Country Meadows Principal's Message - March 11th

  • Posted March 11, 2022
Country Meadows Principal's Message - March 11th

Country Meadows Families,

We are looking forward to our student-led family educator conferences next week! Please remember, whether virtual or in-person, these spring conferences are designed for your child to facilitate and lead.  Please make sure your child is with you during the conference.  We know students are so excited to share their learning with you, and we can't wait to partner in celebrating your child's growth! 

Kindly,

Meghan Bird 

NEW *Calendar Reminders*

Monday, 3/14: Early Release & Student-led Family Educator Conferences

  • Students are dismissed at 2:00pm, and Student-led Family Educator Conferences will be held from 5:00-8:30.

Tuesday, 3/15: No School

  • Student-led Family Educator Conferences will be held from 10:00-1:30.

Wednesday, 3/16 & Thursday, 3/17 - School resumes on a normal schedule

Friday, 3/18 - No School

NEW *Zoom Links for Spring Educator Conferences*

Families had the option to indicate if they would like to attend spring conferences in person.  For families who did not indicate this option as a preference while signing up, conferences will be held virtually over Zoom.  

View a list of Zoom links to use during student-led conferences.  Please join the appropriate conference link based on the conference time you signed up for with each educator.

NEW  *Dual Language Parent Night for 22-23 Kindergarten Parents*

Do you have an entering kindergartener or know a D96 resident that does?  Are you interested in your child having a bilingual school experience?  

See the District website to learn more about the District's optional Spanish/English Dual Language program.

The Dual Language Program was designed several years ago to implement instruction across the curriculum that provides an opportunity for students to develop a deep academic proficiency in two languages.  In the district’s Dual Language program, 50 percent of the academic day curriculum is delivered in Spanish and 50 percent of the academic day is delivered in English.

Parents interested in enrolling their entering kindergarten student(s) in the Dual Language Program are asked to fill out the Lottery Form by 3 p.m. April 15.

NEW *D96 Community Relief Efforts*

Please read Mrs. Julie Schmidt’s March 9th Superintendent’s Message regarding community relief efforts.

NEW *Talking to Students about Events in Ukraine *

As indicated in Mrs. Schmidt’s Superintendent’s message, staff has received resources regarding how to support conversations with students who express personal and more global concerns and fears.  We will continue to provide the most up-to-date resources to them. Below you will find resources for parents on how to support your student at home. 

Many of our students need the guidance and safety of adults in their homes to navigate their own emotions and trauma in a healthy, safe, and productive way. A few reminders when speaking with your student: 

News like this can be scary to children if not handled in the right way. Support and conversations will look and sound different with different age groups.

  • Remain calm
  • Affirm that it is okay to feel upset 
  • Stick to facts from vetted sources
  • Keep explanations developmentally appropriate
  • Model coping strategies
  • Keep open lines of communication between school and home 

Each of the attached resources provides tips for families and educators, and some include what we can do as adults and how you can respond to students. 

Resources:

  • How to Talk to Kids About Violence Crime and War: Common Sense Media gathers tips and conversation starters to help you talk to kids of different ages about the toughest topics. 
  • Talking to Your Kids About War: VeryWell Family explores ways families can speak with young people about war, including tips on sharing information and restricting media coverage. 
  • Resilience in a time of war: Tips for parents and teachers of elementary school children: This article from the American Psychological Association can help adults guide their young children beyond fear and to resilience.
  • Resilience in a time of war: Tips for parents and teachers of middle school children: The American Psychological Association breaks out tips and strategies for parents and teachers of middle school-aged children.

The following resources are from the National Association of School Psychologists:

NEW *PCR Screening for the Week of March 14*

Given that there is no student attendance on Tuesday, March 15 or Friday, March 18, PCR Screening will only occur one time next week. Students who have opted into screening will receive PCR kits on Monday, March 14. The PCR sample is to be returned to school on Wednesday, March 16.  If you have any questions regarding PCR screening, please contact Amy Gluck, Director of Educational Services, at [email protected]. 

The week following spring break will return to twice weekly screening with PCR samples to be returned to school on Tuesday and Friday.  If metrics remain stable, we are targeting moving to once weekly PCR screening the week of April 11. 

NEW *Parent Input for 2022-2023 Class Placement*

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.

Our collaborative team creates a draft set of class lists taking into consideration parent input. Class lists are then revised in August with summer changes to include 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 2022-2023 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 29th. Please remember, while we welcome your input, specific teacher or friend placement requests will not be honored.

NEW *Illinois Assessment of Readiness

Students in grades 3-8 participate in the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR). The IAR consists of assessments for both literacy and math. The District 96 window for the IAR is April 4 - May 21. More information and specific dates within the window to come. 

IAR Parent Letter (English)

IAR Parent Letter (Spanish)

NEW *Golden Paws*

This year we have introduced the exciting GOLDEN PAW.  Golden paws are earned when an entire class is seen exhibiting PRO (People Respecting Others) behavior that is respectful, responsible, or peaceful.  For example, a class may earn a Golden Paw for being respectful to a substitute the day a teacher is absent, listening and adhering to lunch room expectations, or walking quietly/peacefully in the hallways.  

This weeks Golden Paws winners include:

  • Larson
  • Zimmerman/Hyman
  • Carley
  • Charpentier

Keep up the great work, Country Meadows PROs!

NEW *PTO Update*

Please take a moment to visit the PTO Blog this week!

