Good Afternoon, Ivy Hall Families,
Spring is in the air, and our students are making the most of it! With the warm weather this week, it was fun to see them finally able to run, play, and laugh outside—so much energy, so many smiles!
I want to take a moment to recognize our orchestra program and our 4th and 5th graders for an outstanding concert last night at Stevenson High School. Their dedication and talent were on full display, and we couldn’t be prouder of their hard work!
Believe it or not, we’ve entered Trimester 3—the final stretch of the school year! The next few months will be filled with learning, celebrations, and memorable moments as we make the most of our time together. Let’s keep up the enthusiasm and finish the year strong!
Have a great weekend!
Mike Senatore
**Families, please note that student report cards are LIVE on TeacherEase as of 3pm today. For more information on how to view your child's report card, please see below.
*Important Upcoming Dates*
- Monday, March 3rd
- No School - District Holiday
- Wednesday, March 5th
- Variety Show
- Illinois Science Assessment (5th Grade only)
- Thursday, March 6th
- School Spirit - Wear your Cat Pack Shirt!
- Friday, March 7th
- National Dress in Blue Day
- Blue symbolizes hope and unity to support the fight against cancer.
- Friday, March 14th
- PTO Frozen Treat Friday
- Monday, March 17th
- Wear green or something lucky! Green is also associated with generosity as we donate to those in need.
- Wednesday, March 19th
- PTO Special Lunch
- Thursday, March 20th
- Early Release
- Family Educator Conferences
- Friday, March 21st
- No School
- Family Educator Conferences
- Monday, March 24th - March 30th
- Spring Break - No School
NEW *Variety Show*
We look forward to seeing all of Ivy Hall’s talent on full display on Wednesday, March 5th at our Variety Show! The show will being at 6 pm. Please enter through the Buffalo Doors to see the show in the blue gym. This is not a drop off event, all students will need parent supervision during the show. We kindly ask that siblings and all audience members remain in their seats during the performance in order to create an amazing atmosphere for our students!
NEW *APRIL 17 - District Half-Day*
KCSD96 community, please note that there has been a 24-25 school calendar that has been circulating that erroneously left off a Half Day in April. Please know, there will be a Half Day for students on April 17th. This half-day was included in the 24-25 calendar that was approved and adopted by the Board of Education prior to the start of the school year.
Half Day Schedule for April 17th:
- Pre-K Blended Early Childhood/ECSE: Blended/ECSE AM and PM alternate attendance days on district half-days. Even if your child attends PM, if it is a district half-day, they will attend AM hours. PM attends on Thursday, April 17th (no AM students). Hours are 8:40 AM - 11:10 AM. Parent drop-off begins at 8:25 AM.
- Kindergarten (including Structured Kindergarten) and Early Childhood Structured: 8:40 AM - 11:45 AM.
- Elementary Schools (Grades 1-5): 8:20 am - 11:45 am.
- Middle Schools (Grades 6-8): 7:45 am - 11:10 am
If you like to download the calendars and keep them in your home, we kindly ask that you download the link below and print it. It is important that families plan for the upcoming Half Day accordingly. Thank you!
UPDATED 2024-25 DISTRICT CALENDAR
NEW *Illinois Science Assessment (ISA)*
Students in grades 5 and 8 take the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) each spring. The district will be administering the ISA to students in grades 5 and 8 in the mornings on March 5th, March 6th, March 7th.
NEW *5th Grade Only: Middle School Electives Process*
We will be making Middle School elective selections on Tuesday, March 4th, during class meetings for elementary students.
Students should be discussing their elective choices with their families at home prior to making their selections at school.
A common question we've received is whether students can take both band and orchestra. This has not been an option for KCSD96 students in the past and will remain unavailable moving forward.
For more details, here is additional information about the middle school elective process.
REPEAT *Trimester Two Report Cards*
As we approach the end of the report period, Kildeer Countryside School District 96 is excited to remind families that Trimester 2 report cards will be issued on February 28th. This marks a significant moment to reflect on student progress and achievements. We encourage parents to review these reports with their children and celebrate their efforts and growth.
