NEW TO SANDBURG

Welcome to Sandburg!

Last updated: August 8, 2023
In an attempt to help parents of incoming 6th graders (and all new-to-Sandburg students), the PTA has put together this list of resources. If you think we should add or change something on this page, please contact Anna Wick.

CONTENTS

Please note: We do our best to keep this page updated and correct; but in our ever-changing world we might not always have everything right. This information is not a substitute for your own due diligence (and if you see something on this page that needs to be corrected, please contact Anna Wick).

PTA INFORMATION

  • Support the PTA for 2023-2024! The PTA sponsors many great events, programs, and more for our Sandburg students and staff, and we need your financial support to do it all.
    Also, when you support the PTA, you get access to the very useful electronic Sandburg School Directory via the Directory Spot app!
    Visit the Sandburg PTA Online Store to support us. 
    Please note: All PTA programs at Sandburg are funded by parent donations; we don't do any large fundraisers so we are very dependent on families financially supporting the PTA. Supporting the PTA does *NOT* obligate you to any volunteer commitments - we use your financial support to help fund all of the PTA events.

  • Volunteer for the PTA - See currently open chair positions, or reach out to the current chair to offer to help on a committee. You will also be given many opportunities to volunteer at events throughout the year - look for information in the weekly emails from the PTA.

  • PTA Meetings - Attend the PTA meetings to hear more about what is going on at Sandburg and give your input and/or have your questions answered. The meeting schedule can be found on the PTA Meetings webpage.

  • PTA board members are a good resource if you have questions.

  • In addition to the main Sandburg PTA, District 205 also has parent groups for REACH (Gifted), and SERG (Special Education) - see their websites to opt in for their emails and find more information.

SCHOOL COMMUNICATIONS

  • Emails/ParentSquare: emails come from the school weekly and cover information on upcoming events, key dates, links, sign ups, etc. You will automatically get these emails when you have a student enrolled at Sandburg:

    • PTA emails usually come once a week on Wednesdays.

    • Emails from the Principal usually come once a week on Fridays.

    • All emails are sent via ParentSquare. You may login to ParentSquare to see all District emails in one place, and have the ability to comment on them. Here are some ParentSquare details:

      • You DO NOT need to have a login to ParentSquare to receive parent communications, however having a login allows you to utilize ParentSquare to the fullest.

      • If you need help activating your ParentSquare account, please email info@elmhurst205.org for help.

      • When you first login to ParentSquare, the system will prompt you to make sure all of your students are set up correctly and associated with the right schools. Please make sure this information is correct, as if it is not, you may be missing important communications. (This information can also be checked and edited at any time by going to "My Account" from the drop down under your name from the top right corner of the ParentSquare homepage.)

      • If you are not getting ParentSquare communications and you believe you should be, you can ensure that you are correctly signed up to receive communications from Sandburg (and other D205 schools) on the ParentSquare app or website. Once you login, click on My Account and then click on Notification Settings. From there, you can customize how and when you would like to receive communications.

      • Email/text/app preferences can be set under "My Account" --> "Notification Settings". Please be aware that if you do not login and change your preferences, your account will be defaulted to getting all (non-urgent) D205 emails in digest form, which means they will arrive each evening at a set time, instead of immediately when they are sent.

      • ParentSquare FAQs

      • ParentSquare Help Website
         

  • Online: Sandburg information can be found online in the following locations:

    • Main Sandburg Website: Lots of good general information about Sandburg including contact information, schedules, extracurricular activities, etc.

    • Main PTA Website: Most of the information about upcoming events, key dates, links, sign ups, etc that are included in the emails will also be posted on the main PTA webpage. 

    • New to Sandburg PTA web page - this page!!

    • Recent Sandburg Daily Announcements can be found on the Sandburg website.

    • Facebook: There is a private Facebook page for the families of Sandburg students called “Sandburg Families” where updates get posted. It is also a good place to ask questions if you are wondering about something.

SCHOOL LOGISTICS

  • D205 School calendar - shows attendance dates, holidays, late arrival dates, etc. 

