Dear Ivy Hall Families,
General Information (New)
Student Car Drop Off AM ~ This is a gentle reminder to parents that when the bell rings at 8:25 am we close the doors outside the south lot. The staff that are outside in student drop off are required to report inside the building for their duties working with students. After 8:25 am you will need to drive to the east side of the building and walk your student into the office.
After School Sports Update ~ After school sports will be extending 5th Grade After School Sports for one week due to missing the very first week. Please note that if your child attends 5th Grade After School Sports, he/she should attend Thursday, November 2nd.
Parent-Teacher Conference (New)
Last week in my principal’s message the following message was sent out.
Parent-Teacher conference sign-ups will be done via Sign-Up Genius again this school year. Teachers will push out the invitation via email to sign up for a parent-teacher conference on Monday, October 23, 2017, at approximately 8:00 am.
Parent-Teacher conferences will be held:
Monday, November 20, from 5pm-7pm and Tuesday, November 21, from 2pm-7pm.
One conference is offered per student/teacher, and conferences run for 15 minutes. If you are unable to attend conferences on either of these dates, please contact your child's teacher to set up a phone conference. Monday, November 20, is an early dismissal at 2:00 pm for students and there is NO SCHOOL for students on Tuesday, November 21. If you have any questions, please contact your child's teacher.
You should have received an email to sign up for a conference from your child’s teacher.
We know that schedules may conflict with this window of opportunity. Please read the following excerpt from the Parent/Student Handbook that explains your options if you miss the conference window, and what we are able to do for you:
*** 8.1 Reporting Student Progress to Parents - Parent Conferences
In addition to these regularly scheduled progress reports, the equivalent of three full days are set aside in the school calendar for parent/teacher conferences. One and one-half days are scheduled in the late fall and another one and one-half days are scheduled in the spring.
Since no one report card can fully answer all of the questions parents may have, an individual conference between the teacher and the parents can be of great value in providing a better picture of the child at school and at home.
If, for any reason, a parent perceives a need to confer with a teacher, the parent need only call the school to make necessary arrangements.The intent of scheduled conference days is to provide an opportunity for parents and teachers to come together to share information in a brief conference–not to replace the opportunity for these same people to come together whenever needed. Should you be unable to schedule a conference during the conference times identified on the school calendar, a parent may request a brief phone conference with the student's teacher and individual team members when appropriate. It is not the expectation of the District that teams re-create the conference experience outside the dates/times identified on the calendar.
Math Night Videos (New)
Parents, If you were unable to attend last month's Math Night for Elementary Parents–or if you'd benefit from a review of this info–please click on the link(s) below to view. PowerPoint slides for the presentation are embedded in the videos.
An Additional Band & Orchestra Boosters Resource: (New)
Welcome to the District 96 Band & Orchestra Booster BLOG–a convenient new way the Boosters will keep parents informed on upcoming fundraisers and events, as well as concerts. This blog will be updated periodically and, once updated, linked from Principal's Messages.
4th Grade Orchestra Demonstration Concert
The 4th Grade Orchestra Demonstration Concert will take place on Thursday, November 2nd at 7pm at Twin Groves. The concert will take place in the Large Gym. Students need to arrive in the TG Orchestra Room in their concert attire with instruments and music by no later than 6:15 pm for tuning and warm-up. It is going to be a fantastic concert! We look forward to seeing you there!
Halloween
Parade
Our Parade Route begins at 1:20 pm outside of our southeast doors (near our gymnasium and the buffalo). The students will continue north on the sidewalk and then head west past the district office around the building, past the playground and end back at the southeast, Buffalo door. Please keep your fingers crossed that we have great weather! In case of cold weather please make sure your student has a jacket. In case of inclement weather, we will have an indoor parade for teachers and students only.
Parties
Parties will begin at approximately 2:00 pm and end at 2:45 pm
Only PTO approved parent party volunteers may attend classroom parties. No siblings are able to attend.
- If you are a volunteer, it is recommended that you have your driver's license scanned into our security system prior to party day so that your badge can be ready for you upon arrival.
- All party treats must come from the Approved Snack List (see page 3) and brought in to be checked by the nurse. These need to be at school by 9:00 am on October 31st. They can be brought in prior to that and will be kept safely in the office. Goodie bags are prohibited because they need to be individually disassembled and inspected for items that can trigger food allergies.
Halloween Costumes
As October is here, please help us with the following costume procedures and guidelines....
- Students will change into their costumes after the lunch period.
- Costumes must be appropriate for school.
- Please no masks, blood, super scary stuff, general iciness, or weapons
- Please no cigars or cigarette items
- Please no bare tummies
- Please keep hair coloring and make-up simple
Can students go home for lunch to get into costumes?
- Students are able to be picked up to go home during their own grade level lunch period. See below for specific times and details.
- Students will meet their parent/grandparent/family member in the foyer of the school.
- Please write a note stating that students will be going home for lunch. Students will give their “going home for lunch” note to the staff members who are supervising pick-up.
- Students need to return to school by the end of their lunch/recess period.
Lunch/recess periods are as follows:
- 1st grade at 10:55am - 11:35am
- 2nd grade at 11:35am - 12:20pm
- 3rd grade at 11:15am - 11:55am
- 4th grade at 11:40am - 12:20pm
- 5th grade at 12:05pm - 12:45pm
Thank you for helping us to keep our Halloween activities fun and safe!
Procedures for Dealing with Head Lice (Handbook Reminder)
When head lice are detected or notification is given that a student has head lice, the student will be immediately removed from school and parents will be provided with information on proper treatment. Students will not be readmitted to school until successful treatment has been completed and all evidence of nits has been removed from the individual’s hair. Parents should accompany children upon return to school and report immediately to the school nurse's office for verification that children are free from head lice. Notes from doctors indicating successful treatment has occurred will not be sufficient to permit students to return to school.
PTO NEWS & Highlights
Be sure to check out the PTO BLOG for more information regarding upcoming events and volunteer opportunities.
Upcoming Dates
- October 27, 2017 ~ PTO Movie Night (3rd-5th Grade) 6:30pm-8pm
- October 30, 2017 ~ 2nd Grade Field Trip to Chicago Botanical Garden
- October 30, 2017 ~ Parent Review Committee Meeting 7pm-8:30pm
- October 31, 2017 ~ Halloween Parade & Parties: please see above
- November 2, 2017 ~ 4th Grade Field Trip to the Shedd Aquarium
- November 2, 2017 ~ Orchestra Concert @ Twin Grove 7pm-8pm
- November 10, 2017 ~ Trimester 1 Ends
- November 16, 2017 ~ Family Reading Night 6:30pm-7:30pm
- November 20, 2017~ Early Release, Parent-Teacher Conferences 5:00pm-7:00pm
- November 21, 2017 ~ Parent-Teacher Conferences 2:00pm-7:00pm (no students in attendance)
- December 4-13, 2017~ MAP Testing Window
- December 22, 2017 ~ Winter Break Begins
- January 8, 2017 ~ School Resumes
Repeat Information (Click Here)
Have a great weekend!