April 5, 2019

April 5, 2019

April 5, 2019

An Evening of Math Fun (New)

(Grades 3–5 students/teachers/families) The Stevenson High School Math Department and Math Team invite all students in grades 3, 4, and 5 and their families and teachers to the Stevenson Math Carnival on Thurs., May 9, 6–8 PM. At the Math Carnival, students play fun math games and win prizes. Stevenson High School, 1 Stevenson Dr., Lincolnshire, IL  Park in the "B" Lot and enter through the "Point Entrance"

SEE FLYER

PTO News/Blog (New)

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.

Next week is a busy week for Ivy Hall PTO - please don’t forget to pre-register for our upcoming events: Girls’ Night Out, Guys’ Night Out and Breakfast with your Buddy - all next week!!

In this week’s blog you’ll find:

  • Girls’ Night Out
  • Guys’ Night Out
  • Breakfast With Your Buddy
  • Variety Show
  • Square One Arts - Coming Soon!
  • 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

Class Placement Parent Input Survey (Repeat)

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 (Repeat)

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 (Repeat)

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.

Author Visit (Repeat)

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

Upcoming Dates

  • April 8, 2019 - How We Use Student Data: Parent Education Evening 6:00pm-7:30pm
  • April 10-12, 2019 - 5th Grade Writing Assessment for Placement
  • April 16-24, 2019 - Illinois Assessment of Readiness (Grades 3-5)
  • 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