Country Meadows Families,
Thank you so much for taking the time to attend Family Educator conferences with us this week. On behalf of Country Meadows staff, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our incredible Country Meadows PTO and families for generously providing a conference meal for staff. We are so appreciative of the continued thoughtfulness and partnership out PTO provides the staff and students at Country Meadows. I hope everyone has a wonderful long weekend, and we look forward to seeing students back at school on Tuesday, October 12th.
Kindly,
Meghan Bird - Principal
NEW *No School - Monday, October 11th*
This is a friendly reminder that there is no school on Monday, October 11th. We look forward to seeing student back at school on Tuesday, October 12th.
NEW *Long Grove Fire Protection District Resources*
As promised, the Long Grove Fire Protection District has shared its first fire safety video with us, this one on Smoke Detectors. Please check out this video which can also be found in your Virtual BackPack.
NEW *Superintendent Survey Closes Today
One final reminder: Today, Friday, Oct. 8, is the FINAL day to complete the Superintendent Search Survey.
NEW *Halloween Costumes*
We know some of you may have started planning student Halloween costumes, so we ask that you help us with the following costume procedures and guideline. All costumes must be appropriate for school.
- Students will change into their costumes after the lunch period.
- Please no costume masks, blood, or weapons
- Please no cigars or cigarette items
- Please no bare stomachs
- Please keep hair coloring and make-up simple (and complete prior to sending your child to school)
NEW *Halloween Parade and Parties*
Country Meadows students will participate in an outdoor Halloween Parade beginning at 1:45. Details about the parade location and route will be forthcoming. The parade will be followed by classroom parties that will will begin at approximately 2:00 pm and end at 2:45 pm. Only PTO approved parent party volunteers may attend classroom parties. Please see more party volunteer information below.
IMPORTANT NOTES FOR PTO PARTY VOLUNTEERS
- Parents attending the parties may not bring additional family members, other children, etc. We need everyone to abide by this and will have to ask you to leave if you come with other attendees.
- Every PTO volunteer approved to come into our school MUST have their license or ID scanned through our security system to enter. You have to bring this with you or you will not be able to enter. There is always a very long line at this first party, so please anticipate this. We highly encourage PTO room party volunteers to swing by the school sometime before the party to have their license scanned, which will speed up the process. The more people who come in early to be scanned, the shorter the line! You may also come on the day of the Halloween party BEFORE THE PARADE to have your license scanned.
- All volunteers must have followed our procedures for verifying vaccination or have proof of a negative Covid test. Call the office with questions.
- All volunteers must wear a mask at all times and remain socially distanced.
NEW *PTO Update*
Fall Festival is coming Wednesday, October 20th 5:30-7:30pm at Country Meadows School! Join us for an evening of food, fun and prizes! Pre-order your food, admission wristbands, and raffle tickets on MTK at a discounted rate now! Please note you MUST pre-order your meals by Wednesday, October 13th for the event so we can order the proper amounts from our food vendors.
Each admission wristband will gain your child access to unlimited carnival games, temporary tattoos, a balloon animal, paint a pumpkin activity, photo booth, dancing and MORE. (Adults do not need wristbands.) Purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win several themed prize baskets and gift certificates for various local experiences. All pre-purchased items will be available at a will call table at the opening of the event.
If you would like to volunteer your time at the event, please sign up on MTK!
We can't wait to see you there!
Upcoming events:
- October 15: Special Lunch (Original Bagel)
- October 20 5:30-7:30pm: FALL FESTIVAL!
- October 29: Classroom Halloween Parties
Please take a moment to read the PTO blog this week.
REPEATING *Volunteers & Vaccination Verification or Proof of a Negative Test
As you may or may not know, Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker held a COVID-19 press conference on August 26, 2021, where he issued new rules regarding indoor masking, and signed an Executive Order 2021-20, regarding educational employee vaccination and testing requirements. In the Executive Order which applies to all “school personnel,” volunteers are included in the definition unless they are present for only a short period of time and whose movements of close physical proximity are “fleeting”.
Those who have been identified as a current or upcoming PTO volunteer recently received a survey asking that you provide proof of vaccination and notifying them that if unvaccinated they would need to provide proof of a negative Covid test within 48 hours of reporting to volunteer.
If you have already uploaded proof of vaccination, please disregard this information.
How do I provide proof of vaccination proactively should I choose to volunteer at my student(s) school this year?
By following this link, you may provide proof of vaccination to your school(s).
What if I am unvaccinated but want to volunteer this year?
Unvaccinated volunteers must provide proof of a negative Covid test when you arrive at the school on the day you are scheduled to volunteer. Negative test results are only good for the 48 hours prior to arrival. For example, if an unvaccinated volunteer is scheduled to be in the school the next week, they would have to provide a new test result.
What type of Covid test qualifies?
You may present a negative antigen or PCR test. Home testing kits do not qualify as the test must be observed and documentation of the result provided to you.
Why can’t unvaccinated volunteers take a Covid test at the school?
The BinaxNow test provided to schools is in short supply at this time. As a result, schools have been notified that we cannot use the test for any screening purposes. If we were to do so, they would no longer supply the test to us. We are only allowed to use the test for symptomatic individuals on campus (students or staff) or when a person qualifies for test-to-stay. If and when test supplies increase, those restrictions may be lifted. If they are, we will be in a position to reconsider testing unvaccinated volunteers in our schools at that time.
What is the process for volunteers to either provide proof of vaccination or proof of a negative test?
- Vaccinated volunteers may submit their proof of vaccination at any time by following the link provided and completing the survey and uploading proof of vaccination.
- The list of those who have done so will be made available to the school (principal, assistant principal, administrative assistant, and nurse) and updated periodically by Lubna Andrabi in our district office.
- Unvaccinated volunteers must bring proof of a negative test to the main office on the day they are scheduled to volunteer.
- The main office will make a copy of your negative test.
- The test result must be within the previous 48 hours. The staff at the front desk in the main office will assist you.
What if I am fully vaccinated but forgot to upload my proof of vaccination?
If you have not uploaded your vaccination card, you may provide proof of vaccination when you arrive (vaccination card). We strongly encourage you to upload your card so that you do not need to present it each time you report to volunteer.
REPEATING *Picture Retakes*
Picture retakes have been scheduled for Wednesday, October 20th. If your child needs to retake his/her picture or was not present for our first picture day, please click here to order photos.
REPEATING *Thought Exchange Partnership*
The District 96 Thought Exchange Partnership (TEP) offers parents opportunities to give feedback and receive information about District instruction, programs, and initiatives. Understanding parent perceptions is helpful for planning and communicating. Contact District 96 Community Parent Liaison Lubna Andrabi, 847.459.4260, ext. 8136, with questions. In particular, the District invites parents who have students enrolled at Willow Grove Early Learning Center to consider joining the Thought Exchange Partnership. The first meeting is scheduled for October 21, 2021 from 7:00-8:30 via Zoom.
REPEATING *O’Hare PCR Results*
If you do not receive your child’s PCR results over the weekend, we apologize for the inconvenience.
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.
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.