Trimester two is in the books and report cards have been issued today. As always, if you ever have any questions related to your child’s grades, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher.
Students will begin IAR testing next week. All testing, including the IAR field test and makeup testing, will be completed by Spring Break. To help make each testing day as successful as possible, please remind your child to charge their iPad each night, eat a healthy breakfast, and get plenty of rest.
Our school schedule runs a bit differently during IAR testing. Testing and content instructional blocks will vary by grade level. Recess and Lunch times remain the same. Specials times are altered and are listed below. If you have a specific question about the schedule during IAR testing in case you are planning an early pickup, please contact your child’s teacher.
Specials During IAR
1st Grade - 8:30 - 9:30
2nd Grade - 9:30 - 10:30
5th Grade - 10:30 - 11:30
3rd Grade - 12:30 - 1:30
4th Grade 1:30 - 2:30
NEW *Upcoming Dates*
Monday, March 6 - No School
Tuesday, March 14 - Early Release
Thursday, March 23 - Early Release, Conferences 5:00pm-8:30pm
Friday, March 24 - No School, Conferences 10:00am-1:30pm
NEW *Dual Language Parent Night for Incoming Kindergartners*
If you are enrolling an incoming Kindergarten student and want to learn more about our D96 Dual Language Program, we would love for you to join us at 6 pm on Wednesday, March 8th for our Incoming Dual Language Parent Night. This virtual meeting will take place via Zoom and will be an opportunity for you to learn about our Dual Language Program and have your questions answered.
Date: Wednesday, March 8th
Time: 6:00-6:30
NEW *Current Kindergarten, 5th Grade Families Need to Reprove Residency*
District 96 families of current Kindergarten and fifth-grade students are reminded that they will need to reprove their residency by April 15.
To reprove residency, scan or take a photo with your phone and email to the administrative assistant at the school your current Kindergartner or 5th grader now attends:
1. a current monthly mortgage OR lease statement OR property tax bill OR Warranty Deed, and
2. a current utility bill (e.g., water OR electric OR waste collection), and
3. this Proof of Residency Form (completed and signed)
Your current kindergartner’s or current 5th grader’s teacher assignment/schedule will not be provided for the 2023–24 school year until residency is reproved.
For more information, visit https://www.kcsd96.org/about/registration/the-requirement-to-re-prove-residency
NEW *Reminder from our PE Staff*
Just a quick reminder that for the safety of our students, children are required to wear gym shoes in Physical Education class. We recommend gym shoes that tie/velcro and provide good foot support and stability. Casual shoes such as Merrills or Crocs, although fashionable, are unsafe for gym class as are boots and snowshoes. If your child prefers wearing these types of shoes to school please provide an alternate pair of gym shoes to be worn during Physical Education class. Please make a plan with your child so she/he is prepared for P.E. every day. We regret any inconvenience this may cause you, however, please keep in mind that your child’s safety is our main concern.
NEW *PTO Blog*
Our PTO maintains a weekly blog that has useful information for opportunities to get involved in the Ivy Hall School community. Their latest blog post can be found here, below are this week’s highlights.
- Staff Meal during Conferences
- Breakfast with your Buddy returns! Volunteers Needed
- Order Lou’s on 3/8 to support the PTO!
REPEAT *Human Growth & Development*
Each year Physical Education teachers provide Human Growth and Development lessons to students in 4th and 5th grade. This year those lessons will take place on April 12th and 13th in all elementary schools during the physical education class. Consistent with D96 values, students will not be separated by sex-assigned at birth during these lessons.
Illinois State law requires all school districts with a comprehensive health curriculum to provide instruction on specific health topics including human growth and development. The Illinois State Board of Education indicated that districts “may still teach sexual health aligned to the Illinois Physical Development and Health Standards.” Therefore, during the 2022-23 school year, District 96 will continue to cover the same topics that were previously taught in grades 4 and 5. These topics align to the Illinois Physical Development and Health Standards.
Our curriculum is designed to introduce topics at the most age-appropriate time; therefore, lessons in grades four and five focus on puberty and the changes associated with it.
