FROM THE OFFICE OF
Christopher Martelli
PRINCIPAL
May Whitney Elementary School
100 CHURCH STREET LAKE ZURICH, ILLINOIS 60047
PHONE: (847) 438-2351 FAX: (847) 438-2696
12/6/13
Dear May Whitney Community,
We have a lot of great information to share with our community prior to the long winter
break. After reading the newsletter, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to
contact me.
My next Parent Coffee will be held on Thursday, January 23 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the
May Whitney library. I will share information pertaining to the Common Core State
Standards. I would encourage any parent who is interested in learning more about the
Common Core to please attend the coffee. These evenings are intended to be informative in
an informal setting. At our first coffee we had a very nice conversation about No Child Left
Behind and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). I hope to see many of you here.
May Whitney presents its first musical, Schoolhouse Rock, Live! Jr. on Saturday, January
11 at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, January 12 at 2:00 p.m. The performance includes singing,
dancing and acting by 33 of our 4th and 5th graders. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for
children ages 4 and up (children 3 and under are free). Tickets are available for purchase at
the door. Both performances will be at Middle School North. We hope many of you can
attend and see firsthand all the hard work our students have been putting into this
performance…it will be outstanding!
We are looking for any individuals who would be interested in being a lunch supervisor
here at May Whitney. We are always looking for adults who enjoy working with students to
help monitor our lunchroom and playground. The pay is $9.50/hr. and I would encourage
you to please contact Sonja Nagle in our office for additional information if you are
interested.
As the winter weather approaches, please be sure to have your children dress for the
weather. We will continue to go outside for recess as long as it feels above 0 degrees.
Therefore, please send your child(ren) with hats, gloves, scarves, or whatever else you
think is necessary to keep them warm. In that same spirit, I’m pleased to announce that our
Student Leadership Council is looking to collect winter weather items for Joanie’s closet.
Joanie’s closet is run by District 95 and is intended to help needy families that may need
such items as winter clothes. The students are looking to collect hats, gloves, scarves, and
other winter items to help those in need. These items can be brought to school by your
child and the Student Leadership Council is looking to recognize the classes EC-2 and 3-5
that can generate the most clothing items.
If you are interested, here are a few opportunities currently available to students and parents
to recognize teachers.

LZ Area Chamber of Commerce – The LZACC Excellence Awards recognize
achievements in the areas of business, education, government and not-for-profit
organizations for their efforts to make the Lake Zurich Area a better place in which to
live and work. Nominations are welcome from chamber members, local residents and
government entities. The banquet will be held on Saturday, January 25th at Concorde
Banquets in Kildeer. More information about the award and a nominating form can be
found at http://lzacc.com/EofEEventpage.php. The deadline for nominations is
December 16.

2014 Golden Apple Awards. “Nominate an outstanding teacher…for the prestigious
Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching.” Our school website has a thumbnail
link for the nominating materials, and you can find more information at
http://www.goldenapple.org/. The deadline for submission is December 31.
Lastly, the May Whitney staff and I want to thank all of you for a wonderful first half of
the year. We greatly appreciate all your support and hope you and your family have a
wonderful holiday season.
Sincerely,
Chris Martelli
Principal
May Whitney
Elementary School
100 CHURCH STREET
LAKE ZURICH, ILLINOIS 60047
VOLUME 4 DEC 2013
H
ope you are all having a wonderful start to the last month
of the year. We still have some great events for this month we
would love to see you at: our bookfair this Saturday, and our holiday shop next Thursday and Friday.
As many of you already know, Claire has decided to step down as
PTO President. She continues to hold many volunteer positions
in the community. She has been a great partner in helping me for
the last year and a half. We sincerely thank Claire for the many
hours of meetings, emails and phone calls. Claire, may you now
have a little extra time for family, friends and your growing business!
