If you are having problems connecting to your child's classroom, have concerns with technology, or if you have a suggestion for the tech team please fill out this short form and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
 Daisy Girl Scouts are kicking off again this year and currently have a few openings for new girls in Kindergarten or 1st grade. Most meetings will be held every other Thursday from 6-7 pm, with the possibility of an occasional in-person meeting outdoors on a weekend. Any in-person meetings will require masks and social distancing. The troop is also looking for an Assistant Leader this year, or an additional adult volunteer who can help during troop meetings. If you’re interested in learning more or joining the troop, please email Christy at christymiscisinclark@hotmail.com for further details!
 Would you like to become the new Box Tops for Education coordinator? It’s easier than ever to collect them because everything is switching to digital! Looking for a coordinator to help get the word out, and teach our family and friends how to use the app that earns our school money. Contact julie.kudzia.serilla@gmail.com if you are interested or for more information.
 Several community organizations are hosting learning pods to assist families who need childcare during remote learning. See the Dank Haus, FitCityKids, and Dovetail Studios websites to learn more about some of these options.
 Monday, August 31, 6-7 p.m.
The Waters community is invited to a virtual Waters Elementary Back to School Town Hall on Monday, August 31st from 6-7 p.m. The meeting will be attended by the Waters administration and teachers and will be facilitated by long-time Waters parents, John and Serena Hess. Please email your questions to Serena Hess by Saturday, August 29th at 8 p.m. with Town Hall Question as the subject line. Waters Back to School Town Hall Meeting meet.google.com/php-hkqu-vwc Join by phone (US) +1 510-766-1817 PIN: 743 524 924#  Since all CPS students will begin the year learning at home, WatersToday would like to support Waters families who have questions about the technology our children are using while they work. As the school year wrapped last year, a few very kind parents lent their time to support teachers and parents using tech tools like Pearson and Google Classroom. Others helped with the physical technology components families and teachers were using at home. We want to gather some more helpers on the team!
Our goal is to gather a bevy of tech-savvy folks who are willing and available to help as we prepare for a new school year. Ideally, we will have at least four volunteer for each grade. Sign up here if you are interested or email the Volunteer Team with questions. Thank you in advance for whatever you can offer on this front.  Wednesday, August 12 7 p.m.
Join the WatersToday Board for an open meeting to discuss fundraising and volunteer plans as we begin the new school year. This meeting will be held via Google Meet. As the outgoing president of WatersToday, I want to say a very special thanks to the Waters community for your enthusiastic participation with our kiddos' school during my term. Serving on the WatersToday board was both rewarding and collaborative, and I hope everyone that wants to get involved will enjoy working with the amazing parents here as much as I have! I want to welcome the incoming WatersToday board members and wish them continued success.
President, Kortney Moore Vice President, Hope Nichols Events Co-Chairs, Jaime Murphy & Sherry Mayberry Communications and Marketing Co-Chairs, Mary Gallery & Cara Sullivan Secretary, Jacqueline Gaines Treasurer Co-Chairs, Sam Kaune & Jesse Brannan Volunteer Co-Chairs, Maripa Abella & Poppy Brandes Staff Liason, Mrs. Vecchioni Thank you to the board members rolling off: Leah Rieger, Jen Davidson, Paul Reschke,and Carolyn Dean, for your hard work and giving so generously of your time and energy during your terms. Finally, thank you to all the parents and loved ones that have volunteered and given of their time this year. I hope you all have a safe and healthy summer doing good work! Jessie Novak Outgoing President, WatersToday  Thanks to the outstanding efforts and generous contributions of Waters families, friends, community members, local businesses and volunteers, WatersToday raised more than $215,000 this school year to support programs in the 2020-2021 school year! Fundraising Highlights
Where Your Donations Go The Waters Local School Council (LSC), which is an elected body, determines the allocation of funds raised by WatersToday. Here are just a few of the items your donation helps fund:
Learn more about WatersToday's fundraising activities. Questions? Want to get involved? Contact us.   Thank you to all of our parent volunteers, students and especially Ms. Vecchioni for her creativity and direction on our first Virtual Art Show! If you were unable to attend, you can view the presentation here. She will be sharing more 4Q final projects in the coming days so check back!
 Through June 26
Help WatersToday reflect on this school year and plan fundraising and volunteer efforts for the upcoming one by filling out this survey. We appreciate your feedback. Mrs. Bricker has shared some resources to help students and families talk about racism and current events.
A Starting Place https://www.prettygooddesign.org/blog/Blog%20Post%20Title%20One-5new4 Preparing yourself (Parents/Staff): Talking Race with Young Children - An excellent podcast from Sesame Studio and NPR’s Life Kit, featuring Beverly Daniel Tatum, an expert on child psychology, education, and race. What to Say to Kids When the News is Scary - Also from NPR's Life Kit, child development experts weigh in on how to approach the scary news kids might be absorbing right now. What is White Privilege, Really? - An important foundational learning resource for understanding that “white privilege is both a legacy and a cause of racism.” Beyond the Golden Rule - A longer read, but full of valuable information for parents on preventing and responding to prejudice. With the kids (to read and discuss together): Let's Talk about Race by Julius Lester The Colors of Us by Karen Katz A Kids Book about Racism by Jelani Memory(Read-Aloud Video) "Separate is Never Equal" by Duncan Tonatiuh available in Epic!  Join local Boy Scout 894 in their fundraising efforts by purchasing and donating Lou Malnati's vouchers for frozen deep dish pizza. These vouchers can be redeemed at any location and are good until the end of 2020. You can buy vouchers for yourself or gift the vouchers to the Friendship Center which works closely with Waters' Circle of Help to support families in need. Purchase or donate here and give people a delicious treat!
