Dear Country Meadows Families,
This week brought some bitter cold, but warmer temperatures are on the way! As we continue to navigate the ever-changing Midwest winter, you might be wondering how we decide whether recess will be indoors or outdoors. For more details, please refer to the Parent/Student Handbook, which outlines the process we follow each morning.
Please remember to send your child to school with appropriate winter clothing and gear, as we aim to provide outdoor recess whenever the weather permits.
Stay warm, and have a wonderful weekend!
Kindly,
Aska Lempke
*Upcoming Dates*
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Wednesday, January 15 - Tuesday, March 4 - ACCESS Testing
2024-25 School Year Calendar & Hours
Music Boosters Blog: https://www.kcsd96.org/music/blog/1634394/january-17-2025
NEW: CM Club Photos
Attention Before and After School Club Participants! Yearbook photo time is here! We’ll be taking photos for all before and after school clubs next week. If your club is still meeting, your photo will be taken during your regular after-school session.
Thank you for helping us capture these special memories!
NEW: CM Monday Funday
If your child would like to participate, they can wear the cozy PJs on Monday!
NEW *KCSD96 Parent Network: Please Join Us!*
To sign up for the digital presentation of The 5 Principals of Parenting with New York Times bestselling author Dr. Aliza Pressman on February 5th at 7pm, please visit this link. This event is free and open to the public! Learn more about charting a manageable course for raising good humans, aligning with your own values and your child's temperaments.
NEW *Coming February 3rd: Simplifying Stevenson*
Save the Date: Monday, February 3rd at 7pm at Twin Groves, is the date for the next “Simplifying Stevenson,” featuring SHS Principal Troy Gobble and current SHS students in a Q&A about the school. This is designed for parents of Twin Groves and Woodlawn 8th graders who will be SHS freshmen in fall 2025.
This event will be held in the cafeteria at Twin Groves Middle School, 2600 N. Buffalo Grove Road, Buffalo Grove.
This event does not require participants to register. It is free and open to parents.
NEW *Reminder: School Closure Communication*
With our first significant cold snap of the winter officially behind us, it's important for us to revisit our Inclement Weather Procedures when it comes to communication. You likely read a message from Superintendent Katie Sheridan this week explaining that school would be OPEN on Tuesday, January 21st. Please note that communicating a decision to stay open was under a special circumstance. Since it was our first weather event of the year, Superintendent Sheridan and her team wanted to put an extra layer of proactive communication in parents' inboxes.
Moving forward, KCSD96 families will only hear from the district if there is a school closure, delayed start, or planned early dismissal. If a decision to close access to our schools is reached, the District will:
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Send a robocall/text/email home to families (please be sure you are signed up or subscribed to receive text notifications)
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If your contact information changes, please be sure to notify the administrative assistant at your student’s school to update our database with your new email/phone number.
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Post on our KCSD96 Facebook, Twitter (X), and Instagram accounts
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Post a banner with a notification of school closing on the KCSD96 website
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Alert School Closures for local news/media outlets
REPEAT: Who We Are Night
At Country Meadows, we take pride in the rich tapestry of cultures that make up our vibrant school community. Our students and staff represent a wide array of backgrounds, creating a rich, multicultural environment where everyone has something valuable to share. If you’re curious to learn more about the cultures that shape Country Meadows, we invite you to join us for Who We Are Night. This special event will showcase different countries!
Come explore, ask questions, and experience the traditions that make Country Meadows a place where diversity is celebrated and embraced!
Country Meadows is hosting a Who We Are Night on Thursday, April 24 from 6-7:30pm. The purpose of this event is to cultivate a sense of belonging with our staff, students, and community members. We are excited to learn from and about our Country Meadows families! This night includes everything that makes us special.
We will need your family’s help! How? Does your family have:
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A special recipe?
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Talent?
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Language?
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Customs?
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Traditional attire?
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Tradition?
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Activities you do as a family?
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Art?
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Music?
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Ability?
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Anything else that makes your family special?
Families are invited to create a booth to showcase what makes them special! You don't have to be an expert to run a booth. We want to learn about your experience!
For those interested, please fill out this Google Form to provide us with some details related to your family’s booth presentation. We encourage everyone to share in a way that feels comfortable to them. Families may choose to bring in a trifold with information, share photos, play music, lead an activity, or think of another creative avenue. In addition, if you would like to work with other families who share similar interests or experiences, please feel free to indicate that in the linked form. Forms are due by Tuesday, April 1st.
If you would prefer to not share anything, we would still love to see you at this event to learn! All students and families are welcome! Students must be accompanied by their adult (this is not a drop-off event).
