
Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences are fast approaching and will be held on Thursday, November 11, 1:00-8:00 PM. These meetings will be held primarily virtually via Microsoft Teams or Zoom. However, if you would like to request an in-person conference, please contact your child's teacher. Parents who request in-person conferences may be asked to provide evidence of COVID-19 vaccination and/or negative test results. Please contact the office of your child's school with any questions. If you have already setup conferences with your teacher(s), this notice does not change that schedule.
Coolidge Elementary School will also be hosting another COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Thursday, November 11 from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM. The Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines - including the booster - may all be offered during this time. Participants should enter through Door 3. You are welcome to contact the IDPH Hotline at 1-833-621-1284 for more information.

Coolidge Songs of Peace
https://youtu.be/Niunjwf0d7A

We are happy to announce that our school food service will deliver meals to your home at no cost to you starting in January 2021. Please click the link below to complete a form if you would like to have A'viands deliver contactless free meals to your home for all children under 18 years old. All responses are to be submitted by Thursday, December 10, 2020. If you are having any trouble filling out the form, please call the office at 708-474-4320 and leave a message. Someone will call you back to assist. All Lansing 158 schools will continue to provide grab-and-go meals as well that can be picked up on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM. Click this link to fill-out the form and request the A'viands contactless meal delivery service.
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=kMQKIr5K70SbTZDuHzTj5rw1foL2SLJPiN0758PbmLtUMDM5VjNHOTRYRUtaWUpTSkFFT1pTRTBFNS4u

November 9, 2020
Attention #158Strong Families & Community:
Due to increasing COVID-19 cases in our area, all Lansing School District 158 facilities will be closed this week through Friday, November 13. E-Learning for all students will continue during this time, staff will be available remotely, and grab-and-go meals will continue to be offered on Wednesday, November 11. Onsite student testing and services will transition temporarily to a virtual format. Please email your child's principal with any questions. Take care and stay safe.
Sincerely,
Lansing School District 158
9 de noviembre, 2020
Atención Familias y Comunidad #158Fuerte:
Debido al aumento de los casos de COVID-19 en nuestra área, todos los edificios del Distrito Escolar 158 de Lansing permanecerán cerrados esta semana hasta el viernes 13 de noviembre. El E-Learning para todos los estudiantes continuará durante este tiempo, el personal estará disponible de forma remota y las comidas para llevar continuarán ofreciéndose el miércoles 11 de noviembre. Los exámenes y los servicios de los alumnos en el sitio pasarán temporalmente a un formato virtual. Por favor envíe un correo electrónico al director de su hijo con cualquier pregunta. Cuídense y manténganse sanos.
Atentamente,
Distrito Escolar de Lansing 158

October 30, 2020
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
Lansing School District 158 will be holding Virtual Parent/Teacher Conferences next Monday, November 2, 1:00-8:00 PM at all five of our schools. Please contact your child's teachers to sign-up if you haven't already. There will be no school on Tuesday, November 3 for Election Day and our buildings will remain closed on Wednesday, November 4 for deep cleaning. E-Learning will continue to take place on November 4-6 next week and our staff will be available while working remotely. Contact the office of your child's school with any questions and Happy Halloween!
Sincerely,
Lansing School District 158

Coolidge staff said goodbye to Mr. Frank, our wonderful daytime lead custodian. He retired last Friday. Mr. Frank made great connections with our staff and students. He was always there to help everyone and made all of us smile. His positive energy will be greatly missed. Best of luck in retirement, Mr. Frank! #158Strong #CoolidgeCares

Coolidge staff said goodbye to Mr. Frank, our wonderful daytime lead custodian. He retired last Friday. Mr. Frank made great connections with our staff and students. He was always there to help everyone and made all of us smile. His positive energy will be greatly missed. Best of luck in retirement, Mr. Frank! #158Strong #CoolidgeCares

Coolidge recently piloted kindergarten assessments onsite! The teachers gained information about what skills each individual child has mastered. This data will be shared with parents on the first quarter report card this week and used to guide their instruction during the second quarter. #CoolidgeCares