 July 12, Time TBD
A group of Waters parents is planning to read Raising White Kids by Jennifer Harvey and would like to gather to discuss, listen, learn and continue to do the work with fellow parents, teachers and community members. We'd like to invite ALL parents (&teachers!) to join us, knowing full well that every one of us is at a different place in their work and their journey regarding this topic.We don't claim to know a lot other than we need to learn and do better for our kids, our community, and our society. This is one teeny, tiny effort to do better. If you'd like to join us, awesome! We recommend ordering a hard copy from the only black-owned bookstore in Chicago, Semicolon. Of course, we also like to support out local shop, the Book Cellar. The book is also available on Kindle, Google Play books, Audible, etc. This event is in no way affiliated with Waters Elementary, WatersToday, or any other organization. If you plan to attend or have any questions, please contact Laura Earle so we can plan accordingly, add you to the Facebook event, and update you in case there are changes.  Tuesday, June 16, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Check back for location details Ms. Vecchioni is planning a new form of collaboration to showcase our drama and visual art remote learning. Innovation & Sanctuary is Waters' first-everK-8 Remote Learning VR Gallery & Stage! Ms. Vecchioni has recruited a group of students be part of the Innovation & Sanctuary Design Team and is looking for a few parent volunteers. The team needs parent volunteers that have some time to help upload student work into Google Slide templates. It is fun, easy and rewarding work! The more hands the merrier! Please email Mrs. Vecchioni if you have a few hours (day or night!) to dedicate to this new form of art show. Additionally, if you know any special ways to help out---please join the team! The team needs graphic designers, videographers, tech specialists, web designers, computer engineers---and all forms of design thinkers and enthusiastic team players---and anyone willing to help out! Thank you for your support. Please stay tuned for more details and reach out to Ms. Vecchioni with any questions!  Friday, June 5 - Friday, June 12
Get ready to celebrate Field Day with a full week of fitness fun at home and around the neighborhood! Be sure to check out the flyer for fun ideas to get moving! Plus, enjoy these additional items to celebrate our Waters Community! - A video from our very own Physical Education Team, Mr. Archer and Mr. Kurz - Coloring pages of the Wildcat and our W to help decorate your window - A virtual field day video for additional inspiration Monday, June 8, 6- 7 p.m.
Dial -in Information Below Join us in electing the incoming WatersToday board and hear what we have planned for the 2020-2021 season of fundraising, community, volunteer and so much more! For more information, reach out to Jessie Novak. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83316508952?pwd=c2NvWVlRUy95VFoyV0RPMXlLMTNrUT09 Meeting ID: 833 1650 8952 Password: WatrsToday One tap mobile +13126266799,,83316508952#,,1#,058332# US (Chicago) WatersToday is looking for a few dedicated parents to join their board and serve on committees. These two-year positions begin in July and are a great way to get involved in the school and give back to a wonderful community. There are options that fit every skill set and schedule. Contact Hope Nichols with questions or to learn more.
Community and Events Co-Chair Joining the Community and Events team is a great way to get to know people in the Waters community. In this position you’ll work with your co-chair and parent volunteers on community and fundraising events including our annual pledge drive, Waters’ Big Night, and the Wildcat Walk-a-thon. This is a great position for a creative and outgoing person. The biggest time commitment is during the fall pledge drive and Big Night in the spring. All events are supported by full committees of volunteers. Availability during the day is helpful but not required. Co-Treasurer This is the perfect role for someone who likes a good spreadsheet and wants to help WatersToday on their own schedule. You’ll share the duties of running the business end of our 501(c)(3) organization with your co-treasurer with responsibilities including light bookkeeping, preparing monthly reports, paying bills, and purchasing materials. The co-treasurer position might also coordinate with a CPA to prepare taxes and audits, filing forms with the state, budgeting, assisting with grants, and providing donor receipts. Secretary If you like to being in the know and organizing the details, this position is perfect for you. You’ll act as secretary at all WatersToday board meetings, record, and file the meeting minutes, all notices of the organization and manage the WatersToday calendar. Business Sponsorship Committee Member If you want to help WatersToday on your own time, and get to know people in our community, this is the way to do it. In this position you can help grow our business sponsorship intake by reaching out to our community and parent-owned business sponsors, who give back in many ways. Grant Writing Have a knack for research and writing? We know the money’s out there, and we need your help to capture it for our wonderful school. The grant writing team finds and applies for grants to support specific programs at Waters. |
WatersToday News
provides information about fundraising activities, news and events, and other Waters community updates. School News is posted on the Waters Elementary website. Submissions Items will be posted online as soon as possible during the week – usually within 24 to 48 hours. To be included in the Green Notes weekly email published on Thursdays during the school year, please complete the submission form by midnight the prior Sunday. See our guidelines for more information about this process. Sign Up for the
Green Notes email Archives
September 2020
|
RSS Feed