Dear Country Meadows Families,
In a couple days, our building will be filled with staff putting the finishing touches to welcome your child(ren) to their classrooms and kickoff the 2022-2023 school year. We are eagerly anticipating the back-to-school energy filling the hallways!
This school year, we welcome Mrs. Julie Shaver as Country Meadow’s Assistant Principal. Mrs. Shaver enters her thirteenth year in District 96 having worked at Country Meadows as a classroom teacher and Willow Grove as a literacy coach.
Mrs. Shaver and I had the pleasure of welcoming many new families to the Country Meadows building and community today. Our new families got a sneak peek at our building updates, heard stories of our welcoming community, and asked great questions about District 96. They even got to hear about our supportive and active Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). If you weren't able to make it, here is a link to the slideshow.
Please see below for NEW and important REPEATING information below.
Kindly,
Michelle Garlick, Principal
NEW *Student Picture Day*
Country Meadows student picture day is August 25th. All students will have their picture taken for the yearbook! Families can choose to purchase school pictures during the linked form. Picture Day Form 2022
NEW *School Hours Reminder*
Students will be able to enter the building between 8:10 am and 8:25 am. There are staff supervisors outside and inside for safety as students enter.
A parent/guardian must accompany students to the office and sign them if they arrive after 8:25 am. Please do not drop your child off as all doors are locked and secured at this time. If there are no adults outside, please bring your child into the front office.
NEW *Class Placement & Bus Information*
All teacher assignments were sent to families on August 10th and bus route information today. If you did not receive a notification, please email our administrative assistant, Mrs. Cheryl Kelly, at [email protected], or call the front office at 847-353-8600.
NEW *Meet the Teacher*
We are so excited to see all of our students at Country Meadows on August 17th between 8:30 am-9:30 am. Students are invited to drop off supplies in their new classroom, briefly meet the classroom teacher, and meet/greet other Country Meadows staff and administration. All children must be supervised by their parent/guardian for the duration of the event.
REPEATING *Important August Dates*
- August 12th from 2:00 pm - 2:45 pm - New Family Tour at Country Meadows, Ivy Hall, Kildeer, & Prairie
- August 17th from 8:30 am - 9:30 am - Meet the Teacher at Country Meadows, Ivy Hall, Kildeer, & Prairie
- August 18th - First day of school. This is a half-day. School starts at 8:25am and ends at 11:45am Students may arrive at school at 8:10am, when adult supervision starts.
- August 19th - Full day of school. School starts at 8:25am and ends at 3:05pm. Please note the new dismissal time. Please see the Woodlawn and Willow Grove Principal’s Message for attendance times.
- August 24th Curriculum Night at Country Meadows, Kildeer, & Prairie (parent/guardians only)
- 6:30 pm - 7:15 pm (Grades 1 and 2)
- 7:15 pm - 8:00 pm (Grades 3-5)
- August 25th Picture Day at Country Meadows
- August 25th Curriculum Night at Ivy Hall
- 6:30 pm - 7:15 pm (Grades 1 and 2)
- 7:15 pm - 8:00 pm (Grades 3-5)
- Tuesday, August 30th - Early Release at 2:05 pm at Country Meadows, Ivy Hall, Kildeer, & Prairie
REPEATING *August 18 ~ First Day of School*
The first day of school is Thursday, August 18th. It is a half-day, from 8:25-11:45. On the first day of school, we will have extra staff inside and outside the building to support student arrival and dismissal. Parents must remain in the vehicle during arrival and dismissal.
REPEATING *Approved Snacks: What Parents Need to Know*
The District has revised the APPROVED SNACK LIST. The items on the list are free of the top 8 allergens: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat. This list includes the foods that are approved for students' daily snacks. Daily snacks for your children must be from this list or they will be sent home.
IMPORTANT: All items for daily snacks, with the exception of fruits and vegetables, MUST be prepackaged to allow staff to easily check that snacks meet the approved requirements.
Director of Educational Services, Bob Hanrahan, also has provided responses to FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs) about foods approved for daily snacks/special events.
For your convenience, find links to the District 96 Approved Snack List and Approved Snack List FAQs on the homepage of the District 96 website and the homepage of each school.
Lunches packed from home may contain any food items, and do not need to be from the Approved Snack List. If your child is bringing in lunch, snacks must be packed separately from lunch. Please label lunch bags and snacks with your child’s name.
