Dear Families,
Thank you for your participation in Family Educator Conferences this week. We are grateful for your partnership in your child’s education with us. If you were unable to attend, please reach out to your teacher to set up an appointment. Remember, teachers are always available to speak with you by appointment.
As always, thank you for keeping up with a large amount of communication you have been receiving. We truly appreciate the time you take to thoroughly read and/or watch the information.
Enjoy the long weekend.
Fondly,
Principal Hanrahan
Specials Materials
Click the link here to learn what materials are needed for specials classes (Physical Education, Exploration lab, Music, Art) next week.
NEW *Conference Survey*
I hope the conference process went smoothly over the past few days. Please take a moment to fill out the conference evaluation form. We are eager to hear your thoughts about the process. There were a lot of new features to conferences this fall, like Meet the Teacher, all virtual, and the move to October.
Please let us know your thoughts. The Family Educator Conference Committee will review your responses to consider future improvements to the conference process.
*Parent surveys were sent to families via principal's messages today. We will share those results with you as soon as the survey closes.
Thank you for your responses. Please complete the survey by October 23. Have a great weekend.
Link to the Elementary Conference Survey
NEW *Approved Snack List*
The District has revised the APPROVED SNACK LIST, The items the list includes are free of the Top 8 allergens: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat.
This list includes the foods that are approved for students' Daily Snacks. It also includes (for children in Grades 1–5) foods approved for Special Events such as birthday treats for a class or for PTO Halloween, Winter, or Valentine's Day parties.
IMPORTANT: All items for Daily Snacks– with the exception of fruits and vegetables– MUST be prepackaged to allow staff to easily check that snacks meet the approved requirements.
NEW *Acclimation to Protocols*
We are excited about our return to in-person learning coming soon. As we transition to in-person learning, we have many new arrival and dismissal procedures. We appreciate your patience as we acclimate to the new procedures.
NEW *Halloween Information*
Given the unique circumstances we are faced with this year, we will not have students wear Halloween costumes or partake in our annual Halloween parade. More information will be forthcoming regarding activities that will be done in classrooms on Wednesday, October 28th.
NEW *Upcoming Calendar/Schedule Reminders*
- Monday, October 12th, there is no school.
- Tuesday, October 13th, there is no school due to the recent approval of a Remote Planning Day for all staff.
REPEATING *Commitment to Partnership*
As emphasized in Superintendent Schmidt's message sent on Tues., Sept. 29, implementing a hybrid in-person learning model is and must be a partnership.
We know that some surrounding districts or schools that began their in-person learning plan have had to revert to full remote for a period of time. In many situations, this has been due to positive cases about which families were not truthful with the school or with the health department regarding symptoms and the diagnosis or with those conducting the contact tracing process.
We are confident that the District 96 community will rise to the occasion and partner with us to ensure safety and success. Please think carefully about your commitment to our partnership before sending your kids to school.
REPEATING *Updated Student Schedules and In-Person Learning Protocols*
UPDATED SCHEDULES will take effect for ALL of our students on the following schedule:
- Kindergarten – schedule effective beginning Oct. 15
- Elementary – schedule effective for Grades 1–5 beginning Oct. 19
- Middle – schedule effective beginning Oct. 29
(NOTE: Hybrid in-person learning begins for Grades 1 and 2 on Oct. 19. Hybrid in-person learning begins for Grades 3–5 on Oct. 29) HOWEVER, THE NEW SCHEDULE BEGINS ON OCTOBER 19 FOR Grades 1-5
For those returning to schools in the hybrid model, please review the IN-PERSON LEARNING PROTOCOLS thoroughly, so that you are prepared to complete and submit the required one-time annual self-certification and acknowledgment of protocols via a link in an email communication you will be sent after Oct. 5.
REPEATING *Updated COVID-19 Metrics*
This UPDATED COVID-19 METRICS is the information “dashboard” that maintains transparent and open communication around COVID-19 metrics. As a user of the dashboard, the District has access to COVID-19 data as recommended by the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium. We review this data daily, update the dashboard weekly, and consider this data in making many decisions.
REPEATING *School Exclusion & Health Form Requirements*
Please know that students who do not have the necessary health forms on file will be excluded from school on October 15th. Please see the information below for specific details and health form deadlines.
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.
REPEATING *School Exclusion & Health Form Requirements*
Please know that students who do not have the necessary health forms on file will be excluded from school on October 15th. Please see the information below for specific details and health form deadlines.
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.
All students entering Kindergarten must have their Vision Examination Form by October 15, 2020.
- All students entering Kindergarten must have a DENTAL EXAMINATION FORM on file at their school office by May 15, 2021.
- All students entering Grade 2 must have a DENTAL EXAMINATION FORM on file at their school office by May 15, 2021.
- All students entering Grade 6 must have their CERTIFICATE OF CHILD HEALTH EXAMINATION/IMMUNIZATION FORM (signed by the physician) on file in the school office by October 15, 2020.
- Additional Grade 6 health form requirements include the DENTAL EXAMINATION FORM by May 15, 2021.
REPEATING *Tech Hub*
KCSD96 Family Technology Hub! The District 96 Family Technology Hub is designed to guide families through technology tools related to Enhanced Remote Learning. On this site, you can find links to the recordings and the corresponding Slides decks for the parent/family informational sessions from last week. You can also find tutorials on how to use ZOOM, Schoology, Seesaw, Clever, Notability, and other iPad essential tools for student learning. Additionally, there is a link to email the technology support desk. Please save or bookmark this site. It will be updated with tools, resources, and tutorials through remote learning to better support your family.