Dear Ivy Hall Families,
It was so nice to welcome students back to school after winter break. I always wonder how our students will return to school. Will they be sleepy while they adjust to the new routine? Or will they be bursting with excitement? From my lens, it seems like the students came back with a lot of positive energy, which likely speaks to a restful winter break!
As we endure the cold midwestern winter, I wanted to provide a reminder about ensuring that your child is properly dressed for outdoor recess. To play in the snow, your child must have a coat, boots, snowpants, and gloves. We determine when to go inside for indoor recess if the feels like tempartuare is “feels like” 10 degrees and below or if there is active rain/snow that makes outdoor recess unsafe.
Have a wonderful weekend and welcome back!
Mike Senatore
*Important Upcoming Dates*
- Tuesday, January 14th - Early Release
- Wednesday, January 15th - PTO Special Lunch
- Friday, January 17th - Spirit Day hosted by Student Council - Sports Day!
- Monday, January 20th - No School - District Holiday
- Friday, January 31st - PTO Frozen Treat Friday
NEW *Parent Pickup Reminders*
As a reminder, please remember the following guidelines for parent pickup. We appreciate your attention to detail in order to create a safe pickup experience for all families.
- Please display name card in dashboard
- Please pull all the way forward
- Please adhere to staff directives in regard to traffic flow
- No left turns are allowed into the parking lot from Penny Lane
NEW *Student Council Food Drive*
Please join Student Council in our annual food drive! Please see details below.
- Where: There will be boxes in the front office.
- When: The whole month of January and February.
- What: Non-perishable foods (canned goods, peanut butter, pasta, cake mix, rice, etc.)
- Why: This helps people who may not have enough food.
NEW *Begin Kindergarten Registration Today!*
Kildeer Countryside School District 96 is excited to welcome kindergarteners for the 2025–2026 school year! Get the process started TODAY! To ensure all students have the opportunity to build a strong and consistent educational foundation, children who are five years old on or before September 1st of a given school year will be enrolled in Kindergarten. Children who are six years old on or before September 1st of a given school year will be enrolled in first grade. For more information, please visit: https://www.kcsd96.org/wg/kindergarten-registration Please note, registration for all other grades at KCSD96 will begin on March 3rd.
Registration Timeline:
- January 2025: Begin the registration process by emailing all required documents to Cristina Castro, Administrative Assistant at Willow Grove Early Learning Center, at [email protected]. If you have a student currently enrolled in Pre-K at Willow Grove, you do not need to resubmit these documents.
- March 3, 2025: Registration opens for all KCSD96 students. For incoming Kindergarten families, the district will send online registration links to Kindergarten families who have had their documents approved.
- March 18, 2025: Dual Language Program Virtual Parent Night from 6-6:30pm. This is for parents of incoming Kindergarten students who are interested in learning more about the program. Meeting link to be provided.
- April 15, 2025: Early Bird Discount Ends for Registration. Dual Language Lottery due date.
- April 29, 2025: Virtual Dual Language Lottery at 5pm. Meeting link to be provided.
- April 30, 2025: Complete registration by this date to attend the Kindergarten Kick-Off event at Willow Grove Early Learning Center. Registered families get the sign-up right away once they are fully registered.
- May 14, 2025: Kindergarten Kickoff will be held at Willow Grove. This event is sign-up only for families who are fully registered by April 30. Students will receive a free t-shirt!
Required Documents:
- Child's birth certificate, passport, or visa
- Parent/guardian driver's license or passport
- Recent (within 30 days) mortgage statement, signed lease, or property tax bill
- Recent (within 30 days) utility bill
- Completed Enrollment Form, Residency Form, and Home Language Survey (available in multiple languages)
Please review the Health Requirements and submit the necessary health forms by the specified due dates.
For questions, contact Cristina Castro at [email protected] or call (847) 541-3660.
Dual Language Opportunity
Interested in having your child obtain a bilingual education? The KCSD96 Spanish/English Dual Language Program is a unique and enriching opportunity in our region-- providing 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.
If families are interested in the Spanish/English Dual Language Program Lottery, they must indicate so during the virtual registration process starting in March. The deadline is April 15th. The lottery will be hosted virtually on May 5th. For more information, please visit: https://www.kcsd96.org/curriculum/dual-language-lottery
KCSD96 will be hosting a Virtual Parent Night from 6 to 6:30 p.m. on March 18, 2025, for parents of incoming Kindergarten students who are interested in learning more about the Dual Language Program.
NEW *Updated Approved Snack List*
KCSD96 families, please view the newly updated Approved Snack List. This can be found on our website here.