Dear Families,
As it continues to be freezing outside, we are making the best of the cabin fever in classrooms and during indoor recess. Teachers have increased movement breaks to give students a chance to get the wiggles out. In checking the forecast for next week, it looks like we’re heading into the balmy 30-degree range. Hooray!! We’ll be back on the playground next week running and playing games with all our friends.
Warmly,
Principal Hanrahan
NEW *Valentine’s Day Parties*
Valentine's Day parties are just around the corner. If you choose to include an item with your child's Valentines, please note that only non-food items are permissible. Candy, snacks, or any sort of food item will be sent back home with your child on Valentine's day if sent to school. Non-food items are permitted, and there are many pre-packaged Valentines that can be purchased that include a trinket (i.e., pencil, erasers, bookmark, etc.). If you have any questions about what can be included in Valentine's, please contact your child's classroom teacher.
NEW *Physical Education*
We will be starting our Human and Growth and Development unit the week of March 1. This unit is for grades third through fifth.
- Third-grade lessons are on plants, animals, and babies.
- Fourth-grade lessons cover the development of babies and puberty.
- Fifth-grade lessons are on puberty and a discussion on Erin's Law with the social worker Ms. Jarrett.
The links below contain a document with a waiver if you wish to opt-out of the Human and Growth and Development unit. The opt-out forms must be signed and returned to the PE team by February 25
- 3rd Grade & 4th Grade (Waiver for Human & Growth Development Unit) HERE
- 5th Grade (Waiver for Human & Growth Development Unit) HERE
Link to material for Human Growth and Development. HERE
*** If you have questions regarding materials please contact Todd Spangler [email protected] or Jenni Cigrand [email protected].
NEW *Light The Night campaign! - Student Council Fundraiser*
Light The Night is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) largest community event, where passionate teams representing all areas of the community gather together to bring light to the darkness of cancer. Light The Night welcomes school teams to join us as we gather together to celebrate, honor, and remember those touched by cancer.
Join our team by working together with your student to visit LightTheNight.org, find our school, select “Join Your Classroom Team” and start getting support from friends and family from all over. By raising money, they will earn a Light The Night t-shirt when they raise $100 or more. Parents and guardians! You can even link your child’s fundraising page to Facebook -this is the coolest way parents and guardians can support your student’s fundraising efforts!
To learn more about Light The Night, check out this video:
Be the light! By participating in the Light The Night, families can easily show the community that you have done your part to help others and work to beat cancer! Visit LightTheNight.org to get started today!
NEW *PTO Blog*
PTO BLOG Contents Below - Link: https://www.kcsd96.org/ih/pto/blog
- Ivy Hall PTO Board Meeting, Thursday, February 10, 7:00pm (NEW)
- February Special Lunch Form (ORDERS DUE FEBRUARY 6)
- Valentine’s Day Staff Coffee Bar - Donations Wanted (Drop Off Or Amazon - DONATIONS DUE FEB 10)
- Winner Winner, Chicken and Pi (3.14159265359) Dinner!
- Ice Cream Wednesday - Reminder To Purchase Your Punch Card
- Earn money for Ivy Hall by going grocery shopping
- Ivy Hall PTO Link Tree: http://linktr.ee/ivyhallpto
REPEAT *Masking Reminder*
As a reminder, all individuals present on school grounds must continue to wear a face-covering consistent with Board of Education policy 4:182 until further notice. Any individual's refusal to wear a face-covering shall constitute a violation of the District's applicable rules of conduct and may subject the individual to disciplinary action or prevent the individual from entering or remaining on school district property. We are hopeful that, in the not too distant future, conditions will be conducive to reducing our mitigation measures. Thank you for your continued cooperation as we begin to see a decline in our positive cases!
REPEAT *Spring Parent/Educator Conferences*
Spring Parent/Educator Conferences are around the corner! The conferences will take place on Monday, March 14th from 5 PM to 8:30 PM and Tuesday, March 15th from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM.
Spring conferences will be in a collaborative format with students leading the conferences. Collaborative conferences are focused on reflection and growth. Students must be present at the conferences. These conferences will be 15 minutes in length.
We will continue using Meet the Teacher as an electronic sign-up for conferences. A sign-up link will be shared by the district with parents via email on Thursday, February 24th at 6:00 PM. The default option for conferences will be virtual, but parents and guardians will be able to schedule an in-person conference if they wish. Along with the classroom teacher, specials teachers and any related service providers that work with your child will also be available.
REPEAT *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 *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.