Good afternoon Country Meadows Families,
What an exceptional start to a fantastic school year! Ms. Shaver and I thoroughly enjoyed connecting with families during the Meet the Teacher event and getting acquainted with our students. Our Back to School Assembly on Thursday marked an exciting beginning. The enthusiasm was palpable as students reunited with friends and previous teachers, while our new students had the pleasure of meeting our very own Courtesy Cub for the first time!
You can check out the photos from Meet the Teacher here.
I wish you a wonderful weekend and we look forward to welcoming students to our first full week of school.
Sincerely,
Aska Lempke
Important August Dates
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Wednesday, August 23th Curriculum Night at Kildeer & Prairie
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6:30 to 7:15 p.m. (Grades 1 and 2)
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7:15 to 8 p.m. (Grades 3-5)
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Thursday, August 24th Curriculum Night at Ivy Hall
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6:30 to 7:15 p.m. (Grades 1 and 2)
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7:15 to 8 p.m. (Grades 3-5)
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Tuesday, August 29th - Early Release Day
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School starts at 8:25am and ends at 2:05 pm
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Please see the Twin Groves, Woodlawn, and Willow Grove Principal’s Message for attendance times
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Thursday, August 31st Curriculum Night at Country Meadows
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6:30 to 7:15 p.m. (Grades 1 and 2)
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7:15 to 8 p.m. (Grades 3-5)
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NEW *Bus Stops and Times*
Please ensure that students arrive at their bus stop ten minutes early. Also, please be patient with all routes as each route is adjusting to new stops and will usually take longer in the beginning of the school year as drivers familiarize themselves with each stop. Thank you for your understanding.
*NEW* Law Enforcement Safety Drill EDUCATION
On August 28, Country Meadows will be conducting the annual Law Enforcement Safety Drill EDUCATION. Students will be learning age appropriate safety procedures.
In compliance with the Safety Drill Act, parents have the right to exempt their child from the Law Enforcement Drill EDUCATION with their school peers.
If you do not wish your child to participate in the Law Enforcement Safety Drill Education with the other peers, please contact Aska Lempke at [email protected]. The administration will arrange for an alternative review of safety procedures with your child.
If we do not hear from you, we will assume your child has permission to participate in the education.
*NEW* 5th Grade Band Registration: Band at Country Meadows and Kildeer begins in 5th grade. If you would like your child to participate and were not able to sign up last spring, please be sure to complete the band registration form and review the requirements on the band website. You can also email the band teacher Chad Craw with any questions. Instruction will begin the week of August 21, but registration will remain open until August 25.
REPEAT: Simultaneous Student Pick-Up from Willow Grove & Elementary Schools
Please know that we understand that some families may have concerns related to picking students up from Willow Grove and an elementary school building. Please know that all principals are aware of this concern, and no child will ever be left unattended. We know you may be going to more than one school with the same dismissal time. We appreciate your best effort in picking your children up in a timely manner, and we appreciate you adhering to our dismissal times. If when you arrive at a building your child is not waiting outside with an adult, please park and come to the front office. If you will be after 3:15 to a specific location, please call and inform the office of your ETA.
REPEAT *Arrival and Dismissal Procedures*
Morning Parent Vehicle Drop Off
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Earliest drop off is 8:10am when adult supervision starts
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Pull up as far as you can along the painted green curb in the third parking lot
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Students exit vehicles on the passenger side. If your child cannot exit the vehicle on their own, please park the car and walk your child to the door.
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Adults must stay in the vehicle for the safety of the students and staff at Country Meadows
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NO cell phone use in school zones - this is an Illinois State Law
After School Parent Vehicle Pick-Up
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Pull up as far as you can along the green curb in the third parking lot, students may only enter the vehicle at the green painted curb
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Students will enter the vehicle on the passenger side
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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
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Students who ride the bus will be dropped off and board the bus in the middle parking lot.
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Upon arrival, students walk directly into Country Meadows with staff supervision inside and outside.
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After school, students will board the bus. Many supervisors are present to ensure students safely board the correct bus.
REPEAT *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.
REPEAT *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.
A FAQ for the Approved Snack List can be found here.
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.
REPEAT *Birthday Treats*
Only school-appropriate, non-food items such as pencils, stickers, crazy straws, etc. will be allowed. If you are unsure whether the item is school appropriate, please contact your child's classroom teacher for guidance.
REPEAT *Student Picture Day*
Country Meadows student picture day is Thursday, August 24th.
REPEAT *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, bike helmets, 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!
REPEAT *D96 Food Service Information*
ON-LINE MEAL PREPAYMENT SYSTEM (K12PaymentCenter.com)
District 96 parents are encouraged to utilize the District's on-line system to prepay student meal accounts and monitor account activity / balance. There are no fees to use the site or to make online payments. Please click here for more information. If you still have questions regarding the K12PaymentCenter (K12PaymentCenter.com), please feel free to contact Michelle Zelek, Director of Business Services at [email protected].
Please note: You will need the student ID number at the top of this message to successfully add your student to your K12PaymentCenter account.
Even if you choose to continue to send payment to school rather than pay on-line, we encourage you to utilize the free service to monitor your student's meal history and balance.
FREE MEAL & FEE WAIVER APPLICATION (LunchApplication.com)
If you believe your child may be eligible for a free/reduced meals and fee waiver AND have not yet applied, please utilize our on-line application system at LunchApplication.com. You will need your child's student ID number, provided at the top of this message, to complete the application. Please apply based on your current income information. Please note that if you have already received an email from the District indicating that your student(s) were approved for free or reduced meal benefits during this school year, you need not apply again.
MENUS (KCSD FOOD SERVICE MENU INFO)
Please visit the District 96 Website to view current meal menus. Under the About menu dropdown, select Menus/Manage Account. This page contains links to the menu page, as well as the K12PaymentCenter and LunchApplication.com.