August 14, 2020

August 14, 2020

Week two back at Ivy Hall was a success! We welcomed staff into the building to start organizing materials for the year ahead. As a reminder, most staff have not been in the building since March other than to gather instructional materials for remote learning and pack-up student supplies. I know it felt surreal to see a date in March written on many of the whiteboards. Regardless, you can feel the energy from our dedicated teachers for the school year ahead. They are eager to meet our students. 

By now you’ve received your child’s classroom teacher placement for the year. As a district, we’ve been working very hard to plan an event at the school to welcome our students and families. Be sure to check out the details below.

NEW *Curriculum Materials Pick Up & Greet the Teacher*

*** Families that are new to District 96 will pick up their technology supplies at this time as well. (Please read this entire message carefully. This message answers many questions that you may have (e.g. parking, social distancing, masks, rain, opportunities to acquire materials in an alternative drive up format, etc.)

In District 96, we deeply value the importance of building connections with students and families.  In an effort to bring some normalcy to the beginning of the school year, please join us on Thursday, August 20th for Curriculum Materials Pick Up and a chance to Greet the Teacher.  Even though you may have ordered a school supply kit, students still need these curriculum materials (these materials are not school supplies but learning resources) that supplement remote learning. There is no cost to you for these materials (if you don't acquire them before the start of school, we will work around that as well). Between the hours of 12:00 pm-2:00 pm (restricted times below), families and students are invited to the south parking lot at Ivy Hall Elementary School to pick up your supplies from their classroom teacher.  The purpose of Curriculum Materials Pick Up and Greet the Teacher is to see your teacher in person (if possible and/or desired) and to pick up supplies.

IMPORTANT Ivy Hall Elementary School Schedule:

Please come greet your teacher during the following times on August 20, 2020, according to the first letter of your child's last name. 

  • 12:00-12:30 - Last Names A-F
  • 12:30-1:00 - Last Names G-L
  • 1:00-1:30 - Last Names - M-R
  • 1:30-2:00 - Last Names S-Z

*** The times are divided below to limit the number of individuals congregating on campus.

I need to be clear that this is not a curriculum night or an outside social gathering. This event will be highly structured in order to adhere to social distancing guidelines. There will be many staff members outside directing individuals as they approach the south lot. Parking will be limited and you will likely need to use street parking. The south lot will be closed to all traffic. We ask that you keep your interaction productive and brief. This is an opportunity for your STUDENT to connect with his/her teacher.

We will also have an area for families to pick up last year’s yearbook. Photo composites from last year are an ongoing discussion with the vendor, LifeTouch. We have some of the class photo composites (also from LifeTouch) from last school year and will reach out to families as we receive them so that we may distribute them to you. We will not have these available next week. We apologize for the inconvenience but we cannot distribute what we do not have. We are working diligently on this class composite issue, but need more time working with the vendor (LifeTouch) to get them to you.

This event will take place outdoors and is WEATHER PERMITTING. *A school messenger will be sent by 10:00 am to notify you if the event format changes*  

ALL participants (children, parents, staff) MUST wear a mask and remain 6 ft from others at all times.

Find your child’s homeroom teacher table, greet your teacher, and take your supplies! Thanks for keeping this greeting quick as we need to ensure that all will have an opportunity.

We will have socially distanced markings before each station where teachers will be located. Each station will be clearly marked with teacher names and/or purposes (e.g yearbook pickup). Please wait patiently at one of these stations (socially distanced) as they become available to Greet the Teacher and Pick Supplies. A staff member will be available to direct you.

Please note that we may have classroom teachers who are unable to attend for personal reasons. We will ensure there is someone to hand out your child’s supplies.  If your child’s teacher is unable to attend in person, we will have a QR code for you to scan and Zoom with your child’s teacher from the hours of 12:00-2:00.

If you are unable to attend the Curriculum Materials Pick and Greet the Teacher on Thursday, August 20th, we will have an additional opportunity for a drive-thru Supply Pick Up on Friday, August 21st from 8-11 a.m. This will take place in the south lot by the playground. 

Again if it rains, an alternative plan will be communicated for curriculum materials pick up by 10 am on August 20, 2020, via email. The same message will have information for virtual meet the teacher.

NEW *Remember to Meet Health Form Requirements*

Health form requirements vary by grade level and for new/returning students. New to District 96 (all grade levels)? See MORE INFO regarding grade-level specific health form requirements.

All students entering Kindergarten must have their CERTIFICATE OF CHILD HEALTH EXAMINATION/IMMUNIZATION FORM (signed by the physician) on file in the school office by October 15, 2020.

