Dear Kildeer Families,
Did you hear all of the voices on Tuesday? I sat on the front stoop with my two little ones. We had our computer out to watch the chorus sing and pitch in our own voices. At the same moment, a family was walking by and I'm not sure if they thought it was cute or we were losing it! Either way, we had a lot of fun. I really enjoyed the various videos and pictures that I saw posted on twitter and emailed. Thank you for taking the time to join together. It was joyful to be a part of that!
In other news, our new remote learning plan setup is meant to allow for students to navigate their remote learning more independently. Julie Schmidt's Superintendent's Messages from April 1st and April 5th and the associated FAQ document provide more of the "why" behind this decision and current practice.
Please know that if students have questions about the assignments, teachers are available to support on our assigned remote learning days. We are aware of the many challenges families are facing during this time, which is why the goal of our remote learning period is, and will continue to be, learning, not compliance. All we are asking is for teachers, students, staff, and parents to do the best that they can during this difficult time. Students will not be penalized for any unfinished assignments or activities as we understand each family requires a varying level of flexibility in the plan implementation at home.
If you saw my morning announcements, then you heard me say the same thing! We are all in this together and we are doing the best that we can! Your safety and health come first! Remember, you have to "take care of the Maslow stuff before you can take care of the Bloom's stuff"!
Be well Kildeer!
*NEW INFORMATION*
Friday, 4/10 & Monday, 4/13
This is a friendly reminder that Friday, 4/10 is a non-attendance day so there will be no remote learning activities pushed out. Monday, April 13th is a Remote Planning Day for teachers. Instruction will be planned by instructional coaches, who will provide learning experiences for students to engage in on these dates. Any questions specific to those learning experiences will be answered by the instructional coaching team. Their contact information will be included in the learning information for that day.
*NEW INFORMATION*
Tech Support (Kindergarten-5th Grade)
As students are home with their iPad devices to access remote learning plans, we do anticipate there may be some tech needs that arise. If you run into any difficulty with your child’s school iPad, just send us an email explaining your problem and we can support you and your device. Please email [email protected] with any tech-related support needed.
*NEW INFORMATION*
Brighter Days Art Contest
The Imagination Project is an opportunity for Chicago-area elementary, middle, and high-school students to submit their visual creations to a student art contest sponsored by the Chicago Sun Times. The theme of this season’s Imagination Project is Brighter Days. Entrants may submit up to 5 pieces of their original artwork–drawings, paintings, or digital designs. The contest runs from Apr. 6–24. A parent must complete the electronic submission form. MORE INFO
*NEW INFORMATION*
Buffalo Grove Park District Clubhouse New Parent Webinar
The Buffalo Grove Park District has scheduled a New Parent Webinar on Apr. 30 at 5 p.m. for prospective families interested in learning about before- and after-school childcare through the Buffalo Grove Park District Clubhouse Program. SEE INFO to log in to attend the prospective Clubhouse New Parent webinar.
*ADDITIONAL INFORMATION*
Please refer to last week’s principal message for additional information.
Last week message highlights:
- Food services - Donation update in Superintendent Schmidt’s April 7th message
- Library resources
- Family resources to discuss COVID 19 with your child(ren)
- Directions for accessing Zoom meetings
*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:
-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.
-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.
-This team of educators creates a draft set of class lists taking into consideration parent input.
-Class lists are then revised in August with summer changes for students who move in or out of the district.
-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 that 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 20-21.
*IMPORTANT INFORMATION*
The partnership with our PTO is extremely important at Kildeer. Please take a moment each week to review the information to learn how you can get involved, support Kildeer, and dates to mark your calendar!
Catch up on very important information from our PTO!
Highlights:
Dear families,
To give you another means to provide books and activities to your students during this Stay at Home Directive, we are hosting a Virtual Scholastic Book Fair from Monday, April 13th through Sunday, April 26th.
The Virtual Fair is a fantastic way to get books in the hands of your students now to keep them reading at home.
• All purchases benefit Kildeer Countryside and earn rewards
• Shop Book Fair exclusives, best-sellers, skill-builders and more
• Orders ship directly to your home
• Book-only orders over $25* receive FREE shipping
• Over 6,000 items to choose from through the Scholastic Store Online
Starting Monday, April 13th visit our Book Fair Homepage and click “Shop Now” to get started:
https://www.scholastic.com/bf/kildeercountrysideelemsch1
Happy reading!
Spring Book Fair Committee
Let's end this week with gratitude. There are lots of educators at Kildeer doing some amazing things during such a difficult time. If you have a moment to spare, I encourage you to fill out a quick shout-out HERE! I will make sure it gets to the right staff member. One of the greatest feelings is getting an email that simply celebrates. Want to make dreams come true? Submit a shout-out!
Thank you for all the continued support. It's become increasingly evident what an incredible community this truly is!
Fondly,
Mrs. Vail Kieser
Principal