Dear Families,
If you have not done so already please check your email as you should have received MAP testing reports via email on Wednesday, January 13, 2022. Please read this message closely as there is a lot of information regarding PCR testing, IDPH, and ISBE COVID-19 information, and ZOOM/technology support information for students that are learning remotely.
Respectfully,
Bob Hanrahan, Principal
NEW *Girls on the Run*
The goal of Girls on the Run is to encourage positive emotional, social, mental, and physical development. At the end of the season, the girls will participate in a 5k event. The program is open to girls in Grades 3-5. Running experience is not required.
Ivy Hall Girls on the Run will meet on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:00 to 4:20 p.m. Each session consists of a lesson and running. The season begins in March 2022 and practices continue through the week of May 19, 2022. Please submit this interest form by February 4. We have a maximum of 20 participants.
NEW *Calendar Reminder - MLK Day*
Monday, January 17th is Martin Luther King Day. There is no school on this day.
NEW *UPDATE ON PCR Testing SCHEDULED FOR TODAY*
Due to a shortage of supply kits regionally and the shortened school day today, the district did not receive the number of test kits needed for all participants.
If your student received their kit and brought it home today, please have your child return the kit to school on Tuesday for testing. (For Ivy Hall Elementary School you likely did NOT receive a PCR kit today)
If your student did not receive their kit today, kits will be sent home on Tuesday and should be returned to school on Wednesday. Specimens will be picked up on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday of next week.
Thank you for your patience as our vendor O’Hare Labs works to expand its capacity to meet additional testing requests. District 96 is one of many entities that has asked to increase their PCR testing frequency. As a result, O’Hare Labs is working diligently to accommodate the unprecedented increase in the demand for testing. The typical timeline is 48 hours, however, nearly all PCR labs are seeing a spike in specimen testing requests. Therefore, the delayed delivery of results that we are experiencing is due to this spike in the demand for specimen testing. O'Hare Labs has added an additional lab this week, so we are hoping to see a faster turnaround time very soon.
Finally, as a reminder, O’Hare Labs is your point of contact regarding specimen questions for individual student lab results.
If you have any questions regarding your results (e.g. you haven’t received your results) feel free to contact O’Hare Labs by email at [email protected]
NEW *IDPH/ISBE COVID-19 INFORMATION*
On January 11, 2022, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released new COVID-19 information related to school exclusion and test-to-stay protocols. Please find all updated information on our website linked below.
https://www.kcsd96.org/covid-19
NEW *Zoom Resource & Tech Trouble*
This information will be repeated weekly for families to access as needed. It is relevant for children who are approved for remote learning due to Covid-related quarantine or in the event of a remote severe weather day for all children.
ZOOM Resource - Remote Learning & Possible Emergency Weather Day
Please review this Zoom Tutorial Video Link (from Willow Grove) with your child to prepare for remote learning. This is for students who have been approved for remote learning or in the event of an emergency weather day for all children.
Tech Trouble?
If you are experiencing technical trouble on the iPad, here are a few tips that can help resolve the error you are receiving.
The first step is to completely remove Zoom through the iPad settings. Deleting Zoom from the Home Screen is NOT thorough enough to resolve this issue.
- Go to Settings
- Scroll down to General
- Go to the right column and Select iPad Storage
- Scroll down to Zoom
- Delete the Zoom App
- Open the Self Service App and reinstall Zoom
If the issue persists after this we would recommend following the next few steps.
- Reset Network Settings:
- Go to Settings
- General
- Go to the right column and scroll down to Reset
- Reset network settings: The device will restart and you will have to reconnect to your home wi-fi afterward
Next:
- Go to settings
- Scroll down to Safari
- Scroll down to Clear History and Website Data
If you're still seeing that error after all of these steps then you may need to troubleshoot your network next. Unplugging your modem and router from power for 60 seconds and plugging it back in can sometimes be enough.