Need a book to read at home? The Coolidge Outdoor Library is now open! Stop by between 8:15 and 3:15 and borrow a book or two. When you finish the books, bring them back and take more. We know our Coolidge students have learned about trustworthiness, so there is no need to check it out. We trust you to bring it back when you are finished. Happy Reading! #CoolidgeCares

Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year from our Coolidge Cougars staff! We were excited to see 538 of our families yesterday for material pickup. Thank you families for your positivity, care, and support as we begin this unconventional year. #CoolidgeCares
https://www.facebook.com/LansingSD158/posts/3213941888701865

June 8, 2020
Attention Parent(s)/Guardian(s):
Lansing School District 158 will be starting summer food service tomorrow 9:00-11:00 AM at Coolidge Elementary School. Procedures will be the same as grab-and-go meals during the school closure - please drop by for your breakfast and lunch! We will also safety be rescheduling a few activities that were planned for last week, including reverse car parades and diploma pickup at Memorial Junior High. Be on the lookout for communication from your child's school with more information.
We wish all of our families an enjoyable start to the summer.
Take care and be safe,
Lansing School District 158

June 1, 2020
Attention Parent(s)/Guardian(s):
It is with a heavy heart that we inform you that all activities at District 158's five schools - including grab-and-go-meals at Coolidge, diploma pickup at Memorial, and car parades at our elementary buildings - are being cancelled on June 2-3, 2020 due to ongoing safety concerns. The start of summer meals is also being postponed until further notice. We will inform you when these activities will resume and again appreciate your flexibility during these difficult and unprecedented times. This may not be how we were planning to end the 2019-2020 school year but the health, safety, and well-being of our students, staff, and families are of the utmost importance.
District 158's staff will continue to be available remotely and parents who would like to setup individual, reserved registration appointments starting this Thursday, June 4 may still do so. Remember that all appropriate safety precautions will be observed. We wish all of our families well with the end of the school year and start of Summer Break. Please keep calm, be safe, and stay #158Strong!
Sincerely,
Lansing School District 158

May 31, 2020
Attention Parent(s)/Guardian(s):
Please be aware that all onsite activities at District 158's five schools, including grab-and-go-meals at Coolidge, are cancelled tomorrow due to safety concerns communicated by the Village of Lansing. We deeply regret any issues this may present for our families and appreciate your flexibility during these challenging times. Staff will continue to be available remotely tomorrow. We will inform you if any additional closures are needed the rest of the week.
Sincerely,
Lansing School District 158

During this time of uncertainty, the Coolidge staff wishes our community Happy times. We hope we make you smile! Stand up and dance with us! #CoolidgeCares
https://www.facebook.com/LansingSD158/videos/265336747919990/

Our #158Strong families have been dropping by this week to pickup their students' belongings. Please join us today (Wednesday, May 13) at Coolidge, Oak Glen, and Reavis 9:00-11:00 AM or Memorial 9:00 AM-3:00 PM (sixth grade) if you haven't had a chance to do so. Memorial's graduates have also been taking pictures in their caps and gowns, which are being provided free this year because of the pandemic. Look for an announcement soon about our #MightyMustangs Graduation - we are incredibly proud of our eighth graders! This may not be how any of us pictured ending the year but we're having fun, staying safe, and celebrating the end of the year together. Parents, thank you for your partnership during this unprecedented time. #CoolidgeCares #OakGlenGrizzlies #RoadrunnerPride

Author Mary Nhin joined Mrs. Lam’s third grade class for a Zoom call. She read her book, “Positive Ninja” (a mindfulness book about managing negative emotions and feelings), discussed what it takes to become an author, and answered questions. The students really enjoyed learning from her! #CoolidgeCares

Music Teacher Mrs. Stephens would love for you to sing along for fun!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyRQG5szedhtTDR9DcTiAGg/?app=desktop&fbclid=IwAR0Ml-nTPE7m9Kn_Yy1E-jZZjdcNWvhQJ58dIXxIeOIwCHL3v4jgMHrROBA

Lansing School District 158 has been named a 2020 Best Community for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation! This is a national award that has only been given to 754 school districts across the United States this year. Congratulations to our #158Strong Music Team - Mr. Becker, Mrs. DiGrispino, Ms. Rumbles, Mrs. Stephens, and Mrs. Yonkers - for the excellent work they are doing to educate Lansing's students in the fine and performing arts!

