Good afternoon Country Meadows Families,
The end of trimester one is in the books! It’s truly remarkable how quickly time flies, and we are grateful for all the hard work and dedication from our students and staff.
Please note that student report cards are LIVE on TeacherEase as of 3pm today. For more information on how to view your child's report card, please view the following Principal Message.
Next week marks our final full week before the much-anticipated Thanksgiving holiday break. We have a host of exciting events lined up that we can't wait to share with you! Our book fair kicks off on Monday and early release on Tuesday. Don’t forget our Family Reading Night on Thursday—it promises to be a fun-filled evening celebrating the joy of reading together as a community.
We are looking forward to seeing all of you at Country Meadows, sharing in these special moments and making lasting memories. Thank you for your continued support and partnership in your child's education.
Have a great weekend,
Aska Lempke
2024-25 School Year Calendar & Hours
*Important Upcoming Dates*
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November 15 - Trimester 1 report cards issued
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November 18 - November 22 Country Meadows Book Fair
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November 19 - EARLY RELEASE DAY
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November 20 - Country Meadows & Kildeer Orchestra Concert
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November 21 - Country Meadows Family Reading Night
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November 22 - Special Lunch & CM Cub Buddies
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November 27 - NO SCHOOL District Holiday
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November 28 - NO SCHOOL District Holiday
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November 29 - NO SCHOOL District Holiday
REPEAT *Report Cards*
Families: A helpful reminder! Report cards are live at 3pm on Friday, November 15th! After that time, families will be able to view their child’s finalized report card on TeacherEase. Families can find more helpful information about report cards, including how to view them and how to switch between multiple students, here: https://www.kcsd96.org/curriculum/access-student-progress-reports-online We also have a helpful webpage dedicated to helping you understand your child’s report card: https://www.kcsd96.org/curriculum/understanding-your-childs-report-card If you happen to forget your Teacher Ease password, please click “Forgot Password” on the log-in main page.
FAMILY READING ADVENTURE - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21st
PART 3
Join us and mark your calendars for Thursday November 21st, 6:30-7:30 p.m. You will also have an opportunity to shop the Country Meadows Book Fair as a family during the evening!
Each week I have featured a new book and session offered at our Reading Adventure Night. This will help inform your decision for which two sessions you would like to attend. There are six sessions offered this year. If you would like to know about previous sessions, visit the last principal’s message.
This week I introduce to you, Luna and Me: The True Story of a Girl Who Lived in a Tree to Save a Forest by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
Once there was a redwood tree—one of the world's largest and tallest trees, and one of the oldest. And once, born nearly a thousand years after the tree first took root, there was a girl named Julia, who was called Butterfly.
When exploring her beloved forest, Butterfly wandered into a grove of ancient trees. One tree had broken branches and a big blue "X" on the side. It was going to be chopped down. Butterfly climbed up into the tree. A tree wouldn't be cut down if it had a person living in it. This is the story of Julia Butterfly Hill and Luna, the redwood tree she lived in for two years, never once coming down. That is, not until Luna's future was safe.
The activities for this book are:
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Build a Treehouse using Magnatiles, Legos & Keva Planks
Take a look at another book! Take Your Time by Eva Furrow and Donna Jo Napoli
Harriet the tortoise likes to do things slowly. She explores her home on the Galápagos Islands―slowly. She eats―slowly. And when the sun goes down, she slumbers deeply all night long.
When Harriet’s friends tell her to pick up the pace, Harriet decides to journey to a neighboring island to see what there is to see. She parades with penguins and rides with dolphins, encountering adventure at every turn. But is life in the fast lane right for a tortoise who loves to take her time?
The activities for this book are:
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Color ocean animal bookmarks with colored pencils and markers
REMEMBER to RSVP so we can plan accordingly.
Can’t wait to see you there! - Mrs. Lockhart
REPEAT *Be Persistent - Reading Challenge*
We are partnering with Mrs. Lockhart for a school wide reading challenge! In the month of November, Mrs. Lockhart will be sharing all the Monarch Reader’s Choice nominated books for 1st to 3rd grade, and Bluesteam Award books for 3rd to 5th grade. Students are challenged to read at least one book from the list and turn in the slip for a raffle to win a book to take home. Each student will also receive a sticker to commemorate their effort in reading the books that are nominated for the prestigious awards!
