Waltham Elementary School District - Prepare, Respect, Inspire, Dream, Encourage

Waltham School Families, Waltham School will have a 1:35 PM dismissal today, Tuesday, March 10th, due to the anticipated severe storms and potential tornado activity expected in our area. The projected timing of these storms is concerning, and we want to ensure that all students and staff are able to arrive home safely before the weather worsens. Our goal is to have everyone home by approximately 3:00 PM. Afternoon preschool will be cancelled today. All after-school practices and activities are also cancelled. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority. Stay safe, Mrs. Eager

Preschool Registration Information

Preschool Registration for NEW students will take place on Wednesday, March 18th from 1:00–3:30 PM.

Please bring the following documents with you:

Your child’s birth certificate
Proof of residency (see attached residency information)
A preschool placement is secured once the completed registration packet is returned and we have received your child’s birth certificate and proof of residency.

If you have a scheduled preschool screening on March 18th, you will register your child at that time so please bring all the requirements with you.

Returning Waltham Preschool Students: Students will complete an online registration once registration opens for the 2026-2027 school year.

Important Program Updates for Next Year

Please review the information below carefully, as there are several important changes:

Preschool is a tuition-based program for all students unless the child has an IEP (see attached tuition information).
There will be no midday bus route next school year.
AM preschool students may ride the K–8 morning bus to school.
PM preschool students may ride the K–8 afternoon bus home.
Preschool will offer:
Two AM sessions: 8:05–10:35 AM
Two PM sessions: 12:40–3:10 PM
On Wednesdays, the PM preschool class will meet from 11:40 AM–2:10 PM so students can ride the K–8 afternoon bus home.
Please contact the school office if you have any questions.

We extend our sincere thanks to Clarks Run Antiques in downtown Utica for serving as our March Attendance Sponsor. We are grateful for their continued support of our attendance initiative as we recognize dedicated students and work together to build positive attendance habits.



Thanks to the generosity of our monthly attendance partners, we have seen meaningful growth in attendance at Waltham. This community support truly makes a difference for our students and helps reinforce the importance of showing up each day ready to learn.

We extend our sincere thanks to Clarks Run Antiques in downtown Utica for serving as our March Attendance Sponsor. We are grateful for their continued support of our attendance initiative as we recognize dedicated students and work together to build positive attendance habits.

Read Across America Spirit Week: Feb 23rd- Feb 27th

Save the Date for Family Reading Night!!

Waltham families: Please spread the word that our Kindergarten Registration will be held on Wednesday, February 18th! To make an appointment, call Tiffany at 815-667-4417.
We appreciate you sharing this post to help get the word out to our community members!

Thank you to Dr. Deric R. Truskoski, DMD, MS of Floss Academy in Chicago for serving as our February Attendance Sponsor—especially fitting as we celebrate National Children’s Dental Health Month! We are grateful for his support of our attendance initiative as we recognize dedicated students and continue building positive attendance trends. Healthy smiles help students feel their best and show up ready to learn each day!

Thanks to all of our monthly attendance partners, we’ve seen meaningful growth here at Waltham—and it truly makes a difference for our students!

We’re looking for some amazing paraprofessionals to join our Waltham family.

https://www.illinoiseducationjobbank.org/Job-Posting/125262/PartTime-Paraprofessional/job-details

Cold Weather Reminder for Tomorrow ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️ As we head into another chilly winter day, please be sure your child is dressed warmly for school tomorrow. Coats, hats, gloves, and scarves are important for keeping our students comfortable and safe. Our buses will be warm for transportation, but please remember they are still buses—not quite as cozy as a car—so bundling up makes a big difference, especially during loading and unloading. We look forward to seeing all of your children tomorrow and appreciate your help in keeping them warm and ready to learn!

Waltham School will be closed on Friday, January 23rd due to the forecasted sub-zero temperatures in our area. All after-school activities for Friday will be cancelled. Activities scheduled for Saturday, January 24th are currently still scheduled as planned. Please stay warm and enjoy another long weekend🥶 Mrs. Eager

Students had an opportunity to participate in Mrs. Lukacsy's Waltham Hawk Winter Break Challenge. They took the hawk on adventures and created presentations sharing their fun! Congratulations to Millie T. who won the challenge! She received a Target gift card and a Scentsy backpack charm! Way to go, Millie! Thanks for sharing your creativity!

Please share our upcoming preschool screening information with family and friends of Waltham District #185!

Thank you to Illinois State Representative, Amy "Murri" Briel, for serving as our January Attendance Sponsor! We are grateful for her support of our attendance initiative as we celebrate dedicated students and continue to build positive attendance trends. Thanks to all our monthly attendance partners, we have seen meaningful growth here at Waltham—and it truly makes a difference for our students!

Our latest Creativity Ink ELA event was a great success! 6-8th grade students wrote letters to promote the campaign, encouraging friends and family to support the Illinois Valley PADS shelter in Ottawa. Thanks to their hard work and our generous community, we collected food, drinks, supplies, gift cards, and cash donations during this holiday season of giving and wrapped up the campaign with a fun pizza party to celebrate everyone’s efforts.

A big thank you to Pilkington in Ottawa for sponsoring our December Attendance initiatives! Their support helps us celebrate students and encourage great attendance all month long. We greatly appreciate their partnership!

🚨 ❄️Tonight’s Events Are Canceled ❄️🚨 ❌ ELA Family Event at Village Hall This event is canceled for tonight and will be rescheduled. ❌ Girls’ Basketball Regional Games Originally scheduled for Mon/Tues/Thurs — now moved to Tues, Thurs, and Fri. ❌ Cheer Practice is rescheduled for Wednesday ❌ 7/8 Boys practice is rescheduled for tomorrow t ❌ 5/6 boys game at Peru Parkside is canceled Thank you for your understanding! Stay safe, everyone. 🏫💙

Don't forget. Bingo night tonight @ Canal Port. Doors open at 5. Bring cash for Bingo boards and 50/50! See you there.

Last call for Spirit Wear before the holidays!

https://thesudco.com/collections/waltham