Country Meadows Families,
Yesterday morning, we were able to have our first live virtual schoolwide assembly! Courtesy Cub and I visited classrooms to hear how our students work to create a peaceful community. It was so great to hear their ideas and give our remote and in-person learners an opportunity to engage as a entire school!
It's hard to believe that next week is May! We've been so proud of our "roomies" and "zoomies" for persevering this school year. Our partnership has been more critical than ever before to best support each and every student.
Speaking of supporting students, it's time to celebrate our staff. Next week marks Staff Appreciation Week. I know that our PTO has some wonderful things in store to celebrate the commitment of our staff for our students.
Please join me in celebrating our staff by submitting a shout-out here! I will personally email the staff next week with your shout-out to thank them for a job well done!
Kindly,
Jason Williams - Assistant Principal
NEW: *Elementary MAP: Dates for In-Person and Remote Students*
Monday 5/3: Grade 5
Tuesday 5/4: Grade 5
Wednesday 5/5: Grades 2, 3, and 4
Thursday 5/6: Grades 2, 3, and 4
Friday 5/7: Grade 1
Monday 5/10: Grade 1
In-person students (Grades 1-5)
These students will have the same arrival and dismissal times as they normally would and complete the assessment as a part of the typical school day. Teachers will begin instruction at 10:55.
Remote students coming to test in-person (Grades 1-5)
These students will arrive at the designated time below. Teachers will communicate the appropriate time to log back on after they return home. No new instruction will be provided until 12:45 to ensure that these students have time to return home and eat lunch.
Arrival: 8:45
Dismissal: 11:35
Click here for a description of arrival procedures, safety considerations, and needed materials.
Remote students (Grades 3-5)
These students should log on to their teacher’s Zoom just as they do every day. The teacher will take attendance and provide them a Zoom link to the remote testing session. After the testing session, they will rejoin the teacher Zoom after testing is complete at 10:55.
Students not taking MAP (Grades 1-2 only)
These students will receive asynchronous activities and rejoin the teacher Zoom at 10:55.
NEW: *Summer School Update*
Parents will have the opportunity to sign up their students for Enrichment Summer School courses soon. All classes will be virtual. The link to sign up will be accessible from the homepage of the District 96 website kcsd96.org on Mon., May 10, at 5 PM.
NEW: *Student's Art Appreciation Event - Consortium ArtFest (Virtual) is May 17-31*
KCSD96 families are invited to attend the 41st Annual Stevenson Consortium 125 ArtFest, showcasing our students’ artistic growth and achievements using a variety of media. This year you can view creative work by our Grades 1–8 students virtually. Exhibited art is selected by their District 96 art teachers. Access student artwork online May 17–31. Click here for more information.
NEW: *Exploration Lab Materials for In-Person Learners*
Exploration Lab will be collecting materials for in person students. We will be using these materials in class during the month of May. Please review this document for a list of materials and directions for bringing these materials back.
REPEAT: *Transition to Middle School Program for Parents of Current 5th Graders*
Parents of all current fifth graders are invited and encouraged to attend the Transition to Middle School program presented by Middle School Principals Jessica Barnes (Twin Groves) and Greg Grana (Woodlawn). They'll discuss academics, extracurricular opportunities, and changes that middle school years bring. Current sixth-grade student panelists will also share their perspectives. The virtual presentation begins at 7 PM on Mon., May 10.
Zoom Link: https://kcsd96.zoom.us/j/88296995872?pwd=S0d6QnplZzh6S2t0dUMzYXcxSTVPZz09
Meeting ID: 882 9699 5872
Passcode: 450506
REPEAT: *PTO Blog & 5th Grade Car Parade*
Please take a moment to read this week's PTO Blog.
The PTO is purchasing Country Meadows Sweatshirts for all of our 5th Grade Students but we need your help!!! Please fill out this form with sizing, name of your child and teachers name. Thank you for your support and help with this end of year gift.
PLEASE RESPOND BY APRIL 30th WITH INFO OR YOUR STUDENT WILL RECIEVE AN (ADULT Small)
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REPEAT: *Specials Materials for In-Person Learners*
Students are able to bring their art backpack and gym bag to school and leave it in the classroom and do not need to bring it back and forth from home. Students will then have their needed supplies on hand each day. Music and Exploration Lab currently do not need any additional materials.
For Remote Students, here is the updated Specials Materials List for what will be needed each day.
REPEAT: *Student Water Bottles*
With the weather starting to get warmer and in-person students participating in PE and Recess each day, we are encouraging students to bring a personal water bottle with them to school. We currently do not have drinking fountains turned on, but do have our filling stations operational. Students who do not have a water bottle will be able to use disposable cups to get a drink from the filling station.
