health first quarter, s/he will need a PE uniform. All students participate in a physical fitness assessment at the start of the year.

BUS ROUTES: The 2017-18 bus routes will be posted on our webpage here by August 16. If your child will be riding the bus, please double check the route, as some routes may have changed. If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Audrey Uhrin at 630-682-2053.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL:  Wednesday, August 23, is the first day of school! The school day runs from 8 AM - 3 PM.

ARRIVING AT SCHOOL:  If your student doesn’t ride a bus, biking and walking are great options for extra exercise and to cut down on traffic in the morning. There are bike racks available on both sides of the building. Bike riders must bring a bike lock. If you need to drop your child off at school, please note the following important reminders:

1. Buses drop off in front of Door 1. Passing buses when their stop arm is out is prohibited and can result in a ticket and fine from the Wheaton Police Department.

2. Buses are parked in front of the school from approximately 7:40 to 7:55 AM. If you need to drop off a student during this time, consider an alternate location, such as near Kelly Park. Please do not pull over and drop off your child at the corner of Wheaton and Elm as this poses a danger to other students and cars on the road.

3. The west lot (cemetery side) is designated for staff parking. Dropping off students is prohibited as it poses a danger to students walking to the cafeteria for breakfast and to staff entering the staff entrance.

GRADE LEVEL ENTRANCES:  Unless students will be eating breakfast at school, students should wait outside their grade level door until 7:50 AM.

6th Grade  Door 18 (west/cemetery side of building near the band room)

7th Grade  Door 3 (east/park side of building near the wrestling gym)

8th Grade Door 1 (main entrance)

BREAKFAST:  Breakfast is served every day starting at 7:30 AM. Students who would like to eat at school should enter Door 13, which is on the west/cemetery side of the building. This door enters directly into the cafeteria. Breakfast includes an entrée + milk + fruit or juice for under $2. Students who qualify for free or reduced lunch also qualify for free or reduced breakfast! If buses are late, students are allowed to “grab & go” and take their breakfast with them to class.

LUNCH: Students eat with their grade level peers. An allergy-free table will be available as needed. Students may bring their own or buy a lunch. Our cafeteria manager is Mrs. Donna Kemp. Please feel free to contact her at 630-682-2063 if you ever have questions about the cafeteria service. Our food service provider is Chartwells. Cash is accepted or you can pre-pay using the food service payment system MySchoolBucks. If you would like to open or access your account, visit the district Food Service page here. Lunch periods are as follows:

6th Grade - 10:26-10:56 AM

7th Grade - 11:15-11:45 AM

8th Grade - 12:04-12:34 PM

RECESS DONATIONS: We are looking for gently used outdoor sports equipment that students can use during their lunch recess.  If you have soccer balls, basketball, footballs, frisbees, jump ropes, kickballs, etc. that you could donate, please drop them off in the main office.  Thank you!

SCHOOL PICTURES & PHOTO IDs:  School pictures will be taken on the second day of school, Thursday, August 24. An envelope detailing the picture packages and order information will be mailed to your home.

Pictures will be used for the yearbook and for student identification cards (IDs). A student’s ID serves as a bus pass, a library card, and allows access to for printing. This year each student will get an ID on the second day of school.  Students are expected to keep their IDs for the duration of their time at Edison.  Replacement IDs can be purchased in the Guidance Office for $5.

HOME-SCHOOL COMMUNICATION:  Information is communicated to Edison parents/guardians via email, automated phone call system, and the Edison website. Please carefully review your contact information in ParentVUE. Keeping your contact information (phone numbers & email addresses) and emergency contact information updated will ensure that you receive all school communication.

• The weekly Edison Updates newsletter is sent to parents/guardians via the email addresses listed in ParentVUE.

• Your ParentVUE/StudentVUE account will allow you to access your child’s schedule, attendance, assignments, class resources, grades, report cards, teacher contact information and more.

• Visit the Edison website www.cusd200.org/edison where you have access to daily announcements, calendar of events, athletic schedules, the weekly Edison Updates, PTA information and more.

• Parent Teacher Conferences are scheduled for October 11 and November 8, but we encourage you to contact a teacher if you ever have a question or concern. Teacher email addresses are available through ParentVUE.

• If you would like to receive occasional pictures from happenings at school as well as event updates and occasional parenting articles, “Like” Edison Middle School on Facebook.

