2020 SUMMER SNIPPETS
Happy August Room 122 Families!
Well, the end of our summer vakay has certainly been eventful! I hope all of you are safe and well and that your power and internet have been restored if they were out! (Our power and Foster's didn't return til Friday evening, and my Internet was finally restored later this afternoon!) I’m sure you all received the email letting all of our District 142 families know that school will be starting one week later, on Monday, August 24th. Hugs and thanks go out to Dr. McDermott, all of our administrators, the Board of Education, and our wonderful Teacher's Union Presidents (Mrs. Vargas and Mrs. Curtis) who have worked tirelessly over the summer! Thanks too to Mr. Skibinski and his wonderful Tech Team (Mrs. H., Mrs. Graczyk, and Mrs. Ryan) for all of their time and efforts to get us ready for the new hybrid/remote school year! Families, I hope all of you enjoyed Foster’s “Virtual Open House!” Following is the last edition of our “Summer Snippets!”
Important August Upcoming Dates:
*August 17th-21st ~ Teacher Planning Days (No Student Attendance)
*August 18th ~ Board of Education Meeting (7:00 p.m. at Hille)
*August 24th ~ First Day of School
August Birthday “Babies:”
6th ~ Ms. Troike (one of our former super 2nd grade teachers . . . our new STEAM teacher!)
11th ~ Mr. Beringer (our commander and chief)
Room 122’s July/August News:
Tate has really enjoyed summer! He went swimming a lot! He enjoyed being with his cousins and having a couple slumber parties with them too. He went on his second vacation with his father and family and they went camping, fishing, tubing, and a boat ride. Fortnite and Roblox has also been played a lot by Tate as well lol. He has really enjoyed summer and Ms. Sigler’s not sure about Tate, but she’s looking forward to things hopefully getting back to normal with school and hoping maybe in the fall she can be a lunch mom again when we have lunch in school again! She and Tate miss room 122 so much!
Derek and his family have been doing a lot of swimming. They have not gone to many places as the virus is still there and getting bad again, but Derek is well aware to use a mask all the time and wash hands and use sanitizer. He and his family went to Durbin’s in Tinley to have half price pizza and eat outside; then they walked to the fountain and checked out the benches down Oak Park Ave. They took some pictures, Derek also participated in the school reading program.
Kameron has been enjoying his summer! He’s been swimming, playing Fornite, and has been at summer camp doing fun things there! Kameron’s also been riding his scooter, seeing and spending time with his close family, and improving on his reading skills!
Avery and her family haven’t been up to much more than the last check in! She was still going to camp and playing with a couple kids there, and seeing her cousin and bff when weather permits play dates. Other than that, lots of playing outside, reading, doing arts and crafts, watching movies etc.
Kasey and her family have had a pretty good summer considering covid. They've been camping and out traveling through Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana in the RV. They’ve been busy swimming and playing and even getting in a few good books. Kasey’s looking forward to starting school and meeting new friends, but sad that this covid world has us doing it online again.
It’s been all fun in the sun for Nolan! He spent a week in Florida with his cousins with lots of time at the beach and pool. Baseball was in full swing; he was excited to get the game ball for three hits in a row. He and his family celebrated his birthday with family and friends; he got enough LEGOs to keep him busy for the rest of the summer!
Yesenia has had a very busy end to her summer. She swims almost every single day; she loves the water! In July, Yesenia went to Wisconsin Dells for her birthday and also visited Newport Aquarium in Kentucky. Yesenia loves the summertime but she can’t wait to see her friends again :)!
Anna and her sisters have had so much fun this summer! They have done a LOT of swimming in their pool. Anna loves diving for toys at the bottom of the pool. She and her family have had lots of barbecues and have enjoyed eating lots of dinners outside on the deck. They have also gone on many family bike rides or walks around the neighborhood. Anna also likes to help pick vegetables from their garden. She and her family have also taken care of caterpillars this summer. They have had monarchs and black swallowtail butterflies! The girls love being able to release the butterflies when they come out of their cocoons. Anna and her sisters love to visit their grandparents in their backyard at a distance. Their Grandma taught them how to play croquet. They also did some backyard camping! Anna loves to sleep in their camper and everybody loves s’mores! Overall, they’ve had a pretty good summer spending time as a family! Anna and her sisters wish summer could be longer!