Volunteering is one of the hardest jobs you can ever have. Sometimes it can feel as though you are putting in endless hours and
are not being appreciated. Today let me make it clear - that is not
true! Our teachers love that we have so many parents that care.
Our children grow and come back to help with PTO events because they remember how much fun it was. Each and everyone
one of you are a gift to our school and to our students. Thank you
for your sweat, tears,and mind-numbing hours of volunteering.
We may not get paid with money, but when you see the faces of
our children beaming with joy, there is no price tag on that!
December is a very busy time of the year and I hope that you and
your family have a very safe and healthy holiday season.
PTO President
Kristen Rymarcsuk
Save your Labels for Education UPC codes and earn money for May Whitney! Send your collected labels in to school
via backpack mail or drop them off in the MW front office.
Be sure to include your student’s name and teacher.
Mark Your
Calendar!
December
5
6
7
9
10
10
12-13
16
16
17
18
20
21
PTO Holiday Party, Morkes
All-district fifth grade orchestra
Barnes & Noble Book Fair
Manna orders due
Fourth grade orchestra demo
Butter Braid Pick-Up
Holiday Gift Shop
Manna order pick up
Chorus concert
Market Day pick up
Fifth grade band concert
Classroom holiday parties
Winter Break begins
January
6
10
11-12
20
24
28
Classes resume
Family movie night
Fourth/Fifth grade musical
No school
No school
PTO meeting
Great Gifts Supporting the May Whitney PTO!
Spirit Wear Gift Cards
New Spirit Wear Gift Cards are the perfect holiday gift. Order your spirit wear GIFT CERTIFICATES today!
These can be purchased in ANY $$ amount. Gift certificates allow the recipient pick exactly what they want
from the May Whitney spirit wear collection. Gift certificate orders must be received no later than Monday Dec.
16 to be delivered by Dec. 20. Gift certificates can be mailed to your home to keep it a surprise! Just note this
on your order form. This is a perfect TEACHER GIFT TOO! Teachers love spirit wear. If you have any questions, please email the spirit wear committee at amy4noland@yahoo.com or lzstornellos@gmail.com.
Manna Gift Cards
Did you know you can obtain gift cards from more than 300 top retailers, all while May Whitney earns a percentage of your overall purchase? The Manna gift card program is a great way to get gift cards from stores
such as AMC Theaters, Disney, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Target, Walmart and many more while supporting May Whitney. Cards are conveniently delivered directly to May Whitney. Our order deadline for gift cards is Dec. 9 for
pick up on Dec. 16. For more info, email wildcat.warehouse@yahoo.com.
Holiday Shopping Party for May Whitney Students
Send the kids shopping on Dec. 12 or 13 in the May Whitney Upper Gym. Kids can shop on their own
for friends and family in a fun, safe environment. From 3-4:30pm on both days we will have a festive holiday
party during which kids can do their holiday shopping, wrap their purchases, make cards, and have refreshments. Kids can shop with parents on Dec. 13 from 4:30-6 p.m. Volunteers will be on hand to help kids shop
and wrap in secret. Registration required by Dec. 6. Please see page 6-7 for details.
Volunteers are needed for our Holiday Shopping Party! Please visit http://tinyurl.com/2013shop
We Need Your Help!
As we near the end of 2013, there are still two PTO events that need a leader (or two)!
• The Scholastic Spring Book Fair is held in March/April over a three-day period. This themed event
includes the book fair, a family night, guest performances, contests and raffles. May Whitney receives a
percentage of sales and also earns Scholastic Dollars to purchase additional books for the school.
• Field Days is held in May for grades 1-4 providing our children with an opportunity to get together with
the other sections of their respective grades, get outside and get some exercise. Children participate in
friendly sporting competitions including relay races, tug-of war and other athletic challenges. The children look forward to this special day, putting our PTO dollars to good use!
Without someone to spearhead these activities, they will not go on and we would hate to see that happen.
PLEASE consider helping out. Contact mwptovicepresident@outlook.com for more information.