  • D205 Emergency Closing information - snow days, etc.

  • Sandburg School Calendar - shows details about what's going on at Sandburg

  • Sandburg Bell Schedule - includes both regular and late-start bell schedules. (Further schedule details below.)

  • Lunch Menus (students may also bring their own lunch from home)

  • PushCoin Information - PushCoin is used to pay various student fees, including paying for lunch.

  • Locks - Sandburg provides locks for each student for their main locker and their PE locker. Incoming 6th graders and new students will be issued locks on their first day of school and/or at the supply drop off and walkthrough day just before school starts. Returning students should be sure to bring their locker and PE locks back to Sandburg along with their school supplies for the year.

  • Cell phones - Students are allowed to bring cell phones and other electronic devices with them to school; however they must remain turned off and out of sight prior to entrance into school.

  • D205 Instructional and Assistive Technology webpage

  • D205 Parent Handbooks

TRANSPORTATION LOGISTICS

  • Student Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

  • Car drop off and pick up map

  • Bus Schedules

  • Bus Information: If your student is assigned to a bus, details about bus route, bus stop location, and pick up / drop off times will show up in PowerSchool in the lefthand menu under "Bus Information". Note that buses may be 10 minutes early or late.

  • Late Start Days Bus: The buses will run on a 90 minute delay in the morning. See the Bus Schedules.

  • The FirstView App can be used to track the location of your student's bus. Your student's PIN code will be emailed to you by the bus company - this usually happens at the end of August or beginning of September each fall.

  • Early Bus: An early bus (Band/Orchestra/Choir Bus) is usually available for those students who have before school practice for band, orchestra and/or choir. Details and schedule will come from your director.

  • Late Bus (~4:25 pm): 

    • Note that all after school activities do NOT always end in time for your student to take the late bus home. Please make sure you understand the activity's schedule and how late into the evening it goes - this information will be available from the adult running the activity, and will be shared with your child.

    • There is 1 late bus that arrives at Sandburg at 4:20 pm and leaves at 4:30 pm. When your student gets on the late bus, they let the driver know which stop they need, and the driver then runs all necessary routes to get the students on the bus that day home.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES, PE UNIFORMS, AND SPIRITWEAR

  • School supply kits are usually available for purchase in the spring for the following school year.

  • You may also purchase your own school supplies using these lists.

  • Locks for PE and hallway lockers are issued to students at the start of 6th grade (usually on the school supply drop off day). These locks will stay with your student, coming home over the summer, and your student should return with them at the start of the next school year for both 7th and 8th grade.

  • The  SpiritWear Store is open a couple different times during the year (usually once in the fall and once in the spring) for students to acquire their Sandburg gear.

  • PE Uniforms:

    • Each student (6th, 7th & 8th) needs a PE uniform in addition to their school supplies. PE uniforms can be purchased from the D205 Beck’s Bookstore eCommerce website. 
    • Older "red" Sandburg PE uniforms are still  allowed to be worn for the 2023-24 school year.
    • PE happens every day at Sandburg.

    • Write your student's last name in sharpie on the white bar on the front of the shirt and the shorts.

    • Students should bring uniforms home over the weekend to be laundered.

    • Students need closed-toed athletic shoes for PE. They are welcome to bring a pair to keep in their PE locker, or they may just wear the same shoes they wear to school (as long as they are closed-toed athletic shoes).

RESIDENCY AND REGISTRATION

Please make sure you have completed all the registration forms and requirements needed before the first day of school. District 205 registration information can be found on the D205 website. In order for students to attend and to retrieve their schedule from Powerschool, all steps in registration must be completed. Registration usually starts in May, and the district will email parents when it is time to register. Please visit the D205 PushCoin payment system to make school fee payments.

HEALTH DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS

All health forms can be found here.