Ahleigha went on her 1st vacation to Wyoming. She had a blast viewing the mountains and other stuff ! Her Mommy sent this while they were still on vacation and they planned to ride horses, take a boat ride, and then long road trip back home before school. In a later email, her Mom said she had a blast on the boat ride and they went to the top of the world; both were absolutely amazingly beautiful, a must do/see especially if you like to camp and hike!
Kyla and her family have been enjoying this last little bit of summer weather. They spent as much time as possible outside, in the pool and visiting parks. They tried to keep busy in these crazy times! They are now getting prepared to start the new school year!
Staff/Volunteer News:
Ms. Capouch has been very busy in July! She did not spend much time at home. Mostly she has been reading and swimming at the lake. She’s spent all of her time outside with her family and dog. However, she’s looking forward to cooler weather coming our way and getting started with the school year.
Ms. D’Ambrosio has been up in Michigan a lot! She’s also been spending time with her family and enjoying the nice weather!
Mrs. Flores and her family are spending the last full week off in Michigan at a small lake called Sand Lake. They’ve been busy training their puppy, going to soccer and baseball, and spending lots of time at home!
Mrs. Goodman has been relaxing. She wanted to tell everyone “Hi,” and that she hopes we all had a great summer!
Grandma Phyllis has been enjoying time in the pool! She went to Michigan a few times and visited Holland, Saugatuck, South Haven, and St. Joe.
During the month of July, Mrs. H. and her family were busy driving throughout Illinois from baseball fields to softball fields for her kiddos’ sports tournaments. She also continued to work on getting the iPads ready for students.
Ms. Katz has been spending lots of time at the lakefront!
Mrs. Latka and her family have been busy remodeling their house!
Mrs. Martens (formerly Ms. B. O’Neill) has been preparing to go back to school and going to puppy school to get her puppy Cooper trained. She’s also been spending time with her family.
Ms. Mueller has had a wonderful summer! She has spent a lot of time with family, soaking up the beautiful weather these past couple of months. She is looking forward to a GREAT school year! She can't wait to see everyone again!
Ms. M. O’Neill read every day, because it’s so important!
Ms. Planera and her boyfriend have been house hunting. They welcomed their new niece into the world and have been soaking up the last days of summer!
As for me, Mr. Baytala and I spent lots of time in Michigan and really enjoyed the beautiful July and August weather! I’ve been relaxing, hunting for beach glass, doing lots of beach reading, catching those vitamin D “rays,” and swimming. Attending helpful Zoom webinars, workshops, and meetings has also been on my agenda. I loved seeing Kyle on his birthday and got to spend time with Grayson and Quinn! (They’ve been here this weekend and will be spending a couple more days!) I get to “visit” with Ashleigh through FaceTime; she, Henry, and Pierre moved to a new duplex in their building, which I got to “see” through Ashleigh’s “virtual” tour! I’ll be heading into school again tomorrow to get things in place for the beginning of the year as the1st Grade Remote Teacher.
Thanks to all of our families who emailed me with news for this final edition of our “Summer Snippets!” I hope you’ve enjoyed reading what your classmates, administration, staff, volunteers, and I have been up to this summer! Again, I’ve missed seeing your smiling faces each day, but hope you’ve had a safe and wonderful summer vakay! I also hope you’ve taken some time to read and practice your Math facts every day! Enjoy your last bit of summer, and good luck in 2nd grade :)!
Love & Hugs,
Mrs. Baytala
Happy July Room 122 Families!
Vakay sure is zipping by! I hope you’ve been staying cool! Following are some important dates, information, and news sent from your classmates, administrators, and teachers. I’m always happy to open your emails to see what’s been keeping you busy this summer and hope you’ll enjoy reading this edition of our “Summer Snippets!”
Upcoming Important Dates:
*July 21st ~ Board of Education Meeting (7:00 p.m.)
*August 3rd ~ School Main Offices Reopen
*August 5th ~ District Registration at Hille (3:00-7:00 p.m.)
*August 13th ~ Teacher Institute Day (No Student Attendance)
*August 14th ~ Teacher Institute Day (No Student Attendance)
*August 17th ~ First Day of School (Full Day ~ 8:50 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.)
*August 18th ~ Board of Education Meeting (7:00 p.m.)
