April 9, 2020

  • Posted April 9, 2020
April 9, 2020

Ivy Hall Wildcat Families,

Thank you so much for continued support as we navigate our remote learning journey.  Your encouraging emails to administration and staff are so incredibly appreciated. Our staff has been working hard to ensure students have access to continued learning, and I'm so grateful and impressed with their efforts and professionalism.

Our new remote learning plan setup is meant to allow for students to navigate their remote learning more independently.  Julie Schmidt's Superintendent's Messages from April 1st, April 5th, and the associated FAQ document provide more of the reasoning behind this decision and current practice. 

Please know that if students have questions about the assignments, teachers are available to support on our assigned remote learning days.  We are aware of the many challenges families are facing during this time, which is why the goal of our remote learning period is and will continue to be, learning, not compliance.  All we ask is for teachers, students, staff, and parents to do the best that they can during this difficult time.  Students will not be penalized for any unfinished assignments or activities as we understand each family requires a varying level of flexibility in the plan implementation at home.

As we continue along this journey, know that we do not expect parents to find the resources/answers to questions students have, as we know many of you are balancing multiple roles. I continue to be appreciative of your understanding and flexibility as we navigate this new normal.  

Thank you, 

Bob Hanrahan
Principal
Ivy Hall Elementary School

Friday 4/10 (New)

This is a friendly reminder that Friday, 4/10 is a non-attendance day so there will be no remote learning activities pushed out. In some circles, this is referred to as a day off.

Monday 4/13 (New)

Monday, April 13th is a Remote Planning Day for teachers.  Instruction will be planned by instructional coaches, who will provide learning experiences for students to engage in on these dates.  Any questions specific to those learning experiences will be answered by the instructional coaching team.  Their contact information will be included in the learning information for that day.

Tech Support - Kindergarten-5th Grade (New)

As students are home with their iPad devices to access remote learning plans, we do anticipate there may be some tech needs that arise.  If you run into any difficulty with your child’s school iPad, just send us an email explaining your problem and we can support you and your device.  Please email [email protected] with any technology-related support needed.

At Home Behavior Supports (New)

Transitioning to school at home is a big change for our students and us as parents!  Many of the same positive, proactive supports that we put into place in your children's’ classroom can be modified for the home setting.  Below are a few suggestions that may help make your remote learning time more successful:

  • Try to provide warnings ahead of transitions: “In 5 minutes we are turning off the television and we will begin our math assignment.” When it is time to transition, issue clear directions: “Thank you for turning off the Television!  please get your iPad and a pencil and meet me at the kitchen table.” Then provide praise when your child transitions as directed!
  • Discuss with your child your expectations for when you also have work to do: This could be things such as “when I am on a conference call, you can write down your question and hand it to me” or “if you get hungry while I am working, I set out three snack choices for you” or “If you can’t figure out this assignment while I am on a work call, you can go on Epic or Dreambox until I can help you”.
  • Encourage independence: At school, our students are encouraged to ask a friend before asking their teacher if they have questions about an assignment.  You can encourage your child to ask an older sibling. Use technology to your advantage as well! You can have your child ask “Alexa” or “Google” how to spell a word or define a word if you have a smart speaker. Encourage your child to email their teacher with questions as opposed to you doing it for them.
  • Create a family positive behavior system:  This is uncharted territory for us both as educators and parents. Look to create a system that rewards the behaviors we want our children to display and all work together.  This could be a poster where you all earn stars for being helpful or kind or following directions without whining. Once your family gets a certain number of stars (start low, you want this to be attainable within a week or less!) they can earn a fun family reward like a nature scavenger hunt, a special cooking project, or a family indoor picnic or movie night.  Another positive support that many students are familiar with is putting a marble (you can use pebbles, or cotton balls as well) for displaying certain behaviors. Try to target one thing at a time and be specific--” Listening to mom and dad on the first ask” is always a good one! Put an item in the jar each time that behavior is displayed and when the jar is filled they can turn it in for a fun activity (see suggestions above). I would suggest having these systems be something all kids in the family are working towards together to encourage working as a family team!

Brighter Days Art Contest (New)

The Imagination Project is an opportunity for Chicago-area elementary, middle, and high-school students to submit their visual creations to a student art contest sponsored by the Chicago Sun Times. The theme of this season’s Imagination Project is Brighter Days. Entrants may submit up to 5 pieces of their original artwork–drawings, paintings, or digital designs. The contest runs from Apr. 6–24. A parent must complete the electronic submission form. MORE INFO https://chicago.suntimes.com/pages/imagination

Last week's principal's message highlights: (New)

Buffalo Grove Park District Clubhouse New Parent Webinar (New)

The Buffalo Grove Park District has scheduled a New Parent Webinar on Apr. 30 at 5 p.m. for prospective families interested in learning about before- and after-school childcare through the Buffalo Grove Park District Clubhouse Program. SEE INFO to log in to attend the prospective Clubhouse New Parent webinar.

PTO Blog (New)

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

Food Services (Repeat)

We understand these times may result in changes in employment for families.  If your family needs support with meeting basic needs, please know that all D96 families are eligible for food services.

Many of you have asked how you can support and help the District initiative to ensure our families are fed.  At this time we do not need additional donations, however, we will let the community know when/if needs arise.  

KCSD 96 is working with our partners at Organic Life and the Exceptional Learners Collaborative to offer food services for our students.  We will have a packed breakfast and lunch available for you to pick up daily at the Exceptional Learners Collaborative’s NEW location at 990 Corporate Woods Parkway, Vernon Hills, IL.  

You may drive up to pick up a packed breakfast/lunch anytime between 11:00 am - 1:00 pm each day (Monday-Friday).  In the event you are not able to come to the ELC during this time, please contact us at 224-513-6448 or email [email protected] to see if other arrangements can be made.

You do not need to bring your child with you to pick up food.

Please contact the ELC if you have any questions at 224-513-6448.

No Remote Learning on Friday, 4/10 (Repeat)

This is a friendly reminder that there will be no remote learning on Friday, 4/10 as it is a non-attendance day as indicated by the 2019-2020 school calendar.

20-21 - Parent Input for Class Placement (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. At Ivy Hall, we 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, the building 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 at the middle school level.

We strongly believe that this detailed and collaborative process creates learning environments that benefit all students. It is a delicate balancing act that 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. I will take into consideration pertinent information received on or before 11:55 pm, FRIDAY, APRIL 24th. 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 Ivy Hall Class Placement Input 2020-2021 Survey.  As you can imagine, we receive a lot of parent input, and verbal information is impossible to track.  The information you provide in the survey will remain confidential between you and me.