Dear Palombi families:
December is upon us, as is a change in weather and upcoming holidays! Please remember that students at Palombi participate in an outdoor recess three days per week when the wind chill is above 25 degrees. Students should be prepared with appropriate clothing to handle the inclement weather.
In addition to reminding students to dress for the weather, I wanted to share the information below, which outlines different weather predictions and district responses.
Cold Days - The National Weather Service predicts wind chills below -30 degrees.
Snow Days - The National Weather Service predicts heavy snow or icy conditions overnight or that worsen during the day.
Other Considerations - The National Weather Service predicts blowing snow, winds greater than 20 mph, heavy snow accumulations during travel times, hazardous driving conditions, or ice accumulation. Or there is a concern about the ability of buses to start due to extreme cold and power outages.
E-Learning Days - An E-Learning Day may be used as an alternative to being fully closed. These days do not need to be made up at the end of the year. Students and staff would be notified before the end of the preceding day to bring their Chromebooks home.
Parents - Please make sure your contact information is up to date. If schools are open, parents may keep a child home due to weather. They will be marked as excused, however remote learning is not an option under these circumstances.
If Schools are Closed - A district-wide alert will be sent out via phone and email as early as possibly (hopefully the night before). Parents can also check the district’s website atwww.district41.org.
Thank you for reading!
Angela Sisi
Principal
Staff Shout-Out What is a Teacher Shout-Out?
A Teacher Shout-Out is an unsolicited special recognition that acknowledges a Palombi staff member who has really helped you or your student or has been highly effective and motivating. Our staff takes great pride in helping students achieve their potential. Take a few minutes and let a staff member know how much you appreciate their work at the following link: Staff Shoutout
Palombi Leaders Today and Tomorrow Wall of Fame
Palombi has a Wall of Fame in our building! Currently, we acknowledge past students: Officer Mike Lill, Class of 1988, Professional BMX Racer Felicia Stancil, Class of 2009, NFL Player TJ Edwards, Class of 2010, Leader Meghan Butler, Class of 2015,and Bluecoat (Band) World Champion Christina Duffy, Class of 2008. We would love to add to these outstanding past students. If you know of another past alumni, please complete the following form to nominate Palombi alumni who have demonstrated leadership qualities throughout the community and beyond to be displayed on a wall in the school. Leaders of Today and Tomorrow Nomination Form
NOTES FROM THE OFFICE
Forgotten Items I
f your child forgets an item at home and you feel it is absolutely necessary to bring it to school for them, please know that we have a forgotten items cart inside our office. Once you are in the office, please sign your students’ full name on a post-it note, place it on the correct grade level shelf, and we will try to deliver those items as soon as possible. Students aren’t able to use their phones during the day and shouldn’t be texted about missing items.
Honor Roll
First Trimester honor roll certificates are being created. They will be sent home within the new few weeks. Congratulations to all of the students who will receive a certificate and worked hard to earn this honor. We look forward to more students reaching their Wildly Important Goals and earning this for the second trimester.
ACTIVITIES AND ATHLETICS
Hawthorn Invitational
The dance and cheer teams are competing in the Hawthorn Invitational at Hawthorn Middle School North on Friday, December 8th. The cheer competition begins at 5 pm and the dance competition begins at 7:30 pm. Admission: $5 adults (18+) and $2 for students (5-17). There will be concessions available as well. We hope to see you there to support our teams!!
Volleyball Tryouts
Volleyball tryouts will be held January 8th and 9th for 6th-8th grade girls and January 10th and 11th for 6th-8th grade boys. Students MUST have a physical on file and have signed up for tryouts in order to participate. Tryout signup will close on December 20th and there must be a physical on file by January 8, 2024.
National Junior Honor Society
Students who applied to join the National Junior Honor Society will be notified of their application status via email on Friday, December 8th. There will be an induction ceremony for accepted applicants and their families on Wednesday, December 20th in the auditorium at 5 p.m. More information will be emailed to these students and their parents or guardians.
Thank you to everyone who donated to the Lake Villa Toy Drive! Thanks to all of your help, our NJHS members were able to purchase $1,060 worth of toys for children throughout the community to have a wonderful holiday season!
After School Enrichments
The sign-up form for session 3 of after school enrichments will be available on the Palombi website on January 22nd. If your student has an idea for a new club that they would like to have offered, please have them email Ms. Kaplan at emily.kaplan@district41.org.
Palombi Players
Palombi Players is excited to present “30 Reasons Not To Be In A Play” on December 15th at 7 pm and 16th at 2 pm and 5 pm. Tickets are $5 for students and $7 for Adults. Reserve your seats by following this link!
Jazz Band
The Jazz Band has been hard at work preparing for our upcoming performance on Tuesday December 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium.
Spelling Bee
The school spelling bee will be held on Tuesday, January 23rd. Students will be able to sign up to participate through a Google Form that will be posted in students’ ELA Google Classrooms in January.
Yearbook
The 2023 Yearbook is on sale for $35. Buy your yearbook now! Reserve your copy only online at jostensyearbooks.com or call 1-877-767-5217 to place your order. Don't delay, order today!
Any questions? Please contact Amanda Foy via email at amanda.scheltensfoy@district41.org
Volunteer Night
Please join us for a family volunteer night at Feed My Starving Children in Libertyville. The Future Leaders team and NJHS encourage all students and families to sign up to help pack food for the less fortunate on Friday, January 12 from 7-8:30 pm. Through volunteering at FMSC, you’ll get the chance to impact hundreds of kids. You’ll experience what it’s like to make a tangible difference. This is a wonderful way to show our students the importance of giving back. Use the link below to sign up now.
http://www.fmsc.org/join-group...
Message from Grant High School
Starting this year Grant High School will use a blended model for the transition to high school. Student registration will be online, and will be open from January 8, 2024 - February 2, 2024. Families will receive individual letters the first full week of January communicating their specific Skyward Login information and how to register their student.
Enrollment night for Palombi students is on January 27, 2024 from 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., with doors opening at 6:00pm for ID pictures and campus exploration. Each feeder middle school is assigned a different night, which allows for more personalized conversations. This is an event for both incoming students and parents, and attendance is very highly recommended.
Finally, Grant High School will host an Activity and Athletics Fair Night on April 10, 2024 from 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m in Grant’s East and West gyms. All incoming freshmen and their parents are encouraged to attend.
Please contact Grant High School for more information.
Message from Grayslake North High School
We are excited to meet with your student(s) at Palombi in January to select classes for your students' freshman year at Grayslake North. Recommendations will be made by Grayslake North's Department Chairs of English, Math, Science and Social Studies based on a number of factors, including but not limited to PSAT scores, MAP scores, etc. We will be sending you a list of appointment times in the next few weeks. Also, please let your eighth grade parents know that we look forward to seeing them at our Welcome Knight on January 11, 2024. We will showcase Grayslake North, our clubs, sports, have classroom demonstrations and parents will get their students' course recommendations. More information will be sent to your parents from Grayslake North in the next few weeks.
Please contact Grayslake High School for more information.
Message from Lakes High School
Please see the attached flier for information on the Open House for the class of 2028.
Please contact Lakes High School for more information.
IMPORTANT DATES
Links to all dates can be found here: Palombi Full Calendar of Events
Dec. 11 Lake Villa District 41 Board of Education Meeting - 7:00 p.m.
Dec. 15 Palombi Players Program - 7:00 p.m.
Dec. 16 Palombi Players Program - 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Dec. 19 Jazz Band Performance- 6:00 p.m.
Dec. 20 NJHS Induction Ceremony 5:00 p.m.
Dec. 25 Winter Break Begins
Jan. 8 School Resumes