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Happy New Year! We will see everyone back at school on Monday January 9th, 2023!
Kwanzaa is a week-long holiday held annually from December 26 to January 1. It celebrates family, culture, community, and the harvest. Kwanzaa focuses on seven essential principles, known as the Nguzo Saba, which are each represented by one day of the seven-day celebration. These principles are unity (umoja), self-determination (kujichagulia), collective work and responsibility (ujima), cooperative economics (ujamaa), purpose (nia), creativity (kuumba), and faith (imani). Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday, and families who celebrate Kwanzaa often celebrate it in addition to other holidays in this season. We wish you a Joyous Kwanzaa.
Christmas, is both a religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. People around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. D91 wishes you a Merry Christmas!
Happy Holidays! Our schools and offices will be closed from Friday, December 23rd to Friday, January 6th. Schools starts again on Monday, January 9th, 2023! Please enjoy the break and stay safe!
For many, the holidays are full of joy and wonder but, for others, the holidays and the cold winter days that follow can be the hardest. If you know someone who is struggling, or just want to promote general awareness, consider sharing information on 988 - the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, as well as Safe2Help Illinois (https://www.safe2helpil.com)
When individuals contact 988, "they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if necessary."
Safe2Help Illinois "offers students a safe, confidential way in which to share information that might help prevent suicides, bullying, school violence or other threats to school safety. This program is not intended to suspend, expel, or punish students. Rather, the goal is to get students to 'Seek Help Before Harm.'”
Need a vaccine for COVID-19? We are hosting a pop-up clinic on TOMORROW Saturday, December 10th from 9am-12pm in the FPMS Gym. Walk-ins welcome! Make an appointment and stop by for your booster. http://prism.org/forestparkd91
The Forest Park Tree Lighting and Holiday Walk was enjoyed by many D91 Families. We were happy to be a part of such a special evening for our community, joy was in the air! Did you get a chance to do a Carriage Ride? #exploreforestpark
Need a vaccine for COVID-19? We are hosting a pop-up clinic on Saturday, December 10th from 9am-12pm in the FPMS Gym. Make an appointment and stop by for your booster. http://prism.org/forestparkd91
Our students will have a long break over the Thanksgiving holiday. There is no student attendance next week 11/21-11/25. Classes resume on 11/28/22. We are thankful and grateful for all of our students and families!
A resource on reframing how we talk with young children about Thanksgiving: https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2022/11/16/how-to-talk-to-kids-about-thanksgiving?fbclid=IwAR14X5Y1TVz7dz4MVp3zVq00vBrXpez_s68eoiDRYc0O9xuh2tziDAS9ba0
Class is in session tomorrow, Veterans Day. We will be having various activities at our different schools to express our gratitude to our Veteran community members. At D91 we honor all who have served.
As a reminder we will not have school next week Tuesday. We do have classes on Monday and we hope to see everyone bright and early! Have a good weekend and remember to make a plan to vote!
November is Native American Heritage Month. During this month we celebrate Indigenous people and rededicate ourselves to honoring Tribal sovereignty, promoting Tribal self-determination, and upholding the United States’ solemn trust and treaty responsibilities to Tribal Nations.
Happy Halloween D91, we hope everyone enjoyed dressing up today. Stay Safe!
D91 had an amazing time this weekend at the Park District's Trunk or Treat. We hope we didn't spook everyone too much on our bus!
Betsy Ross and Garfield came together for their Unity Day Assembly this morning. We are striking out bullying with the White Sox Southpaw. We love the anti-bullying message shared and the energy and participation of our students.
Make sure you stop by the Junction Diner today and support our Forest Park PTO. District office staff got their lunch order in 🚂
Indigenous Peoples Day is to celebrate and honor Native American people and their culture. Indigenous People’s day was previously known as Columbus Day, however we now understand and recognized how this was eraser of the history that already existed. To this day, there are only 14 states that acknowledge Indigenous People’s Day, and Illinois is one of them. It is a day off as we take time for reflection on tribal roots and native land. D91 encourages you lean more on how you can support Indigenous communities and learn about the history and culture of Native American people. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/national-museum-american-indian/2022/09/26/five-ideas-for-celebrating-indigenous-peoples-day-2022/
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. This month we put efforts at bringing awareness to the issue of bullying. What is Bullying? Bullying is unwanted, aggressive or harmful behavior. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose. Bullying can also take place through technology, known as cyberbullying. Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles. This month we work on becoming caring and supportive classmates, peers and community members.
Yesterday was Custodian Appreciation Day!! Thank you to all of our building and grounds staff for all they do for our district, our schools and our children. Custodians are our first line of defense against gems and help us to ensure safe and clean spaces for learning!