Country Meadows Families,
We have another great week of remote learning to celebrate, and our students and staff continue to amaze us with their resilience and solution focused mindset. Thank you for your support and understanding this week during our MAP Testing sessions, and please see below for specific details regarding our makeup schedule and plan.
We hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and we look forward to spending our last full week of September with students next week!
Kindly,
Meghan Bird
NEW *Missed Material Pick Up*
If you were unable to pick up your child’s materials on Monday, 9/14, please come to the front office. We will have your child’s materials ready for you.
NEW *Picture Day Information*
Picture Day is coming! Please mark your calendars for Picture Day which will be on Wednesday, September 30th. Pictures will be taken outside in tents and ordering will be completely digital this year. Here is the link to the digital order form, and pictures will be shipped directly to your home.
Please follow these guidelines to ensure Picture Day runs smoothly:
Arrive at the SPECIFIC time by LAST NAME:
3:00pm - 4:30pm LAST NAME A-G
4:30pm - 5:45pm LAST NAME H-Q
5:45pm - 7:00pm LAST NAME R-Z
Park and bring students to the check-in area, waiting in a socially distanced line as necessary (students will wear masks except when being photographed & will maintain 6ft social distance when waiting in line)
After checking in, students will move to one of the three photography tents to have their picture taken (photographers will be masked and maintaining social distance)
Parents are asked to limit those attending and adhere to our schedule as much as possible to prevent crowding and ensure appropriate social distancing. Everyone MUST wear a mask.
Please do your best to come at your assigned time. If this is not possible, you are welcome to come to one of the other times.
MAKEUP DAY: For those that could not attend picture day or would like a retake, this will be take place on October 27th.
NEW: Specials Materials
We are so excited that students have access to the materials our specials teachers ordered for students. With the excitement of using the materials, we also know there is additional stress added for families of students who travel between homes, to the Park District pod program, or to childcare locations.
This is a document that will be updated each week by our specials teachers to indicate which materials will by used on specific days of the upcoming week. Please reach out to specific specials teachers with any questions.
NEW *MAP Testing Family Support*
Thank you so much for all of your support in ensuring our MAP Testing has been able to take place while students are learning remotely. We understand the challenges that come with this, and we appreciate your patience and understanding. If there is an adult available at the time students are signing into the MAP testing session, we have found that this has made the sign in process more efficient. While this is not an expectation, and we do have District 96 staff available to support the login process, we are grateful for any support adults at home can provide support during the login process prior to students beginning their MAP testing sessions.
Kindergarten - If possible, adult support would be helpful during the MAP login process on September 21st and September 22nd beginning at 9:30am.
1st Grade - If possible, adult support would be helpful during the MAP login process on September 30th beginning at 9:15 am.
2nd Grade - If possible, adult support would be helpful during the MAP login process on September 30th beginning at 9:15 am and Thursday, October 1st beginning at 10 am.
NEW *MAP Makeups*
We apologize for any inconvenience NWEA MAP testing has caused this week, and we want to thank you for your patience and flexibility as we navigate the technological issues NWEA has been experiencing.
Due to the ongoing technical issues that NWEA is experiencing, District 96 was advised by NWEA representation to suspend MAP testing September 17th and Friday, September 18th. An updated plan is indicated below for each grade-level.
Kindergarten - D96 will proceed with testing for Kindergarten students on September 20 and 21. *Please know that these dates may change if NWEA issues have not been resolved.*
3rd and 4th Grade - D96 suspended math MAP testing for Thursday, September 17th. *Testing is now scheduled for Tuesday, September 29. *Please know this date may change if NWEA issues have not been resolved.*
1st and 2nd Grade - D96 suspended math MAP testing for Friday, September 18th. *Testing is now scheduled for Wednesday, September 30 for both 1st and 2nd grade. *Please know this date may change if NWEA issues have not been resolved.* *Reading MAP testing for 2nd grade is now scheduled for Thursday, October 1st. *Please know this date may change if NWEA issues have not been resolved.*
NEW: 5th Grade Band Registration
Registration for the 5th grade beginning band is still open, and band lessons will begin next week! Please click on this link to learn all about the band program and to sign up this weekend. And please feel free to contact our band director Chad Craw ([email protected]) with any questions you may have.
NEW *PTO Blog*
Please take a moment to visit the PTO on social media outlets: PTO Blog, Facebook, and Instragram!
Please join us for our first Annual General PTO Meeting will be held on September 23rd at 9:00am! For more info please see our website or contact our President, Debbie Sainte-Rose at [email protected].
Please take a moment to read the updated PTO blog this week!
REPEATING *Yearbook Cover Contest*
Is your child interested having their artwork featured on the 2020-2021 yearbook cover? Please see more information on this Yearbook Contest Flier and submit your artwork by:
- Dropping off artwork during Materials Pick Up on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH
- Dropping off artwork in the front office by FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH
- Emailing to [email protected] by FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH.
REPEATING*Fall Family/Educator Conference Sign-Up*
Fall conferences are rapidly approaching! Families will have an opportunity to sign-up the week of September 21st for a conference in October. Please be on the lookout for forthcoming information that week.
As a reminder, conferences will be held virtually on Thursday, October 8th from 5:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. and Friday, October 9th from 10:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Conferences were moved to October in order to provide teachers and families the opportunity to discuss action steps for improvement before the reporting period closes.
REPEATING *Musician of the Week*
As you might have heard from your student, each week I will be selecting a Musician of the Week!! If your student would like to be considered, they can submit a video to the Musician of the Week assignment found on Seesaw (1st-3rd grade) and Schoology (4th-5th grade). The video could be a performance on an instrument of choice (singing included), a screen recording of an original Specdrum or Garageband piece, or even a video explaining something that they learned in music. At the end of each week, I will select a student based on the video and weekly class participation in music. The Musician of the Week will be announced in an announcement on Seesaw/update on Schoology each week with a link to their video on my private school youtube channel. *Please note that this youtube channel is not public and can only be accessed from the link provided in the announcement on Seesaw/Schoology*.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out and contact me at [email protected].
Mrs. Murray - Music Teacher
REPEATING *Yearbook Photo Upload*
Be A 2020-2021 Yearbook Photographer! As you can imagine, we will need to your help this fall to collect pictures for the Country Meadows Yearbook. Start by uploading your child’s first day of school picture(s) through the yearbook company’s app or website.
Option 1: Download the HJ eShare app, enter the school code: CM2021 tag and upload your pictures
Option 2: Go to www.hjeshare.com, enter the school code: CM2021, tag and upload your pictures
Option 3: Go directly to http://www.hjeshare.com/eShare/?code=CM2021 tag and upload your pictures
REPEATING *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.