Despite the challenges of recent weeks, District 158 is proud to announce that our renovation and expansion of Coolidge Elementary School has been named a 2020 Outstanding Project by LEARNING BY DESIGN! Below is the article from their most recent publication, which highlights the top school architecture projects across the country. Congratulations! #158Strong

In response to COVID-19 developments, some internet providers are offering free services to low-income families and households with students.
https://5il.co/eoau

Attention Families: In addition to grab-and-go meals being offered at Coolidge and other local TFEC sites, see the link below for a meal finder that will help you find food services while schools are closed. Keep Calm and Stay #158Strong!
https://www.fns.usda.gov/meals4kids

Reavis Principal Mr. Kostopoulos completed the final preparations for Home Learning Activities Week 3. These new activities can be found on the district website. Paper copies can be picked up from the Coolidge Kitchen (Door 4) from 9:00 am to 11:00 am when our grab-and-go meals are also available. Happy learning!

District 158 has been safely completing our donation of 50 refurbished laptop computers to families in need during the school closure. The picture below is from Reavis last week. This initiative allows more students to remain engaged in learning activities and access educational technology. Computers are being donated at all five schools. Thanks to our #158Strong Board of Education for approving this!

Even though we're practicing safe social distancing because of the shelter-in-place, our #158Strong District Leadership Team is still meeting, planning, and doing everything we can to ensure the safety, wellbeing, and continuity of education for our students. This picture is from our most recent video conference. Email is the best way to get ahold of us right now - we look forward to hearing from you!

Attention Memorial Parents: our Eighth Grade Family Information Night scheduled for 6:00 PM today has been cancelled due to inclement weather. We will reschedule in the near future. Coolidge parents, we are also cancelling fifth grade morning practice tomorrow. They will meet again on Tuesday, February 11. Please drive safe and be careful in this snow

Attention Memorial Parents: our Eighth Grade Family Information Night scheduled for 6:00 PM today has been cancelled due to inclement weather. We will reschedule in the near future. Coolidge parents, we are also cancelling fifth grade morning practice tomorrow. They will meet again in Tuesday, February 11. Please drive safe and be careful in this snow

We are excited about the Lansing Area Elementary Science Fair this Saturday, February 1 at Reavis Elementary School! Doors open at 8:30 a.m. Enter at Door #1. We currently have 88 projects registered for the fair. Judging will begin at 9:15 a.m. Public viewing will begin at 12:00 p.m. The awards ceremony will begin at 12:30 p.m. Hope to see you there!

Band Director Mr. Becker has a student teacher! Mr. Canning - shown here leading a low brass sectional at Oak Glen - joins us for the spring semester from VanderCook College of Music. Dr. Schilling, a former band director himself, also dropped by to give the students a few tips. This is #158Strong music education!

Band Director Mr. Becker has a student teacher! Mr. Canning - shown here leading a low brass sectional at Oak Glen - joins us for the spring semester from VanderCook College of Music. Dr. Schilling, a former band director himself, also dropped by to give the students a few tips. This is #158Strong music education!

January 16, 2020 was a great day to be a Coolidge Cougar. We received over $20,000 in donated books and supplies from Enchanted Backpack! Students sang "One Small Voice" as our great custodial staff unloaded everything and were treated to grade level dances and a flashmob featuring their teachers and Mayor Eidam. A special thanks to Coolidge 2nd Grade Teacher Mrs. Cappizano for completing the application with Enchanted Backpack, whose drivers described our educational climate as "vibrant." Outstanding job, Coolidge - you are #158Strong!
https://www.facebook.com/LansingSD158/videos/218051365876093/

Coolidge teacher, Nichole Harris, hosted the fifth annual Pajama Drive at Coolidge. This event was highlighted with a PJs with the Parents night put on by Coolidge PBIS members on December 4th. This is the second time that this event has been held with community members reading to both students and parents.

