Country Meadows Families,
Happy September! We have had another great week at Country Meadows, and we’re ready to tackle the month ahead. Our students did a great job taking the NWEA MAP assessment, and we would also like to thank our amazing PTO for hosting our very first Dessert Day at lunch on Wednesday. If you are interested in signing your child up for future dessert days, please see the information below!
I also want to take a moment to recognize that there may be days, hours, or minutes that are frustrating and challenging to navigate as a parent/guardian. Please know that we understand this, and as educators we are also navigating the ever-changing requirements in addition to prioritizing our efforts to meet the needs of every learner in our building.
It is ok to feel frustrated, overwhelmed, or confused.
It is NOT ok to yell, threaten, or treat any staff member at Country Meadows disrespectfully.
As the leader of this school community, I fully expect that all stakeholders, regardless of their position in the system, treat each other civilly and with respect. Anything otherwise cannot be tolerated as it is simply not how we operate as a Country Meadows or a District 96 community and not what we want to model for our students.
I hope everyone enjoys the long weekend ahead and finds time for relaxation and rejuvenation.
Kindly,
Meghan Bird - Principal
NEW *Upcoming Calendar Reminders*
This is a friendly reminder that there will be no school on Monday, September 6th and Tuesday, September 7th. We look forward to seeing students back at school on Wednesday, September 8th.
NEW *Information for Bus Transportation Service Opt Outs*
As a reminder starting on Wednesday, September 8th, parents that opted their child(ren) out of bus transportation may drop off at the school at 8:00 instead of 8:10. This is ONLY for parents that opted out of bus transportation through January AND need to drop at an earlier time. We are asking that all other morning drop-offs respect the current time and wait until 8:10 to support traffic flow and ensure sufficient supervision for students. Thank you for your help with this.
NEW *Contact Tracing Clarification*
Contact tracing is completed when a confirmed COVID-19 case is reported. If a student is identified as a close contact, families will be notified. Contact tracing in District 96 is based on the current IDPH definitions of close contact which are included at the bottom of the D96 Quarantine Decision Making Matrix that has previously been shared with families.
- In classrooms, hallways, etc., close contacts are defined as being closer than than 3 feet with inconsistent masking of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes over a 24-hour period.
- In the lunchroom, close contacts are defined as being closer than than 6 feet with inconsistent masking of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes over a 24 hour period.
- In general, individuals who are solely exposed to a confirmed case while outdoors will not be considered close contacts.
As part of the contact tracing protocol we check with the classroom teachers, specials teachers, and related services staff to ensure that no student was unmasked, for more than 15 minutes cumulatively, within a given setting. If this is the case, additional close contacts would be identified and notified (i.e. snack, water, etc.). Please note that this may mean a student who sits 3 feet away from a confirmed positive case in the classroom setting (consistently masked) IS NOT identified as a close contact, while a child who sits within 6 feet of a confirmed positive case at a lunch table (inconsistently masked) IS identified as a close contact.
District 96 does not define what a close contact is, rather follows the IDPH definition. Likewise District 96 does not alter contact tracing or notification protocols, rather strictly follows those provided by the IDPH.
NEW *Student Handbook Update - Change to Transportation *
Please note the following update to the Student Handbook.
A change in a child's typical bus routine must be communicated through a written and signed parent note or email given to school office staff before noon on the morning the parent will be picking up the child after school ~ rather than having the child ride the bus. (Due to the young age of Willow Grove students, all Willow Grove parents must call the main office to make changes.). Otherwise, the child will follow his/her typical transportation routine.
NEW *Bus Survey Information*
As a reminder, the survey to opt-out for bus transportation through January is due on Wednesday, September 8th, 2021.
NEW *O’Hare PCR Results*
If you do not receive your child’s PCR results over the weekend, we apologize for the inconvenience. We understand that this was an issue across the district last week.
Please feel free to contact O’Hare Labs by sending an email to [email protected]. This email is monitored frequently each day and is the preferred method of contact. Please be sure to include your child’s First Name, Last Name, DOB, and test date in the email.
If preferred, you can also call the Call Center at (800) 604-0197 Monday-Saturday between the hours of 10am-5pm.
NEW *MAP Reports*
While the bulk of MAP testing has been completed, the remainder of the window will be used for make-up testing. MAP reports will be sent to families on Friday, September 17th.
NEW *PTO Update*
Please take a moment to read the PTO blog this week!
There were lots of happy faces at our first weekly Dessert Day! If you have not signed your child up to receive a weekly ice cream treat (non-dairy and gluten free options available!) you can sign up on Membership Toolkit at any time. You can also sign up NOW for our first Special Lunch Day on September 17th! Also, don't forget to update your child's teacher for this year prior to ordering to assure their ticket is not placed with the wrong class.
Upcoming events:
September 13-24: Spirit Wear Sale
September 17: Special Lunch Day (Papa John's Pizza)
September 24: PTO General Meeting 9am (Room Parents and Committee Chairs are highly encouraged to attend)
REPEATING *Covid Metrics*
To stay up-to-date this school year on local metrics, please visit the COVID DASHBOARD for District 96. Our priority remains to keep our students safe and follow guidance from the CDC. If your student is identified as a "close contact", you will be notified individually through the contact tracing process.
REPEATING *Food Services Information*
FREE MEALS IN SCHOOL: Under the waivers to USDA Nutrition Programs currently offered, the District is able to provide free meals to all students. One reimbursable daily meal will be provided free of charge to each student that chooses to participate on school days.
SNACKS FOR PURCHASE IN SEPTEMBER: Snacks will start being offered at the beginning of September. If you wish your child to be able to purchase snacks at that time, please be sure to have their account prepaid on the K12PaymentCenter. This site will allow you not only to monitor balances but also transaction history. There are no transaction fees related to this account. To create an account you will need your student's 7 digit ID number, which will be emailed to you this evening with the subject line of D96 Food Service Information.
ORDERING PROCESS: Each morning, students will tell their teachers which entree they will order and those numbers will be shared with the food service staff. Please encourage your students to take the entree they ordered to ensure that all students receive the desired meal. Menus can be viewed on the District website.
FINAL DRIVE THROUGH MEAL HANDOUT: Now that all students will be in person, the final drive through meal handout will occur on Monday, August 16th and will contain four days of meals.
REPEATING *Yearbook Cover Contest*
Is your child interested in submitting a drawing to be featured on the Country Meadows yearbook this year? Click here for more information about our contest!
All submissions are due to the front office no later than Friday, September 17th!