We are excited to have many different representations from families and learn Who We Are! See you there!
REPEAT: ACCESS Testing
Parents and guardians, please be aware that the state of Illinois requires identified English Learner (EL) students to annually participate in the ACCESS testing to determine current English language proficiency in Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. Our ACCESS testing window will occur in the coming weeks. Each school’s testing schedule is unique and will only impact students who take the ACCESS test.
It's important that students taking any testing, including ACCESS testing, get a good night's rest the night before and eat a good breakfast that morning. We encourage our students to always try their best. Students do not need to prepare anything ahead of time, however, it's encouraged that they come to school ready and willing to challenge themselves.
REPEAT: Valentine’s Day
Valentine's Day will be celebrated during PTO classroom parties at all elementary schools (Country Meadows, Ivy Hall, Kildeer, and Prairie) on Friday, February 14th. Since February 14 is a half-day, classroom parties will take place from 10:45-11:30am. Your child's teacher will send home any classroom-specific information related to Valentine's Day. Valentines are already popping up in stores. If you choose to send valentines to school and include an item with your child's valentines, please note for the safety of our students only non-food items are permissible. This practice is consistent for all classrooms in District 96 elementary schools, including Willow Grove.
REPEAT: Begin Kindergarten Registration Today!
Kildeer Countryside School District 96 is excited to welcome kindergarteners for the 2025–2026 school year! Get the process started TODAY! To ensure all students have the opportunity to build a strong and consistent educational foundation, children who are five years old on or before September 1st of a given school year will be enrolled in Kindergarten. Children who are six years old on or before September 1st of a given school year will be enrolled in first grade. For more information, please visit: https://www.kcsd96.org/wg/kindergarten-registration Please note, registration for all other grades at KCSD96 will begin on March 4th.
Registration Timeline:
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January 2025: Begin the registration process by emailing all required documents to Cristina Castro, Administrative Assistant at Willow Grove Early Learning Center, at [email protected]. If you have a student currently enrolled in Pre-K at Willow Grove, you do not need to resubmit these documents.
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March 4, 2025: Registration opens for all KCSD96 students. For incoming Kindergarten families, the district will send online registration links to Kindergarten families who have had their documents approved.
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March 18, 2025: Dual Language Program Virtual Parent Night from 6-6:30pm. This is for parents of incoming Kindergarten students who are interested in learning more about the program. Meeting link to be provided.
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April 15, 2025: Early Bird Discount Ends for Registration. Dual Language Lottery due date.
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April 29, 2025: Virtual Dual Language Lottery at 5pm. Meeting link to be provided.
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April 30, 2025: Complete registration by this date to attend the Kindergarten Kick-Off event at Willow Grove Early Learning Center. Registered families get the sign-up right away once they are fully registered.
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May 14, 2025: Kindergarten Kickoff will be held at Willow Grove. This event is sign-up only for families who are fully registered by April 30. Students will receive a free t-shirt!
Required Documents:
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Child's birth certificate, passport, or visa
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Parent/guardian driver's license or passport
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Recent (within 30 days) mortgage statement, signed lease, or property tax bill
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Recent (within 30 days) utility bill
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Completed Enrollment Form, Residency Form, and Home Language Survey (available in multiple languages)
Please review the Health Requirements and submit the necessary health forms by the specified due dates.
For questions, contact Cristina Castro at [email protected] or call (847) 541-3660.
Dual Language Opportunity
Interested in having your child obtain a bilingual education? The KCSD96 Spanish/English Dual Language Program is a unique and enriching opportunity in our region-- providing an opportunity for students to develop a deep academic proficiency in two languages. In the Dual Language Program, 50 percent of the academic curriculum is delivered in Spanish, and 50 percent of the academic curriculum is delivered in English.
If families are interested in the Spanish/English Dual Language Program Lottery, they must indicate so during the virtual registration process starting in March. The deadline is April 15th. The lottery will be hosted virtually on May 5th. For more information, please visit: https://www.kcsd96.org/curriculum/dual-language-lottery
KCSD96 will be hosting a Virtual Parent Night from 6 to 6:30 p.m. on March 18, 2025, for parents of incoming Kindergarten students who are interested in learning more about the Dual Language Program.
REPEAT: Updated Approved Snack List
KCSD96 families, please view the newly updated Approved Snack List. This can be found on our website at https://campussuite-storage.s3.amazonaws.com/prod/750226/93147715-c5f6-11e6-b7b7-22000bd8490f/2901176/03c4c242-ced2-11ef-b23f-0afffba8b1b9/file/Approved%20Food%20&%20Beverage%20List%2012.20.24%20(1).pdf