Country Meadows Families,
Over the past couple of weeks, we've successfully brought back our in-person learners, and we've demonstrated that our routines and protocols are in solidly in place. So - what's next? We will continue to focus on quality instruction and making sure all of our learners feel supported while also leaning on our continued partnership to navigate any challenges that come our way!
There's a lot of snow on the ground, and I'm sure we've all seen the forecasted frigid temperatures. Stay warm, and enjoy your weekend!
Warm Regards,
Meghan Bird - Principal
NEW: CM Library Book Check Out
We are excited to announce that we will be opening the Country Meadows’ library for Remote and In-Person learners. Recently, students have been provided with access to Sora, an app that allows students to check out Ebooks. Additionally, we are offering the opportunity to check out the diverse hard copy books from our library collection. The importance of reading books is vital for success!
Holds must be placed through Alexandria by Monday morning at 8:00 a.m. This will allow the time needed to organize and pull books off the shelves.
- Remote Students will be picking books up at Country Meadows’ front vestibule outside the main office on Friday during school hours 7:45am-4:00pm the same week.
- In-Person Students will have their books delivered to their classrooms on one of the days they are attending (either Monday/Tuesday or Thursday/Friday) the same week.
Please, click here, for specific instructions on how to check out books.
IMPORTANT: You should have received an email with your child's username and password. Please use this student specific information to reserve books for check out!
NEW *Specials Materials & Materials for Students Reporting In Person*
For students reporting for in person learning, please look for specific information from your child's classroom teacher regarding materials he or she will need to bring to class on days he/she reports. Here is the updated Specials Materials List. Please reach out to your child's classroom teacher or specific specials teachers with any questions.
NEW *Obtaining Free Meals*
Preorder free meals for in-person students by 6 PM on Thursday for the week ahead. Order at onlineordering.linq.com only for your student's in-person days.
Pick up meal supplies for 5 days for remote students on Wednesdays from 11 AM– 2 PM at Twin Groves or Woodlawn. No preordering needed.
Please direct questions to the public info coordinator [email protected].
NEW: Valentine's Day Celebration
On Wednesday, February 10th, all students will participate in Valentine’s themed activities while learning remotely. Classroom teachers will coordinate Valentine’s themed activity during the Social Studies/Science instructional block. Please contact your child’s teacher with any questions.
NEW: Exploration Lab Stop Motion Projects
All of Country Meadows students learned Stop Motion Animation in Exploration Lab this trimester. We are so impressed with their creativity, innovation, and hard work that we'd like to share some student projects over the next couple of weeks! Take a look at some of our 1st and 2nd grade stop motion videos!
NEW *Musical Performances*
District 96 Families,
As we look forward to the remainder of the school year, we wish to update you on the status of this year’s school performances. After much discussion and weighing of options and possibilities, the district has decided that formal music performances for students will not take place this school year.
Factors that contributed to this decision included concert preparation, execution, and the continuing balance involving student screen time. Individually, the music teachers will continue to pursue in-class performance possibilities, and will keep eyes set on performances to return in the following school year.
NEW: Dual Language Parent Night for 21–22 Kindergarten Parents
District 96 Director of Language and Early Literacy Kathryn Sheridan will present a live virtual program for parents interested in the Spanish/English Dual Language program opportunity for their incoming 2021–22 kindergartners.
REGISTER HERE to receive the link to attend the live virtual informational program for parents of incoming kindergartners Wed., Mar. 3, at 6:30 PM.
See the District website to LEARN MORE about the District's optional Spanish/English Dual Language program.
NEW: Last Call for Student Photos in THE Yearbook
This is your final opportunity! Were you hoping to get a picture retake? Did you miss school picture day? Have you recently moved to the area? No worries, your student’s portrait can still be included in the 2020-2021 Country Meadows yearbook! You can submit your own portrait directly to the yearbook between now and February 15th using one of the following methods:
Option 1: Download the HJ eShare app, enter the school code: CM2021 select “upload portrait,” follow the instructions and upload your picture
Option 2: Go to www.hjeshare.com, enter the school code: CM2021, select “upload portrait,” follow the instructions and upload your picture
Option 3: Go directly to http://www.hjeshare.com/eShare/?code=CM2021 select “upload portrait,” follow the instructions and upload your picture
If you have any questions regarding your Color Portrait orders or needed refunds, please contact Color Portraits directly for support at (847) 382-7505.
NEW *PTO February Artistic Challenge*
Our incredible PTO is sponsoring another fun challenge this month! Please see this flyer for information regarding our February Artistic Contest!
NEW *PTO Virtual Hands On Science Event*
Save the date! Our incredible PTO will be sponsoring a virtual event on March 4th! Please click here to register for the event! We are so excited to see the creative work of our students!
