I hope everyone is enjoying the last few weeks of summer. This week at Country Meadows we welcomed staff into the building to start organizing materials for the year ahead. Most staff had not been in the building since March other than to gather instructional materials for remote learning and pack-up student supplies. I know it felt surreal for many to walk into their time capsule classrooms that have been preseverd since our school closure in March. Regardless, you can feel the energy from our dedicated teachers as we head into this new school year! We are so eager to see our students!
By now you’ve received your child’s classroom teacher placement for the year. As a district, we’ve been working very hard to organize and plan a "Greet the Teacher" event at the school to welcome and begin building connections with our students and families. Be sure to check-out the details below!
NEW *Country Meadows Teams 20-21*
First Grade: Mrs. Tlapek, Mrs. Zimmerman, Ms. Alt, Mrs. Thompson, and Mrs. Cannistra
Second Grade: Mrs. Jacobson, Mrs. Mason, Mrs. Kiefer, and Ms. Widmaier
Third Grade: Ms. Gorodiski, Mrs. Humphries, Ms. Matulef, and Mrs. Charpentier
Fourth Grade: Ms. Diaz, Ms. Wooster, Mrs. Larson, Mrs. Eisinger, Ms. Rushenberg
Fifth Grade: Mrs. Perales, Ms. Sabath, Mrs. Abad, Mrs. Marquez
Specials: Mrs. Grossman (Art), Mr. Loessll (P.E.), Ms. Almdale (P.E.), Mrs. Murray (Music), Mrs. Lockhart (EXL), Mr. Craw (Band), and Ms. Wronkiewicz (Orchestra)
Student Services Team: Mrs. Johnson (Social Worker), Mrs. DuPree (Special Education), Ms. Ray (Special Education), Ms. Truppa (Occupational Therapist), Ms. Friend (Psychologist), Ms. Grunde (Speech and Language Pathologist), and Ms. Fix (Reading Specialist)
Instructional Coaches: Ms. Huxhold (Math Coach/Specialist), Mrs. Griffin (Language Development Coach), Mrs. Rodriguez (Language Development Coach), Mrs. Buchert (Language Development Coach), Mrs. Kolpak (Language Development Coach), Ms. Orlov (iCoach), Mrs. Treshansky (iCoach), Mr. Frishman (iCoach), Mrs. Groncki (Literacy Coach), and Mrs. May (Literacy Coach)
NEW *Greet Your Teacher & Student Materials Pick-Up*
In District 96, we deeply value the importance of building connections with students and families. In an effort to bring some normalcy to the beginning of the school year, please join us on Thursday, August 20th for Material Pick Up and a chance to Greet your Teacher. Between the hours of 12:00-2:00, families and students are invited to Country Meadows to pick up additional instructional materials (these are in addition to the school supplies from the school supply list found on the website) from your classroom teacher.
- This event will take place outdoors and is WEATHER PERMITTING. *A school messenger will be sent by 10:00am to notify you if the event format changes*
- ALL participants (children, parents, staff) MUST wear a mask and remain 6 ft from others at all times.
- Find your child’s homeroom teacher table, greet your teacher, and take your materials! Thanks for helping us to keep the process safe, smooth, and efficient to allow all students the opportunity to greet his or her teacher.
- Please note that we do have staff who are unable to attend for personal reasons. We will ensure there is someone to hand out your child’s materials. We will have a QR code for you to scan and Zoom with staff members who are not present from the hours of 12:00-2:00.
To accommodate all families as safely as possible, please attend during the time slot listed below. We appreciate your help with this matter.
Kildeer/Prairie/Ivy Hall/Country Meadows Schedule:
12:00-12:30 - Last Names A-F
12:30-1:00 - Last Names G-L
1:00-1:30 - Last Names - M-R
1:30-2:00 - Last Names S-Z
Willow Grove Schedule
12:00-12:30 - Last Names M-R
12:30-1:00 - Last Names - S-Z
1:00-1:30 - Last Names A-F
1:30-2:00 - Last Names G-L
If you are unable to attend the Supply Pick and Greet the Teacher on Thursday, August 20th, we will have an additional opportunity for a drive-thru Material Pick Up on Friday, August 21st from 8-11 a.m. Please have a sign with your child’s last name, first name, grade, and homeroom teacher displayed in your window. A staff member will bring out the materials and place them in your trunk.
