January 24, 2020

January 24, 2020

Ivy Hall Celebrates Giving Back (New)

Thursday, February 6, from 6:30-8:00 Ivy Hall will celebrate giving back.  The evening will be an open house event in which Ivy Hall families come to participate in any (or as many) charity events as they have time and/or interest in. FYI: The PTO will also be running their Book Fair during this time. 

The 7 events are all listed below. 

  1. First Responders (Police and Fire) - Support Posters

  2. Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital - Bedside Activity Kits

  3. Belmont Village - Caring Door Hangers

  4. Letters to Deployed Military Personnel - Letters of Support

  5. Project Linus - Create Blankets for Those in Need

  6. New Student Welcome Move-In Kit - Create & Compile Items for Students New to Ivy Hall

  7. Kindred Hospice - Create Valentines Day Cards

*** We will be collecting non-perishable food items at the door to be donated to a local food pantry.

PTO VARIETY SHOW is IN DANGER OF BEING CANCELLED (New)

The Ivy Hall Variety show is a PTO sponsored event. Two years ago we canceled the variety show due to a lack of volunteers. In response to that, we looked into getting an event coordinator from the school. We did this to alleviate any expertise necessary to volunteer. We have Mrs. Dolan already hired to be the event coordinator (this was traditionally performed by a PTO chairperson). A volunteer’s responsibility consists of supervision of students from up to 1-hour blocks at a time. That can look like helping usher students on and off stage. Supervising groups of waiting students, while they watch a movie, moving instruments on and off the stage, pressing start and stop for music, etc. You can help save the event by signing up to volunteer via the PTO toolkit.

https://ivyhallpto.membershiptoolkit.com/

We will extend the volunteer signup deadline until Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2020, at 11:59 pm. If we do not secure enough volunteers for the event by then, we will cancel the event. There are logistical considerations that make last-minute flexibility extremely difficult, so the deadline… is the deadline.

PTO Student Entertainment Evening CANCELLED (New)

  • JANUARY 24, 2020 - CANCELED
  • JANUARY 31, 2020 - CANCELED
  • APRIL 17, 2020 - STILL SCHEDULED

Valentine's Day Parties (New)

Please remember that if you are donating snacks and/or drinks for the winter parties on February 14th, these items MUST come from the Approved Snack List. Please also have these items at school by Wednesday, February 14th at 9:00 am to be approved by the nurse.

Avoid good bags and please do not tape candy to Valentines. No candy means no candy. I really like candy, but we need to abide by the rules.

PTO Blog (New)

PTO Blog: This is always linked in my blog post below.

 

ACCESS Testing (REPEAT)

During the week of January 27th, your child or children will be taking the ACCESS test. The test consists of four parts: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Here is the website if you'd like to read more about it https://wida.wisc.edu/assess/access/preparing-students

Please make sure that your child is well-rested and has a good breakfast. Also, for 4th, and 5th graders make sure their iPads are charged.

If you have questions feel free to contact Mr. Halstead, Mrs. Wang, Ms. Driscoll, Mrs. Himes or Ms. Hepler.

Erin’s Law (REPEAT)

An Illinois law known as Erin’s Law requires schools to implement an age-appropriate sexual assault and abuse awareness/prevention curriculum for Kindergarten through Grade 12.

Kildeer Countryside CCSD 96 researched and observed best practices and programs for delivering this instruction, selecting Victor Pacini to present Be Seen & Heard ©.

The focus of this developmentally appropriate and interactive program is to teach children skills to keep them safe from danger or abuse. Concepts discussed will include distinguishing safe from unsafe touches, safety rules at home and school, saying NO, safe/unsafe secrets, and telling a trusted adult, as well as reinforcing that an adult’s touching him or her is not the child’s fault. For more information about this presentation please go to www.victorpacini.com/peace-of-mind-2

The presentation to Ivy Hall Elementary School students will be during the school day on February 10, 2020

If you prefer that your child does not attend this prevention education session, please submit your written request - or your questions - to me at [email protected]

Change Wars (REPEAT)

All for Books is an easy and effective way to unite the school community and provide more books for kids and teachers. All funds collected through All for Books are used to buy more books from the Book Fair.

Funds are used to:

  • Add new books to the school library.
  • Help teachers build and refresh their classroom libraries.
  • Donate to another school or community organization in need of books.

*** The winner of the collection (the class that collects the most change) will win a free book(s) from the book fair.

2nd Grade Music Show (REPEAT)

On Thursday February 13, 2020 @ 6:30 p.m. The second grade will perform their choral concert at Ivy Hall.

Human Growth & Development: Physical Education (REPEAT)

We will be starting our Human and Growth and Development unit the week of February 3. This unit is for grades third through fifth.

  • Third-grade lessons are on plants, animals, and babies.
  • Fourth-grade lessons cover the development of babies and puberty.
  • Fifth-grade lessons are on puberty and a discussion on Erin's Law with the social worker Ms. Jarrett. 

