E-NEWS 96, January 27, 2023

District 96 Families:

Wow ~ we’re at the end of the first month of the year and half-way through our school year already?  Incredible to imagine?!

Stay tuned: The second half will be just as exciting as the first half was!

Coming Up

• January 31:      2023-24 Kindergarten Pre-Registration period ends
• February 7:     Board of Education Meeting  (7 p.m., gym, Ivy Hall Elementary School)
• February 7:     Student Recognition at the Board of Education Meeting (7 p.m., gym, Ivy Hall)
• February 9:     “I Am Me … We Are Kildeer’ Family Celebration” (5:30-7:30 p.m., Kildeer ES)
• February 13:    Valentine’s Day parties (Read Principal’s Message for information regarding what’s acceptable for class parties)
• February 14:    Early Release Day
  • Early Release Dismissal Times
  • Grades 1-5 dismiss at 2:05 p.m.
  • Grades 6-8 dismiss at 1:30 p.m.
  • Kindergarten dismisses at 2:05 p.m.
  • Structured: 8:30 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.
  • Blended AM: 8:30 to 10 a.m.
  • Blended PM: 12:35 to 2:05 p.m.

Dual Language: For Parents of Incoming Kindergartners

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

The District 96 Spanish/English 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 Dual Language Program, 50 percent of the academic curriculum is delivered in Spanish, and 50 percent of the academic curriculum is delivered in English.

Families interested in enrolling their incoming kindergartner in the Spanish/English Dual Language Program can indicate so on the registration form while completing the kindergarten registration process that begins March 1, 2023.  This process should be completed by April 15, 2023, to be entered into the Dual Language Lottery.  Please note that indicating interest in the Dual Language Program does not guarantee acceptance into the Dual Language program.  

Please visit our District 96 Website to learn more about the optional Spanish/English Dual Language Program (https://www.kcsd96.org/curriculum/dual-language) and our Dual Language Lottery (https://www.kcsd96.org/curriculum/dual-language-lottery).

**District 96 will be hosting a Virtual Parent Night from 6 to 7 p.m. March 8 for parents of incoming Kindergarten students who are interested in learning more about the Dual Language Program.** 

5Essentials Parent Survey Available

Through April 2, District 96 invites you to share your thoughts on the inner workings of your child’s school.  On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago.       

As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness in a survey about your child’s school.  Your participation will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide our improvement.  Parent identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.

Please visit http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/ to begin the parent survey.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact UChicago Impact Client Services at 1-866-440-1874 or [email protected].

Kindergarten Pre-Registration for 2023-24 Underway

Parents of incoming Kindergartners have a few more days to pre-register their 2023-24 Kindergartner and snare a one-of-kind Willow Grove Kindergartner shirt.

The 2023-24 Kindergarten Pre-Registration is open to students who live within District 96 boundaries and will be 5 years old by Sept. 1, 2023.

To begin the Kindergarten Pre-Registration process, parents must email all required documents to the administrative assistant at Willow Grove Early Learning Center at [email protected]. 

Parents need to supply the following:

• Student’s Proof of Age (such as Birth Certificate, Passport or Visa)
• Parent/Guardian Photo ID (Passport or Driver’s License)
• Proof of District Residency (a current mortgage statement or current lease or property tax bill)
• Current Utility Bill
• RESIDENCY FORM (Click the link to download & complete)
• HOME LANGUAGE SURVEY  (Click the link to download & complete)
• ENROLLMENT FORM (Click the link to download & complete)

After the submitted documents are approved, families will receive a Pre-Registration link to complete by January 31, 2023. Students pre-registered by January 31 will receive a free Willow Grove T-shirt.  (T-shirts are not available after this pre-registration period.) 

Families needing to pre-register their child in person may contact Kimberly O’Neill, administrative assistant at Willow Grove Early Learning Center, at [email protected] or at (847) 541-3660.

Learn more about Kindergarten in District 96: https://www.kcsd96.org/wg/kindergarten-in-kcsd96

Got questions?  Email Kimberly O’Neill, administrative assistant at Willow Grove, at [email protected].

Fostering Self-Care Session for Parents

Registration is now open for a free self-care forum for parents co-hosted by District 96, D102 and D103 and the Vernon Area Public Library.        

This free forum begins at 7 p.m. March 1, 2023, online, and in-person at the Vernon Area Public Library, 300 Olde Half Day Road, in Lincolnshire.  There is limited seating for the in-person portion. 

Clinical psychologist Dr. Caroline Adelman will guide this session, entitled "Self Care for the Caregivers: Evidence Based Strategies for Fostering Personal and Family Well Being.”  Dr. Adelman will “help us develop strategies for navigating our roles as parents with greater attention to self-care, self-compassion, and intentionality around our values,” according to organizers.

Register at:

• In-Person:  https://selfcareforcaregivers_live.eventbrite.com
• Virtual:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-self-care-for-the-caregivers-fostering-family-well-being-tickets-480874367177

If you have questions, contact Lubna Andrabi, the district's Community Parent Liaison, at [email protected].

IN OUR SCHOOLS

• Willow Grove:  Lunch at Willow Grove Early Learning Center

Such cute little faces settling in for lunch at Willow Grove on Tuesday …

• Science Exploration at Country Meadows Elementary School

This week, Country Meadows’ PTO hosted its 2023 Science Fair, with dozens of first- through fifth-graders participating.  Such excitement, from learning the magical qualities of Ferrofluid, to learning how volcanoes erupt to learning what sugary substances do to your pearly whites!

Take a peek at some of the projects in the Science Fair 2023 Photo Gallery:  https://www.kcsd96.org/cm/country-meadows-photo-gallery/gallery/1614310/cm-pto-science-fair-2023

In Our Virtual BackPacks

Check out the virtual backpacks for information on:

• Law Day Activities and Contest Deadlines:  https://19thcircuitcourt.state.il.us/1446/Law-Day-Activities
• Metra Safety Poster Contest (deadline Feb. 17): tinyurl.com/MetraContestFeb172023
• 211 Lake County Resources: A variety of helpful resources, with information in a variety of languages: https://211lakecounty.org/

QUESTIONS?                                                                                                                      

District 96 will communicate with you every Friday through E-NEWS 96 and through Principal’s Messages from each school in which you have a student enrolled. It’s important to read these messages weekly. Questions about KCSD96 communications? Call 847.459.4260, ext. 8022, or send email to the Media & Communications Specialist @ [email protected].

The next issue of E-NEWS 96 will be Friday, February 3, 2023.