Physical Exams & Immunizations
Physical exams are required for students in 6th grade (and students in any grade who are new to the district).  Please remember to complete the "parent" portion of the physical exam form. By state law, physical exams must be completed and on file with your child(ren)’s school as of October 15th. District 205 is required to exclude students from school as of this date if these documents have not been received. All details can be found on the D205 Immunization and Examination Requirements webpage.

Dental Exams
Dental exams are required for students in 6th grade (and students in any grade who are new to the district). That form must be on file by May 15 of the current school year. All details can be found on the D205 Immunization and Examination Requirements webpage.

Sports Physicals for 6th, 7th and 8th Graders
All students planning on participating in competitive sports (details below) need a current physical on file prior to tryouts. Current physicals must be less than one year old on the date of tryout. Intramurals do not require a physical for participation. 
**Note: Students planning on participating in cross country should submit proof of a current, completed physical to the health office at the start of the school year, as practice usually begins shortly after school starts.

Forms should be submitted either in-person to the Sandburg Main Office, or emailed to the School Nurse.

All health forms can be found here. Note that if your student is new to the district in any grade, they will also be required to get an eye exam. For more information about health requirements, refer to the Health Services section of the District 205 website.

STUDENT ABSENCES INFORMATION

The school’s main phone number 630-834-4534 provides you with prompts to reach various areas of the school, including the reporting of an absence. Please consider saving this number to your cell phone for easy access. 

  • Full Day Absence: It is important to call the office as early as possible to report a student absence. 
  • Leaving Early: When students need to leave school early, send your child with a note to school stating what time the student needs to be picked up. The student should bring the note to Sandburg's front office and they will create a pass for the student to exit the classroom at the desired pick up time. This minimizes disruption in the classroom. 
  • Arriving Late: If your student will be arriving at school late, please call the school’s main number and navigate to the attendance line to leave a message explaining the situation and note what time your student will be arriving. Drop your student off at the front (office) entrance when they arrive; you do not need to go in with your student.
  • Vacations & Other Planned Absences: If you are planning time away which will require your student to miss school, please email Kari Conkle, Assistant Secretary, so she can record your absence ahead of time.
  • Note: If your student is marked for an unexcused absence from any class, you will get a recorded phone message and an email sometime in the early evening on the same day. You can see which class they were marked absent from in PowerSchool. If you believe that your student was marked absent in error (which happens sometimes), please reach out to the class teacher to resolve the issue.
POWERSCHOOL, SCHEDULES AND GRADE COUNSELORS

  • D205 School calendar - shows attendance dates, holidays, late-start dates, etc. 

  • D205 Emergency Closing information - snow days, etc.

  • Sandburg runs on Quarters and Semesters. Some classes (like Unified Arts classes) run on quarters, and other classes (like Math and English) run on semesters.

  • Sandburg Bell Schedule - includes both regular and late-start bell schedules.

  • PowerSchool is the system that allows parents to see a student’s schedule, attendance, grades and missing assignments. When you register for school, you should get a login for PowerSchool. In grade school, PowerSchool is only used for registration and to see report cards, but in middle school PowerSchool will show your student’s schedule, attendance, current grades, missing assignments, and report cards. Here are a few PowerSchool tips and tricks for middle school:

    • Parent Help with Powerschool website

    • If you can't login to PowerSchool, contact the Sandburg Main Office for help.

    • Schedules are usually updated in PowerSchool the week before school starts.

    • Your student's locker # and bus assignment (if eligible) are both found in PowerSchool.

    • Schedule: How to read your schedule presentation (23-24 school year)

      • Note: Flexible Learning Lab is basically what us parents remember as "homeroom" mixed a bit with what our grade schools call "acceleration". (This time was also formerly known as "Seminar".)

    • Attendance: From the “Grades and Attendance SMS” tab, you can see absences & tardies listed to the right for each class. If you click on the number, you can see what days your student was absent or tardy, and if the absence was excused (E), unexcused (U), or vacation (V).

    • Current Grades & Missing Assignments: From the “Grades and Attendance SMS” tab, click on the word "Details" listed under the Q1, Q2, etc. column.  From there, you will be able to see the assignments, grades for each assignment, and note if it is missing. Additional information can be found here.