May Whitney
Presents...
Save the Date!
May Whitney Talent Show
Friday, March 14, 6:30 p.m.
Start thinking about your talent show act now!
Registration forms will be available online after
winter break and due back by Jan. 21.
•
•
•
May Whitney presents its first musical,
Schoolhouse Rock, Live! Jr. on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Jan.
12 at 2 p.m. The performance includes
singing, dancing and acting by 33 of
our fourth and fifth graders.
Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for
children ages 4 and up (children 3 and
under are free). Tickets are available
for purchase at the door. Both performances are at LZ Middle School North.
Important Dates:
Emcee try outs for registered fifth graders will
be the last week of January (date/time TBA)
Initial rehearsals on Feb. 19 and 20 (student will
be assigned one date)
Dress rehearsal March 13
2nd Annual Parent/Child Valentine’s
Dance Benefiting Joanie’s Closet
A fun-filled and memorable evening awaits you and
your special little someone on Friday, Feb. 7,
6-8:30 p.m.! Don’t miss this popular evening which
includes dinner, dancing, professional photos and
more. To be held at our very own May Whitney
gym and cafeteria. Ticket ordering details will be
available after winter break.
Have a SWEET holiday
celebration with the May
Whitney PTO!
Join us for fondue and truffle
making on Dec. 5!
See page 5 for details.
May Whitney Book Fair !
Saturday, December 7th!
Barnes & Noble - Deer Park Book
List of Events with Times & Locations !
Starting at 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.:!
!
•9 a.m. Educators “Only” 25% off and Free Gift Giveaway
•10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Free Wrapping Center (located in front of Café)
•10 a.m. MW Chorus Performs (located in the Music Department)
•10:15 a.m. Story Time with Teachers -Moskowitz, Estaver, & Peterson
(located in the Children’s Department)
•10:30 a.m. See a Performance from the MW Musical “School House
Rock” (located in the Music Department)
•10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Read with Reese the Reading Dog
(located in the Children’s Department)
•11:00 a.m. MW 5th Grade Orchestra Performance
(located in the Music Department)
•11:30 a.m. Special Book Reading with our Principal, Mr. Martelli
(located in the Children’s Department)
•Noon - 1 p.m. Come Decorate a “Wildcat” Cookie (located in the Café)
•1 p.m. - 2 p.m. Story Time with Mrs. Claus (located in the Children’s Department)
!
List of Events Scheduled All Day (8 a.m. until 9 p.m.):
•See MW Student Art Work Displayed (located on the windows - North Side of Store)
•See Teacher’s Book Selections (located at entrance of the Children’s Department)
•Crafts and Lego activities (located in the Children’s Department)
•Come purchase your books for the “Battle of Books”
Visit BN.COM/bookfairs to support us online from 12/5/13 to 12/12/13
by entering Book Fair ID# 11172004 at checkout.
*Don’t forget to let the cashier know you are from May Whitney*
!
Want to help out???
Please sign up at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/maywhitney
You are cordially invited to the
May Whitney PTO Holiday Party
When:
Thursday, December 5th at 7:00 p.m.
Where:
Morke’s Chocolates
1890 N. Rand Road
Palatine, IL 60074
(847) 359-3454
Cost:
$20.00 per person
Please join us for a festive evening with friends and fondue. There’s no better way to celebrate
the holiday season than indulging in fondue dipping and truffle making! Appetizers, soft
drinks and water will be provided. Feel free to bring your own beverages.
Please return the bottom portion of this letter along with your payment of $20.00 per person
(checks made payable to “May Whitney PTO”) by Monday, December 2nd in an envelope
marked PTO Holiday Party/Attention: Merry Reed.
Any questions, please contact Merry Reed at mwptovicepresident@outlook.com.
We hope to see you there!
Name(s):
Number attending:
Amount enclosed:
The May Whitney PTO Presents
The Holiday Gift Shop
Thursday, December 12 and Friday, December 13
May Whitney Upper Gym
The Holiday Gift Shop allows kids to shop on their own
for friends and family in a fun, safe environment.