July Birthday “Babies:”
2nd ~ Yesenia
5th ~ Mr. Downing (our cool custodian)
Mrs. Vargas (our terrific Title I Math Teacher)
12th ~ Quinn (my grandson ~ "3")
20th ~ Kyle (my son)
31st ~ Nolan
Room 122’s June News:
Tate has done a lot of swimming this summer so far! He and Ms. Sigler have already been on a vacation to Lake Geneva where they stayed at a waterpark for 3 nights! They also went to Tate’s cousin’s lakehouse. Tate swam in the lake and jumped on a trampoline on the lake as well! He went on a jet ski for the first time and loved it! Tate went camping with his dad for Father’s Day and had a blast! He and his Mom have been having lots of Jack Frost! Tate loves spending time with his cousins as well! Baseball, as well as the soccer season, are starting right now, so that means the rest of the summer is going to be super busy! Tate and Ms. Sigler miss room 122 so much and hope they can see the class soon!
It has been a good summer so far. Derek finally got his hair cut at his favorite barber shop. He and his family were able to put up a nice pool almost as big as the other one and the water has been so warm from the sun. They have been walking and having BBQ's and visiting Grandma. They did lose their guinea pig named George Pig. He was 4 1/2 years old. Their dog Benji turned 1 last week. He is terrified of fireworks, so it was hard to walk him. Derek also went to 5 Below 2 weeks ago, and you would think he’d never been in a store . . . lol . . . his Mom guesses 3 months for a kid is a long time! They’re still staying away from the park for now. They have enough at home to keep them busy. Derek and his family just hope the 20-21 school year goes better. (They have a Senior this year!) They hope to see everyone soon!
Kameron has been going to summer camp and enjoying fun activities and games with other kids. He's excited that his cousin goes there too! He's been swimming a few times and loves playing his Fortnite on his switch and getting new characters for Fortnite. Kameron’s also been visiting with family. He's been doing some reading, playing Uno, Connect Four, and doing some activity pages. He has been enjoying summer so far!
Maya is reading, and she and her family are going to the beach every weekend!
Luke and his family went to Lake Geneva at the very beginning of summer vacation with his Grandma and Grandpa. They swam every day and had so much fun! They got to go to a restaurant for the first time too! Luke has moved up to the older group in taekwondo and has been doing GREAT with his new form in his new class. His instructors are very proud of him and so are his parents! Luke and his family finally saw his Aunt Mandie and Uncle Eddie at their house for a pool party on July 4th. They had not seen them in months due to COVID-19, so it was a very happy reunion. They also got to spend lots of time with Luke’s cousins who they had also not seen in months. Luke has been going to his Grandma and Grandpa’s house at least once a week and has been playing a LOT with his friend, Noah, who lives next door to them. They love riding bikes, playing in their little pool, and putting together new Lego “inventions.”
Oliver and his family have been playing in their pool and enjoying the sunshine! Their 4th of July was fun until the bugs came out . . . eww! He and his family hope all is well with everyone from class, and they wish us “Happy summer!”
Avery has been playing outside and swimming every chance she gets. She and her family went to a bbq on the 4th and saw some pretty fireworks. She has also started summer camp a few days a week, so she is loving getting to be around kids again!
Nora has had a fun summer so far playing outside a lot and hanging out with her cousins. She and her family have been swimming at Grandma and Grandpa's a lot and even went on a couple boat rides. She has been reading and drawing a lot too! Nora hopes we’re also having a good summer so far.
Kasey and her family can't believe it’s already July, but they've been enjoying what they can of a socially distant summer. They've been out on a few trips in their RV and it’s been a lot of fun (minus the crabby 3 year old brother). They've done a ton of swimming and playing outside. Kasey learned how to ride her bike without training wheels, and had some major scraped knees in the process!
Nolan has been enjoying his cousins' pool this summer, hanging with Grandma and Grandpa, and loving that baseball is back!
For the month of June Yesenia did a lot of swimming and soaking up the sun. She went to the Indiana Dunes for a couple weeks until their community pool opened up. Towards the end of June, Yesenia went on a family trip to Wisconsin Dells to celebrate her and her sister’s birthdays. Their birthdays are only one day apart! June has been a very busy and fun month for Yesenia!
