Class Placement Parent Input Survey (New)
Creating balanced class lists that meet the needs of all students is a tremendously difficult job that takes many hours of thoughtful dialogue between classroom teachers, administrators, and specialists. We at Ivy Hall Elementary School take this process very seriously. The process for class list creation is as follows:
Teachers think about the social and academic needs of each of their current students while recording pertinent information to assist in the decision making process.
Grade level teachers, administration, specials area teachers, and specialists meet together to form class lists that are balanced in terms of academic, social, and emotional needs as well as considering friendships. This is no easy task and often takes several meetings. This team of educators considers each child’s personality, academic needs, friendship patterns, etc. as they make a match for each individual child.
This team of educators creates a draft set of class lists taking into consideration parent input. Class lists are then revised in August with summer changes for students who move in or out of the district. Class rosters are never final until they are released to families in August.
This process happens at grades 2-5. Willow Grove creates the class lists for our incoming 1st graders. Our 5th-grade team actively works with Twin Groves to provide data and input related to placement decisions as well.
We strongly believe that this detailed and collaborative process creates learning environments that benefit all students. It is a delicate balancing act which takes much consideration and thought by professionals who know and care about your children. Our goal is to create balanced class lists that promote the success of each child. Please know that your child is placed in a classroom for very specific reasons. The process benefits all students. Because of the input and thought given by teachers, specialists, parents, and the principal, we are very reluctant to make changes once this process occurs, as removing or moving one child can disrupt the balance of an entire class, impacting all students.
I welcome any insight you wish to share about your child’s strengths, needs, and learning style. We will take into consideration pertinent information received on or before FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2019 at 11:59PM. Please remember, while we welcome your input, specific teacher requests will not be honored.
I cannot express enough how important it is that your thoughts are provided through the (survey linked here) . As you can imagine, we receive a lot of parent input, emails, and verbal information is nearly impossible to track. The information you provide in the survey will remain confidential between you and me.
SWALCO Reuse-A-Shoe Program (New)
It's time to clean out those closets!
We will be collecting shoes once again this year. All types of shoes are accepted in any condition. The accepted shoes are: dress shoes, gym shoes, work shoes, sandals, slippers, Crocs, slip-ons, and virtually all shoes, at all sizes! Even cleats and "light-up" shoes are acceptable. We really are accepting all shoes aside from ice skates, roller blades, and snow boots. The shoes will be collected in boxes outside the nurse's office until the end of April.
Coming in Early April: IAR Assessment for Grades 3–8 (New)
The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) is the new English/language arts and math state assessment for Grades 3–8 students in Illinois public schools. The IAR replaces the PARCC assessment given the previous few years and is, in fact, very similar. The testing window is designated as Apr. 8–26, but our students do not test every day during that period. Read more info about the IAR, including our Testing Schedule, the impact of participation, and more. As your building principal, I'm happy to answer any questions you have about the IAR assessment. Please call our school office or send me an email.
Raise a Reader (New)
Parents wanting to raise a life-long reader will appreciate strategies shared by D96 literacy coaches from literacy expert Pernille Ripp. For straightforward advice about nurturing readers in your home, please take a moment to read Parents: Create Joyful Reading Routines at Home.
Author Visit (New)
Ivy Hall is fortunate to have Jeff Weigel visit our school in May. He is an illustrator, author and designer of children’s books, graphic novels, and comics. He is currently the artist for the Sunday newspaper comic strip, The Phantom. Books will be available for purchase and autographs. If you are interested in purchasing a book, please send the attached form to the Ivy Hall office by April 9th. BOOK ORDER FORM
5th Grade Parents Going to Twin Groves (New)
Attention 5th Grade Parents...A Message from Mrs. Barnes, Principal at Twin Groves. I would love for you to get involved in the Twin Groves PTO! Please consider leading one of our committees or joining our Executive Board. There are many openings for the 19-20 School Year. Please see below.
Board Positions:
- Co-President
- Vice President
- Co-Treasurer
- MTK (Membership Toolkit) Coordinator
Committees Chairs:
- Staff Appreciation/Hospitality
- Special Lunch
- Dessert Day
- Gym Uniforms
- School Supply Kits
- Book Fair
- Bake Sale
You can also talk to an existing board member for more information or message the PTO if you are interested! LINK Descriptions for all open positions are available on our PTO Membership Toolkit: Twingrovesmspto.membershiptoolkit.com To access the Twin Groves Membership Toolkit, you can log in with your existing information and add a student to Twin Groves.
Illinois Grade School Music Association (New)
Congratulations to the following students for their recognition by the District 96 school board and their participation at the Illinois Grade School Music Association competition.
- Justin Alberth
- Junwoo Kim
- Isha Nayak
- Daniel Hulewicz
- Amber Ko
- Zoe Schwalb
PTO News/Blog (New)
Have a great break! Here’s a table of contents so you don’t miss what’s important to you: PTO Blog: This is always linked in my blog post below.
- Variety Show Sign Up
- Square One Arts
- Breakfast With Your Buddy
- Girls Night Out
- Guys Night Out
- 2019-2020 School Supply Kits
- 2019-2020 Board and Committee Chairs
- Fifth Grade Spring Fling
- Help Wanted: 2019-2020 Yearbook Co-Chair Trainee
- Important Dates and Other Reminders
Upcoming Dates
- March 23-April 1, 2019: Spring Break
- April 2, 2019: Teacher Institute Day
- April 3, 2019: Students Return to School
- April 8, 2019 - How We Use Student Data: Parent Education Evening 6:00pm-7:30pm
- April 16, 2019 - Kagan Engagement Strategies: Parent Education Evening 6:00pm-7:30pm
- April 22, 2019 - Student & Classroom Technology: Parent Education Evening 6:00pm-7:30pm
- April 29, 2019 - Curriculum & Instruction: Parent Education Evening 6:00pm-7:30pm