REPEAT: *STUFF THE SQUAD Food Pantry Drive*
The Buffalo Grove Police Department invites KCSD96 families to donate food and essentials to support food pantries serving our local residents. Collection via centrally located boxes in schools will be underway at all KCSD96 schools in the weeks ahead. The last day to donate to “Stuff the Squad” is May 5. SEE REQUESTED ITEMS
REPEAT: *Make Lunch Plans*
Parents, please help. With many more students learning in person in KCSD96 schools, it's essential that parents place their students' free meal preorders by 6 PM on Thursday of the week before. Find preordering instructions here. Questions? Contact [email protected].
ALSO, please remind your students of the meal choices you preordered, so the meals they request at lunchtime are the meal options that you preordered for them. Thank you!
******
Haga Planes de Almuerzo
Padres, por favor ayuden.... Con tantos estudiantes de regreso a clases presenciales en las escuelas de KCSD96, es necesario que los padres pre ordenen la comida de su estudiante para las 6 PM del jueves de la semana anterior. Puede encontrar las instrucciones para la pre orden AQUÍ. ¿Preguntas? Contacte a [email protected].
ADEMÁS, por favor recuérdele a su estudiante las opciones de comida que pre ordena, para que cuando pida la comida durante el almuerzo, sea la opción que pre ordenó. ¡Gracias!
REPEAT: *Daily Self Certification Reminder*
Daily self certification should be completed at home each morning before in person students come to school. We have seen an increase in the number of students who arrive without having completed this requirement. Since all in person students will be attending every day, we ask that families build the completion of this screening into their morning routines. With the amount of students who will be arriving each morning increasing starting on Monday, we need your partnership to help keep our entry procedures efficient and safe for our students. If you are having trouble completing the self-certification questions, please contact our office for assistance.
REPEAT: *Attendance Procedures for In-Person Students*
With the change to five days of in-person learning for all students beginning April 12th, the expectation is that students will attend in-person unless the student is under quarantine/isolation or is home ill. If for some reason your child needs to attend school remotely instead of in-person on a given day, attendance procedures are changing to state that the child’s parent/guardian will need to contact the school office prior to the start of the school day.
REPEAT: *Keeping Students (and Siblings) Home Due to Symptoms*
Per the IDPH COVID-19 School Exclusion Guidance, if any household member is showing any one of the symptoms listed below, ALL SIBLINGS must stay home from school. Please let the school office know when calling for attendance if your child is staying home due to illness, even if the student is participating remotely.
The symptoms in which a student must stay home due to COVID-19 protocols are: fever (100.4°F or higher), new onset of moderate to severe headache, shortness of breath, new cough, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, new loss of sense of taste or smell, fatigue from unknown cause, muscle or body aches from unknown cause.
REPEAT: *Parent Input for 2021-2022 Class Placement Survey*
Creating balanced class lists that meet the needs of all students is a tremendously difficult job that takes many hours of thoughtful dialogue between classroom teachers, administrators, and specialists. We take this process very seriously. The process for class list creation is as follows:
Teachers think about the social and academic needs of each of their current students while recording pertinent information to assist in the decision-making process.
Grade level teachers, principals, specials area teachers, and specialists meet together to form class lists that are balanced in terms of academic, social, and emotional needs as well as considering friendships. This team of educators considers each child’s personality, academic needs, friendship patterns, etc. as they make a match for each individual child.
This team of educators creates a draft set of class lists taking into consideration parent input. Class lists are then revised in August with summer changes for students who move in or out of the district. Class rosters are never final until they are released to families in August.
This process happens for grades 2-5. Willow Grove creates the class lists for our incoming 1st graders. Our 5th-grade team actively works with Woodlawn to provide data and input related to placement decisions at the middle school level.
We welcome input from parents regarding your child’s strengths, needs, and learning style through our 2021-2022 Parent Class Placement Input Survey. This information remains confidential between parents and school administration. We will take into consideration pertinent information received on or before FRIDAY, APRIL 30th. Please remember, while we welcome your input, specific teacher or friend placement requests will not be honored.
REPEAT: *NURSE HOURS and IDPH DECISION TREE*
Our District 96 nurses are closely following the Illinois Department of Public Health school exclusion decision tree to determine when students are eligible to return to turn school. Thank you for your patience with students who have had to isolate or quarantine due to illness, household, illness, positive COVID-19, and/or close contact status. The building nurse will request appropriate documentation for students to return to school. While you may receive this documentation outside of school hours, the nurse will contact families regarding a return date upon receipt during the next school day.
If you would like to be in touch with one of the District 96 nurses, please note the hours that they are available:
Country Meadows, Ivy Hall, Kildeer, Prairie, Willow Grove: 8:00-3:15
Twin Groves, Woodlawn 7:30-2:45
REPEAT: 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.
REPEAT: *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.