Anna and her family have been spending lots of time outdoors these days! Anna loves to swim with her sisters and they are in the pool most days. They have also been doing a lot of family bike rides through the neighborhood. Anna and her sisters like to visit the Foster School parking lot. They got a new basketball hoop for the backyard. They have been practicing their skills and playing games with each other. It’s been so nice to be outside everyday soaking up the sunshine. Anna and her family have visited with her Grandparents outside in their backyards. It’s been nice to see them in person.
Kyla has been enjoying spending lots of time with her family! They’ve been enjoying the weather and have taken advantage and visited the beach a few times! They are spending lots of time in the pool and trying to make the best of the situation this summer! Kyla misses all of us and hopes everyone is staying healthy and safe!
Administration and Staff News:
Dr. Leppert has read some great books! Some were related to teaching and learning and some were for fun - legal thrillers are her favorite. She continues to Zoom with her daughters, sister and nieces for an almost daily workout. She and her daughter Sarah live together so they have started crafting - staining wood and making signs. She said that you never stop learning new things and how fun it was to have her daughter teach her. She wanted me to ask you all to make sure you are reading for 15 minutes a day. Students who read for 15 minutes a day score higher than 80% (that's 8 out of 10) of kids their age! As simple as that!
While Ms. Capouch is so happy to be on summer vacation, she is missing all of her Foster friends very much. In June she was able to get away and see a few friends. She has been spending all of her time outside, enjoying the beautiful sunshine. She’s read a few books and is looking forward to a week of fun in the sun at the lake with her family.
Ms. D’Ambrosio has been in Michigan with friends celebrating the 4th!
Mrs. Flores and her family have been busy trying to train their new puppy. They went to the beach one day; her kids had so much fun playing in the sand and looking for sea glass! They’ve also spent a lot of time working on their garden and yard!
Mrs. H. and her family have been going into their pool every day possible! They started redecorating both of her daughter's rooms, as they want a more "teen" feel. They have also been busy going to various travel softball games throughout IL and IN.
Ms. Katz has been enjoying walks along the lakefront this summer and catching up on her reading list!
Mrs. Leon continued to work and wrap things up for the end of the year, as well as continuing to work on her house. The first few days of July were a celebration for her family, as not only do they get to celebrate the 4th of July as a holiday, it is her father's birthday too. Mrs. Leon and her family went to their cabin in the woods for a whole week of swimming, relaxing, and peace and quiet! She hopes everyone is enjoying summer and staying safe from the heat!! She can't wait to see us all in the fall!
Ms. Mueller has really been enjoying the summer so far! Besides working in her garden, she has been spending time with her niece and nephew. She also enjoyed a couple of road trips to Michigan and Wisconsin!
In June Ms. B. O’Neill got a golden retriever named Cooper, and she got married; her new name is Mrs. Martens! She has done a lot of yard work to clean up the landscaping! Other than that, she’s had a lot of family time :)!
Mrs. Shepard and her family have been swimming and enjoying the outdoors a lot. They loved watching the fireworks on the 4th of July! They’re looking forward to enjoying the beautiful days ahead.
Mrs. Vargas has been trying to stay cool, participated in a math workshop, and is spending time with her kids. She's getting ready to celebrate her daughter Payton's 16th birthday at the end of the week!
As for me . . . Mr. Baytala and I finally got to see Kyle, Grayson, and Quinn “in person” the weekend of June 13th. We celebrated Father’s Day together too, and we're looking forward to celebrating Quinn’s 3rd birthday this coming weekend! Unfortunately we haven’t been able to see Ashleigh, Henry, and Pierre in person, but have enjoyed FaceTime visits! I’ve been spending lots of time in Michigan with Mr. Baytala, relaxing, soaking up that Vitamin D, reading, walking, and beachglassing :)! I passed my Google I Certification Test and enjoyed an EL Zoom workshop too.
Thanks to all of our families, administrators, and teachers who emailed information for this edition of our “Summer Snippets!” Our final edition will be coming out Wednesday, August 5th, so please do send any of your July/August news by 5:00 that day, and I’ll be sure to put it in our last edition!
Again, I miss seeing your smiling faces, but hope you’ve been enjoying your summer vakay too! Remember, taking some time to read every day and practicing your Math facts are both “sun”sational ideas! I hope lots of you are participating in a summer reading program! Just a reminder, if you're looking for some learning opportunities, there is a 1st Grade Summer Learning Choice board on our district website ~ www.d142.org I hope the rest of your July is safe and wonderful :)!