Please use the links below to preview the lessons and materials that will be used on April 12th and 13th.
Kildeer 96 will host a parent night closer to the implementation of the lessons to discuss our approach to these topics and answer parent questions. The specific day and time of the parent night will be posted in the Principal Message at a later date.
District 96 recognizes that parents/guardians are the primary educators for their families on these topics.
As parents, you may elect to excuse your child from instruction on this topic. If you choose this option, please submit a specific request, in writing, to the school principal, asking that your child be excused from the class during that specific period(s) of instruction, and we will provide an alternate assignment.
If you have questions concerning the materials, please reach out to your child’s PE teacher.
REPEAT *Student Led Conferences*
Student Led Spring Conferences will be held on Thursday, March 23rd from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Friday, March 24th from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Conferences will be 20 minutes in length for students in grades 1 - 8. Students in kindergarten and early childhood will have 15 minute conferences, and students in Guided, Structured, and ILC classrooms will have 30 minute conferences.
During the conferences students will be guiding their parents/guardians through a reflective presentation regarding the progress they have made this year as well as areas of strength and growth. After the presentation has concluded students will be able to provide a tour of other learning spaces in the school.
The Meet the Teacher sign up will be open to parents at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 6th, and it will close on Sunday, March 19th at 11:55 p.m. After that you will need to call the school office to schedule a conference.
Please Note: All student led conferences will be held in-person. There will be no remote option for Student Led Spring Conferences. If you are unable to attend in-person, students will be able to share their presentations at home.
Because conferences are student led, there will be no conferences scheduled or provided between the parent and teacher only.
REPEAT *Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR)*
Students in grades 3 - 8 take the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) each spring. This year the district will be administering the IAR to students Tuesday, March 7th through Monday, March 13th. Prairie Elementary and Kildeer Countryside Elementary have been selected for a field test this year, which will be administered on Tuesday, March 14th.
REPEAT *Proof of Dental Exam*
Dear Parents/Guardians of District 96 Kindergarteners, 2nd, and 6th Grade Students:
Please note that your child’s completed dental examination is now due, per Illinois school law. The deadline for the dental examination is due no later than May 15 of the current school year. Proof of this required dental examination must have been completed within eighteen months prior to the May 15 deadline.
If you haven’t already done so, please make an appointment with your child’s dentist for a dental examination, have him and/or her complete the required form and return it to your child’s school nurse.
State of Illinois Proof of Dental Examination Form
In the event that you are unable to fulfill this requirement, the state of Illinois does permit a waiver of the examination.
State of Illinois Dental Waiver Form
REPEAT *Indicate Interest in D96 Dual Language Beginning March 1st!*
It’s time to indicate interest in the D96 Dual Language Program for incoming kindergartners!
The District 96 Spanish/English Dual Language Program was designed several years ago to implement instruction across the curriculum that provides an opportunity for students to develop a deep academic proficiency in two languages. In the Dual Language Program, 50 percent of the academic curriculum is delivered in Spanish, and 50 percent of the academic curriculum is delivered in English.
Families interested in enrolling their incoming Kindergartner in the Spanish/English Dual Language Program can indicate so on the registration form while completing the kindergarten registration process that begins March 1, 2023. This process should be completed by April 15, 2023, to be entered into the Dual Language Lottery. Please note that indicating interest in the Dual Language Program does not guarantee acceptance into the Dual Language program.
Please visit our District 96 Website to learn more about the optional Spanish/English Dual Language Program and our Dual Language Lottery.
**District 96 will be hosting a Virtual Parent Night from 6:00 to 7:00 P.M. on MARCH 8 for parents of incoming Kindergarten students who are interested in learning more about the Dual Language Program.**
REPEAT *5Essentials Survey for Parents/Guardians*
Beginning January 24 through April 2nd, District 96 invites you to share your thoughts on the inner workings of your child’s school. On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago.
As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness in a survey about your child’s school. Your participation will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide our improvement. Parent identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.
Please visit http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/ to begin the parent survey. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact UChicago Impact Client Services at 1-866-440-1874 or [email protected].