*** Questions contact your local school (Ivy Hall).

NEW *Family Tech Class Info August 20th*

iPad 101 + Zoom: Our live session will cover the basics of using an iPad for educational purposes and troubleshooting tips your D96 student will need to access for Enhanced Remote Learning. Topics include:

How students will access Zoom sessions (through Clever)

  • Zoom basics (gallery view, speaker view, mute, video, renaming)
  • Accessing apps from Self-Service
  • Accessing/Searching the Google Drive for teacher’s remote learning daily slideshows
  • Schoology: Join us to learn about our D96 Learner Management System, Schoology. This system is used for communication between students and teachers, sending and receiving all coursework and providing student feedback on learning. We will also cover how to find all of your student’s courses and access their assignment calendar. (Suggested for grades 3-8)
  • SeeSaw: Join us to learn about accessing the Seesaw Family app and how you can gain a window into your students’ learning!  We will also explore the student perspective of the Seesaw Class App. (Suggested for EC-3)

All of these courses will take place on Thursday, August 20th & Friday, August 21st. Please view this google doc with the schedule and links to the zoom sessions.

NEW *Parents of Returning KCSD96 Students: Check Their Tech Today!*

  • FAQ: How do I get my returning KCSD96 student's broken or missing iPad or Logitech Crayon fixed or replaced?
  • Answer: Please complete and submit THIS FORM as soon as possible, so we can help before the school year begins.

NEW *See the Revised Quicklist 20–21 Calendar*

Please see the Revised Quicklist 2020–21 CALENDAR, including school hours information and dates for Early Release Days, Half Days, holidays, and winter/spring breaks.

NEW *TEAMING FOR THE 2020-21 SCHOOL YEAR*

  • 1st Grade: Mrs. Levin, Mrs. Slivnick, Mrs. Litvan, Ms. Snell
  • 2nd Grade: Mrs. Cappelen, Mrs. Yario, Ms. Innocentini, Mrs. Pawlow
  • 3rd Grade: Mrs. Hock, Mrs. Dorfman, Mrs. McNamara, Ms. Savic
  • 4th Grade: Ms. Balek, Ms. Nguyen, Ms. Pabst, Mrs. Nowicki
  • 5th Grade: Mrs. Holzhauer, Mrs. Kirberger, Ms. Dalton, Mr. Pangilinan
  • Resource Providers & Special Education: Ms. Sladek, Mrs. Sherlock, Mrs. Jarrett, Ms. Gillis, Mrs. Fooden, Mrs. Balmer, Mrs. Rybinski, Ms. Lee, Ms. Deger, Mrs. Carlson, Ms. Schumacher, Ms. Brighton (Ms. Meyer is Maternity Leave Sub), Ms. Marks, Ms. Serpico, Mrs. Sullivan, Ms. Hepler, Ms. Polchoek, Ms. Guarino, Ms. Moore, Ms. Harvat, Ms. Kaminisky
  • Specials: Mrs. Lindgren, Ms. Coleman, Mrs. Heimer,  Mrs. Cigrand, Mr. Spangler, Ms. Flavin, Mr. Boyd
  • Instructional Coaches: Ms. Driscoll, Mr. Halstead, Mrs. Wang (Mrs. Frisch maternity leave substitute), Ms. Seung, Ms. Klein, Mrs. Gord, Mrs. Dolan, Ms. Heinrich

REPEAT *First Day of School*

Our first half-day of remote learning will be Monday, August 24th.

Willow Grove Hours

  • AM - 8:30-11:00 AM
  • PM - 12:30-3:00 PM

Elementary Schools (Country Meadows, Ivy Hall, Kildeer, Prairie)

  • 8:30am-11:45am

REPEAT *Technology News*

On August 12th, our technology department will begin syncing student data across our systems in preparation for the start of the 20-21 school year. When this sync begins, your student(s) may lose access to some services or applications that are currently on their iPads. This is by design as we prepare to make all of the 20-21 resources available to students for the start of the school year. 

Please know that if you request a replacement iPad, Crayon, or accessory while picking up your resources, we will need a broken iPad, Crayon, or accessory from you in order to begin processing replacements. Any requests will also need to be fully documented before a replacement can be processed.

REPEAT *Supporting Our D96 Community Families*

The pandemic is creating challenging situations for many families in our community.

Community members who are able to are invited to donate these items: macaroni & cheese (cups or boxes), canned foods (veggies/fruits/tuna/chicken/beans), granola bars, tortillas, cheese (shredded/sliced), eggs, deli meats, frozen ground beef/chicken.

Please deliver to collection boxes outside the Exceptional Learners Collaborative (ELC) front entrance, 990 Corporate Woods Parkway, Vernon Hills, from 8 AM–3 PM. Please observe social distancing when delivering donations and ring the doorbell when delivering perishable foods and/or gift cards.

If you'd like to deliver your donation to your student's school on the designated Materials Pick-Up Day, please place it in the donation box (non-perishable/non-refrigerated items only, please) in front of the school entrance.

Questions? Contact [email protected]