Love & Hugs,
Mrs. Baytala
Well, the end of our summer vakay has certainly been eventful! I hope all of you are safe and well and that your power and internet have been restored if they were out! (Our power and Foster's didn't return til Friday evening, and my Internet was finally restored later this afternoon!) I’m sure you all received the email letting all of our District 142 families know that school will be starting one week later, on Monday, August 24th. Hugs and thanks go out to Dr. McDermott, all of our administrators, the Board of Education, and our wonderful Teacher's Union Presidents (Mrs. Vargas and Mrs. Curtis) who have worked tirelessly over the summer! Thanks too to Mr. Skibinski and his wonderful Tech Team (Mrs. H., Mrs. Graczyk, and Mrs. Ryan) for all of their time and efforts to get us ready for the new hybrid/remote school year! Families, I hope all of you enjoyed Foster’s “Virtual Open House!” Following is the last edition of our “Summer Snippets!”
Important August Upcoming Dates:
*August 17th-21st ~ Teacher Planning Days (No Student Attendance)
*August 18th ~ Board of Education Meeting (7:00 p.m. at Hille)
*August 24th ~ First Day of School
August Birthday “Babies:”
6th ~ Ms. Troike (one of our former super 2nd grade teachers . . . our new STEAM teacher!)
11th ~ Mr. Beringer (our commander and chief)
Room 122’s July/August News:
Tate has really enjoyed summer! He went swimming a lot! He enjoyed being with his cousins and having a couple slumber parties with them too. He went on his second vacation with his father and family and they went camping, fishing, tubing, and a boat ride. Fortnite and Roblox has also been played a lot by Tate as well lol. He has really enjoyed summer and Ms. Sigler’s not sure about Tate, but she’s looking forward to things hopefully getting back to normal with school and hoping maybe in the fall she can be a lunch mom again when we have lunch in school again! She and Tate miss room 122 so much!
Derek and his family have been doing a lot of swimming. They have not gone to many places as the virus is still there and getting bad again, but Derek is well aware to use a mask all the time and wash hands and use sanitizer. He and his family went to Durbin’s in Tinley to have half price pizza and eat outside; then they walked to the fountain and checked out the benches down Oak Park Ave. They took some pictures, Derek also participated in the school reading program.
Kameron has been enjoying his summer! He’s been swimming, playing Fornite, and has been at summer camp doing fun things there! Kameron’s also been riding his scooter, seeing and spending time with his close family, and improving on his reading skills!
Avery and her family haven’t been up to much more than the last check in! She was still going to camp and playing with a couple kids there, and seeing her cousin and bff when weather permits play dates. Other than that, lots of playing outside, reading, doing arts and crafts, watching movies etc.
Kasey and her family have had a pretty good summer considering covid. They've been camping and out traveling through Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana in the RV. They’ve been busy swimming and playing and even getting in a few good books. Kasey’s looking forward to starting school and meeting new friends, but sad that this covid world has us doing it online again.
It’s been all fun in the sun for Nolan! He spent a week in Florida with his cousins with lots of time at the beach and pool. Baseball was in full swing; he was excited to get the game ball for three hits in a row. He and his family celebrated his birthday with family and friends; he got enough LEGOs to keep him busy for the rest of the summer!
Yesenia has had a very busy end to her summer. She swims almost every single day; she loves the water! In July, Yesenia went to Wisconsin Dells for her birthday and also visited Newport Aquarium in Kentucky. Yesenia loves the summertime but she can’t wait to see her friends again :)!
Anna and her sisters have had so much fun this summer! They have done a LOT of swimming in their pool. Anna loves diving for toys at the bottom of the pool. She and her family have had lots of barbecues and have enjoyed eating lots of dinners outside on the deck. They have also gone on many family bike rides or walks around the neighborhood. Anna also likes to help pick vegetables from their garden. She and her family have also taken care of caterpillars this summer. They have had monarchs and black swallowtail butterflies! The girls love being able to release the butterflies when they come out of their cocoons. Anna and her sisters love to visit their grandparents in their backyard at a distance. Their Grandma taught them how to play croquet. They also did some backyard camping! Anna loves to sleep in their camper and everybody loves s’mores! Overall, they’ve had a pretty good summer spending time as a family! Anna and her sisters wish summer could be longer!
