Selected as a 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019, and 2019-2020 NASET (National Association of Special Education Teachers) School of Excellence

Maryville Jen School October 2019

Principal’s Address: Greetings and Happy Fall,

We are looking forward to seeing parents and guardians on October 24th for our annual Open House and Parent/Teacher Conferences. Please be sure to contact your son/daughter's teacher to schedule a conference.

We are also excited to share with parents and guardians our new interactive database solution – Blackbaud k-12 for education. There is a portal for parents/guardians to log in to access their child's academic information. Demonstrations will be held during Parent/Teacher Conferences.

This past week Jen School was honored to host the CAAEL –Chicago Area Alternative Education League flag football tournament. The emphasis of CAAEL is not a win/loss record. The emphasis is on sportsmanship, teamwork and of course, having fun. I am so very proud of the Jen School students and coaches for demonstrating exceptional sportsmanship and being awarded the John Martin Sportsmanship Award trophy.

I was able to watch some of the games and I was in awe of the level of sportsmanship on display, not only by the Jen School students but all of the students on the various fields. It is not often that we can “catch” our students or others being their true selves and enjoying the moment. Sharing a high –five after a touchdown or a smile of acknowledgment are simple acts of kindness that can easily be taken for granted.

Whether it be an act of sportsmanship on the field or an act of compassion, I encourage you to join our students and faculty in spreading random acts of kindness.

Be Safe,

Ann M. Craig Principal – Jen School Director of Educational Services - Maryville

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Follow @jenschool on Instagram!

Tweet @jenschooleagles on Twitter!

Social Media

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INVEST By: Kyiare - Student

My name is Kyiare and I’m an employee in INVEST at Jen School. Lately, me and my coworkers have been working on many different tasks like creating stencil signs for Jammin with Jen, an event that just passed but had a great turnout. We also have been learning about using green screens and media equipment to make videos for Open House and Parent Teacher Conferences on October 24. Come check out what we’ve been up to!

By: Moisette McNerney - Teacher

In preparation for Jammin’ With Jen, students throughout the building put their numerous skills and gifts to work. Students built and painted pallet signs. Classes could regularly be found toiling in the garden planting, weeding, tilling, watering, and harvesting. Other students made massive quantities of jam to sell at the benefit. A group of students created an exquisite garden diorama and then turned their talents to designing vases. During the week of the benefit, students worked in any of the three kitchens zesting lemons, frying eggplant, cleaning lettuce, scrubbing potatoes, cleaning and chopping fruit, and baking cheesecakes and pies. This flurry of activity offered the students the most valuable learning experience imaginable: a glimpse into real life activities. Referred to as life skills, the aforementioned tasks are those that help students find new ways of thinking and problem solving while recognizing the impact of their actions in a positive way. The short term goal is developing a sense of pride as well as ownership and accomplishment. The long term goal can ultimately lead students to learn to take responsibility for what they are capable of doing rather than focusing on negatives. Down the road, it is our hope that these opportunities help our students learn to collaborate with others, think critically and creatively, communicate effectively, and build healthy relationships. In other words, grow into confident, productive adults. See a comprehensive list of all the tasks completed by Jen School students on the next page.

Health Beat: National Anti-Bullying Month By: Tracy Mullen – School Nurse October is National Anti-bullying month. Recent surveys show

that about one in five students admit to having been bullied.

Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior, whether face to face

or via social media (cyberbullying). It involves a real or

perceived power imbalance and the behavior is repeated, or

has the potential to be repeated, over time. Bullying can have

serious health, physical and psychological effects on all

involved.

Ways to help kids prevent bullying: We can teach kids to act

with awareness, tranquility, respect and confidence. Adults

should, stay aware, set a good example, intervene to stop

unsafe or disrespectful behavior, and teach kids to act with

kindness and respect towards others.

Ways to protect yourself against cyberbullying: Think before

you post - don’t post anything you don’t want to share with

everyone. Don’t share - keep your passwords a secret. Talk to

adults - keep your parents in the loop or talk to an adult you

trust about messages you get or things you see happening.

Act with kindness.

