Dear Parents,
There have been so many moments to celebrate this past week at Ivy Hall. Congratulations to all of our orchestra and band students who performed at their concerts this past week. We are also so proud of all of our students who were nominated as an Ivy Hall representative at the Stevenson High School Consortium Art Festival. What a week it has been!
Our PTO Family Picnic is this evening at 6 pm no matter the weather. We hope to see you there to start your weekend on an excellent note!
Have a great weekend,
Mike Senatore
NEW *2023 Elementary School Principal's Message - Summer Reading*
This summer, we want students to experience the pure joy of reading. Since the purpose of summer reading is to help foster a love of reading, we strongly feel that students should read a book that is of high interest to them and close to the difficulty level of text they would encounter during the school year.
To support our elementary students in continuing to read over the summer, each grade level has a recommended reading list, as well as optional reading lessons that can be completed independently by students. Both the lists and the summer reading lessons can be found on our district website.
Upcoming Dates
- May 23 - Early Release
- May 23: Early Release & Kindergarten Visit Day - Ivy Hall will welcome our incoming 1st graders to Ivy Hall!
- May 26 - Half Day
- May 29 - No School
- June 2 - Last Day of School & Half Day
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.
- Ivy Hall Family Picnic Tonight!
- 5th Grade - Blade, Skate & Celebrate with Prairie School
- End of the School Year Gifting Made Easy
- End of Year Ice Cream Box Sale
- Culver's Fundraiser on May 26th
REPEAT *Technology Update*
Aside from a few exceptions (defined below) all students will KEEP their District 96 technology (iPad, iPad Case, Charging Cable, Charging Brick, and Logitech Crayon) over the summer and will be expected to return with it at the beginning of the 23-24 school year. It will be the student’s responsibility to come to school next year with all of their technology items. Should parents have technology-related questions over the summer, they can get a hold of us at [email protected].
Exceptions:
- All EC student iPads at Willow Grove will be collected at the end of the school year. We will redeploy class sets at the start of the 23-24 school year.
- All 8th-grade student iPads will be collected on the morning of Wednesday, May 24th at both middle schools.
REPEAT *Student/Parent Handbook Reminders*
Standards for Student Dress
Students who are appropriately and comfortably dressed are able to focus on schoolwork more effectively. The following guidelines will be enforced by building administrators. Cooperation by parents is appreciated.
1. Dress or appearance that provokes or distracts other students or otherwise causes a disruption to the educational process is prohibited.
2. Shoes must be worn at all times.
3. Clothing, jewelry, or accessories may not have writing or pictures that advertise or advocate alcohol, drugs, tobacco, obscenity, violence, or gang activity.
4. Pants must be worn at the waistline.
5. Hats are allowed on designated hat days only.
6. Half shirts, cropped tops, spaghetti straps, and underwear or sleepwear worn as outerwear are not acceptable.
7. Undergarments may not be visible.
8. With the exception of appropriate jewelry, no chains should be worn.
Students who are in violation of the policy and rules of student dress code will be asked to comply with the rules by either changing to other attire that is available at school, or by having parents bring different clothes from home. In the event there is noncompliance to the above regulations, a student may receive disciplinary action.
REPEAT *Cross-Cultural Expert Speaks May 23*
An expert in the raising of children cross-culturally will share her wisdom with District 96 families at the end of next month. Author Ruth E. Van Reken speaks virtually on “Raising Children Cross-Culturally: Maximizing the Benefits, Minimizing the Challenges'' on May 23, 2023 (7-8:30 p.m.). She is the author of “Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds (3rd edition).”
Here’s what she will discuss:
“There is no question that there are many gifts for those who grow up interacting with different cultural communities. Learning to ‘code-switch’ positively in certain situations can be a great asset in today’s globalizing world. Being a cultural bridge is another gift that can come with such a childhood. But the realities of juggling the differing expectations between different cultural contexts can also introduce certain challenges. Questions related to identity, attachment, and belonging are often common during this process. This session will not only help to normalize why these challenges frequently arise, but also share practical strategies for how parents and other caregivers can help children maximize the gifts and grow from the challenges as well.”
To pre-register, please visit: https://kcsd96.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZArduCsrTwrGNL2dHxfbVHDgroIyXKYP1hP
For questions, please contact Lubna Andrabi, Community Parent Liaison, at [email protected].
REPEAT *Pick up Medications from the Nurse’s Office*
Dear Parents,
It has been an absolute pleasure being able to take care of your children in the health office this school year. This is a reminder that any medications in the health office that students may have needed during the year will need to be picked up by a parent or guardian by the end of the school year, and will not be sent home with the student.
Any medication that is not picked up on the last school day will be destroyed in accordance with District 96 policy.
If your child will require medication to be kept at school during next school year, please download the forms that are linked below and take the forms to your physician over the summer for completion. These forms need to be completed every school year. Please note that there is a section on the form for you as the parent and for the physician to complete and sign.
https://www.kcsd96.org/student-services/student-health-forms
Please place the medication in a gallon size zip-lock baggie, labeled with your child’s name, grade and homeroom teacher. Medication must be transported to the school by the parents and brought to the nurse’s office.
Sincerely,
Building Nurse