Ahleigha went on her 1st vacation to Wyoming. She had a blast viewing the mountains and other stuff ! Her Mommy sent this while they were still on vacation and they planned to ride horses, take a boat ride, and then long road trip back home before school. In a later email, her Mom said she had a blast on the boat ride and they went to the top of the world; both were absolutely amazingly beautiful, a must do/see especially if you like to camp and hike!
Kyla and her family have been enjoying this last little bit of summer weather. They spent as much time as possible outside, in the pool and visiting parks. They tried to keep busy in these crazy times! They are now getting prepared to start the new school year!
Staff/Volunteer News:
Ms. Capouch has been very busy in July! She did not spend much time at home. Mostly she has been reading and swimming at the lake. She’s spent all of her time outside with her family and dog. However, she’s looking forward to cooler weather coming our way and getting started with the school year.
Ms. D’Ambrosio has been up in Michigan a lot! She’s also been spending time with her family and enjoying the nice weather!
Mrs. Flores and her family are spending the last full week off in Michigan at a small lake called Sand Lake. They’ve been busy training their puppy, going to soccer and baseball, and spending lots of time at home!
Mrs. Goodman has been relaxing. She wanted to tell everyone “Hi,” and that she hopes we all had a great summer!
Grandma Phyllis has been enjoying time in the pool! She went to Michigan a few times and visited Holland, Saugatuck, South Haven, and St. Joe.
During the month of July, Mrs. H. and her family were busy driving throughout Illinois from baseball fields to softball fields for her kiddos’ sports tournaments. She also continued to work on getting the iPads ready for students.
Ms. Katz has been spending lots of time at the lakefront!
Mrs. Latka and her family have been busy remodeling their house!
Mrs. Martens (formerly Ms. B. O’Neill) has been preparing to go back to school and going to puppy school to get her puppy Cooper trained. She’s also been spending time with her family.
Ms. Mueller has had a wonderful summer! She has spent a lot of time with family, soaking up the beautiful weather these past couple of months. She is looking forward to a GREAT school year! She can't wait to see everyone again!
Ms. M. O’Neill read every day, because it’s so important!
Ms. Planera and her boyfriend have been house hunting. They welcomed their new niece into the world and have been soaking up the last days of summer!
As for me, Mr. Baytala and I spent lots of time in Michigan and really enjoyed the beautiful July and August weather! I’ve been relaxing, hunting for beach glass, doing lots of beach reading, catching those vitamin D “rays,” and swimming. Attending helpful Zoom webinars, workshops, and meetings has also been on my agenda. I loved seeing Kyle on his birthday and got to spend time with Grayson and Quinn! (They’ve been here this weekend and will be spending a couple more days!) I get to “visit” with Ashleigh through FaceTime; she, Henry, and Pierre moved to a new duplex in their building, which I got to “see” through Ashleigh’s “virtual” tour! I’ll be heading into school again tomorrow to get things in place for the beginning of the year as the1st Grade Remote Teacher.
Thanks to all of our families who emailed me with news for this final edition of our “Summer Snippets!” I hope you’ve enjoyed reading what your classmates, administration, staff, volunteers, and I have been up to this summer! Again, I’ve missed seeing your smiling faces each day, but hope you’ve had a safe and wonderful summer vakay! I also hope you’ve taken some time to read and practice your Math facts every day! Enjoy your last bit of summer, and good luck in 2nd grade :)!
Love & Hugs,
Mrs. Baytala
Happy July Room 122 Families!
Vakay sure is zipping by! I hope you’ve been staying cool! Following are some important dates, information, and news sent from your classmates, administrators, and teachers. I’m always happy to open your emails to see what’s been keeping you busy this summer and hope you’ll enjoy reading this edition of our “Summer Snippets!”
Upcoming Important Dates:
*July 21st ~ Board of Education Meeting (7:00 p.m.)
*August 3rd ~ School Main Offices Reopen
*August 5th ~ District Registration at Hille (3:00-7:00 p.m.)
*August 13th ~ Teacher Institute Day (No Student Attendance)
*August 14th ~ Teacher Institute Day (No Student Attendance)
*August 17th ~ First Day of School (Full Day ~ 8:50 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.)
*August 18th ~ Board of Education Meeting (7:00 p.m.)
