Dear Families,
We’ve had a wonderful full week of school. The crisp mornings are refreshing and remind us that fall is here. It’s that time of year when we all enjoy cozying up in our sweaters with a hot cup of tea or cocoa. I’m certain that many families have already gone apple picking or visited the pumpkin patch or perhaps have plans to do this soon.
Family Educator Conferences will be occurring in less than two weeks. This past Monday you received an email to sign up for conferences. The window to sign up for conferences closes on Monday, October 4th at 11:55 pm. You can see all the details about conferences below.
Kindly,
Principal Hanrahan
NEW *Schedule changes for the week*
- Tuesday, September 28- early release with student dismissal at 2:00
- Friday, October 1- half-day with student dismissal at 11:45
NEW *Arrival and Dismissal Reminders*
As the weather begins to cool we are seeing more and more students being dropped off and picked up via car. If you are dropping your student off in the morning or picking your student up after school, please use and follow our parent drop-off and pick-up procedures in the South lot near the playground. Safety for all is our number one priority.
Parking or pulling off to the side of the road on the streets immediately surrounding the school (Penny Lane, Ivy Hall Lane, and Clohessy Lane) can cause dangerous and unsafe situations for students.
Additionally, if your student rides their bike to or from school, please review bike safety with him or her. Please help your students keep themselves and others safe when riding their bicycle.
NEW *Cold Weather & Recess*
It’s hard to believe but it started to get a bit chilly this week! This is a friendly reminder to dress your children to go outside. We go outside nearly every day. We have indoor recess only in extreme cases (0-10 degrees; wind chill is considered). Once we get enough snow to play in, children must be dressed properly to go into the snow. This includes a coat, hat, snow pants, boots, and mittens/gloves. If they have not dressed in the required snow garments, there is a large, plowed blacktop playspace for kids to play on. My best parent advice...LABEL EVERYTHING with your child's name. Our Lost & Found explodes with items in the winter, and if your child's name is on something, those items make their way back to your child much easier.
NEW *Clubs & Afterschool Activities*
Ivy Hall will be offering after activities this year. I will send an updated email message as soon as I have all of the club and student activity information up on the website. I am looking to have this up on the site next week. I will include information in the blog as soon as I am able.
NEW *PTO Bookfair & Ice Cream Social*
After seeing 4 of the last 5 years worth of ice cream socials and book fairs, I can honestly say this last book fair and ice cream social, was awesome. It was absolutely heartwarming to see the community back together again! I must thank the PTO executive board, the committee chairs, the volunteers, the students, the families, and the Ivy Hall custodial team for making the event such an incredible success. Thank you for coming out and connecting with other families and the school.
NEW *Volunteers & Vaccination Verification or Proof of a Negative Test
As you may or may not know, Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker held a COVID-19 press conference on August 26, 2021, where he issued new rules regarding indoor masking, and signed an Executive Order 2021-20, regarding educational employee vaccination and testing requirements. In the Executive Order which applies to all “school personnel,” volunteers are included in the definition unless they are present for only a short period of time and whose movements of close physical proximity are “fleeting”.
Those who have been identified as a current or upcoming PTO volunteer recently received a survey asking that you provide proof of vaccination and notifying them that if unvaccinated they would need to provide proof of a negative Covid test within 48 hours of reporting to volunteer.
If you have already uploaded proof of vaccination, please disregard this information.
How do I provide proof of vaccination proactively should I choose to volunteer at my student(s) school this year?
By following this link, you may provide proof of vaccination to your school(s).
https://kcsd96.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6umRb91nGZZ74xg
What if I am unvaccinated but want to volunteer this year?
Unvaccinated volunteers must provide proof of a negative Covid test when they arrive at the school on the day they are scheduled to volunteer. Negative test results are only good for the 48 hours prior to arrival. For example, if an unvaccinated volunteer is scheduled to be in the school the next week, they would have to provide a new test result.
What type of Covid test qualifies?
You may present a negative antigen or PCR test. Home testing kits do not qualify as the test must be observed and documentation of the result is provided to you.
Why can’t unvaccinated volunteers take a Covid test at the school?
