Kildeer Families,
Now that we are in full spring-swing, I have a feeling these weeks are going to fly by. It seems like we had the opportunity to experience every type of weather this week. I loved starting on a Monday with the sunshine and I know that our students love any chance to run and play outside after the long winter.
I want to thank our PTO for the wonderful cultural arts opportunity this week. Students were able to learn about simple machines and some were invited to be a part of the presentation! It was definitely one of our staff and student favorites!
*NEW INFORMATION*
Calling for New or Gently Used Books
Our annual Bernie's Book Bank Book Drive is Thurs., Apr. 18–Fri., May 3.
Please donate new and/or gently used books suitable for children from birth through Grade 6. We will accept donations of new or gently used board books, picture books, and chapter books.
Our goal is to collect 3,000 books to help increase book ownership for at-risk children throughout the Chicagoland area.
Read MORE INFO about Bernie's Book Bank
*NEW INFORMATION*
PARENTS OF CURRENT 5th GRADERS: TRANSITION TO MIDDLE SCHOOL
The Transition to Middle School is a program for parents of current 5th graders district-wide, presented Mon., Apr. 15, at 7 p.m. at Twin Groves Middle School, 2600 N. Buffalo Grove Rd.
Middle School Principals Jessica Barnes and Greg Grana will discuss academics, extracurricular opportunities, and changes that middle school years bring. Also, 6th-grade student panelists will share their perspectives. Questions? Contact the KCSD96 Community Parent Liaison Lubna Andrabi, 847.459.4260, ext. 8136.
*NEW INFORMATION*
Informational Meeting for Prospective Parents NEW to Clubhouse Before-/After School Care
The Buffalo Grove Park District is hosting a Clubhouse meeting for NEW parents on Tues., Apr. 30, at the Alcott Center, 530 Bernard Dr., Buffalo Grove, in Rooms 10 & 11 at 6 p.m. This meeting is for prospective families seeking before- and after-school care for the 2019–2020 school year. MORE INFO
*REPEAT INFORMATION*
In my blog before spring break, I shared all the cool things going on around Kildeer, ideas directly from our students. This month we are collecting an act of kindness from every student and staff member. In fact, I received a pretty cool video from a family to show their "above and beyond" act of kindness from spring break.
I'd love to hear about what your family did to go above and beyond for others. Click HERE to share your story with me. I'll keep this open the month of April, too!
*REPEAT INFORMATION*
AN EVENING OF MATH FUN
(Grades 3–5 students/teachers/families)
The Stevenson High School Math Department and Math Team invite all students in grades 3, 4, and 5 and their families and teachers to the Stevenson Math Carnival on Thurs., May 9, 6–8 PM.
At the Math Carnival, students play fun math games and win prizes.
Stevenson High School, 1 Stevenson Dr., Lincolnshire, IL
Park in the "B" Lot and enter through the "Point Entrance"
SEE FLYER
*REPEAT INFORMATION*
Creating Balanced Class Lists - Parent Input for Class Placement
Creating balanced class lists that meet the needs of all students is a tremendously difficult job that takes many hours of thoughtful dialogue between classroom teachers, administrators, and specialists. We at Kildeer School take this process very seriously. The process for class list creation is as follows:
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Teachers think about the social and academic needs of each of their current students while recording pertinent information to assist in the decision making process.
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Grade level teachers, the principal, specials area teachers, and specialists meet together to form class lists that are balanced in terms of academic, social, and emotional needs as well as considering friendships. This is no easy task and often takes several meetings. This team of educators considers each child’s personality, academic needs, friendship patterns, etc. as they make a match for each individual child.
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This team of educators creates a draft set of class lists taking into consideration parent input.
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Class lists are then revised in August with summer changes for students who move in or out of the district.
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Class rosters are never final until they are released to families in August.
This process happens at grades 2-5. Willow Grove creates the class lists for our incoming 1st graders. Our 5th-grade team provides data to Woodlawn related to placement decisions at the middle school level.
We strongly believe that this detailed and collaborative process creates learning environments that benefit all students. It is a delicate balancing act which takes much consideration and thought by professionals who know and care about your children. Our goal is to create balanced class lists that promote the success of each child. Please know that your child is placed in a classroom for very specific reasons. The process benefits all students. Because of the input and thought given by teachers, specialists, parents, and the principal, we are very reluctant to make changes once this process occurs, as removing or moving one child can disrupt the balance of an entire class, impacting all students.
I welcome any insight you wish to share about your child’s strengths, needs, and learning style. I will take into consideration pertinent information received on or before FRIDAY, APRIL 26th. Please remember, while we welcome your input, specific teacher requests will not be honored.
If you'd like to share your input, please take the following survey: Kildeer Class Placement Survey for 19-20.
*REPEAT INFORMATION*
Coming in Early April: IAR Assessment for Grades 3–8
The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) is the new English/language arts and math state assessment for Grades 3–8 students in Illinois public schools.
The IAR replaces the PARCC assessment given the previous few years and is, in fact, very similar.
The testing window is designated as Apr. 8–26, but our students do not test every day during that period.
Read more info about the IAR, including our Testing Schedule, the impact of participation, and more.
As your building principal, I'm happy to answer any questions you have about the IAR assessment. Please call our school office or send me an email.
From the Band & Orchestra Boosters:
Find the latest information from the District 96 Band & Orchestra Boosters in their BLOG.
Click HERE to catch up on very important information from our PTO!
Highlights:
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Spring Book Fair is April 22nd-25th
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Evening Storytime for 1st Graders and incoming 1st Graders is Wednesday, April 24th from 6:30-7:30 at Kildeer
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5th Grade Girls Night Out is April 26th from 6-8PM at Woodlawn! Register today on Kildeer’s Membership Toolkit
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2019/2020 Committee Chair Positions Forms are Up on Kildeer’s Membership Toolkit, Get Involved and Volunteer Today!
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Order your School Supply Kits for 2019-2020 on Membership Toolkit
Earlier this week, I had the absolute pleasure of attending, participating, and helping to facilitate a portion of our D96 community evening. This was a chance to bring representation from across the district such as staff, parents, administrators, students, and community members. We took the time to dig into some really important concepts, continuing to align with what we stand for and what our values represent in District 96. I was beyond impressed and inspired by the thoughtful discussion. This year, we added student representation and I just have to give a special shout-out to Audrey, Ben, and Madden! I'm really proud of you all and loved having you represent Kildeer.
Enjoy the weekend ahead!
Warm Regards,
Mrs. Vail Kieser
Principal