The start of the school year is an exciting time. It’s a time for new opportunities to make new friends, learn new things, try new activities and so much more. It is great to see the building alive with the sights and sounds of student learning.
Students in classes spent a lot of time getting to know each other using Kagan engagement structures. If you have a few moments there is a great article HERE that outlines the impact of the strategies.
We are looking forward to seeing you all at curriculum night next week. Please see below for details.
Let Me Run (Club)
The goal of Let Me Run is to encourage positive emotional, social, mental, and physical development for 4th and 5th-grade boys. At the end of the season, the boys participate in a local 5K. The program is open to boys in grades 4-5. Running experience is not required.
Ivy Hall Let Me Run will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00 to 4:15 p.m. The season begins September 4, 2019, and practices continue through early November 2019. If you are interested in this program, please click on the link below and read and fill out this form.
Emergency Drills (New)
All schools are required to hold fire/evacuation, severe weather, and lockdown drills. We recognize some of the content could potentially be frightening for our little ones if not handled properly and are extremely cautious and developmentally appropriate in our delivery. Our teachers are attentive to our students' emotions throughout their instruction prior to the drills and during drills, are able to access support if needed, and would alert parents if their child seemed scared or under stress. I am unable to provide specific dates of the actual drills to parents, as drills are meant to be at times where the population is unaware and we respond without knowing exactly when it will happen. This is important for us, as adults, and our students, to help us learn to respond without knowing all of the specifics, just as in an emergency. Please know, lockdown drills and fire drills are common around this time of year (fall-ish) and going through the year. Severe weather drills are more often in the winter/spring. Your child's teacher will let you know when there has been instruction or a drill. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Visitor’s Badges (New)
Parents, please make sure that your driver’s license has been scanned for a visitor’s badge in our Raptor System. This will reduce your wait time in line when we have large events occurring during the school day. You can check to make sure your driver’s license has been scanned any time you come into the office, for example, when you’re dropping off lunch or picking up your child for an appointment.
ON-LINE LUNCH PREPAYMENT SYSTEM (New)
District 96 parents may choose to utilize the District's on-line system to prepay student meals and monitor account activity/balance. Please click here for more information. If you still have questions regarding the K12PaymentCenter (K12PaymentCenter.com), please feel free to contact Michelle Whitlow, Coordinator for Business Services at [email protected].
Please note: You will need the student ID number at the top of this message to successfully add your student to your K12PaymentCenter account.
Even if you choose to continue to send payment to school rather than pay online, we encourage you to utilize the free service to monitor your student's meal history and balance.
FREE & REDUCED BREAKFAST/LUNCH APPLICATION (New)
If you believe your child may be eligible for free or reduced-price breakfast/lunch under the National School Breakfast/Lunch Program AND have not yet applied, please utilize our on-line application system at LunchApplication.com. You will need your child's student ID number, provided at the top of this message, to complete the application. Please note that if you have already received a letter from the District indicating that your student(s) were approved for free or reduced meal benefits during this school year, you need not apply again.
PTO News/Blog (New)
PTO Blog: PTO information is listed here. Check it out!
PTO Membership Tool Kit: (https://ivyhallpto.membershiptoolkit.com/).
August 22 ~ Curriculum Night (REPEAT)
Curriculum Night is scheduled for Thursday, August 22nd, for ALL grades. This is a “parents only” meeting, and we hope you can attend. We will start as a large group in the big gym and after a few brief messages, you’ll be on your way to your children’s classrooms.
School Hours (REPEAT)
- Arrival time is between 8:10am and 8:25am
- The tardy bell rings at 8:25am. A parent/adult must accompany tardy students into the office and sign them in if you arrive after 8:25am. Do not drop your child off at any door since all doors are locked and secured at this time. Please be aware that while we try to keep clocks on time, they can sometimes run a minute or two fast. If there are no adults outside, please walk your child into the front office.
- Dismissal: 3:00 p.m.
- Regular Day: 8:25 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Half Day: 8:25 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
- Early Release Day: 8:25 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
DROP OFF AND PICK UP PROCEDURES (REPEAT)
*** THERE IS ONLY ONE ENTRANCE TO THE SOUTHWEST LOT. DO NOT ENTER WHERE IT SAYS “DO NOT ENTER.”
Students that take the bus will arrive and board the school bus on the east sidewalk (LOT containing most cars). Only cars that are parking and walking students into school will be allowed to enter the east parking lot from 8:10am-8:25am. At the end of the day, only buses will be permitted in the east parking lot between 2:40pm and 3:10pm. Cars that are parked in the east parking lot will not be able to leave during dismissal time due to the traffic pattern and student safety. If you are concerned about being able to leave during that time it is recommended that you park on the street to avoid being held in the parking lot.
Parents that drop off and/or pick up their children will enter a rolling drop off/pick up in the southwest blacktop area near the playground. Please approach parent pick up (clockwise) by driving east on Penny Lane. Parents will exit the rolling drop/pick up by driving east on Penny Lane. All students that are being picked up will exit the building via the southwest doors where they will be met by faculty. Faculty members will direct cars through the rolling drop off and pick up and assist students (See Map below).
Students that walk home will only exit through the north and northwest doorways. Students are not permitted to walk across the east parking lot OR exit via parent pick.
Please contact the school office at least 1 hour prior to dismissal in the event that your dismissal plans change. Your child will be at the designated dismissal location unless the school is notified in accordance with the above. Please notify the office in writing in accordance with the district handbook (PLEASE REVIEW HANDBOOK LANGUAGE). Please see Section 9.4 in the Parent/Student Handbook regarding permission for students to ride other buses, as in most cases, this is not allowed (PLEASE REVIEW HANDBOOK LANGUAGE).
When parking in the east parking lot at any time, please note that you will enter from Ivy Hall Lane. This is marked as an entrance only. Exit out to Clohessey Lane only. You will not be able to leave the parking lot onto Ivy Hall Lane (signs are posted indicating this).
*** DO NOT FOR ANY REASON PARK YOUR CAR IN THE FIRELANE (WHERE THE BUSES LOAD AND UNLOAD). EVEN IF YOU ARE JUST RUNNING QUICKLY IN AND OUT OF THE FRONT OFFICE. YOU RUN THE RISK OF BEING TICKET OR TOWED.
There are many rules and procedures regarding arrival and dismissal. This can be challenging to get acquainted with and even frustrating. However, these procedures have been developed with student safety as the driving factor. These plans and procedures were developed in conjunction with our Facilities and Transportation Director (Sam Miranda) and the Buffalo Grove Police Department. I appreciate your patience and understanding as we establish these routines at the beginning of the school year. The first few dismissals can be slow due to staff and students learning their routines.