The BinaxNow test provided to schools is in short supply at this time. As a result, schools have been notified that we cannot use the test for any screening purposes. If we were to do so, they would no longer supply the test to us. We are only allowed to use the test for symptomatic individuals on campus (students or staff) or when a person qualifies for test-to-stay. If and when test supplies increase, those restrictions may be lifted. If they are, we will be in a position to reconsider testing unvaccinated volunteers in our schools at that time.
What is the process for volunteers to either provide proof of vaccination or proof of a negative test?
Vaccinated volunteers may submit their proof of vaccination at any time by following the link provided and completing the survey and uploading proof of vaccination.
The list of those who have done so will be made available to the school (principal, assistant principal, administrative assistant, and nurse) and updated periodically by Lubna Andrabi in our district office.
Unvaccinated volunteers must bring proof of a negative test to the main office on the day they are scheduled to volunteer.
The main office will make a copy of your negative test.
The test result must be within the previous 48 hours. The staff at the front desk in the main office will assist you.
What if I am fully vaccinated but forgot to upload my proof of vaccination?
If you have not uploaded your vaccination card, you may provide proof of vaccination when you arrive (vaccination card). We strongly encourage you to upload your card so that you do not need to present it each time you report to volunteer.
NEW *Family Educator Conferences*
The conference dates are Thursday, October 7th from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM and Friday, October 8th from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM.
We are using Meet the Teacher as an electronic sign-up for conferences. A School Messenger email was sent to families on Monday, September 20th with a link to sign up for conferences. The conference sign-up will close at 11:55 PM on Monday, October 4th. After that, you must contact the building administrative assistant to schedule a conference or make a change.
Conferences will be held over zoom unless parents request an in-person conference using the instructions below. A document with all the staff zoom links will be sent out on Wednesday, October 6th at 2 PM.
REQUESTING AN IN-PERSON CONFERENCE
After selecting the teachers you wish to meet with and choosing a time for each conference, Meet the Teacher will prompt you to save the appointment and ask if you want to add a message for the teacher. If you want to have an in-person conference with the teachers, you must notify the teachers via this messaging feature (see picture below).
Elementary parents will have the option to sign up with the classroom teacher as well as specials teachers and any related service providers their children see.
NEW *PTO Blog
PTO BLOG Contents: https://www.kcsd96.org/ih/pto/blog
Contents below will be updated on Monday, September 27, 2021 (or sooner)
- Halloween Party - Parent Volunteer Sign Up (NEW)
- Culver’s Fundraiser on Oct 1st, raise money for Ivy Hall PTO (NEW)
- October Special Lunch on Oct 19th - Sign up! (NEW)
- Yearbook Committee Sign Up! (NEW)
- Fall Staff Appreciation Dinner 2021!
- Purchase Your Ice Cream Wednesday Punch Card
- Earn $ for Ivy Hall by grocery shopping (in-store or online)
- Please check out the: PTO Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/ivyhallpto
REPEAT *Thought Exchange Partnership*
The District 96 Thought Exchange Partnership (TEP) offers parents opportunities to give feedback and receive information about District instruction, programs, and initiatives. Understanding parent perceptions is helpful for planning and communicating. Contact District 96 Community Parent Liaison Lubna Andrabi, 847.459.4260, ext. 8136, with questions. In particular, the District invites parents who have students enrolled at Willow Grove Early Learning Center to consider joining the Thought Exchange Partnership. The first meeting is scheduled for October 21, 2021, from 7:00-8:30 via Zoom.
https://www.kcsd96.org/parent-organizations/parent-review
Questions - Lubna Kahn-Andrabi: [email protected]
REPEAT *ERIN’S LAW*
An Illinois law known as Erin’s Law requires schools to implement an age-appropriate sexual assault and abuse awareness/prevention curriculum for Kindergarten through Grade 12.
Kildeer Countryside CCSD 96 researched and observed best practices and programs for delivering this instruction, selecting Victor Pacini to present Be Seen & Heard ©.
The focus of this developmentally appropriate and interactive program is to teach children skills to keep them safe from danger or abuse. Concepts discussed will include distinguishing safe from unsafe touches, safety rules at home and school, saying NO, safe/unsafe secrets, and telling a trusted adult, as well as reinforcing that an adult’s touching him or her is not the child’s fault. For more information about this presentation please go to www.victorpacini.com/peace-of-mind-2
The presentation to Ivy Hall students will be during the school day on Tuesday, September 28, 2021.