REPEAT *Lost and Found*
Please come check out the Lost & Found items.
All items that are not picked up will be donated after Thanksgiving Break.
REPEAT *Illinois School Report Card*
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released the annual Illinois Report Card on Oct. 30 at www.illinoisreportcard.com. The Report Card shows the incredible achievements of our schools when it comes to a wide range of educational goals.
Our academic successes reflect a strong tradition of excellence at Kildeer Countryside School District 96. This includes maintaining a strong focus on standards-based instruction and core instruction, continuous improvement targeting content and standards, language acquisition, and more. These areas align to our Board Approved Goals for the 24-25 school year, as outlined here.https://campussuite-storage.s3.amazonaws.com/prod/750226/93147715-c5f6-11e6-b7b7-22000bd8490f/2848337/c8544180-7533-11ef-81b3-0a58a9feac02/file/D96%20Goals%20Overview%2024-25%20(2).pdf
One component of the Illinois School Report Card is the annual summative designation – a descriptor of how well our school is meeting the needs of all students. This designation is federally required and is based on 14 indicators of academic and school quality/student success. We are pleased to share that Country Meadows Elementary received the highest tier, an/a Exemplary/Commendable designation. That classification measures areas including academic growth and proficiency, chronic absenteeism, and a school climate survey.
At Country Meadows, we hold high expectations for all students and believe every student can meet our expectations. This designation gives us the opportunity to reflect on our goals to further enhance instruction and supports for our entire student community. We welcome this opportunity to dive into our data and to talk about continued investments we can make to support every student in reaching their fullest potential.
The Illinois School Report card is just one of many pieces of data that we as a District analyze and use to drive school improvement efforts. Soon, you will receive information to participate in the online 5-Essential parent survey. We encourage all of our families to spend a couple minutes to take this important and insightful survey.
It’s incredibly important that as many KCSD96 students take the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) as possible. We ask that parents continue to allow their child to participate, if they are able to based on their grade level. When we have a high participation rate, this allows our school to receive the most accurate data snapshot of our school as possible.
reminder for parents to continue to encourage their child(ren) to take the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), if their grade level allows them to do so. We want to receive the most accurate snapshot of our school, by making sure our test score data reflects as many students as possible.
Thank you for your continued partnership to ensure every child at Country Meadows is thriving. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Principal Aska Lempke directly at [email protected]. You can also find this information on our website at any time, at https://www.kcsd96.org/curriculum/school-report-cards.
REPEAT *Human Growth and Development*
Illinois State law requires all school districts with a comprehensive health curriculum to provide instruction on specific health topics including human growth and development. These topics align to the Illinois Physical Development and Health Standards. KCSD96 recognizes that parents/guardians are the primary educators for their families on these topics.
This instruction falls under a specific list of topics that you may elect to have your child excused from, as outlined by Illinois School Code. If you choose this option, please submit a specific request, in writing, to the school principal, asking that your child be excused from the class during that specific period(s) of instruction, and we will provide an alternate assignment.
For questions about the 4th grade program, please consult the links below. Parents of 5th graders will receive more information after the start of the school year. If you still have questions, please contact the school’s principal or assistant principal.
For specific materials, please see below.
Fourth Grade
This year KCSD96 will be hosting Candor Health Education (formerly Robert Crown Center) on November 18th. Candor Health will provide the learning to 4th grade students, and 4th grade teachers will be present during this learning experience. As in the past, students will not be separated by gender during the presentation by Candor Health.
Please click on the links below for a helpful overview of the program. The letter contains tips for parents to start conversations with children at home. The video will show you everything the students will see during the presentation.
School Program Overviews for Parents – Candor Health Education VIDEO
Password Premier25
*Principal's Message Raffle Winners!*
This week, we want to highlight M and O for winning the raffle! Check out their smiles with their teacher!