July Birthday “Babies:”
2nd ~ Yesenia
5th ~ Mr. Downing (our cool custodian)
Mrs. Vargas (our terrific Title I Math Teacher)
12th ~ Quinn (my grandson ~ "3")
20th ~ Kyle (my son)
31st ~ Nolan
Room 122’s June News:
Tate has done a lot of swimming this summer so far! He and Ms. Sigler have already been on a vacation to Lake Geneva where they stayed at a waterpark for 3 nights! They also went to Tate’s cousin’s lakehouse. Tate swam in the lake and jumped on a trampoline on the lake as well! He went on a jet ski for the first time and loved it! Tate went camping with his dad for Father’s Day and had a blast! He and his Mom have been having lots of Jack Frost! Tate loves spending time with his cousins as well! Baseball, as well as the soccer season, are starting right now, so that means the rest of the summer is going to be super busy! Tate and Ms. Sigler miss room 122 so much and hope they can see the class soon!
It has been a good summer so far. Derek finally got his hair cut at his favorite barber shop. He and his family were able to put up a nice pool almost as big as the other one and the water has been so warm from the sun. They have been walking and having BBQ's and visiting Grandma. They did lose their guinea pig named George Pig. He was 4 1/2 years old. Their dog Benji turned 1 last week. He is terrified of fireworks, so it was hard to walk him. Derek also went to 5 Below 2 weeks ago, and you would think he’d never been in a store . . . lol . . . his Mom guesses 3 months for a kid is a long time! They’re still staying away from the park for now. They have enough at home to keep them busy. Derek and his family just hope the 20-21 school year goes better. (They have a Senior this year!) They hope to see everyone soon!
Kameron has been going to summer camp and enjoying fun activities and games with other kids. He's excited that his cousin goes there too! He's been swimming a few times and loves playing his Fortnite on his switch and getting new characters for Fortnite. Kameron’s also been visiting with family. He's been doing some reading, playing Uno, Connect Four, and doing some activity pages. He has been enjoying summer so far!
Maya is reading, and she and her family are going to the beach every weekend!
Luke and his family went to Lake Geneva at the very beginning of summer vacation with his Grandma and Grandpa. They swam every day and had so much fun! They got to go to a restaurant for the first time too! Luke has moved up to the older group in taekwondo and has been doing GREAT with his new form in his new class. His instructors are very proud of him and so are his parents! Luke and his family finally saw his Aunt Mandie and Uncle Eddie at their house for a pool party on July 4th. They had not seen them in months due to COVID-19, so it was a very happy reunion. They also got to spend lots of time with Luke’s cousins who they had also not seen in months. Luke has been going to his Grandma and Grandpa’s house at least once a week and has been playing a LOT with his friend, Noah, who lives next door to them. They love riding bikes, playing in their little pool, and putting together new Lego “inventions.”
Oliver and his family have been playing in their pool and enjoying the sunshine! Their 4th of July was fun until the bugs came out . . . eww! He and his family hope all is well with everyone from class, and they wish us “Happy summer!”
Avery has been playing outside and swimming every chance she gets. She and her family went to a bbq on the 4th and saw some pretty fireworks. She has also started summer camp a few days a week, so she is loving getting to be around kids again!
Nora has had a fun summer so far playing outside a lot and hanging out with her cousins. She and her family have been swimming at Grandma and Grandpa's a lot and even went on a couple boat rides. She has been reading and drawing a lot too! Nora hopes we’re also having a good summer so far.
Kasey and her family can't believe it’s already July, but they've been enjoying what they can of a socially distant summer. They've been out on a few trips in their RV and it’s been a lot of fun (minus the crabby 3 year old brother). They've done a ton of swimming and playing outside. Kasey learned how to ride her bike without training wheels, and had some major scraped knees in the process!
Nolan has been enjoying his cousins' pool this summer, hanging with Grandma and Grandpa, and loving that baseball is back!
For the month of June Yesenia did a lot of swimming and soaking up the sun. She went to the Indiana Dunes for a couple weeks until their community pool opened up. Towards the end of June, Yesenia went on a family trip to Wisconsin Dells to celebrate her and her sister’s birthdays. Their birthdays are only one day apart! June has been a very busy and fun month for Yesenia!
