Good Afternoon, Ivy Hall Families,
In just a few short days, our building will be filled with staff putting the finishing touches to welcome your child(ren) and kick off the 2023-2024 school year. We are eagerly anticipating the back-to-school energy filling the hallways!
Mrs. Heinrich and I had the pleasure of welcoming many new families to Ivy Hall today. Our new families were able to tour our facilities and asked great questions about District 96. They even got to hear about our supportive and active Parent Teacher Organization (PTO).
As a reminder, your child’s class placement and bus information, if applicable, will come to you electronically today, Friday, August 11th. This information is delivered in two separate emails, coming after 3:00 PM.
Please see the “Important August Dates” section below for events going on this month. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Have a great weekend,
Mike Senatore
NEW *Upcoming Dates*
- Wednesday, August 16th from 8:30 am - 9:30 am - Meet the Teacher at Country Meadows, Ivy Hall, Kildeer, & Prairie
- Wednesday, August 16th from 10:00 am - 11:00 am - Meet the Teacher at Willow Grove
- Thursday, August 17th - First day of school. This is a half-day.
- School starts at 8:25am and ends at 11:45am
- Students may arrive at school at 8:10am, when adult supervision starts. Please do not arrive at school earlier than 8:10am.
- Please see the Twin Groves, Woodlawn, and Willow Grove Principal’s Message for attendance times.
- Friday, August 18th - Full day of school.
- School starts at 8:25am and ends at 3:05pm
- Students may arrive at school at 8:10am, when adult supervision starts. Please do not arrive at school earlier than 8:10am.
- Please see the Twin Groves, Woodlawn, and Willow Grove Principal’s Message for attendance times.
- Wednesday, August 23th Curriculum Night at Kildeer & Prairie
- 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. (Grades 1 and 2)
- 7:15 to 8 p.m. (Grades 3-5)
- Thursday, August 24th Curriculum Night at Ivy Hall
- 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. (Grades 1 and 2)
- 7:15 to 8 p.m. (Grades 3-5)
- Tuesday, August 29th - Ivy Hall Picture Day
- Tuesday, August 29th - Early Release Day
- School starts at 8:25am and ends at 2:05 pm
- Please see the Twin Groves, Woodlawn, and Willow Grove Principal’s Message for attendance times
- Thursday, August 31st Curriculum Night at Country Meadows
- 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. (Grades 1 and 2)
- 7:15 to 8 p.m. (Grades 3-5)
NEW *Meet the Teacher*
We are so excited to see all of our students at Ivy Hall on Wednesday, August 16 between 8:30 am-9:30 am. Students are invited to drop off supplies in their new classroom, briefly meet the classroom teacher, and meet/greet other Ivy Hall staff and administration. All children must be supervised by their parent/guardian for the duration of the event.
NEW *Arrival and Dismissal Procedures for the First Day of School*
The first day of school is Thursday, August 18th. It is a half-day, from 8:25-11:45. There will be a change this school year and we will NOT close the car drop-off line and it will run as normal. Prior to the start of school, in the morning, students will line up on the west field near Penny Lane (see picture below). Teachers will be outside to meet the students with signs to help guide students to the correct classroom line beginning at 8:10 am. This is an exciting opportunity to meet their teacher and classmates before we all enter the building at 8:25 am. In the event that it is raining, a normal arrival procedure will be in place, please see below for details. In the event that we have rain, parents and/or guardians are prohibited from entering the building due to safety and security protocols. Thank you for keeping our building safe for students.
NEW *Arrival and Dismissal Procedures for the ‘23-24’ School Year*
There are many rules and procedures regarding arrival and dismissal. These procedures have been developed with student safety as the most important consideration. 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 arrive and depart from here at Ivy Hall.
NEW *Dismissal Plans*
Please take a moment to fill out your student’s default dismissal plan. We understand this might change, but for now please confirm a default dismissal method for each day Monday through Friday. Please fill out one submission per child if you have multiple children at Ivy Hall.
NEW *Medications and Medical Action Plans*
If your child is in need of taking medication at school or has a medical action plan, please bring all needed paperwork to our nurse, Saba Zafar, during Meet the Teacher on Wednesday, August 16th. It is imperative that we receive this paperwork before the beginning of the school year. If you have any questions, please email Saba Zafar at [email protected]
NEW *Bus Tags*
Student bus tags will be distributed and attached to student backpacks on the first day of school. You should expect to see them when your child arrives home after the first day of school.
NEW *Simultaneous Student Pick-Up from Willow Grove & Elementary Schools*
Please know that we understand that some families may have concerns related to picking students up from Willow Grove and an elementary school building. Please know that all principals are aware of this concern, and no child will ever be left unattended. We know you may be going to more than one school with the same dismissal time. We appreciate your best effort in picking your children up in a timely manner, and we appreciate you adhering to our dismissal times. If when you arrive at a building your child is not waiting outside with an adult, please park and come to the front office. If you will arrive after 3:15 pm to a specific location, please call and inform the office of your ETA.