    • Report Cards: Click on the “Report Cards” button over on the left side of the screen to see report cards when they are issued at the end of each semester.

    • There is also a PowerSchool App, but the school does not recommend that we use it as its information is not always accurate. (For example, report cards are only viewable via the website and not the PowerSchool app.)

  • Understanding Grades: Sandburg uses Standards Based Reporting for its courses. (Note: Traditional letter grades were phased out at the end of the 2021-22 school year.) Here is more information:

  • Each grade (6th, 7th & 8th) has its own counselor. Your counselor is a great resource for most Sandburg school related questions. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your grade counselor with questions or concerns. The grade counselor will stay with your student’s grade all through middle school. Find out who your counselor is and how to contact them from the Sandburg Counseling Department webpage.

  • Parents should be aware of the following opportunities to connect with your child's teachers and/or Sandburg Administration:

    • 5th Grade / Rising 6th Grade Parent Night - at the end of the 5th grade school year (usually in April or May), Sandburg will have a parent night for current 5th grade parents to give them a tour and basic introduction to Sandburg. Watch your email and the PTA Webpage for the details about this event.
    • Curriculum / Back to School Night - this is a night where you can see the school, walk a short version of your student's schedule, and meet teachers. It usually takes place in the evening at the end of August. Watch for emails from the Principal and the PTA Webpage for the details at the start of the school year.
    • Parent/Teacher Conferences - these usually happen at the end of October, see the current D205 Calendar for specific dates for each year. You sign up for conference times via PowerSchool; watch for emails from the Principal and the PTA Webpage for the details.
    • You can also reach out to teachers at any time throughout the year; contact information can be found in in PowerSchool and/or the Sandburg Staff Directory.
Band, Orchestra and Choir Schedule info

Band, Orchestra, and Choir ("BOC") meet during the school day during one of your student's Elective ("E") Blocks. If your student is signed up for both Band and Choir or Orchestra and Choir, they will attend each class every other day. Usually, the schedule is Mondays & Thursdays for Choir, and Tuesdays and Fridays for Band/Orchestra. The Wednesdays flip back and forth every other week. If there is a four day week, this schedule will probably change, so be on the lookout. This can be confusing, but the music teachers will tell you where to find the schedule, and usually post it to the BOC webpage.

For students that play instruments, they should bring them to school on days that they have band or orchestra practice. There is also a place to store instruments in the band/orchestra room during the week - students should plan to bring their instruments home on the weekends. Usually, students do not need to bring instruments to school until a week or so into the school year, so you don't need to worry about bringing instruments during the first week of school.

There will sometimes be early practices for Band, Orchestra and Choir that meet from 7:30-8:15 am. An early bus is usually provided for students. Details and schedule will come from your director.

You can find all of the BOC information here, including the contact information for each of the directors. Please contact them directly with questions.

EVENTS, SPORTS AND CLUBS

  • Events: The PTA sponsors many different events throughout the school year, including socials, a book fair, science olympiad, and much more. Go here to see all of the info. Upcoming events will also be listed on the main PTA page throughout the year.

  • Extra-Curriculars: The Sandburg Activities, Clubs and Athletics Guidebook gives a high level overview of all of the extra-curricular options available through the school.

  • Athletics: Sandburg has many extracurricular sports options throughout the year. Note that sports require a physical to be on file (see above).

  • Clubs: Sandburg has many student Clubs and Organizations. Go here to see the options.

  • Sandburg Drama puts on a play in the fall and a musical in the spring.

  • Late Bus: There is a late bus at approx 4:25 pm, but please note that all after school activities do NOT always end in time for your student to take the late bus home. Please make sure you understand the activity's schedule and how late into the evening it goes - this information will be available from the adult running the activity, and will be shared with your child. For more information on the late bus, see the Transportation Logistics section above.

PARENT TIPS

Here are a few tips from seasoned Sandburg parents!