We look forward to welcoming our families!
NEW *Remember to Meet Health Form Requirements*
Health form requirements vary by grade level and for new/returning students. New to District 96 (all grade levels)? See MORE INFO regarding grade-level specific health form requirements.
All students entering Kindergarten must have their CERTIFICATE OF CHILD HEALTH EXAMINATION/IMMUNIZATION FORM (signed by the physician) on file in the school office by October 15, 2020.
All students entering Kindergarten must have their Vision Examination Form by October 15, 2020.
All students entering Kindergarten must have a DENTAL EXAMINATION FORM on file at their school office by May 15, 2021.
All students entering Grade 2 must have a DENTAL EXAMINATION FORM on file at their school office by May 15, 2021.
All students entering Grade 6 must have their CERTIFICATE OF CHILD HEALTH EXAMINATION/IMMUNIZATION FORM (signed by the physician) on file in the school office by October 15, 2020.
Additional Grade 6 health form requirements include the DENTAL EXAMINATION FORM by May 15, 2021.
NEW *Family Tech Class Info August 20th & August 21st*
iPad 101 + Zoom: Our live session will cover the basics of using an iPad for educational purposes and troubleshooting tips your D96 student will need to access for Enhanced Remote Learning. Topics include:
- How students will access Zoom sessions (through Clever)
- Zoom basics (gallery view, speaker view, mute, video, renaming)
- Accessing apps from Self-Service
- Accessing/Searching the Google Drive for teacher’s remote learning daily slideshows
- Schoology: Join us to learn about our D96 Learner Management System, Schoology. This system is used for communication between students and teachers, sending and receiving all coursework and providing student feedback on learning. We will also cover how to find all of your student’s courses and access their assignment calendar. (Suggested for grades 3-8)
- SeeSaw: Join us to learn about accessing the Seesaw Family app and how you can gain a window into your students’ learning! We will also explore the student perspective of the Seesaw Class App. (Suggested for EC-3)
All of these courses will take place on Thursday, August 20th & Friday, August 21st. Please view this google doc with the schedule and links to the zoom sessions. If you are unable to make these classes, they will be recorded and made available at a later date!
NEW *Parents of Returning KCSD96 Students: Check Their Tech Today!*
FAQ: How do I get my returning KCSD96 student's broken or missing iPad or Logitech Crayon fixed or replaced?
Answer: Please complete and submit THIS FORM as soon as possible, so we can help before the school year begins.
NEW *See the Revised Quicklist 20–21 Calendar*
Please see the Revised Quicklist 2020–21 CALENDAR, including school hours information and dates for Early Release Days, Half Days, holidays, and winter/spring breaks.
REPEATING *First Day of School*
Our first half day of remote learning will be Monday, August 24th. School day hours will be from 8:30am-11:45am.
REPEATING *Technology News*
On August 12th, our technology department will begin syncing student data across our systems in preparation for the start of the 20-21 school year. When this sync begins, your student(s) may lose access to some services or applications that are currently on their iPads. This is by design as we prepare to make all of the 20-21 resources available to students for the start of the school year.
Please know that if you request a replacement iPad, Crayon, or accessory while picking up your resources, we will need a broken iPad, Crayon, or accessory from you in order to begin processing replacements. Any requests will also need to be fully documented before a replacement can be processed.
REPEATING *Supporting Our D96 Community Families*
The pandemic is creating challenging situations for many families in our community.
Community members who are able are invited to donate these items: macaroni & cheese (cups or boxes), canned foods (veggies/fruits/tuna/chicken/beans), granola bars, tortillas, cheese (shredded/sliced), eggs, deli meats, frozen ground beef/chicken.
Please deliver to collection boxes outside the Exceptional Learners Collaborative (ELC) front entrance, 990 Corporate Woods Parkway, Vernon Hills, from 8 AM–3 PM. Please observe social distancing when delivering donations and ring the doorbell when delivering perishable foods and/or gift cards.
If you'd like to deliver your donation to your student's school on the designated Materials Pick-Up Day, please place it in the donation box (non perishable/non-refrigerated items only, please) in front of the school entrance.
Questions? Contact [email protected]