Dear Kildeer Families,
My name is Vail Kieser and I have the absolute pleasure of serving as Kildeer Elementary School's Principal. This is my fifth year in this position and the time has flown by. I started my career as a teacher 14 years ago and would have never imagined having the opportunity to lead a school in a district that I love! District 96 has been my home and I want to officially welcome each and every one of you back for the 2020-21 school year.
The time has come to embark upon a new adventure together. Never in our lifetime have we had to "open" our doors remotely, yet here we are. Do you want to know where I stand with this situation? I believe we are going to continue to be the Kildeer family that takes care of each other and makes the most of it. We will remain solution-focused and we will ensure that safety, social-emotional needs, and academics are a priority. I cannot promise perfection for the year ahead. However, we commit to working together and collaboratively to do what's best for kids.
With that, I'd like to help introduce you to our fabulous office staff and help you to match a face to a name this year. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to reach out to any of us. We continue to be here to support our community, staff, and students!
A little background: Mrs. Hagen and Mrs. Wright work in our front office. They both joined our staff mid-year and are thrilled to be back. This is the first time they will be opening a school year and I'm confident they are going to do a great job! If you ever need anything, I'd recommend copying them both onto an email so they can tag-team! Mrs. Forsythe is our new school nurse. Remember Nurse Allie? She actually relocated which now gives us the opportunity to know the fabulous Nurse Ali. We kept it easy on you with the name and I know you are going to love her! Additionally, Mr. Higgins has returned for year 2 as our assistant principal. We are so glad to have him back and I hope he brought some new jokes this year. Finally, you already know me! I'm the one that will do everything I can to help us all have a successful school year ahead!
Jennifer Hagen, Administrative Assistant, [email protected]
Tracey Wright, Clerical Aide, [email protected]
Alison Forsythe, School Nurse, [email protected]
Josh Higgins, Assistant Principal, [email protected]
Vail Kieser, Principal, [email protected]
NEW *Nurse News
I am Alison Forsythe, the new school nurse at Kildeer Countryside. I look forward to eventually meeting you all!
Just a friendly reminder that student health forms (all of which can be found on the district website) still need to be completed and turned into the school health office for the 2020-2021 year:
All NEW Students to District 96:
Illinois Certificate of Child Health Examination AND Immunization Form
Due by October 15, 2020***this date has been extended. Please visit here for more information.
Vision Examination Form
Due by October 15, 2020
Dental Examination Form (if entering 2nd grade as a new student)
Due by May 15, 2021
Returning Students to District 96:
Dental Examination Form for 2nd Grade
Due by May 15, 2021
The following forms still will need to be submitted in the event that we go back to school so that we can be prepared accordingly:
If your child has a diagnosis of asthma:
They will need an updated Asthma Action Plan on file completed by their pediatrician for the 2020-2021 School Year.
If your child has a daily medication or a medication on an as needed basis (ex: tylenol, claritin) that will/would be administered at school:
They will need an updated Medication Authorization form completed by their pediatrician for the 2020-2021 School Year.
If your child has a food/bee allergy (anything that requires an Epi-Pen/Auvi-Q):
They will need an updated Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan form completed by their pediatrician for the 2020-2021 School Year.
If your child has diabetes:
They will need an updated Diabetes Medical Management Plan form completed by their pediatrician for the 2020-2021 School Year.
Again, I look forward to being the new school nurse and joining this wonderful community at Kildeer Countryside! If you have any questions or concerns, you can email me at [email protected].
Thanks in advance,
Alison Forsythe
School Nurse
NEW *First Day of School*
Our first half-day of remote learning will be Monday, August 24th.
Willow Grove Hours
AM - 8:30-11:00 AM
PM - 12:30-3:00 PM
Elementary Schools (Country Meadows, Ivy Hall, Kildeer, Prairie)
8:30am-11:45am
NEW *Beginning of Year Events*
As an administrative team, we are working to reschedule and adjust our beginning of the year events to adhere by safety and social distance guidelines. These events include Meet the Teacher, Curriculum Night, and New Family tours. Details will be forthcoming as they are determined.
NEW *Technology News*
On August 12th, our technology department will begin syncing student data across our systems in preparation for the start of the 20-21 school year. When this sync begins, your student(s) may lose access to some services or applications that are currently on their iPads. This is by design as we prepare to make all of the 20-21 resources available to students for the start of the school year.
Please know that if you request a replacement iPad, Crayon, or accessory while picking up your resources, we will need a broken iPad, Crayon, or accessory from you in order to begin processing replacements. Any requests will also need to be fully documented before a replacement can be processed.
NEW *Supporting Our D96 Community Families*
The pandemic is creating challenging situations for many families in our community.
Community members who are able to are invited to donate these items: macaroni & cheese (cups or boxes), canned foods (veggies/fruits/tuna/chicken/beans), granola bars, tortillas, cheese (shredded/sliced), eggs, deli meats, frozen ground beef/chicken.
Please deliver to collection boxes outside the Exceptional Learners Collaborative (ELC) front entrance, 990 Corporate Woods Parkway, Vernon Hills, from 8 AM–3 PM. Please observe social distancing when delivering donations and ring the doorbell when delivering perishable foods and/or gift cards.
If you'd like to deliver your donation to your student's school on the designated Materials Pick-Up Day, please place it in the donation box (non perishable/non-refrigerated items only, please) in front of the school entrance.
Questions? Contact [email protected]
NEW *Class Assignment Communication*
Classroom teacher assignments are in the process of being finalized and will be emailed to you at about 9:00 AM on Wednesday, August 12th. If you do not receive notification, please email our administrative assistant, Jennifer Hagen, [email protected], or give us a call in the office.
NEW *Supply Pick Up*
Instructional materials will be provided by the district to facilitate remote learning. Some items will be available during initial student materials pick-up and others will be available once the school year has begun via deliveries to neighborhoods (more information coming soon). Materials will include math manipulatives kits, workbooks, art and music supplies, etc.. Information is forthcoming related to technology workshops and sessions that will be available the week of August 17th in the evening.
*** PTO Blog ***
I recognize this is not the school year ahead we had all imagined. My daughter is starting Kindergarten in a couple of weeks, so I'm in new territory with my "parent" hat on. I've experienced stress, exhaustion, indecisiveness, etc. We have all been there. Yet, this is also an opportunity to take this situation and make the most of it. We can do this Kildeer.
Our children are watching us. They hear us, they see us, and they are wondering what this year brings, too. With that, I challenge each of us to "model for others what we expect from others". Let's teach them about resilience and adapting to new situations. Let's add that unicorn mask to our school list and cheer on our kids! Please know you are not alone and we have a community of amazing people willing to help each other out. Just ask!
Finally, I want to end with reminding you this: You are enough. That parent guilt you've possibly been experiencing with juggling multiple hats, we all have it, myself included. I have not had a single conversation with anyone in the last few months that feels like they have it all together. My point is this: We are all in different situations, we have different perspectives about what's going on around us, and we are all doing the best that we can. Please remember to go easy on yourself and know that we will do this together!
I am grateful to have this outstanding community of parents, staff, and students by my side as we move forward this school year. Have a great weekend ahead!
Fondly,
Mrs. Vail Kieser
Principal