Anna and her family have been spending lots of time outdoors these days! Anna loves to swim with her sisters and they are in the pool most days. They have also been doing a lot of family bike rides through the neighborhood. Anna and her sisters like to visit the Foster School parking lot. They got a new basketball hoop for the backyard. They have been practicing their skills and playing games with each other. It’s been so nice to be outside everyday soaking up the sunshine. Anna and her family have visited with her Grandparents outside in their backyards. It’s been nice to see them in person.
Kyla has been enjoying spending lots of time with her family! They’ve been enjoying the weather and have taken advantage and visited the beach a few times! They are spending lots of time in the pool and trying to make the best of the situation this summer! Kyla misses all of us and hopes everyone is staying healthy and safe!
Administration and Staff News:
Dr. Leppert has read some great books! Some were related to teaching and learning and some were for fun - legal thrillers are her favorite. She continues to Zoom with her daughters, sister and nieces for an almost daily workout. She and her daughter Sarah live together so they have started crafting - staining wood and making signs. She said that you never stop learning new things and how fun it was to have her daughter teach her. She wanted me to ask you all to make sure you are reading for 15 minutes a day. Students who read for 15 minutes a day score higher than 80% (that's 8 out of 10) of kids their age! As simple as that!
While Ms. Capouch is so happy to be on summer vacation, she is missing all of her Foster friends very much. In June she was able to get away and see a few friends. She has been spending all of her time outside, enjoying the beautiful sunshine. She’s read a few books and is looking forward to a week of fun in the sun at the lake with her family.
Ms. D’Ambrosio has been in Michigan with friends celebrating the 4th!
Mrs. Flores and her family have been busy trying to train their new puppy. They went to the beach one day; her kids had so much fun playing in the sand and looking for sea glass! They’ve also spent a lot of time working on their garden and yard!
Mrs. H. and her family have been going into their pool every day possible! They started redecorating both of her daughter's rooms, as they want a more "teen" feel. They have also been busy going to various travel softball games throughout IL and IN.
Ms. Katz has been enjoying walks along the lakefront this summer and catching up on her reading list!
Mrs. Leon continued to work and wrap things up for the end of the year, as well as continuing to work on her house. The first few days of July were a celebration for her family, as not only do they get to celebrate the 4th of July as a holiday, it is her father's birthday too. Mrs. Leon and her family went to their cabin in the woods for a whole week of swimming, relaxing, and peace and quiet! She hopes everyone is enjoying summer and staying safe from the heat!! She can't wait to see us all in the fall!
Ms. Mueller has really been enjoying the summer so far! Besides working in her garden, she has been spending time with her niece and nephew. She also enjoyed a couple of road trips to Michigan and Wisconsin!
In June Ms. B. O’Neill got a golden retriever named Cooper, and she got married; her new name is Mrs. Martens! She has done a lot of yard work to clean up the landscaping! Other than that, she’s had a lot of family time :)!
Mrs. Shepard and her family have been swimming and enjoying the outdoors a lot. They loved watching the fireworks on the 4th of July! They’re looking forward to enjoying the beautiful days ahead.
Mrs. Vargas has been trying to stay cool, participated in a math workshop, and is spending time with her kids. She's getting ready to celebrate her daughter Payton's 16th birthday at the end of the week!
As for me . . . Mr. Baytala and I finally got to see Kyle, Grayson, and Quinn “in person” the weekend of June 13th. We celebrated Father’s Day together too, and we're looking forward to celebrating Quinn’s 3rd birthday this coming weekend! Unfortunately we haven’t been able to see Ashleigh, Henry, and Pierre in person, but have enjoyed FaceTime visits! I’ve been spending lots of time in Michigan with Mr. Baytala, relaxing, soaking up that Vitamin D, reading, walking, and beachglassing :)! I passed my Google I Certification Test and enjoyed an EL Zoom workshop too.
Thanks to all of our families, administrators, and teachers who emailed information for this edition of our “Summer Snippets!” Our final edition will be coming out Wednesday, August 5th, so please do send any of your July/August news by 5:00 that day, and I’ll be sure to put it in our last edition!
Again, I miss seeing your smiling faces, but hope you’ve been enjoying your summer vakay too! Remember, taking some time to read every day and practicing your Math facts are both “sun”sational ideas! I hope lots of you are participating in a summer reading program! Just a reminder, if you're looking for some learning opportunities, there is a 1st Grade Summer Learning Choice board on our district website ~ www.d142.org I hope the rest of your July is safe and wonderful :)!
Love & Hugs,
Mrs. Baytala