  • Buy TWO Gym uniform sets so you can have your child switch out uniforms weekly for washing.
  • My number one tip for incoming 6th grade parents is do not become obsessed with PowerSchool grades. Middle School is a practice ground for High School. Students need to learn accountability for assignments and grades. Middle School allows a safe space to do this. (Harvard will never know their mistakes!) PowerSchool is an amazing student tool, but setting up weekly checks for yourself as a parent can become overwhelming and all consuming. The more academically independent kids are in Middle School the more success students have in High School.  Doesn’t mean to never check - just monitor from a mentally safe distance for your student and yourself.

  • Let your student email teachers first or initiate conversations themselves if there are issues or concerns, and then do parent follow up if needed.

  • It is good to be familiar with PowerSchool, but let your student resolve issues you may find themselves (eg. missing assignment).

  • The grade level counselor is a great resource for BOTH parents and students. Grade level counselors know the answers to many parent questions and are happy to help out if you just shoot them an email and ask. For students, the grade level counselors are a great resource for social issues - friend group arguments, bullying, being upset because of a bad grade, etc. They are a safe person to go through during the school day to work through these issues - so make sure your student is aware. (Mrs. Gumbach helped my daughter and her friend group work through many arguments!)

  • If you are picking up your child after school, it is sometimes easier to have them meet you out on Huntington Lane or in the Bethel Church parking lot. This helps you avoid a lot of the after school traffic!

  • Cross Country is BIG in 6th grade and tons of kids do it. If your child is on the fence, encourage them to just try it out, as they will probably have a friend doing it already (and they can always quit if they don't like it!)

  • When your student is in both choir and band/orchestra the schedule can get a bit confusing! I would find the daily schedule each month, print it out, and put it in our mud room so that we could easily see if it was a day to bring the instrument or not.

  • Don't stress about school arrival - help but don’t take ownership. After a reasonable period, your student should know how long walking/biking/driving takes. If they are late, there’s PLENTY of grace afforded to our kids. You don't need to help manage it until you get the “gentle but firm Mr Gail call” that goes like this: “Hi Mrs B., Bobby’s fine. Bobby, tell mom why we’re here today." “Hi mom. This is the X time I’ve been late. It won’t happen again.”

  • After school - if your kid’s locker is at the SE corner and they have to retrieve an instrument in the basement, you may not see them until 5-10 minutes after the bell has rung. Don’t panic!

  • School supplies - don’t sweat finding every single item on the list. Actually, if you wanted, for many items you could do just-in-time purchases. Obviously color folders are needed right away to keep papers organized per subject (class) but you don’t need 10 red pens immediately, unless your kid is prone to losing supplies!

SANDBURG GLOSSARY

Just like everywhere else, Sandburg has its own words and abbreviations.  Here are some common ones:

  • BOC = Band, Orchestra & Choir
  • D205 = Elmhurst IL School District 205 (the school district that Sandburg is part of)
  • E Block = Elective Block, which is a block of time at school where the student takes an elective class (like Unified Arts, World Language, BOC and PLTW)
  • IAR - Illinois Assessment of Readiness, a standardized test
  • Late-Start = There are many Wednesdays throughout the school year when Sandburg runs on a late-start. On late-start days, school starts at 10 am (arrival at 9:45 am). You can see the current late-start days on the D205 School calendar.
  • MAP = Measures of Academic Performance, a standardized test
  • PE = Physical Education
  • PLTW = Project Lead the Way, a STEM elective class focusing on engineering and computer science.
  • PTA = Parent Teacher Association
  • REACH = Gifted Program (is not actually an acronym)
  • SBR = Standards Based Reporting, a grading system
  • SERG = Special Education Resource Group
  • UA = Unified Arts, a year-long rotation of four classes; students choose four of these five options: Art, Creative Technology, Family & Consumer Sciences, Industrial Technology, and Music.
When in doubt, CONTACT a friend! 
Reach out on Facebook, call the school office, email anyone on the PTA Executive Board, a teacher, and/or your grade level counselor. Everyone is here to help you and your child succeed in middle school!