E. H. Sutherland Elementary School

10015 S. Leavitt Avenue
Chicago, IL 60643

773-535-2580
773-535-2621 fax

Catherine Gannon
Principal

Maureen Elwood
Assistant Principal

Ms. Annie Malone, Counselor/Case Mgr

Ms. Jeanmarie Ford, School Clerk

Click here for the 2008/09 Sutherland Parent Handbook in pdf format.

Click here for
Matrix of School Wide Expectations.

Click here if you need to download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader™ program.

Photo Gallery
Click here.

Visitors since
9/1/04

Sutherland School Newsletter - September 2007

Open House/Curriculum Night
We had a great opening week of school. Thanks to all of you for your cooperation. Next week we will have our Open House will take place as follows: Thursday, September 13th for grades 6-8 and Thursday, September 20th for grades K-5. The purpose of these events is for orientation or to meet and greet your child’s teacher. If you should require a conference please schedule one for any other time. I look forward to seeing you there.
The Open House Schedule is as follows:

Please mark your calendars accordingly.

Join the PTA/First Meeting
The best schools have a great deal of involvement by parents and community members. Please be sure to join the PTA. The first PTA meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 11th @ 9:00 a.m.

PTA Monthly Virtues
The PTA will be sponsoring an essay and poster contest in conjunction with their monthly virtues program. September’s focus is on Peace.

Peace Events at School
The school will be having several events in alignment with the theme of Peace. Our annual Peace Pole Dedication will take place on September 12th at 9:30. Parents can meet us on Leavitt @ 9:30. We will also be having special workshops for our students through the Cook County Youth Service Program. The SAVE and STB programs are for helping to prevent violence and providing students with coping mechanisms for conflict. Some students from the IB program will be going to Grant Park to see a special exhibit by Doctor’s Without Borders. A special refugee camp will be set up for individuals to tour. Our students have a scheduled tour but any one can go to Grant Park to see it with their family.

LSC Meeting
The LSC will meet on Tuesday, September 11th at 4:00 p.m.

Volunteers for Reading Buddies. PAWS program and Parent Patrol
We are looking for volunteers for some special programs which will be beginning this year. I would like to recruit about 30 volunteers to be Reading Buddies to primary students. This entails about an hour or two a week of coming to work with students in a particular classroom. Volunteers will be trained in specific strategies and would be sincerely appreciated. Volunteers can be parents, grandparents or community members who have an hour or more a week to give to some of our students.

We would also like to start a Parent Patrol. We need interested volunteers who would be willing to assist in the morning or afternoon at arrival and dismissal. Please fill out the volunteer form. The Chicago Police Department will come to do special training for Parent Patrol. I am also looking for volunteers to do some specific activities and help in the office from time to time. We are also looking for volunteers for our PAWS program and events.If you are interested and able to volunteer some time please fill out the form and return it to the office. A form will be sent home with this newsletter. Please fill out the form and return to the school. They will also be available at Open House.

Entertainment Books
We will be having the Entertainment Book fundraiser this year. Proceeds will go to maintain and improve the website. Communication is important and we would like to keep the website updated. There will be a monthly newsletter, calendar and other pertinent information kept on the website for easy access for parents. The entertainment book fundraiser is totally voluntary and will be sent home with on Monday September 10th. If you do not want to buy or sell please send book back immediately. Return them in the envelope with your child’s name so that you are credited for returning the book. You may simply return the book, buy the book, or show it to your friends and neighbors and take orders to sell the book. The books and orders must be turned in by September 29th. The choice is yours return, buy one or buy yours and take orders for more. However, if you remember to use any of the coupons the books pay for themselves very quickly.

I Madonnari Festival
The “I Madonnari” Festival (Italian Street Painting) will take place on Saturday, September 22nd from 12- 4 p.m. Please plan to attend. It is a lovely event an opportunity to visit, shop and see the work of many local and student artists.

Website
Please continue to check the website. All newsletters, calendars and other pertinent information will be posted on this site.

PAWS Program
Please review the PAWS matrix of school wide behaviors with your child. A form was sent home that explained the program and asked for you to discuss with your child and sign –off that you had received this information. Please return the signed sheets to the school.

Arrival and Dismissal
Students are to arrive to school no earlier than 8:45. There is no one to supervise them before this time. Parents who can walk their children to school are encouraged to do so to keep the traffic to a minimum. Those who do drive are asked to drop their children off next to the curb and then leave the premises. Students are to be picked up at 2:45. No one should enter the parking lot before or after school, as there is a great deal of pedestrian traffic at that time. If your child forgets their lunch please know that we have extra lunches and they will be fed. Lunches can be purchased at the school.

No School on September 26th
On Wednesday, September 26th students will not be in attendance. There is no school on Wednesday September 26th. It is a Professional Development Day.

Absence from School
Thanks to all the parents who have been calling the school to report absences from school. Please notify the school by telephone if your child will be absent from school. You can leave a voice mail at any time. We appreciate your cooperation. Parents should call the school when their child will be absent from school. It is important that we know that the students are safe. It is preferred that the parents call the school by 9:15 so that we know your child is at home with you. You can call and leave a voice mail as early as 7 a.m.

Drivers in and around the school
Please be courteous and cautious when dropping off or picking up students. We need you to respect the traffic patterns and safety patrol crossing areas. Please do not block crosswalks, double-park to drop off or park and wait unnecessarily blocking traffic and creating congestion.

Safety and Security
Visitors (anyone who is not a staff member or student) will not be allowed to be in the building unless they have entered through the office, signed in and received a visitor’s pass. Please do not enter with the children or through any door other than the office door on Hamilton to obtain a pass.