C L A S S R O O M C O R N E R

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Student Submission: Dear World – A letter about depression By: Alysia Sierra Dear World, Do you ever feel like you're not you? Like you’re a visitor in your own body? Or even mind? Like, you wake up, get ready to move from point A to point B. And the whole time you’re moving...you feel like you’re not. Your body has been taken over. I feel like that every day. I feel like a stranger through my eyes. I feel like I’m here but I’m not. I’m in another world...apart from everybody. I’m the outsider. I’m on the moon and everybody is back here on Earth. And I’m alone… Being alone has it’s good and bad days. Maybe you want to be alone, cos that’s how some people remember who they are. Maybe it’s comforting. Maybe it’s someone’s reality...You came in this world alone, why would you need someone now? Or when you’re dead? Nowadays people have everything f***ed up. Just cos people wanna be alone, doesn’t mean they’re weird or antisocial or anything for that matter. It’s who they are. People who are depressed...are their own person as well. But depression isn’t something cool to have or claim like a gang. It isn’t an award to be diagnosed with it. It also isn’t something you should look down on someone for. You don’t know what someone went through, or is going through. You know it’s a process with depression. It either starts @ school & comes home with you. OR...it starts at home. Most likely at a young age, & it kinda forms you as you grow-up. For the people who have it happen at school...it starts off with someone not liking you. That 1 hater. But they have a clique, so if 1 hates, they all hate. And if you’re not in the click but you wanna be a cool kid, you become a hater. So now you got all these haters, here comes the rumors & bullying. They call you names, make jokes, physical abuse, harassment, etc. And you know when you’re young, you try to shrug it off. You suppress your true feelings, & put out the wall of fakeness. You continue to live life but behind fakeness. You go home & start to isolate from family. Close your door, listen to music & shut out the world. Your family doesn’t think nothin of it, just thinkin teenage stuff. Or maybe they’re too busy for that?? You go to school & and it’s the same sh*t, different day. Soon enough you get tired of it. You’re lost don’t know what to do. So you go to 1 or 2 things. Self-harm or suicide. This is where it gets rough & most people don’t know cos they’ve never felt the way you felt b4. They think they have but barely scratched the surface. Self-harm is an escape...a cry for help. It’s never for attention. May seem like it, but people cry for help in many different ways. When people self-harm it’s like an illusion. You feel that by hurting yourself all the pain from everyone else will go away. You feel like you have the power when you hurt yourself, rather than others doing it to you. But now you gotta hide whatever you did. And once someone sees or you tell someone you thought was a friend or someone you could confide in...that sh*t will spread like wildfire. Now you got more sh*t goin around bout you cos you know people like to change up the story. Now you’re to the point where you feel you have had enough. You don’t wanna go to anyone anymore cos you feel they’ll judge or listen to everyone else. So you take matters into your hands. You got these loud voices in your head, yelling at you! And you feel so small now. You’re just done, you don’t know what to think or believe. So you take all these problems & remove yourself. The intent for it to be permanent. But not knowing til it’s done...

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What’s Happening at Jen? CAAEL By: Donna Hoffman – School Psychologist If you happen to hear your student talk about CAAEL, he/she is referring to the Chicago Area Alternative Education League of which Jen school is a proud member. CAAEL offers leagues and tournaments for chess, bowling, art, soccer, volleyball, softball, flag football, basketball, academic bowls and spelling bees. Jen School participates/competes in these activities against other alternative schools. The emphasis of CAAEL is not on winning or losing, but on Sportsmanship! CAAEL can be a positive motivator for our students as they have to be eligible each week to compete in our games against other schools. Students are chosen based on their daily behavior and how well they follow school expectations and keep up with their academics each week. They are expected to display leadership and character at CAAEL events by interacting positively with peers, showing respect for authority figures, working as a team, demonstrating compassion and tolerance, winning and losing gracefully, making thoughtful decisions, and accepting both the positive and negative consequences of their decisions and actions. Right now the flag football season is underway; we had our first game last Friday 9/20 and will play throughout October. We also hosted a tournament at Jen School on October 1st. Eight schools came to play 3 games each and the tournament concluded with a pizza lunch provided by CAAEL. Jen School had 16 eligible students participate in the tournament, and according to Jen School coach Dan Baffin, the outlook for student participation in CAAEL events this year is very positive. We are off to a good start with the number of students being eligible, the teamwork displayed and how the students have been encouraging each other, and the overall sportsmanship! Jen School was awarded the Sportsmanship Trophy for the tournament, and as a result of a pretournament wager, Coach Dan shaved his beard at an all school assembly on Wednesday. It’s shaping up to be a good year for the Jen School Eagles! For more information about CAAEL, please visit their website at www.caael.org.

Jen Events SAVE THE DATE! By: Mark Trerotola – Teacher

It’s that time of year again when Jen School opens their doors to show off all that is happening in the classrooms. The Jen School Open House and Parent Teacher Conferences will be occurring on October 24, 2019 from 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm. This is a great opportunity to meet your child’s teachers, see their classroom and ask questions to school staff. You will receive a sign up form in the mail; please fill it out and return it as soon as possible so we can accommodate all requests. Don’t have a student enrolled at Jen School, but want to see what we’re up to? Come on by! Jen School staff will be running guided tours of the building in between conferences. Hope to see you there! Another date that you want to put on your calendar is our annual Holiday Sip & Shop. This is a holiday craft fair and vendor show that will take place on November 8, 2019 from 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm. This will be held inside the Stevens Center located on Maryville’s Des Plaines campus at 1150 N. River Rd. A $10 entry fee will automatically get you an entry for door prizes. Drinks and Lite Bites are included with your entry fee. All proceeds from this event will benefit Jen School.

Monthly Yoga Pose By: Tracy Mullen – School Nurse & Yoga Instructor

Uttanasana- Standing forward fold.

Uttana= intense asana= pose

As tadasana (mountain pose) flows into uttanasana (standing forward fold), we remain fully grounded to the earth through our feet, up through our legs, into the core; and bending our upper bodies forward and down, we both release and surrender to the earth and gravity.

From mountain pose open your feet hip distance and parallel to each other. Stretch the upper body up from the pelvis and bring arms overhead (Inhale). Hinging at the hip joints and with a flat back slowly bend the upper body toward your legs (Exhale). You may stay here for a few deep breaths and may keep a slight bend in the knees. Slowly one vertebrae at a time return to standing bringing arms overhead (Inhale). Bring arms down to side palms facing forward (Exhale). Be cautious if you’ve had a back injury, have high blood pressure (go into the pose gradually) or low blood pressure (come out of the pose very slowly).

Benefits: Calms the brain and nervous system to help relieve stress and mild depression, stimulates the liver and kidneys, stretches the hamstrings, calves

and hips, reduces fatigue and anxiety and improves digestions.

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