BOOK DISCUSSION: Each summer, several members of the Edison staff participate in a summer “book club” of sorts. This year, our summer book is How to Raise an Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims. This title was recommended to us by a Wheaton Warrenville South guidance counselor. This year, we would like to invite interested parents to participate with us. Just purchase a copy of the book, read it, and join us for a “book club” discussion on Wednesday, September 27. Click here to RSVP: Book Discussion. Click here for the book discussion questions: How to Raise an Adult Discussion Questions.

JOIN THE PTA:  Edison Middle School is fortunate to have an OUTSTANDING PTA! Parents must re-join each year. To register, just click here. You may also sign up on August 17 during Locker Set-Up or you may print out a form, by clicking here, and send it into school with a check. Membership is only $15 per family and includes an Edison directory. Your membership and participation in PTA fundraisers helps pay for many of the in-school events, out-of-school field trips, and various classroom activities, clubs and musical groups as well. To learn more about PTA events and how you can get involved, visit the PTA website.

Spiritwear – Please stop by the PTA table during Locker Set-Up day to place your order!  You will be able to see samples of all the new Spiritwear! Students will be encouraged to wear their spiritwear every Friday to show their Panther Pride.

FunRun - This is the PTA's main fundraiser, and it is scheduled for Friday, September 15, during PE classes. If you're interested in volunteering to help, please contact Kristin Olson at kolson1@me.com or Jen Banowetz at bigpicturemedia@comcast.net.

Reflections - PTA Reflections is a nationally acclaimed student recognition program to encourage artistic creativity in the classroom and at home. This year’s theme of the PTA Reflections Program is “Within Reach”. Students can express this theme through artwork, writing, dance, film, photography and/or music. Entry forms and rules are available below as well as in the main office. Submissions are due to the main office early in the year, so interested students are encouraged to work on their entry even before school begins. If you have any questions, contact Jill Feitl (jfeitl@hotmail.com).

• Student Entry Form

• Rules

• Illinois PTA Reflection Web site

Dining Nights - Even the best cooks need a night off!! We have monthly Dining Nights at local restaurants. Dates and locations will be publicized in the weekly Edison Updates. We hope to see you there!

Box Tops - Collect those box tops and help teachers get items they need for their classrooms. You can submit them any time you like, all school year long, by turning them into the main office.

PTA Committees -  There are opportunities to do things at home and at school. Information about volunteer opportunities will be available at schedule pick-up, on the PTA membership form and on the PTA website.

AmazonSmile:  Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Edison Middle School PTA. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know and love - same products, same prices, same services. Please support the Edison Middle School PTA by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com. Then search for Edison Middle PTA Inc (Wheaton, IL) and select it to be your charity.  Or, get started by clicking on this link:  https://smile.amazon.com/ch/36-3674222.  Once you select Edison Middle PTA Inc as your charity, Amazon will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation.

Office Depot 5% Back to Schools Program - Every time you shop, ask them to look up our school ID (Edison: 70035175) and we can earn free supplies or shop online Office Depot!

2017-18 PTA Officers

WELCOME TO THE DEN - AUG. 21, 6:30-7:30 PM: The PTA encourages all 6th graders and new students to attend Welcome to the Den from 6:30-7:30 PM on Monday, August 21. Students will have the opportunity to complete a scavenger hunt around the school, walk their class schedule and finish setting up their locker. Parents are welcome to stay with their child or attend a Q&A with Principal Mrs. Bednar, Assistant Principal Miss Humphris and Counselor Mrs. McFarland. Light refreshments will be provided.

3RD ANNUAL - BACK-TO-SCHOOL BBQ AND TASTE OF EDISON NIGHT, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7:  On September 7, from 5:30-7 PM, the PTA is organizing a Back-to-School Barbecue. This will be a great opportunity for students and families to reconnect after summer vacations. If you will be joining us for the barbecue, complete the attached order form and return it to the main office by Friday, September 1. Then, after the BBQ, head into school for the PTA Ice Cream Social and The Taste of Edison, an opportunity for students to learn about all the clubs and activities available during the school year. Club and activity tables will be set up in the gym and will be ready for students at 7 PM.

QUESTIONS? WE’RE HERE TO HELP!

Mail payments, physicals, waiver applications etc. to: Edison Middle School, 1125 S. Wheaton Ave., Wheaton, IL 60189, or you may drop off payments, paperwork, physicals, PTA membership, etc. to the office during normal office hours. Phone: (630) 682-2050, FAX: (630) 682-2337.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

With #EdisonPantherPride,

Rachel Bednar, Principal