Dear Families,
We have made it to winter break! The winter break brings a time for reflection and a time for new beginnings. A wise person once told me to first say thank you and then say please. I would like to take this opportunity to thank students, staff, and parents for contributing to the Ivy Hall community that we are all so proud to be part of. Thank you to all of the families, students, and staff who have made tremendous efforts to carry on and do the best that we can for our kids, even though we all deeply wish to be in-person teaching and learning together. Although we have been almost entirely remote since last March, we have been able to transition hundreds of students to our remote and hybrid models of learning and we could not have done so without the partnerships that thrive in our Ivy Hall community. When we start back to school in January, after a much-needed break, we will do so with our batteries recharged and with the prospect of new circumstances, hopefully on the horizon. Celebrations are so important. The Ivy Hall community celebrates our partnerships with you all! Now, I will say please. As you celebrate, please do so safely and please have a joyous and relaxing winter break.
Principal Bob Hanrahan
NEW *Materials Pick Up*
Ivy Hall Families,
District 96 has set a date for the first materials pick up for trimester 2. Students will need these materials for classes whether under a remote or hybrid model. As a Chicagoland family, you know that the winter weather can be unpredictable. The week that we return to school (January 4-8), you will receive another message with more details regarding the structure and the exact location of the materials pickup at Ivy Hall. The reason for this is that we will be watching the weather forecasts to determine the best format to allow for a pick-up based on the weather that day. The purpose of this message is to provide you the opportunity to mark January 8, 2021, on your calendar, so that you have advanced notice and can hopefully make arrangements to collect these important learning materials. We know that there have been several pick-up opportunities this year and appreciate your continued understanding and support while we work to continue educating students in the best way that we can.
NEW *Superintendent’s Message*
The following information was shared via email on December 16, 2020, however, I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight the information shared by Superintendent Julie Schmidt at last Tuesday’s board of education meeting. LINKED HERE is a video presentation and other information, including a review of additional mitigation measures that lower the risk of transmission in our schools. There will be future updates on January 6 and January 12. If conditions allow there will be an announcement for the reinitiation of the hybrid/in-person model. Please read Superintendent Schmidt’s message and view the video to learn more.
NEW *Preregister for 2021–22 Kindergarten Beginning Jan. 11*
Preregister incoming 2021–22 kindergartners beginning January 11 and no later than January 31 to receive a free T-shirt for your incoming student. SEE MORE INFO
REPEATING *INFO REGARDING PREORDERING FREE MEALS*
Preorder Free Meals for Pick-Up During Winter Break
- Free meals may be preordered for pick-up during Winter Break.
- NOTE: Preorders must be in by 10 AM on THURSDAY for pick-up in the week ahead.
- Preorder by 10 AM on THURSDAY, Dec. 24, to pick up meals (meal packs for 5 days) on Mon., Dec. 28.
Preordering Free Meals in 2021
- IMPORTANT: The last day to preorder free meals for the week ahead is changing. You’ll need to preorder by 10 AM on Thursdays, rather than Fridays.
To preorder meals for the first week after Winter Break (Jan. 4–8)
- Preorder by 10 AM on THURSDAY, Dec. 31, to pick up meals on Mon., Jan. 4 (meal packs for 3 days) and Thurs., Jan. 7 (meal packs for 2 days).
- The first step is for families to create an account online and add each child receiving meals to the account. Please see this webpage for details and brief instructional videos of the account set-up and pre-ordering process.
- Please direct questions to the public information coordinator [email protected]
REPEATING *Monthly Asynchronous Wednesdays *
Once per month, beginning in December, students will participate in asynchronous activities for a portion of their school day. The dates for each of these asynchronous Wednesdays are identified below. You will notice that each date is identified as either AM or PM. If for example, AM is indicated, this means that students will participate in the asynchronous activities during the morning or AM portion of the school day and then transition to their regularly scheduled school day in the afternoon or PM. Specific times are indicated below with each identified date. Teachers will communicate with students to be sure that they understand the expectations for each of these days.
These monthly asynchronous days were created to give students the opportunity to participate in topics that will enhance our current curricular content, and so that teachers have time to collaborate and plan with each other to determine the best way to approach future instruction.
Asynchronous Wednesdays will take place on the following dates.
- January 13: AM Asynchronous
- February 24: PM Asynchronous
- March 17: AM Asynchronous
- April 21: PM Asynchronous
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.