Kildeer Principal's Message- April 17th

snack and story

Dear Kildeer Families,

As you probably know, one of my cherished activities throughout the year is having the "Picnic with the Principal". I take a turn with each class once a year and we dine in our private quarters....the breezeway of course. I start each school year with our 5th graders and make my way backward in the grades.

Unfortunately, I never was able to get to the 1st-graders. Recently I received an email from a 1st-grade parent that let me know how much her son was bummed we couldn't still have our Picnic. "They think of you as the president, you know!" These words struck a chord and so I immediately reached out to the 1st-grade team. We came up with a plan and shifted our purpose to "snack and story". 

I experienced my first zoom call with Ms. Dolin's class yesterday and Ms. Koldon's class today. They were magical! I have missed our students more than I can say and I'm so glad to be able to have face time with our 1st-graders. What a way to start your elementary career!

I want to thank you all for another successful week of remote learning.  We continue to navigate these waters together. For your reference, here is the updated FAQ document to address any remote learning questions you may have. 


*NEW INFORMATION*

Student Work Video

Please enjoy this district video from Monday’s special activities.  Way to go, students!


*NEW INFORMATION*

5th Grade Placement Update

Because the traditional assessments used for 5th to 6th-grade placement could not be administered due to the school closure, the Curriculum Office is currently working to revise the placement process. More information will be available in mid-May.

Parents of current 5th graders: Learn what to expect for your middle school student in the 20–21 school year ahead...


Although the Transition to Middle School program for parents of current 5th graders had to be canceled, Middle School Principals Jessica Barnes (Twin Groves) and Greg Grana (Woodlawn) have collaborated to provide THIS INFO (pdf), addressing academics, extracurricular opportunities, and changes that middle school years bring for your student.

Please email your questions about Woodlawn Middle School to Principal Greg Grana: [email protected]


*NEW INFORMATION*

 Tech Support (Kindergarten-5th Grade)

I’m having technical issues while accessing slideshows in the  Google Slides app. What can I do to get around these issues?

DELETE the Google Slides app from your student’s device. (It can always be re-downloaded from Self-Service at a later time)

Open the Google Drive app on your student’s iPad and locate the shared slideshow that you are trying to view. 

Play the slideshow from within the Google Drive application or OPEN IN SAFARI if given the option.

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. 

Check out this short video to see this in action! 

*Please email [email protected] with any tech-related support needed.*


*NEW INFORMATION*

Do Your Kids Need Some Good Books to Read?


Students with iPads have no reason not to be reading. It's important to read every day. CHECK OUT ways to find great books to read (online) and more.


*REPEAT 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


*REPEAT 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.


*IMPORTANT INFORMATION*

LAST CALL FOR PARENT INPUT----DUE NEXT WEEK! 

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 24th. 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 


I just had to jump on the bandwagon this week. There have been a lot of funny pictures out there to keep this time lighthearted. I couldn't resist and took this photo with my own children. (Thank you to the parent that inspired this photoshoot. You know who you are!)

I hope it brings a smile to your face. By the way, I promise it's not that bad =)

By the way, I've loved being a part of the morning announcements. I suppose my secret is out that I film the day before. My morning sunshine run did not exactly match up with today's snow! 

Please enjoy the weekend ahead with your family. Thinking of you all. 

Fondly,

Mrs. Vail Kieser
Principal