October 16, 2020

October 16, 2020

October 16th

Dear Families,

Although it was a short week with students, it was still full of learning and fun.  Please remember that all elementary students will begin following our updated elementary schedule next Monday.  We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of some in-person 1st and 2nd-grade students on Monday and Thursday, and are looking forward to a great week all Wildcats (in-person & remote)!

Fondly,

Bob Hanrahan

NEW *3rd, 4th, 5th Grade In-Person*

I wanted to take a moment to mention the first date of attendance for 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade students that are planning to attend in-person, that report on Monday and Tuesdays, are currently scheduled to report on November 9th. The reason for this is so much later, is due to the lack of attendance days on November 2nd and 3rd. Unfortunately, this is how the calendar worked out. 

NEW *PTO Blog*

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

NEW *Specials Materials*

Click the link here to learn what materials are needed for specials classes (Physical Education, Exploration lab, Music, Art) next week.

NEW *In-Person Learning Report Dates*

Please note that ONLY 1ST & 2ND graders who selected in-person learning will report to school next week.  In-person learning for 3rd/4th/5th graders is scheduled to begin the week of 10/29.

ALL elementary students, 1st-5th grade, will begin following this schedule previously shared by Superintendent Julie Schmidt.

October 19th:

ALL elementary students will follow this schedule previously shared by Superintendent Julie Schmidt.

1st/2nd Grade students with last names beginning with the letters A-L who selected the in-person hybrid learning option will report to school.

October 22nd

1st/2nd Grade student with last names beginning with the letters M-Z who selected the in-person hybrid learning option will report to school

NEW *Early Release Schedule*

This is a friendly reminder that Tuesday, October 20th is an Early Release. This is the Early Release Schedule we will be using.  All elementary students will be dismissed at 2:00 pm.  If your child is a 1st/2nd grader reporting for in-person learning on Mondays and Tuesdays, please arrange for pick up at this time.

NEW *Lunch Preorder Info Emails Are Coming Soon for In-Person Learners*

An email with lunch pre-ordering information for in-person learners in grades 3–5 will be sent on Oct. 21 for students starting in person on Oct. 29 and on Nov. 4 for students starting in person on Nov. 9.

(Preordering information for in-person students in grades 1 and 2 starting next week was sent on Oct. 14.)

If your student is in grades 3–5 and will be learning in person, please make a note to watch on the date listed above for the lunch preorder email.

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 *Halloween Participation Door Signs*

School Resource Office Essig and the Buffalo Grove Police Department have provided signs to download and print for display on your front door on Sat., Oct. 31. Choose according to the decision your family has made:

If participating, please observe social distancing and wear a mask.

REPEATING *Approved Snack List*

The District has not revised the APPROVED SNACK LIST from the 19-20 school year.  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 eaten in the classroom.

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.

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 
    • (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)
  • Middle – schedule effective beginning Oct. 29

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 *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.

Please email [email protected] with any tech-related support needed.