Happy Friday!
Next week, we officially enter ‘spring,’ whether our temperatures or weather reflect that or not! We are two-thirds of the way through the school year! In another week, we also take a small hiatus for Spring Break, so everyone can rejuvenate for our final trimester of the school year.
Here’s what’s ahead:
Coming Up:
- Tuesday, March 19
- No School (Teacher Institute Day)
- No School (Teacher Institute Day)
- Tuesday, March 19
- Board of Education meeting (7 p.m., Ivy Hall, Mat Room)
- Thursday, March 21
- Early Release Day (Dismissal Times)
- Grades 1-5 dismiss at 2:05 p.m.
- Grades 6-8 dismiss at 1:30 p.m.
- Kindergarten (including Structured Kindergarten) dismisses at 2:05 p.m.
- Early Childhood Structured Learning: 8:40 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.
- Blended Early Childhood/ECSE AM: 8:40 to 10:10 a.m.
- Blended Early Childhood PM: 12:35 to 2:05 p.m.
- Thursday, March 21
- Family-Educator Conferences (5 to 8:30 p.m.)
- Friday, March 22
- Family-Educator Conferences (10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.)
- Friday, March 22
- No School
- Monday to Friday, March 25-29
- Spring Break (No School)
- Friday, March 29
- 5Essentials for Parents/Families closes
- Monday, April 1
- School Resumes
NEW *Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR)*
Students in grades 3 - 8 take the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) each spring. This year the district will be administering the IAR to students from Tuesday, April 2nd, through Monday, April 8th. Ivy Hall Elementary has been selected for a field test this year, which will be administered on Tuesday, April 9th.
REMINDER: Did You Complete the 5Essentials Survey for Parents/Guardians?
Through March 29th, 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].
What is Dual Language: For Parents of Incoming Kindergartners
Do you have an incoming 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 and provide 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 began March 1. This process should be completed by April 15, 2024, 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).
Registration Open for 2024-25 School Year
Registration for the 2024-25 school year is now open: Parents and guardians of new Kindergarten students and returning District 96 students were emailed a link to register their child for the 2024-25 school year.
Complete registration by April 15 to receive a $20 Early-Bird discount. Families with returning students who register after April 15 will pay the standard registration fee. Registering early helps us to plan for the upcoming school year.
Registration fees paid by April 15 for the 2024-25 school year are:
- Early Childhood Blended Tuition: $2,870 (or $335.07 monthly)
- Kindergarten: $90
- Grades 1-4: $110
- Grade 5: $120
- Grades 6-8: $135
Families new to District 96 can find more registration information here: https://www.kcsd96.org/about/registration
Additionally, beginning in the 2025-26 school year, delayed enrollment will not be permitted, including in Kindergarten.
Any child being registered in District 96:
- who is five years old on or before September 1st of a given school year will be enrolled in Kindergarten.
- who is six years old on or before September 1st of that school year will be enrolled in first grade.
Virtual Backpack
Check the District and your school’s Virtual Backpacks for information on the following events and other items that may interest you.
Virtual Backpack: https://www.kcsd96.org/about/virtual-backpack 
- SHS Belonging (April 15)
- SHS Writing Workshop
- Spring Hockey
- NSWRA Summer Day Camps 2024
- Vernon Township Summer Camps
IN OUR SCHOOLS
This Is Who We Are: Country Meadows students, families and staff celebrated their rich culture this week, showcasing food, clothing, traditions and passions that make them ‘who they are’ ~ making Indian delicacies, running as a family to raising Cornish Rex cats. Imagine learning for the first time of the beautiful islet of Mont-Saint-Michel, off the coast of northwest France, on land dominated by a Benedictine monastery dating back to 966. Such treasures at Country Meadows!
See more in the "Who We Are" Photo Gallery: https://www.kcsd96.org/cm/country-meadows-photo-gallery/gallery/1615931/country-meadows-who-we-are-march-14-2024
The Future of Frogs: Mrs. McMullen’s Twin Groves seventh-graders explored the impact of humans and the environment on frog populations, playing a simple game that added or subtracted points based on various conditions presented. The lesson is for a unit on ecology.
See more in the Twin Groves Science Frog Populations Photo Gallery: https://www.kcsd96.org/tg/twin-groves-photo-gallery/gallery/1615935/twin-groves-science-calculating-frog-populations-march-14-2024
QUESTIONS?
District 96 will communicate with you every Friday through E-NEWS 96 and the Principal’s Messages from each school where 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 at [email protected].
The next issue of E-NEWS 96 will be Thursday, March 21, 2024.