During the month of November Mrs. DiGrispino held her Kindness Club for 1st and 2nd graders at Coolidge Elementary. They covered a variety of ways to show kindness to others though stories, activities, and games. The students also had weekly activities to share with their families, friends and peers. What a great way to show our future leaders how important it is to spread kindness throug our day to day encounters.

Coolidge School concluded American Education Week with Drop Everything And Read (DEAR). About 650 students and the Coolidge staff lined the hallways and read together. Even Puff the Bearded Dragon wanted to be a part of the excitement! Over 1,200 books were donated during the Book Drive. Students loved getting different books during the Book Exchange.

Last week, the annual Penny War was held at Coolidge School. This is a tradition that has been going on for many years. Classes compete to see who collects the most points counting pennies as positive points and silver money and dollars counting as negative points. Over $2,200 was collected for families in need during to the winter holidays. This is a great way to teach citizenship by helping our community.

It’s time to begin your Science Fair Project! All students in grades K-5 are invited to be a part of our annual Area Elementary Science Fair on February 1. Fifth Grade Coolidge Teachers Mrs. Driver, Mrs. Jamrock, Mrs. Stablein and Mrs. Wiora hosted a Science Fair Parent Night at Coolidge to give details about the project, show example projects, and answer any questions from parents.

Coolidge has been selected to receive a donation from Enchanted Backpack! This grant is valued at $20,000 and will provide essential classroom supplies, household goods, books, and clothing for our students. The donation will take place on Thursday, January 16 at 10:00 AM. Please share and help publicize this so we may receive more donations in the future! #158Strong

Mrs. Fuller, LRC Director at Coolidge, has created a new Community Reader Program! Community members are given the opportunity to read a book to a class and discuss the story. This another great example of how the school and community are working together to help our students. In these pictures are Village of Lansing Trustee Mr. Abbasy, Village Administrator Mr. Podgorski, and Lan Oak Park District Board Commissioner Mrs. Adams who read the biography of Ruth Wakefield (inventor of chocolate chip cookies) and taught our fourth graders a song on her ukulele!

Second grade teacher Mrs. Capizzano and fifth grade teacher Mrs Driver were awarded Memic Foundation grants during a recent Coolidge faculty meeting. Mrs. Capizzano received $250 worth of school supplies for her classroom, and Mrs. Driver received a hydroponic butterfly habitat for her classroom. Another great day to be a Coolidge Cougar!

Students in Mrs. Sheahan’s 4th grade class enjoyed the new and improved Cougar Den at Coolidge Elementary School. When students displayed excellent behavior and complete all homework assignments, teachers can reward their class with time in the Cougar Den. The Cougar Den encourages and shows the importance of social interaction without the use of social media. Foosball, air hockey, puzzles, and board games are some of the favorites. Coolidge is always looking to expand with donations of craft projects and Legos.

Welcome to YOUR new Calvin Coolidge Elementary School! Landscaping has been completed by the new front entrance and we are proudly flying the American, Illinois, and Lansing flags! The final Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Coolidge has been set for Monday, September 16 at 7:00 PM and will include special guest speaker State Representative Marcus C. Evans, Jr. Hope to see you there!

The Fifth Annual Coolidge Family Picnic was a huge success! Families gathered for food, games, and laughter at Coolidge this past Friday night in celebration of our new school year together. Reptiles from Coal Black Exotics were on display to view and touch. The best part of the night was being able to talk and mingle with other Coolidge families!

Coolidge update: the new front hallway, main office, and classrooms are looking great with floors tiled, furniture assembled, walls painted, arches installed, and spaces created for additional picture tiles! Progress is moving quickly both here and in the new open kitchen, with our Board of Education hiring A'viands to deliver fresh food service for the 2019-2020 school year.

The CCLB (Calumet City, Lansing, Burnham) PTA recognized volunteers in the community and honored them for their service at their annual dinner at TF South. Coolidge Social Worker Mrs. Doorn along with Coolidge family members Mrs. Lewis, Ms. Thigpen, and Mr. Gonzalez were recognized for their contributions. Thank you for making Coolidge School even better!