To view, parents will need to log into School Insight/TeacherEase. Returning families should have School Insight/TeacherEase log-in information. For new families or anyone who does not have an account established, you will soon be receiving an email from the district. If you have any questions, please reach out to your school's front office. If you forgot your password, please ensure you are selecting "Forgot Password" on the School Insight/TeacherEase log-in page. Thank you for your continued support in fostering a positive learning environment!
REPEAT: *Family Educator Conferences Sign-Ups Begin March 6th*
Family/Educator Conferences are right around the corner! Once again, we are using Meet the Teacher as our scheduling platform for conferences on Thursday, March 20th (5:00-8:30) and Friday, March 21st (10:00-1:30). Sign ups begin at 3pm on March 6th.
All conferences are virtual via Meet the Teacher’s platform unless you contact the staff members and notify them.
Elementary school families: When you open the Meet the Teacher platform, you will see your child's classroom teacher in the list of available conference sign-ups as well as some specials teachers, special education teachers, and related service providers if your child sees them during a school day.
Middle school families: When you open the Meet the Teacher platform, you will see one of your child's core teachers in the list of available conference sign-ups as well as exploratory teachers, special education teachers, and related service providers if your child sees them during a school day.
Please sign-up for a conference with any staff member listed who you would like to see. Meet the Teacher Conference Sign Up will close at 4:00 pm on Monday, March 17th. After that, you must contact the building administrative assistant at the school.
Click on the link below to sign in to Meet the Teacher or copy and paste it into a browser: https://kildeerdistrict96.meettheteacher.com
For those who may be trying to sign-up for a conference using a mobile device, please know that you may encounter issues navigating the platform. For best results, it is recommended that you try to access the link on a laptop or computer.
Families with multiple students in KCSD96 may experience issues when trying to switch between sign-ups. To mitigate any problems, please try using a different browser or logging out between sign-ups.
REPEAT: *March 4th Student Registration Opens*
Student registration for the 2025-26 school year opens on March 4th. Parents and guardians of new Kindergarten students (who have submitted all required documents) and returning KCSD96 students will be emailed a link to register their child for the 2025-26 school year.
Complete registration by April 15 to receive a $20 Early-Bird discount. Families with returning students who register after April 15 will pay the standard registration fee.
Registering early helps us to plan for the upcoming school year.
Registration fees paid by April 15 for the 2025-26 school year are:
- Early Childhood Blended Tuition: $2,870 (or $335.07 monthly)
- Kindergarten: $90
- Grades 1-4: $110
- Grade 5: $120
- Grades 6-8: $135
Families new to District 96 can find more registration information here: https://www.kcsd96.org/about/registration
If you have any registration questions, please contact [email protected].
OPEN NOW: *5Essentials Survey for Parents/Guardians*
Now through March 28th, KCSD96 invites you to share your thoughts on the inner workings of your child’s school. On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago.
As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness in a survey about your child’s school. Your participation will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide our improvement. Parent identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.
Please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ and select the appropriate survey to begin. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact UChicago Impact Survey Support at 1-866-440-1874 or [email protected].
COMING SOON: *5Essentials Student Survey*
Beginning the week of March 10th, KCSD96 students in 4th-8th grade will be administered the Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This 25-minute survey is based on over 20 years of research at the University of Chicago and asks students about their experiences in school with the purpose of providing school leaders with critical student input to help develop school improvement plans. Students’ identities will be completely confidential, and teachers and administrators will never see individual responses to survey questions and will only receive aggregated information.
Please be aware that under the Protection of Pupil Rights Act. 20 U.S.C. Section 1232(c) (1) (A), you have the right to review a copy of the questions asked of your student(s). Survey questions can be found on the UChicago Impact Support Center.
If you do not want your child’s input to be considered for school improvement purposes, please contact your child's principal by March 7th.