Dear Ivy Hall Families,
It’s hard to believe that we have arrived at the end of trimester one. I am so proud of all of the effort that teachers and students have put in so far this school year. There is so much progress to celebrate! There is important information about report cards below, please be sure to review it thoroughly.
As the weather begins to turn, please ensure that your child is adequately prepared and dressed for colder weather. All jackets, gloves, hats and other colder weather clothing should be labeled with your child’s name. Students should check the lost and found as unclaimed items will be donated during Thanksgiving break.
Have a great weekend!
Mike Senatore
REPEAT *Important Upcoming Dates*
- November 8 - Report period ends, EC-Grade 8
- November 15 - Trimester 1 report cards issued
- November 19 - EARLY RELEASE DAY
- Thursday, November 21st - Family Reading Night
- Friday, November 22nd - Frozen Treat Friday
- November 27 - NO SCHOOL District Holiday
- November 28 - NO SCHOOL District Holiday
- November 29 - NO SCHOOL District Holiday
NEW *Family Reading Night Part Two*
Join us and mark your calendars for Thursday November 21st, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Please RSVP in advance with your choice sessions. If you would like to preview the other sessions, please click the link at the end of this message. RSVP here!
I have a new addition to add to the post from last week’s principal message! Each week I will feature a new book and session offered at our Reading Adventure Night. This will help inform your decision for which two sessions you would like to attend. There are five offered this year. If you would like to know about previous sessions, visit the last principal’s message.
This week I introduce to you, We Are Water Protectors, by Carole Lindstrom.
From swirling, detailed watercolor illustrations to lyrical text with the refrain, "We stand with our songs and our drums. We are still here," this title explores the Indigenous fight to protect water from pollution. A young Anishinaabe girl explains the prophecy of the black snake "that will destroy the land. Spoil the water. Poison plants and animals. Wreck everything in its path." The unnamed girl calls for action to protect all living things and "fight for those who cannot fight for themselves." The illustrations use rich colors and shading to show the intricate connection among all living creatures.
The activity for this book is:
- Creating an oil pastel picture
This week I introduce to you, Luna and me: The True Story of a Girl Who Lived in a Tree to Save a Forest by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
Once there was a redwood tree—one of the world's largest and tallest trees, and one of the oldest. And once, born nearly a thousand years after the tree first took root, there was a girl named Julia, who was called Butterfly.
When exploring her beloved forest, Butterfly wandered into a grove of ancient trees. One tree had broken branches and a big blue "X" on the side. It was going to be chopped down. Butterfly climbed up into the tree. A tree wouldn't be cut down if it had a person living in it. This is the story of Julia Butterfly Hill and Luna, the redwood tree she lived in for two years, never once coming down. That is, not until Luna's future was safe.
The activities for this book are:
- Build a treehouse using Magnatiles, Legos & Keva Planks
Can’t wait to see you there! - Mrs. Heimer
If you would like to view ALL the activities in advance - please click the link. Family Reading Night
NEW *Report Cards*
Families: A helpful reminder! Report card season is here! Next week, Friday, November 15th, families will be able to view their child’s report card on TeacherEase at 3pm. Families can find more helpful information about report cards, including how to view them and how to switch between multiple students, here.
We also have a helpful webpage dedicated to helping you understand your child’s report card: If you happen to forget your Teacher Ease password, please click “Forgot Password” on the log-in main page.
NEW *Guiding Coalition of Interculturalism Next Week: Join Us!*
GCI will meet on November 12th at 6:30pm in the Educational Development Center at Ivy Hall Elementary (1072 Ivy Hall Lane). Please fill out this form if you are interested: This meeting, we will be discussing many topics including refining our students' middle school experience by exploring the opportunity for more student choice in curriculars. We look forward to seeing you there!
Guiding Coalition of Interculturalism (GCI) is a learning community that reflects and connects the KCSD96 values of diversity and inclusion; aligns parents, educators, and students in cultural and educational experiences; and engages with a wide audience. This year our Bilingual Parent Advisory Council will merge with GCI to create a more cohesive group focused on cultural diversity, inclusion, and language support.
REPEAT *Illinois School Report Card*
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released the annual Illinois Report Card on Oct. 30 at www.illinoisreportcard.com. The Report Card shows the incredible achievements of our schools when it comes to a wide range of educational goals.
Our academic successes reflect a strong tradition of excellence at Kildeer Countryside School District 96. This includes maintaining a strong focus on standards-based instruction and core instruction, continuous improvement targeting content and standards, language acquisition, and more. These areas align to our Board Approved Goals for the 24-25 school year, as outlined here.
One component of the Illinois School Report Card is the annual summative designation – a descriptor of how well our school is meeting the needs of all students. This designation is federally required and is based on 14 indicators of academic and school quality/student success. We are pleased to share that Ivy Hall Elementary received the highest tier, an Exemplary designation. That classification measures areas including academic growth and proficiency, chronic absenteeism, and a school climate survey.
At Ivy Hall, we hold high expectations for all students and believe every student can meet our expectations. This designation gives us the opportunity to reflect on our goals to further enhance instruction and supports for our entire student community. We welcome this opportunity to dive into our data and to talk about continued investments we can make to support every student in reaching their fullest potential.
The Illinois School Report card is just one of many pieces of data that we as a District analyze and use to drive school improvement efforts. Soon, you will receive information to participate in the online 5-Essential parent survey. We encourage all of our families to spend a couple minutes to take this important and insightful survey.
This is a great time to remind parents to encourage their child(ren) to take the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) if they are able to do so. We want to receive the most accurate snapshot of our school, by making sure our test score data reflects as many students as possible.
Thank you for your continued partnership to ensure every child at Ivy Hall is thriving. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Principal Mike Senatore directly at [email protected]. You can also find this information on our website at any time, at https://www.kcsd96.org/curriculum/school-report-cards.
REPEAT *Human Growth & Development*
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 2024-25 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.
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.
For questions about the 4th grade program, please consult the links below. If you still have questions, please contact the school’s principal or assistant principal.
For specific materials, please see below.
Fourth Grade
This year Kildeer 96 will be hosting Candor Health Education (formerly Robert Crown Center) on November 18th. Candor Health will provide the learning to 4th grade students, and 4th grade teachers will be present during this learning experience. As in the past, students will not be separated by gender during the presentation by Candor Health.
Please click on the links below for an overview of the program. The letter contains tips for parents to start conversations with children. The video will show you everything the students will see during the presentation.
School Program Overviews for Parents – Candor Health Education VIDEO
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