The PTO has been hard at work behind the scenes preparing lots of fun events for our Country Meadows community!  We have a jam-packed schedule through the end of the year and we can't wait to see everyone at our events.  We would also like to thank all of our donors for contributing and our phenomenal Conference Meals committee for arranging a delicious meal for our teachers next week during parent teacher conferences.

We need your help to make next year even better!  All Country Meadows PTO Executive Board positions are open.  The more parents that step up, the more ideas we can bring to the table and the more we can delegate and help each other. Join us! See MTK to express interest and a current board member will reach out to discuss potential opportunities that can utilize your skill set and fit into your schedule.

Movie Night

Movie night is back!  Join your friends for an evening movie at school!  On April 1st at 6pm, Grades 3-5 are invited to join us at school to watch "Space Jam: A New Legacy" and on April 22nd at 6pm, Grades 1-2 are invited to watch "Sing 2"!  This is a drop off event and tickets are $5 per child (snacks included).  Log on to MTK to purchase tickets, bring a blanket to sit on, and enjoy!

Book Fair/Book Drive

Our spring book fair will be held the week of April 18th.  We will be holding a used book drive in conjunction with the fair (starting the week of April 11th) so this would be a great time to start clearing the shelves!  (There may also be a friendly classroom competition so stay tuned!)

Science Fair (3rd-5th Grade)

Our Science Fair will be hosted on May 11th from 5:30-7:30.  Please Fill out the student application and get excited for some science fun!

As always - check out our blog for more updates!

NEW *Kids Heart Challenge Thank You*

Thank you SO much for your support this year for Kids Heart Challenge. Our school had 55 students take a challenge to stay healthy, 3 families complete Finn’s Mission together to learn how to save lives and raised (drumroll please….) $5,700 for the American Heart Association! WOW. We are so thankful for your support. Our school has saved and changed so many lives!

There are more people than just us and the American Heart Association that are thankful for your support.  We have a short thank you video from our friend Everly for you.  

THANK YOU GIFTS:

We wanted to let you know that the AHA let us know that "Thank You" gifts are running behind schedule. They received record setting donations around the country, which has led to a supply issue. Shipping has also had its own issues, so things are moving slower than we would like. When we receive everything your child has earned, we will get it to them ASAP. 

REPEATING *Proof of Dental Exam (K/2nd/6th)*

Dear Parents/Guardians of District 96 Kindergarteners, 2nd, and 6th Grade Students:

Please note that your child’s completed dental examination is now due, per Illinois school law. The deadline for the dental examination is due no later than May 15 of the current school year.  Proof of this required dental examination must have been completed within eighteen months prior to the May 15 deadline.

If you haven’t already done so, please make an appointment with your child’s dentist for a dental examination, have him and/or her complete the required form and return it to your child’s school nurse. 

State of Illinois Proof of Dental Examination Form

In the event that you are unable to fulfill this requirement, the state of Illinois does permit a waiver of the examination.

State of Illinois Dental Waiver Form

Dental examination forms, as well as dental waiver forms, can be downloaded from the District’s web site.   Thank you for your prompt cooperation. 

REPEATING *Reproving Residency (K & 5th)*

In KCSD 96, each year, parents of current Kindergartners and 5th graders are required to reprove their district residency.

To re-prove residency, parents are asked to provide three items to the Administrative Assistants at their child’s current school:

  • a current monthly mortgage OR lease statement OR property tax bill OR Warranty Deed AND
  • a current utility bill (e.g., water OR electric OR waste collection) AND

This Proof of Residency Form (completed and signed)

For the email address for your school’s Administrative Assistant, and to learn information for other questions, please visit https://www.kcsd96.org/about/registration/the-requirement-to-re-prove-residency.

REPEATING *2022-23 REGISTRATION IS OPEN*

Registration now open for the 2022-23 school year!

Registration is now open for the 2022-23 school year.  This week, parents and guardians of returning students and pre-registered Kindergartners were emailed Notification letters with a SnapCode to start their registration process.

Register today to avoid the $20 late fee (per child) to be charged on registrations completed after April 15.

If you have questions about the 2022-23 Registration Notification email, please email [email protected] or call 847-459-4260, ext. 8022.

For information on registering a new student, visit https://kcsd96.org/registration.

REPEATING *Parent Pick-Up*

Thank you to all who have supported us in keeping our Parent Pick Up line safe and efficient for all as our number of students picked up at the end of the day has increased exponentially this school year. It is understandable that we are all on time schedules and want the pick-up process to be as efficient as possible. 

As a principal and a mother, I understand how incredibly valuable time is.  I also know that one person's time is never more valuable than another's.  I simply ask and expect that we all acknowledge this and keep student safety at the forefront of all decisions made while picking students up at the end of the day. My expectation is also that the CM staff present during dismissal are treated with the respect and kindness that we pride ourselves on as a Country Meadows community.

  • All of our Parent Pick Up students are picked up by 3:10-3:15 daily.
  • If you are picking your child up at the end of the day, we simply ask that you remain in your car to keep our dismissal process as safe and simple as possible.  Our staff will assist your child in getting into the vehicle once you are in the loading zone.
  • If there are extenuating circumstances, we ask that you park your car in an appropriate and open parking spot (leaving handicap spots for those who need them), walk to the building and pick your child up from the front office.

My number one priority has been, and always will be, student safety.  To avoid chaos and unsafe situations during our dismissal, I appreciate parents/guardians remaining in their car until students enter the vehicle in the loading zone.  We count on every parent being vigilant and proceeding with caution in the school parking lot.  Please call the office with any questions/concerns about our dismissal process/policy.

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.