NEW *PTO Blog*
Please take a moment to read the updated PTO blog this week.
REPEATING *ERIN’S LAW*
An Illinois law known as Erin’s Law requires schools to implement an age-appropriate sexual assault and abuse awareness/prevention curriculum for Kindergarten through Grade 12.
Kildeer Countryside CCSD 96 researched and observed best practices and programs for delivering this instruction, selecting Victor Pacini to present Be Seen & Heard ©.
The focus of this developmentally appropriate and interactive program is to teach children skills to keep them safe from danger or abuse. Concepts discussed will include distinguishing safe from unsafe touches, safety rules at home and school, saying NO, safe/unsafe secrets, and telling a trusted adult, as well as reinforcing that an adult’s touching him or her is not the child’s fault. For more information about this presentation please go to www.victorpacini.com/peace-of-mind-2
The presentation to Country Meadows students will be during the school day on February 18th.
If you prefer that your child does not attend this prevention education session, please submit your written request - or your questions - to me at [email protected].
REPEATING *IMPORTANT REMINDERS FOR PARENTS OF IN-PERSON LEARNERS*
Parents who have children coming in must do their daily self-certification. It significantly slows down our arrival procedures when students don't have this.
Likewise, parents whose students do not bring their saliva samples will be called to come to the school and bring their student’s sample collection vial, barcode label, and plastic baggie and assist their student in collecting the sample.
Please remember that completing the daily self-certification and providing the weekly saliva sample is a commitment you made for your child to attend in-person. If there are repeat incidences for the daily self-certification and/or saliva collection, the student may need to go back to remote learning. Please set alarm reminders for yourself. I do not want anyone to have to move back to remote learning for this reason.
The schedule for saliva sample collection for EC–Grade 2 is as follows:
Monday
- Ivy Hall Grades 1-2 (Last names A-L)
- Prairie Grades 1-2 (Last names A-L)
Tuesday
- Country Meadows Grades 1-2 (Last names A-L)
- Kildeer Grades 1-2 (Last names A-L)
- Willow Grove PM Students
Wednesday
- Willow Grove AM Students
Thursday
- Country Meadows Grades 1-2 (Last names M-Z)
- Ivy Hall Grades 1-2 (Last names M-Z)
- Prairie Grades 1-2 (Last names M-Z)
- Kildeer Grades 1-2 (Last names M-Z)
See MORE INFO regarding saliva samples and collecting them.
To access the required Daily Self-Certification Form, you need to log into TeacherEase each day your student will attend in person to submit self-certification.
This VIDEO gives instructions, including how to access the daily self-certification form using your cell phone (iOS or android).
If you will be using your home computer to send daily self-certification, we suggest that you bookmark the TeacherEase website. The link is: https://www.teacherease.com/common/login.aspx
REPEATING: *News From the Library - Introducing Sora*
We are so excited to announce the purchase of over 1,500 e-books for our students to check out directly onto their iPads on an app called Sora by Overdrive. All of the classrooms have been introduced to this new app and students immediately began checking out books. Students can check out one book at a time and place one book on hold at a time.
Many of the e-books have a limited number of checkouts before they disappear from the collection. Because of this, we strongly encourage children to read a sample of the book before borrowing it. This way they can decide whether the book is a good fit and it will help our e-books last longer. In addition, we are asking students to return books as soon as they finish reading it so another student can check it out plus they can check out their next book right away.
An exciting feature of Sora is if you have a public library card, students can add their library card number to the app and have thousands more books to choose from. All you need is a library card. See this video for instructions on how to add a public library to the Sora app. Please feel free to reach out with any questions!
REPEATING *In Person Learning Protocols*
Parents whose hybrid in-person students will be learning in person, please be sure to review the Revised IN-PERSON LEARNING PROTOCOLS for information about health and safety protocols and expectations for families and their students who will be learning in person in our schools.
REPEATING *Preregister for 2021–22 Kindergarten Beginning Jan. 11*
Preregister incoming 2021–22 kindergartners beginning January 11 and no later than January 31 to receive a free T-shirt for your incoming student. SEE MORE INFO
REPEATING *Updated COVID-19 Metrics*
This UPDATED COVID-19 METRICS is the information “dashboard” that maintains transparent and open communication around COVID-19 metrics. As a user of the dashboard, the District has access to COVID-19 data as recommended by the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium. We review this data daily, update the dashboard weekly, and consider this data in making many decisions.
REPEATING *Family Tradition Survey*
Last year, families filled out a form to share their family traditions with us. We shared those traditions in a daily slideshow for students and the kids absolutely loved reading about themselves and other students in the school. We would love for you to participate again this year!
Read more about how you can share your family traditions this year. It will show you a QR code and a link you can use to participate.