• From 3:00 - 4:30pm on both days we will have a festive holiday party during which kids can do their
holiday shopping, wrap their purchases, make cards, and have refreshments. This year each child
who attends the party will be entered into a raffle drawing for popular gift shop items. Those who
wish to attend the party must return the attached registration form no later than Friday, December 6.
Please indicate on the registration form which day your child will attend.
• From 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. on Friday, December 13 the shop will remain open. Kids who cannot attend
one of the parties immediately after school may return with their families during this time to enjoy
some shopping. Volunteers will be on hand to help kids shop and wrap in secret.
To see a sample of items that will be available, please visit
http://www.holidaytreasuresgiftshop.com/snowflake/. Though not pictured on the website, religious
gifts for Christmas and Hanukkah will be offered. Samples of merchandise are also on display in the
main case outside the school office.
The attached money envelope has been provided to help your child plan for shopping. If you would
like to send your money in with your registration, please use only the provided envelope, and indicate
the amount enclosed on the registration form. We will hold your child's envelope until he/she is ready
to shop on the day of the event. If you would prefer, your child can bring in his/her money on the day
of the event.
Checks should be made payable to May Whitney PTO for the maximum amount your child is allowed
to spend. Checks are preferred instead of cash. Change will be sent home with your child.
Questions?
Contact Noreen Robinson at 847-726-3027 or Kathy Milowski at 847-550-5327
The Holiday Gift Shop
Thursday, December 12 and Friday, December 13
Please return this form to school no later than Friday, December 6 to register
for the Holiday Gift Shop Party. Please indicate which day your child will
attend. Select either Thursday or Friday, but not both.
NAME:____________________________________________________________
GRADE: ____________________
TEACHER:_________________________________________________________
DATE ATTENDING:
__________Thursday, Dec 12
___________Friday, December 13
PARENT/GUARDIAN:
___________________________________________________________________
EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBER:
___________________________________________________________
My child will be going to the YMCA program immediately following the event.
Money envelope attached with $________________________cash / check (circle one)
Please provide an email address so we can confirm receipt of money sent in advance:
Email:____________________________________________________________________
Please check if your child is a fourth or fifth grade member of the Leadership Council and
would like to volunteer to help the younger children do their shopping (guiding them through
the shop, helping them with their money, etc.) during the party.
** Parents,
we need a lot of volunteers to make our shop a success! If
you are willing to donate your time, please use the following Sign Up
Genius link: http://tinyurl.com/2013shop.
DECEMBER 2013
Student Assistance Program Newsletter
L Z 95
Reconnecting by Disconnecting.
As the Holiday
season approaches
we often find ourselves spending
more time with the
ones that we love. It
can be a joyful time
for families to be
with each other, establish traditions
and make lasting
memories.
For some
families this can be
difficult because
many must divide
their time between
work obligations
and family. Technol-
ogy is now a part of
many of our lives.
As much as it has
been shown to be
helpful, it can also
have a negative impact on some family
relationships. University of Wisconsin
researchers recently
conducted a study
that tracked the
technology use and
moods of 1,367
women and men for
two years. Those
who sent and received the most
calls and text messages were also
7 ways to Reconnect
most likely to say
that this “work spill1 Turn off the TV
over” left them tired
and distracted at
home. “Technology
2 Eat together
is really blurring the
lines between home
3 Exercise together
and work,” says
lead researcher Noelle Chesley,
4 Make a Photo album
During this
holiday season try
5 Family Game Night
turning off your
phone and electronic devices for a night
6 Cook together
and enjoy time with
your family. Encour7 Enjoy the Outdoors
age your children to
do the same. Remember what it felt
like to be home with
your family before
technology became
a necessity in our
daily life. Reconnect
with your family by
Disconnecting.
ENJOY THE BREAK!