Please email [email protected] for further tech issues or additional support. Please also let us know at the school by calling our office, so we can inform your child's teacher. Call our office at any time with any questions. We completely understand any difficulties you are having and appreciate your patience as we troubleshoot your issue.
As a reminder, remote learning via Zoom will begin on the second full day of absence and is only available for students who meet one of the following requirements.
- Student is asymptomatic (no symptoms) after receiving a positive Covid test result
- Student is unvaccinated, asymptomatic, and under mandatory quarantine after being identified as a close contact to a confirmed positive Covid case.
- Student is unvaccinated, has traveled internationally and is under mandatory quarantine upon returning home.
NEW *PTO Blog*
PTO BLOG Contents Below - Link: https://www.kcsd96.org/ih/pto/blog
- Culver’s Fundraiser - January 14
- MOD Pizza Fundraiser - January 17
- Valentine’s Day Party Parent Volunteer Sign Up
- Special Lunch - Tuesday, January 18 - Cancelled Supply Chain Issues
- Ice Cream Wednesday - Reminder To Purchase Your Punch Card
- Ivy Hall PTO Link Tree: http://linktr.ee/ivyhallpto
RE-NEW *Food Service Information - PAID Second Lunch & Snacks*
Beginning January 18th, 2022 the Ivy Hall cafeteria will begin selling second lunches. Additional snacks have been for sale since September, but I will reiterate the snack information as well.
The sale of snacks and second lunches will be available in addition to one free lunch to all students that desire to purchase them. Under the waivers to USDA Nutrition Programs currently offered, the District is able to provide free first meals to all students. One reimbursable daily meal will be provided free of charge to each student that chooses to participate on school days. The purpose of this update is to convey that a second lunch and additional snacks will be available for purchase.
The procedure for ordering a second lunch is as follows: Students will be asked at the beginning of the day if they wish to have one free lunch or two lunches (one free and one paid). The reason that we need to ask this question at the beginning of the day is to ensure that there are enough lunch orders prepared for all students that wish to have a free lunch and a second paid lunch. Please encourage your student(s) to take the entree(s) they ordered to ensure that all students receive the desired meal(s). Menus can be viewed on the District website below.
Lunch Menus Here: https://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/index.php?sid=2202121959266644&page=menus
How to order snacks: The procedure for ordering snacks is as follows: Snacks may be purchased during lunch without the need for any prior notice. Our vendor, Organic Life, is able to stock enough snack items, as they do not require any prior preparation.
How to Pay: If you wish your child to be able to purchase snacks or a second lunch, 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.
Payment Site Here: https://www.k12paymentcenter.com/
REPEAT *Cold & Snowy Weather and Recess*
Please remember to send your child to school daily with proper outerwear. Weather permitting students go outside for recess every day. In winter the temperature, wind chill, and weather conditions will be monitored throughout the morning. The weather website and playground will be checked to determine if conditions are appropriate for outdoor recess. When the temperature or wind chill is below zero degrees, students will be kept inside for recess. We weigh options when the temperature or wind chill is between zero to ten degrees, to determine if we have indoor or outdoor recess. We do try to allow the children to go outside whenever possible, so please help them to come prepared with gloves, scarf, hat, snow pants, and snow boots. In order to play in the snow, students must have snow pants and snow boots.
REPEAT *Vaccination Cards for 5-11 yr olds*
You can provide vaccination verification after your child has received his/her full vaccination. Click HERE to complete the upload.
REPEAT *Free Breakfast & Breakfast Guidelines*
Breakfast is part of the free meal program offered in District 96. Students may enter the building beginning at 8:10 am and report to the cafeteria for breakfast. Students that are part of the clubhouse morning program can also eat breakfast during their time there. All food must stay in the cafeteria and may not be served or removed from the cafeteria. Why? We need to follow the same procedures as a lunch. This process keeps our classrooms and school safe for students with food allergies. Thanks for understanding and thanks for your support.
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 & Reminders*
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.
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 bicycles.
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.