Updates from Spanish Class

Kindergarten students have been studying parts of the body. We learned a traditional children’s song, Juanito. Students also drew and labeled monsters!


Third grade students are studying markets and stores found in Panamá, their country of study. During December, they will be creating signs and practicing vocabulary in order to complete a global simulation project where they “visit” one another’s stores to ask about and purchase items.


Fourth grade students are currently delving deeper into their study of Argentina through an exploration of the major landmarks and geographic features of different provinces. Students are researching a province of their choosing and will write a postcard as a creative way to demonstrate their findings.

8th Grade Science

In 8th Grade Science, students are gaining conceptual understanding of the properties of sound and wave interference. As they investigate how a disturbance that travels through different mediums transfers energy into sound waves, they are utilizing their senses (touch, sight, hearing) to gather information about the factors that affect the speed of sound.


As students discussed the differences between music and noise, they analyzed how frequency affected pitch through lab investigation. They have begun to experiment with making music, changing the pitch of sound, by creating their own musical instruments.  They will complete a lab report to conclude their investigations, and maybe play a tune for you upon request!

Chromebooks at LaSalle II

Technology is very helpful in our classrooms. Students use portable devices like Chromebooks to do research. Our teachers also use chromebooks to provide personalized math, social studies, and reading activities using resources like IXL, Xtramath, Read Theory, and Raz Kids. Many of the assessment tests are done on Chromebooks now too so that everyone doesn’t have to use the PCs in the computer lab.

LaSalle 2 PTO recently raised $18K to purchase 2 carts of Chromebooks as a big step in offering portable technology throughout our classrooms. The school now has 9 traveling carts containing 32 Chromebooks each, and most classrooms have the carts for some part of their week.

Two additional Chromebook carts would be put to use immediately if we had them. Please join the other families who are using the monthly donation option as their way of contributing to the LaSalle II PTO Campaign for Excellence. A donation of $50 per month will cover the cost of two Chromebooks towards our goal. Donations of any amount are always appreciated.

Staley the Bear Visits LaSalle II!

The Chicago Bears mascot, Staley the Bear, came to LaSalle II for a visit and to talk to students about anti-bullying. Thank you to the Student Council for making this event possible!

Principal for a Day- Evyn R.

Thank you to Evyn R. for serving as Principal for a Day and helping Dr. Albani around the school!

Physical Education at LaSalle II

The unit/skill that we have been working on in PE is Football/Throwing & Catching. Students have been using their throwing and catching skills to participate in these new games. Students learned, practiced and then implemented the skills into new games.  These games are: “BootBall”, which is a combination of football and baseball, “Ultimate Football”, which is a combination of ultimate frisbee and football, “Rack It Up”, which is a throwing, tossing or rolling game for targets. The next unit will be Hockey.  We will also be starting our Health Curriculum.

Homework Help

New this year, we have a Homework Help room available to middle school students every day. Students come to work on homework, group projects, computer assignments, study for a test, take a make-up test, and/or to work on upcoming assignments. Ms. Novak is available for students to ask for help on the subject they are working on during that period. Students are allowed to eat while they work, use supplies in the room and to print if needed.

On average, 41 students are using the Homework Help room every day! This option is open to all 6th-8th grade students during their lunch/recess period on a daily basis, so please encourage your student to take advantage of this extra resource!

Thank You LaSalle II PTO!

A huge thank you to our PTO for working tirelessly to raise funds for our school. Recently, the West Town Chamber of Commerce presented a check for $31,148.87 to our school as a result of our participation in summer festivals.

The West Town Chamber of Commerce was thrilled to be able to give back to the community. Proceeds from the Chamber’s 2016 special events generated over $52,000 in funds that the Chamber Board was able to donate to the following local schools and non-profits:

La Salle II PTO
Talcott Fine Arts and Museum Academy
Friends of Pritzker School
Erie Neighborhood House
The Arts of Life Inc.

The festivals are not only fun, they are economic development tools that draw thousands of consumers to the commercial corridors, they attract new business to West Town, and they have this direct positive impact on local non-profits and schools in the community. The Chamber, a local non-profit as well, also benefits from the special events and raises the bulk of the Chamber operating and member programming budgets from festival fundraising.

La Salle II and Pritzker organize the Family Fun Fest area at Do Division and also benefit 100% from activities in that area raising even more money for the school. Talcott organizes Kid Fest at West Fest and also benefits from 100% of the activities in the Kid Fest area for additional direct fundraising. The other non-profits provide volunteers and partner in some way with the Chamber to produce and license the events, and in exchange get a donation from festival proceeds.

Pumpkins in KDG

This fall the kindergarten classrooms learned about the five senses. Students explored their environment using their senses and learned how to describe things using different adjectives. One exploration the students participated in was a listening walk. Students walked and sat around in the outdoor classroom while they focused on using their sense of hearing. They recorded their observations of what sounds they heard. They also participated in a smelling exploration where they smelled the contents of different bags and guessed what was inside. Lastly, the kindergarteners used their senses to explore pumpkins and then described them.

Storyboards in 8th Grade

In our eighth literacy class, the students are currently reading To Kill A Mockingbird. The core of this narrative focuses on essential themes such as courage, race, discrimination, fairness, and justice. Through the readings and discussions, students are examining the heart of our democratic society. One in which strives to provide “equal rights for all” and “special privileges” for none. The narrative takes place in a small southern town in the early 1930s. Therefore, in social studies, students are also exploring the era of the Great Depression.


In eighth grade, students are using storyboards as a way to blend their creativity and analytical thinking skills to discuss this timeless masterpiece.  Storyboards are a powerful way for students to visually present and discuss information. In small groups, students created storyboards to help them keep track of the important events and characters in the novel..  By sharing and discussing their storyboards with their peers, students not only had an opportunity to verbalize thoughts but further synthesize their understanding of To Kill A Mockingbird.