NEW *Changes to Dismissal Plans*
Please contact the school office by noon in the event that your dismissal plans change. Your child will be at the designated dismissal location unless the school is notified in accordance with the above. Please notify the office in writing in accordance with the district handbook. Please see Section 9.4 in the Parent/Student Handbook regarding permission for students to ride other buses, as in most cases, this is not allowed.
NEW *Approved Snacks: What Parents Need to Know*
The District has revised the APPROVED SNACK LIST. The items on the list 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.
A FAQ for the Approved Snack List can be found here.
Lunches packed from home may contain any food items, 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.
NEW *Birthday Treats*
Only school-appropriate, non-food items such as pencils, stickers, crazy straws, etc. will be allowed. If you are unsure whether the item is school appropriate, please contact your child's classroom teacher for guidance.
NEW *Student Picture Day*
Ivy Hall’s student picture day is Tuesday, August 29th. More information to come in an upcoming Principal’s Message.
NEW *Law Enforcement Safety Drill Education*
On August 28, Ivy Hall will be conducting the annual Law Enforcement Safety Drill Education. Students will be learning age-appropriate safety procedures.
In compliance with the Safety Drill Act, parents have the right to exempt their child from the Law Enforcement Drill Education with their school peers.
If you do not wish your child to participate in the Law Enforcement Safety Drill Education with the other peers, please contact Mike Senatore at [email protected]. The administration will arrange for an alternative review of safety procedures with your child.
If we do not hear from you, we will assume your child has permission to participate in the drill
REPEAT *Class Placement Information & Bus Information*
Your child’s class placement and bus information, if applicable, will come to you electronically on Friday, August 11th. A team of staff members worked diligently to make sure each child was placed in the classroom in which he or she will find continued success. We know you appreciate the fact that, with such careful thought and consideration put into these decisions, including your input, no changes will be made and we thank you for your support. This year’s class lists were developed with the following teaching teams in place to ensure student success.
1st: Mrs. Ashley Hernandez, Mrs. Leslie Levin, Ms. Emily Maude, Mrs. Haley Rogers (Veldhuizen), Mrs. Lindsay Slivnick
2nd: Mrs. Kenda Cappelen, Mrs. Tyler Heinkel (Faierstain) Ms. Bri Savic, Ms. Julie Wright, Mrs. Nikki Yario
3rd: Mrs. Kathy Acevedo, Ms. Megan Brancato, Mrs. Teaghan Hock, Ms. Lauren Katz
4th: Mrs. Brittany Balek, Ms. Carrie Calzada, Mrs. Kerry Nowicki, Ms. Maitri Patel, Mrs. Emma White
5th: Ms. Stacy Groner, Mrs. Julie Holzhauer, Ms. Katie Knutson, Mrs. Becky Mosior, Mr. Enzie Pangilinan
If you do not receive a notification, please email our administrative assistant, Mrs. Lori Mackay, at [email protected], or give us a call in the office at 847.459.0022.
REPEAT *Lost and Found*
Our lost and found accumulates items very quickly. Items that remain when school goes into a break such as winter, spring, and summer are donated to charity. To avoid the loss of costly coats, bike helmets, lunch boxes, water bottles, you name it, please label everything with your child’s name. Labeled items are returned to students. Thank you for your help!
REPEAT*Technology Reminder*
It’s time to dust off the old school iPad and ensure that you plug it in to receive a full charge before the first day of school. Once your iPad is recharged, please restart it so that it receives the proper updates.
REPEAT *D96 Food Service Information*
ON-LINE MEAL PREPAYMENT SYSTEM (K12PaymentCenter.com)
District 96 parents are encouraged to utilize the District's on-line system to prepay student meal accounts and monitor account activity / balance. There are no fees to use the site or to make online payments. Please click here for more information. If you still have questions regarding the K12PaymentCenter (K12PaymentCenter.com), please feel free to contact Michelle Zelek, Director of Business Services at [email protected].
Please note: You will need the student ID number at the top of this message to successfully add your student to your K12PaymentCenter account.
Even if you choose to continue to send payment to school rather than pay on-line, we encourage you to utilize the free service to monitor your student's meal history and balance.
FREE MEAL & FEE WAIVER APPLICATION (LunchApplication.com)
If you believe your child may be eligible for a free/reduced meals and fee waiver AND have not yet applied, please utilize our on-line application system at LunchApplication.com. You will need your child's student ID number, provided at the top of this message, to complete the application. Please apply based on your current income information. Please note that if you have already received an email from the District indicating that your student(s) were approved for free or reduced meal benefits during this school year, you need not apply again.
MENUS
Please visit the District 96 Website to view current meal menus. Under the About menu dropdown, select Menus/Manage Account. This page contains links to the menu page, as well as the K12PaymentCenter and LunchApplication.com.
REPEAT *Health Form Deadline*
The district website lists today as the deadline for immunization forms. All immunizations should be completed to avoid school exclusion. Please refer to the D96 Student Health website for more information. https://www.kcsd96.org/student-services/student-health