Mrs. Lam’s third grade class read "How Do You Raise a Raisin?" by Pam Munoz Ryan and "Raisins" by Margie Sigman. The students were fascinated that raisins are made from grapes. The book said a few days in direct sunlight would turn grapes into raisins. They wanted to see if raisins could be made using artificial light in the classroom. Mrs. Hodgson donated the grapes from her lunch, and the students made predictions and observations for the raisin experiment. The process took 42 days or 6 weeks. So, they eventually made raisins!

On Wednesday, April 10, Coolidge fifth graders in Mr. Becker's clarinet sectional were treated to a special lesson. Superintendent Dr. Schilling, who used to be a band director, shared his grandmother's antique metal clarinet from the 1930's! Students were able to see how the instrument has changed, discuss the physics of sound, reflect on their experiences as beginning clarinetists, reinforce good playing habits, and perform a few etudes together. Ydalis Alvarez and Jasmine Gonzalez were even called up to demonstrate! Dr. Schilling will be sharing this lesson at other District 158 schools in the upcoming weeks.

On Friday, March 1- National Pig Day - Coolidge students were treated to a visit by Macie: Ms. Zentz's pet miniature pig! Students participated in lessons with Macie including measuring the perimeter of her cage, reading to her, and comparing pig care to their own self care. Superintendent Mr. Schilling - a pig parent himself - dropped by to teach her a few tricks!

Coolidge parents learned about the scientific method process during the Science Fair Parent Night. Many thanks to Mrs. Driver, Mrs. Jamrock, Mrs. Stablein, Mrs. Wiora for sharing awesome ideas and great tips for a successful project. All students are encouraged to participate in the Lansing Area Science Fair on April 6.

Coolidge first graders working with Reading Specialist Mrs. Spila. Students are reading "Jake's Valentine Treats" and learning how to identify the title, author, illustrator, characters, character traits, and rhyming words. Pictured left-to-right: Kiley Chaidez, Christina Munoz, John Arias, Mason Arnold, and Micayah Mcclenic. Happy Valentine's Day!

Coolidge fourth graders in Mrs. Heim's and Mrs. Hays-Smith's class on Wednesday, January 9 after their morning meeting, which was student-led by Aaron Carter (back left) and involved a greeting, sharing, and activity. Students are working on speaking, listening, and vocabulary skills. Superintendent Mr. Schilling (back right) stopped by to teach a few science words.

On Friday November 30, Coolidge Elementary School’s PBIS Committee hosted PJ's with Parents. The event was the kickoff to Coolidge’s annual pajama drive for children living in homeless shelters and featured games and crafts focusing on our Character Counts Program. Speakers included Lansing Mayor Mrs. Eidam, Superintendent Mr. Schilling, Ofc. Bogan and Ofc. Murrin from the Lansing Police Department, South Holland Stallions Coach Mr. Terry, and Coolidge Nurse Mrs. Porter.

Coolidge School held their annual Penny War and would like to thank all of those who donated money and time to the Penny Wars. We broke our school record by collecting more than $2,740! What a great Coolidge community effort to help others and to show how much we care! Each class competed by donating pennies (positive points) to their class or nickels, dimes, quarters or paper money (negative points) to other classes. The classes with the most points won a popcorn party. The following classes earned the most points for their grade level: K – Ms. Bireline, 1st – Mrs. Fitch, 2nd – Mrs. Quinn, 3rd – Mrs. Woensdregt, 4th – Miss Harris, 5th – Mrs. Driver. Many thanks to the Coolidge PTA for making this event happen!

In celebration of American Education Week, Coolidge School held a Book Drive. Over 3,000 books were collected. Students who donated books were able to pick out new ones to take home on Friday. On Monday and Tuesday, all students will be offered an opportunity to pick out a new book to take home. The students were excited to replenish their home libraries. One student said, "This is like a real book store." Another student said, "Do I get to actually take these books home and keep them for free?" Many thanks to our Coolidge PTA for promoting the culture of learning and reading at Coolidge!