October & November 2026
Dear Charles Reed Families,
As we step into October and November, we officially enter our second quarter of the school year! This season brings cooler weather, rich fall traditions, and a wonderful opportunity to reflect on what makes our school such a special place to learn and grow.
Across our building, our students are diving deep into their academic curriculum while simultaneously engaging in vital Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). With 700 learners between the ages of 5 and 11, our hallway walls are filled with diverse perspectives, unique strengths, and varied learning styles. This rich tapestry of backgrounds and abilities is precisely what makes Charles Reed such a beautiful community.
As we focus on cultivating a strong sense of belonging for every child, our core emphasis this season is simple: we are all still learning and that includes social learning.
Learning how to navigate friendships, resolve conflicts, and understand perspectives different from our own takes practice. Just as our students work through challenging math problems or new reading strategies, they are also practicing how to show up for one another as empathetic human beings. During these next two months, we are intentionally highlighting three key values:
Kindness: Reaching out, including others, and making sure everyone feels seen and valued.
Compassion: Seeking to understand how someone else feels and offering a helping hand.
Giving Grace: Remembering that everyone, students and adults alike, has hard days, and choosing forgiveness and patience over quick judgment.
As the adults in our students' lives, we play the most critical role in this journey. Our children look to us to see how we treat neighbors, talk about differences, and navigate moments of frustration. When we actively model acceptance, compassion, and grace, we show our children how to build a welcoming world.
If we operate from the belief that everyone is doing their absolute best with the tools they have, everything changes. It makes a profound difference when we intentionally look for the good around us—because when you look for the good, there is so much to see!
Thank you for your continued partnership, your warm community spirit, and for sharing your wonderful children with us every day. Let’s make this second quarter a celebration of learning, growing, and belonging together.
REMINDERS:
CLASS PARTIES:
Fall Party 10/30/2026
Volunteers Arrive 1:45
Parking is limited and cars must leave the back lot at 3:15
Dress Up Parade 2:00 - 2:15
Families may line the sidewalk. Students/classes will walk one lap around the outside of the building, weather permitting. If it is raining we will do an indoor parade- no families will be allowed indoors.
Party 2:15 - 3:15
Winter Party 12/17/2026
Spring Party 3/25/2027
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES:
District Institute: Monday, November 2, 2026 (9:00am - 1:30pm)
Parent Teacher Conferences: Monday, November 2, 2026 (3:00pm - 8:00pm)
Parent Teacher Conferences: Tuesday, November 3, 2026 (8:00am - 1:00pm)
Use this link to sign up for a conference: https://ptcfast.com/schools/Charles_Reed_Elementary_School
ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL:
*Thank you to the walking parents from Door E. I appreciate your attention to safety and thank you for remaining behind the gate until it opens. This helps ensure our students may transition safely indoors before dismissal. If you are parking and walking up, I implore you to join our car rider dismissal. All cars are out of our lot by 4:00. It’s safe, quick, and smooth - give it a try!
Arrival and Dismissal Concerns:
Please know we have worked with the City of Joliet, Joliet Police Department, PSD202 Transportation, and the Clublands community leaders to develop a safe and efficient procedure. It is imperative that the arrival and dismissal procedures are followed. Here are some important reminders:
ARRIVAL
Students need to be in their seats at 9:05!
Doors open at 8:50am.
CAR RIDERS go to the back of the building for both arrival and dismissal.
Cars with an orange pass are the only front drop off exceptions.
DO NOT DROP OFF STUDENTS ON CLUBLANDS PARKWAY!
The gate shuts and Door B closes at 9:02am, if you are coming at 9:02 your student will not make it to their seat at 9:05- please plan on arriving earlier.
If you are late - an adult MUST come in the building to sign the student in.
DISMISSAL
CAR RIDERS go to the back of the building for both arrival and dismissal.
The back gate opens at 3:25pm.
The dismissal bell rings at 3:40pm.
Students will be sent home their usual procedure UNLESS we receive notification from a guardian before 3:00pm.
The back gate closes at 3:55pm. Be on time to pick up your student.
EVERYONE
FOLLOW THE RULES OF THE ROAD.
DO NOT BLOCK mailboxes, driveways, and walkways.
DO NOT PARK on CLUBLANDS Parkway.
Plan for success, leave earlier, respect other drivers, have patience, and be safe!
KIDS and SAFETY COME FIRST!
Do not jeopardize safety because you are running late!
ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL PROCEDURES:
WEATHER CONDITIONS:
As the weather starts to fluctuate, please have students dressed appropriately. The mornings tend to be cool and the afternoons warmer. Our Lost and Found tends to fill up quickly.
Students will go outside for recess when the wind chill temperature is 20 degrees or above. Please have your child dress appropriately, including such items as hats, boots, gloves, and snow pants.
Precautionary Measures: Schools should exercise the following precautionary measures if holding recess outdoors.
Precipitation: snow and icy conditions should be evaluated for student safety and attire.
Student preparedness: Parents/guardians and principals should ensure that students are properly dressed for outdoor recess during all seasons. During the winter months, students should be reminded to wear coats, gloves (without strings), hats, and boots. (If students wear the Fab 5: jacket, gloves, hat, boots, and snowpants, they will be permitted to play (no throwing) in the snow).
Playground safety: the playground equipment and surface (i.e., icy conditions) should be evaluated to determine whether students can safely play outdoors
***"With or without wind chill" means how cold it feels, whether it is caused by wind chill or not. For example, if the straight temperature reading is 10 degrees or if it's 20 degrees with a wind chill of 10 degrees, recess should be held indoors.
PERSONAL ITEMS:
Personal Property Students are not allowed to bring non-academic related personal property to school. This includes, but is not limited to electronic devices, trading cards, toys, stuffed animals, and electronic games. These items will be confiscated and held in the office until retrieved by a parent. Any items not claimed by the end of the school year will be disposed of or donated.
TESTING WINDOWS:
OLSAT (5th grade and new 3rd and 4th graders) 10/13 - 10/23
Panorama (3rd - 5th graders) 10/5 - 10/30
UPCOMING DATES:
October
14th: PTA Meeting 6:00PM
19th -24th: Kindness Week
23rd: PTA Boo Bash 5:00-7:00pm
26th: SIP Day- No Student Attendance
27th: Picture Retake Day
30th: Fall Party w/ Parade
30th: Popcorn Friday
November
2nd - 11th: Fall Book Fair
2nd: Institute AM
2nd: PT Conferences PM
3rd: PT Conferences AM
11th: Veteran’s Day Performance 6:00pm - Mrs. Schmuhl
18th: PTA Meeting 6:00PM
PTA Ruby Bridges “Walk to School Day”
13th: Popcorn Friday
20th: Great Bake Off
23rd--27th: Thanksgiving Break