Good Afternoon, Ivy Hall Families,
As we wrap up January, we’re finally getting a break from the frigid temperatures! While winter is still with us, this week brought a welcome warm-up, and we’re looking forward to more fun ahead.
Thank you to our PTO and all our student and parent participants in yesterday’s event, World Wide Wildcats! It was so great to see so many of our wonderful diverse cultures represented from our school community.
With February just around the corner, we have exciting events coming up, including our Valentine’s Day Party! Be sure to check the Principal’s Message each week for important updates and details on upcoming activities.
Even with the recent warm-up, please continue to send your child to school with appropriate winter clothing, as temperatures can change quickly. If your child is missing any hats, gloves, or coats, please remind them to check the Lost and Found, as it’s filling up again!
Have a great weekend!
Mike Senatore
*Important Upcoming Dates*
- Friday, February 7th - Cat Pack Activity Day
- Friday, February 14th
- Half Day of school dismissal at 11:45 am
- PTO Valentine’s Day Parties at 10:45 am
- Monday, February 17th - No School - District Holiday
- Tuesday, February 18th - Early Release
- Wednesday, February 19th - PTO Special Lunch
- Friday, February 21st - End of Trimester 2
- Friday, February 28th
- No School - Teacher Institute Day
- Trimester 2 Report Cards Issued
NEW *Variety Show*
Lights, camera, action! We are thrilled to announce this year’s Variety Show, themed “Hollywood: Stars of the Show”! This exciting event will take place on March 5, 2025, and we can’t wait to see our talented students shine on stage like the stars they are.
This is a wonderful opportunity for students to showcase their unique talents, whether it’s singing, dancing, acting, playing an instrument, or any other performance that lights up the stage.
Parents, if your child would like to participate, sign-ups will be managed through SignUp Genius. You may access the SignUpGenius here.
Some helpful hints for completing the SignUp
Solo acts should be signed up as follows:
Group acts should be signed up as follows. Students must be signed up by their own guardian.
Let’s make this year’s Variety Show a dazzling celebration of creativity and talent. We can’t wait to roll out the red carpet for our amazing student performers!
NEW *Middle School Choice*
We are delighted to share some exciting news starting the 25-26 school year impacting all KCSD96 middle school students at both Twin Groves and Woodlawn. Whether or not you have children who are soon making the transition to middle school, it’s important for all KCSD96 parents to read this information and become acclimated with what’s to come for their children in the future.
The KCSD96 Board of Education recently approved the district’s recommendation to allow middle school students to have a choice in their elective courses. Giving students the choice in their electives offers several key benefits that positively impact their academic, personal, and social development– providing a well rounded educational foundation as we prepare students for high school and beyond.
This means, all middle school students will have choice in taking two of the five options based on their selections: Choir, Band, Orchestra, Spanish, and Exploratories (Music, TASOL which stands for The Art of Science and Living, and Art).
Middle School Families Only: The week of February 10th 2025, incoming middle school families will receive digital information on each course option offered by the district. We encourage families to spend time together to discuss the different elective options with their students and identify their preferences. The week of March 3rd, students will make their selections during the school day.
Please keep in mind that our primary goal is to create a well-balanced schedule that supports each student’s success across all classes. While we strive to accommodate students' elective choices, scheduling constraints may limit availability in some cases. Thank you for your support as we work to provide meaningful learning experiences for all students.
NEW *KCSD96 Parent Network: Please Join Us!*
To sign up for the digital presentation of The 5 Principals of Parenting with New York Times bestselling author Dr. Aliza Pressman on February 5th at 7pm, please visit this link. This event is free and open to the public! Learn more about charting a manageable course for raising good humans, aligning with your own values and your child's temperaments.
REPEAT *Coming February 3rd: Simplifying Stevenson*
Save the Date: Monday, February 3rd at 7pm at Twin Groves, is the date for the next “Simplifying Stevenson,” featuring SHS Principal Troy Gobble and current SHS students in a Q&A about the school. This is designed for parents of Twin Groves and Woodlawn 8th graders who will be SHS freshmen in fall 2025.
This event will be held in the cafeteria at Twin Groves Middle School, 2600 N. Buffalo Grove Road, Buffalo Grove.
This event does not require participants to register. It is free and open to parents.
REPEAT *Reminder: School Closure Communication*
With our first significant cold snap of the winter officially behind us, it's important for us to revisit our Inclement Weather Procedures when it comes to communication. You likely read a message from Superintendent Katie Sheridan this week explaining that school would be OPEN on Tuesday, January 21st. Please note that communicating a decision to stay open was under a special circumstance. Since it was our first weather event of the year, Superintendent Sheridan and her team wanted to put an extra layer of proactive communication in parents' inboxes.
Moving forward, KCSD96 families will only hear from the district if there is a school closure, delayed start, or planned early dismissal. If a decision to close access to our schools is reached, the District will:
- Send a robocall/text/email home to families (please be sure you are signed up or subscribed to receive text notifications)
- If your contact information changes, please be sure to notify the administrative assistant at your student’s school to update our database with your new email/phone number.
- Post on our KCSD96 Facebook, Twitter (X), and Instagram accounts
- Post a banner with a notification of school closing on the KCSD96 website
- Alert School Closures for local news/media outlets
REPEAT *ACCESS Testing*
Parents and guardians, please be aware that the state of Illinois requires identified English Learner (EL) students to annually participate in the ACCESS testing to determine current English language proficiency in Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. Our ACCESS testing window will occur in the coming weeks. Each school’s testing schedule is unique and will only impact students who take the ACCESS test.
It's important that students taking any testing, including ACCESS testing, get a good night's rest the night before and eat a good breakfast that morning. We encourage our students to always try their best. Students do not need to prepare anything ahead of time, however, it's encouraged that they come to school ready and willing to challenge themselves.
REPEAT *Valentine’s Day*
Valentine's Day will be celebrated during PTO classroom parties at all elementary schools (Country Meadows, Ivy Hall, Kildeer, and Prairie) on Friday, February 14th. Since February 14 is a half-day, classroom parties will take place from 10:45-11:30am. Your child's teacher will send home any classroom-specific information related to Valentine's Day. Valentines are already popping up in stores. If you choose to send valentines to school and include an item with your child's valentines, please note for the safety of our students only non-food items are permissible. This practice is consistent for all classrooms in District 96 elementary schools, including Willow Grove.