REPEATING *School Lunch Programs*
The federal program that allowed school districts across the country to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of income, expired on June 30, 2022. As a result, schools across the nation will be reverting back to free and reduced-price meals based on income eligibility guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
During the 2022-23 school year, families who do not qualify for free or reduced lunch will have to pay for school meals. Students whose families are eligible for free or reduced price breakfast or lunch will be able to access meals at no cost or at a discounted rate. Applications for free and reduced meals available on the District’s website. Within this link, you will find menus and how to complete pre-payment for meals. If you have any questions, please contact the Country Meadows office at 847.353.8600.
REPEATING *Lost and Found*
Our lost and found accumulates items very quickly. Items that remain when school goes into a break such as winter, spring, and summer breaks, these items are donated to local charities. To avoid the loss of costly coats, lunch boxes, water bottles, you name it, please label everything with your child’s name. Labeled items are returned to students. Thank you for your help!
REPEATING *Arrival and Dismissal Procedures*
Morning Parent Vehicle Drop Off
- Earliest drop off is 8:10am when adult supervision starts
- Pull up as far as you can along the painted curb in the third parking lot
- Students exit vehicle on passenger side, if driver side exit is needed, call over a supervisor for assistance
- Adults must stay in the vehicle and drop off only for the safety of the students and staff at Country Meadows
- NO cell phone use in school zones - this is an Illinois State Law
After School Parent Vehicle Pick-Up
- Pull up as far as you can along the curb in the third parking lot, students may only enter the vehicle at the green painted curb
- Students will enter the vehicle on the passenger side, supervisors will assist if driver side entry is needed
- Drivers must stay in the car for the safety of the students and staff at Country Meadows
Your cooperation and patience with the protocol is greatly appreciated. If drop off and pick up are new for your child, please practice having your child independently enter and exit the vehicle with their backpack. Please be kind and safe in our parking lot. Once our routine is established the system will run efficiently.
Bus Drop Off & After School Pick Up
- Students who ride the bus will be dropped off and board the bus in the middle parking lot.
- Upon arrival, students walk directly into Country Meadows with staff supervision inside and outside.
- After school, students will board the bus. Many supervisors are present to ensure students safely board the correct bus.
REPEATING *Family Changes to Dismissal Plans*
Please contact the school office by noon in the event that your dismissal plans change. Your child will be at the designated dismissal location unless the school is notified in accordance with the above. Please notify the office in writing in accordance with the district handbook. Please see Section 9.4 in the Parent/Student Handbook regarding permission for students to ride other buses, as in most cases, this is not allowed.
REPEATING *Birthday Treats*
The Country Meadows staff does a wonderful job making your child feel extra special on their birthday. Please know that only school appropriate, non-food items such as pencils, stickers, crazy straws, etc. will be allowed to be passed out to the class if you so choose to send in something. If you are unsure whether the item is school appropriate, please contact your child's classroom teacher for guidance.
REPEATING *Health Form Deadline*
The district website lists last week as the deadline for immunization forms. All immunizations should be completed to avoid school exclusion. Please refer to the D96 Student Health website for more information.
REPEATING *Short Video Clip Invitation*
Dear Community Members,
Are you just as excited about returning to school as we are? If so, District 96 wants to hear your story!
You are invited to submit short video clips encouraging and/or thanking our staff for the work they do with our students every day. The purpose is for us to use these thoughtful video clips of voices from our community members to create a montage for our staff, to continually remind them of the positive impact they make. If you are interested in joining our efforts, please take a moment to review the specifics for recording and submission.
Recording Specifics:
- Please use a personal phone, tablet, or camera that records video to record one child, multiple children, or your entire family sharing in the message.
- Shoot the videos horizontally (landscaped) so the videos we stitch together are all of the same orientation.
- Verify your settings are at least 720p when using your camera. (Please check your device's camera settings to verify this.)
- Limit your message to 15-45 seconds each.
Submission:
- Once you have your videos recorded, please upload them to the Dropbox folder found at the URL below:
- Dropbox File Request Link: https://www.dropbox.com/request/y1YqmGpHnCDD7OdMUENC
- When submitting your video, please know you are giving us permission to play your recording at an Institute Day for our staff.
- District 96 will review the video clips and create a montage that will be shared with staff at different times of the year to celebrate our employees.
If you have any problems with this link or any of the processes listed above, please email us at [email protected], and we will help you.