The links below contain a document with more information and a waiver if you wish to opt-out of the Human and Growth and Development unit. The opt-out forms must be signed and returned to the PE team.

*** If you have questions regarding materials please contact Todd Spangler [email protected] or Jenni Cigrand [email protected].

IMPORTANT ACTION ITEM FOR PARENTS OF CURRENT 5TH GRADERS (Repeat)

Parents of ALL currently enrolled 5th graders whose students will attend in School District 96 in the 2020–2021 school year must prove their residency again by Feb. 14, 2020.
Ivy Hall Administrative Assistant Jodi Zachara will accept proof of residency and provide a required form for your signature.

Please note that the requirement to re-prove residency for a current 5th grader applies–even for families who have other students currently attending KCSD96 schools.

MORE INFO about the requirement and process to re-prove residency

Upcoming Dates:

  • January 28, 2020 - Early Release @ 2:00pm
  • February 6, 2020 - Ivy Celebrates Giving Back & PTO Book Fair
  • February 10, 2020 - Erin’s Law Assembly
  • February 13, 2020 - 2nd Grade Music Concert
  • February 14, 2020 - Valentine's Day Parties & Deadline for Variety Show Volunteers

2020–2021 Calendar Change Notification (Repeat)

District 96 has made revisions to the published Quick List calendar for the upcoming 2020–2021 school year. 

The revisions made accommodate the alignment of the District 96 Spring Break 2021 with the recently published Stevenson students’ Spring Break 2021. 

IT'S COLD OUTSIDE! (Repeat)

Please remember to send your child to school daily with proper outerwear.  Weather permitting students go outside for recess every day. In winter the temperature and wind chill and weather conditions will be monitored throughout the morning.  The weather website and playground will be checked to determine whether conditions are appropriate for children’s outdoor recess. When the temperature or wind chill is below zero degrees, students will be kept inside for recess.  We weigh options when the temperature or wind chill is between zero to ten degrees, to determine if we have indoor or outdoor recess, such as how damp it is outside. We do try to allow the children to go outside whenever possible, so please help them to come prepared. Thank you!

How is Outdoor vs. Indoor Recess Determined (Repeat)

Weather permitting students go outside for recess every day.  In winter the temperature and wind chill and weather conditions will be monitored throughout the morning.  The weather Website and playground will be checked and outside supervisors consulted to determine whether conditions are appropriate for children’s outdoor recess.  When the temperature or wind chill is below zero degrees, students will be kept inside for recess. When the temperature or wind chill is 0 – 10 degrees, students may go outside for a shortened recess period.  If a student has a doctor’s note or a medical condition, he or she may stay inside the building office for recess.

Determination of whether children will have outdoor recess will be made prior to each recess period, based on the weather at the moment and in the judgment of the principal or his or her designee.  Any request for prolonged indoor recess MUST come from the child’s physician.

Please see the Revised 2020–2021 Quick List School Year Calendar.  

Questions? Please contact the public information coordinator.

Car Pick Up & Car Drop Off (Repeat)

ONLY MAKE A RIGHT-HAND TURN ONLY INTO THE SOUTHWEST LOT, please DO NOT MAKE A LEFT INTO THE SOUTHWEST LOT DURING CAR DROP OFF AND CAR PICK UP AT DISMISSAL. 

THIS PROCEDURE IS LISTED IN THE PARENT STUDENT HANDBOOK. THIS PROCEDURE HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR AT LEAST 3 YEARS. HERE

The traffic pattern for the CAR rolling drop off and CAR rolling pick up is clockwise around Ivy Hall. Your RIGHT TURN should be made from Penny Lane into the lot. NEVER A LEFT TURN into the southwest recess lot. 

We have and will continue to have the Buffalo Grove police helping us enforce this procedure. This procedure was developed with the Buffalo Grove Police Department for student safety. Thank you for helping keep kids safe.

Car Drop Off  *** Students must be signed in via the front office after 8:25am. Please DO NOT drop students off in the east lot, without walking them into the office and signing them in. 

Car Pick Up *** There are a few commercial vehicles that are permitted to make a left into the south lot. These vehicles do not participate in the rolling car line, but we have no other avenue to load these vehicles. This only occurs during CAR pick up. Thank you for your continued help allowing these vehicles into the lot. They will not join the line in front of you, they will pass on the right side of the line. We also stop the line to allow these vehicles to exit.

1072 Ivy Hall Lane

*** Only students that are being picked up in the southwest lot are permitted to be in the lot.

IF YOU ARE WALKING TO THE SOUTHWEST LOT, MEETING A STUDENT, AND THEN WALKING AWAY … 

YOUR STUDENT IS A WALKER NOT A CAR PICK UP. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR CHILD'S TEACHER AND MAKE THE ADJUSTMENT ACCORDING (SO YOUR STUDENT IS DISMISSED OUT THE NORTH EXIT). 

YOUR STUDENT WILL BE DISMISSED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING BY THE OFFICE. THIS WILL REDUCE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT NEED SUPERVISION IN THE SOUTHWEST LOT AND INCREASE SAFETY.