Country Meadows Principal's Message - February 19th

Country Meadows Principal's Message - February 19th

Country Meadows Families,

This week, even though shorter than most, was still a great one at Country Meadows!  Our students and staff continue to amaze us, and we are so proud of the learning they complete each and every day!  Next week we have a few shortened days (one that includes a fun PTO Cultural Arts Assembly opportunity for students), so please make sure to read details below!  This week I was lucky enough to spend the day with a new "Assistant Principal for the Day" that you can also read more about below.  Have a wonderful weekend, and enjoy the "heatwave" we will be experiencing with these 30 degree temperatures on the way!

Warm Regards,

Meghan Bird - Principal


NEW *Friday, February 26th Half-Day *

Grades 1 - 5 students will be dismissed from school at 11:45am.  

Willow Grove AM KDG/AM EC Blended are in session 8:30–11 AM; Structured are in session 8:45–11 AM. NO SCHOOL for Willow Grove PM KDG/PM EC Blended ONLY.


NEW *Wednesday, February 24th Asynchronous Day* 

Grades 1-5

On February 24th, students will end the day by participating in asynchronous learning while teachers collaborate and plan with each other to determine the best way to approach future instruction.  Live Zoom instruction concludes at 12:45pm.  Please see below for information related to a fun PTO cultural arts assembly for all grade levels! 

GRADES 1 and 2 - Show @ 1:00

GRADES 3 through 5 @ 2:00

Classroom teachers will be sure to prepare students for asynchronous learning by sending students materials and previewing expectations. If your student needs assistance during the afternoon of 2/24, there will be a Zoom session the students can attend to seek assistance.  The link to this Zoom will be available to the students in the materials that are shared with them electronically. 

As a reminder, future asynchronous dates and times are as follows:

April 1 -  Live instruction concludes at 11:45 a.m. In-person learners will be bused home. Asynchronous learning opportunities provided for the afternoon. 

April 30 - No in-person attendance this day. Asynchronous learning opportunities provided for the morning only. 


NEW *PTO Cultural Arts Assembly Asynchronous Day 2/26* 

We have the honor to have the incredible Brent Daniels hosting our Music Technology Careers in Cinema and the Arts Assembly!

This is like nothing anyone has ever seen! Brent Daniels is an award-winning composer, producer, sound designer and recording artist who uses the latest in music technology to sculpt sound and create music. This program is an excellent STEM/STEAM School Assembly! Using a digital sampling keyboard workstation, master-level musicianship and a blend of high energy music, audience participation, information and humor, Brent Daniels creates an exciting, one-of-a-kind performance that captures the imaginations of our students! Music Technology with Brent Daniels shows students the important relationship between the technology they have in their classrooms or at home and the creation of the music and sounds they hear on their iPods and on TV, in movies and video games. Student volunteers will participate in the program to help Brent create unique on-the-spot sounds and by the end of the show, an original song that will raise the roof!

Students will be able to find a direct link to the assembly on their Clever page Wednesday afternoon.

GRADES 1 and 2 - Show @ 1:00: Zoom Link

GRADES 3 through 5 @ 2:00: Zoom Link 


NEW *Assistant Principal for the Day*

I have always said that I have the greatest job in the world and this Thursday, again, confirmed this to be true.  I was able to spend the day with our 5th grader, Quincy Sainte-Rose, as he fulfilled his duties as Assistant Principal for the day.  We spent time visiting classrooms, giving teachers and students feedback, recording a video for the Monday morning annoucements, and analyzing the things going well at Country Meadows as well as the things we should focus on making better.  Quincy was impessed that our Country Meadows classrooms are inclusive, accepting, and felt that students were doing a nice job staying on task.  To say that I enjoyed my time on Thursday afternoon would be an understatement.  Please take a moment to learn a little bit more about my thoughtful assistant principal, Mr. Sainte-Rose.


NEW *Materials Pick-Up Friday, February 26th*

On Friday, February 26th, we will be having a materials pick-up for all full remote students from 9:00-4:00.  Students reporting for in-person learning will receive their materials either Thursday, February 25th or Monday, March 1st.  Materials will be organized by classroom teacher in the front of the school building.


NEW: PTO Blog

If you are interested in being a part of our incredible Country Meadows, PTO Executive Board, please click here to show interest. Please take a moment to read this week's PTO Blog.


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: *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 5th grade stop motion videos!


NEW: Spring Parent/Educator Conferences

Spring Parent/Educator Conferences are right around the corner!  The conference will take place on Thursday, March 11th from 5 PM to 8:30 PM and Friday, March 12th from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM.  These conferences will be 15 minutes in length, and held remotely over Zoom.  We will continue using Meet the Teacher as an electronic sign up for conferences.  

Please know that the sign up link will be sent out in a separate communication TONIGHT AT 7:00pm.  

Meet The Teacher does not require that multiple conferences be made, but it does default to every teacher a student works with being checked.  These individuals include classroom teachers, specials teachers, related service staff, and interventionists that students work with.  Please see the picture below for directions on how to uncheck a teacher/interventionist if you do not need to meet with during conferences.


REPEATING: Illinois 5Essentials Survey

Share your thoughts about how your child’s school is doing on the 5Essentials for school success. On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago. District 96 will participate in the statewide 2020–21 5Essentials Survey to meet state legislation and the Board’s mandate. District 96 parents may voluntarily participate to complete the survey.  Please select the Parent Survey and begin.

Beginning in February and through Apr. 2, students and teachers will complete surveys to help identify strengths and weaknesses in their school’s learning environment. In District 96, students in grades 4–8 will complete their surveys on Mar. 19. 

This survey is designed to help school and district leaders better understand the parent/school relationship. All responses are anonymous. Parents are asked to complete a survey for each student attending a Kildeer Countryside District 96 school. The survey will be open through Apr. 2, 2021. Questions? See Frequently Asked Questions and/or contact 5Essentials Client Services 866.440.1874.


REPEATING: Kindergarten and 2nd Grade Parents Dental Screening Reminder 

The Illinois School Code requires all children in kindergarten, second and sixth grades to have a dental examination by May 15th of each year in compliance with the rules adopted by the Illinois Department of Public Health.  If you have not already done so, please submit your 2nd-grade child’s dental exam form to our building nurse. To see a complete list of the health forms required for students, please visit our Student Health Section of our Web page.


REPEATING: 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! 


REPEATING *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].


REPEATING: 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.


REPEATING *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!  


REPEATING *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!


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 *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.