If you prefer that your child does not attend this prevention education session, please submit your written request - or your questions - to me at [email protected]
REPEAT *Contact Tracing Clarification*
Contact tracing is completed when a confirmed COVID-19 case is reported. If a student is identified as close contact, families will be notified. Contact tracing in District 96 is based on the current IDPH definitions of close contact which are included at the bottom of the D96 Quarantine Decision Making Matrix that has previously been shared with families.
- In classrooms, hallways, etc., close contacts are defined as being closer than 3 feet with inconsistent masking of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes over a 24-hour period.
- In the lunchroom, close contacts are defined as being closer than 6 feet with inconsistent masking of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes over a 24 hour period.
- In general, individuals who are solely exposed to a confirmed case while outdoors will not be considered close contacts.
As part of the contact tracing protocol, we check with the classroom teachers, specials teachers, and related services staff to ensure that no student was unmasked, for more than 15 minutes cumulatively, within a given setting. If this is the case, additional close contacts would be identified and notified (i.e. snack, water, etc.). Please note that this may mean a student who sits 3 feet away from a confirmed positive case in the classroom setting (consistently masked) IS NOT identified as aclose contact, while a child who sits within 6 feet of a confirmed positive case at a lunch table (inconsistently masked) IS identified as a close contact.
District 96 does not define what a close contact is, rather follows the IDPH definition. Likewise, District 96 does not alter contact tracing or notification protocols, rather strictly follows those provided by the IDPH.
REPEAT *Covid Metrics*
To stay up-to-date this school year on local metrics, please visit the COVID DASHBOARD for District 96. Our priority remains to keep our students safe and follow guidance from the CDC. If your student is identified as a "close contact", you will be notified individually through the contact tracing process.
https://ecriss.ecragroup.com/strategy/Home/Indicators?Dashboard=KIL096
REPEAT *Food Service*
FREE MEALS IN SCHOOL: Under the waivers to USDA Nutrition Programs currently offered, the District is able to provide free meals to all students. One reimbursable daily meal will be provided free of charge to each student that chooses to participate on school days.
SNACKS FOR PURCHASE IN SEPTEMBER: Snacks will start being offered at the beginning of September. If you wish your child to be able to purchase snacks at that time, please be sure to have their account prepaid on the K12PaymentCenter. This site will allow you not only to monitor balances but also transaction history. There are no transaction fees related to this account. To create an account you will need your student's 7 digit ID number, which will be emailed to you this evening with the subject line of D96 Food Service Information.
ORDERING PROCESS: Each morning, students will tell their teachers which entree they will order and those numbers will be shared with the food service staff. Please encourage your students to take the entree they ordered to ensure that all students receive the desired meal. Menus can be viewed on the District website.
REPEAT *Arrival & Departure Procedures*
There are many rules and procedures regarding arrival and dismissal. This can be challenging to get acquainted with and even frustrating. However, these procedures have been developed with student safety as the driving factor. These plans and procedures were developed in conjunction with our Facilities Director (Sam Miranda) and the Buffalo Grove Police Department. The Buffalo Grove police and District 96 appreciate your patience and understanding as we have established these routines in the interest of safety. The first few dismissals can be slow due to staff and students learning their routines. Please be patient. The picture below denotes all the forms of transportation that we have here at Ivy Hall. Please observe the picture and note areas where walkers, bussers, and private transportation arrival and depart from here at Ivy Hall.
REPEAT*Daily Snack*
All students should bring an individual daily snack. It is required that snacks are only from our District Approved Snack List for the safety of students. Please label snacks with your child’s name.
Approved Snacks: What Parents Need to Know
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. Daily snacks for your children must be from this list or they will be sent home.
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.
Director of Educational Services Amy Gluck also has provided responses to FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs) about foods approved for daily snacks/special events.
For your convenience, find links to the District 96 Approved Snack List and Approved Snack List FAQs on the homepage of the District 96 website and the homepage of each school.
Lunches packed from home may contain anything and do not need to be from the Approved Snack List. If your child is bringing in lunch, snacks must be packed separately from lunch. Please label lunch bags and snacks with your child’s name.