Dear Kildeer Families,
Our virtual book fair is well underway and our Culver's night was a success. It may not have been our traditional ice cream social, yet, it was still great to see families participating! My family and I dined on the tailgate of my husband's truck and my heart was SO happy to see many families. Some of you socially distanced and dined at the tables, others ate from their cars, and some went through the drive-thru to bring the treats home and enjoy! The fun part? There was no wrong answer!
Thanks to all the families that were able to participate in whatever way made you the most comfortable! I'm so glad our PTO arranged this event.
I've had several conversations this week with staff and families that are thrilled with our timeline to bring students back. We are excitedly preparing to ensure our top priority is safety! Let's all do our part with following the guidelines because it will truly "take a village" as we move forward.
NEW *No School Monday, September 28th
This is a friendly reminder that students will not be in session on Monday, September 28th. We look forward to working with students again on Tuesday, September 29th
NEW(ish) *Kildeer Picture Day AND Exploration Lab Materials Pick-Up*
Picture Day is coming! Please mark your calendars for Picture Day on Tuesday, September 29th. Pictures will be taken outside in tents and ordering photos will be completely digital this year. No forms needed! Click HERE for directions to get started! Pictures will be shipped directly to your home.
*Students will also be receiving their Exploration Lab materials at this time. *
Please arrive during your assigned time slot by LAST NAME:
- LAST NAME A-G (3:00pm - 4:30pm)
- LAST NAME H-Q (4:30pm - 5:45pm)
- LAST NAME R-Z (5:45pm - 7:00pm)
Guidelines
- All students and families MUST wear masks and maintain 6ft social distancing at all times. (Photographers will be masked and maintaining social distance as well)
- Families are asked to limit those attending and adhere to our schedule as much as possible to prevent crowding and ensure appropriate social distancing.
- Please do your best to come at your assigned time. If this is not possible, you are welcome to come to one of the other times.
What to do when you arrive:
Step 1: Park and bring students to the check-in area, waiting in a socially distanced line as necessary. (Green on the map)
Step 2: After checking in, families will join the line for one of the three photography tents to have student pictures taken. (Yellow, aqua, and orange on the map)
Step 3: After student pictures are taken, follow the sidewalk to the Exploration Lab Materials Pick Up table to receive your supplies. (Pink on the map)
Step 4: If you have a yearbook to pick-up from last year, our PTO will have a table available.
Step 5: If you brought a decorated pumpkin, please place it on the sidewalk in front of the school and enjoy taking a look at pumpkins from other families!
Head back to your car and have a wonderful day!
MAKEUP DAY: For those that cannot attend Picture Day or would like a retake, this will be done on Thursday, November 5th at the same location & using the same procedures.
FAMILY CHALLENGE: We are looking for families to decorate fall pumpkins that represent things about your family! Let's get to know each other a little better this year. Starting TODAY feel free to drop off your family's pumpkin to line the front sidewalk of Kildeer. They will be on display during our student picture day for all to see! Happy Fall!
NEW *Superintendent’s Message*
If you have not done so already, please take a moment to read Julie Schmidt’s Superintendent’s Message for specific information regarding metrics and reopening timelines for K-8 students.
Please look for additional communication next week from Superintendent Schmidt regarding student schedules and additional reopening details.
NEW *Fall Conference Sign-UP*
Please click THIS LINK to sign up for fall family educator conferences with your child's educators. You will sign-in to our new platform "Meet The Teacher" with your name, an email address, your child’s name, and his or her date of birth.
At the elementary level, you will be able to sign up for a conference with your child’s classroom teacher and other educators your child works with on a regular basis. Please complete this for each child who attends District 96. Please know that some of our specials teachers and related services may have booked schedules. If you are interested in meeting with these educators, please sign up for the waitlist.
As a reminder, if you are unable to attend these conferences on these dates, please email the educator you are interested in speaking with to set up a phone conference. Family Educator Conference sign-up will close October 5th.
As a reminder, Family Educator Conferences take place virtually via Zoom. Teachers will send specific Zoom Links at a later date.
October 8: 5pm-8:30pm
October 9: 10:00-1:30pm
In addition to individual conferences with educators, we will also be providing parent education opportunities both days. More information will be shared in the near future!
If you are having trouble signing up, please contact the front office at 847.634.3243.
NEW *Calendar Change*
Please note the following addition to the current school year calendar:
NO SCHOOL Tues., Oct. 13 – State-Approved Remote Learning Planning Day
District 96 staff will use this day for professional development related to staff preparing for the transition to a hybrid model.
NEW *Specials Weekly Materials*
Please CLICK HERE to access the materials your child will need each week for specials.
Repeat *MAP Testing Family Support*
Thank you so much for all of your support in ensuring our MAP Testing has been able to take place while students are learning remotely. We understand the challenges that come with this, and we appreciate your patience and understanding. If there is an adult available at the time students are signing into the MAP testing session, we have found that this has made the sign-in process more efficient. While this is not an expectation, and we do have District 96 staff available to support the login process, we are grateful for any support adults at home can provide support during the login process prior to students beginning their MAP testing sessions.
1st
If possible, adult support would be helpful during the MAP login process on September 30th beginning at 9:15 am.
2nd
If possible, adult support would be helpful during the MAP login process on September 30th beginning at 9:15 am and Thursday, October 1st beginning at 10 am.
Repeat *MAP Makeups*
We apologize for any inconvenience NWEA MAP testing has caused this week, and we want to thank you for your patience and flexibility as we navigate the technological issues NWEA has been experiencing.
Due to the ongoing technical issues that NWEA is experiencing, District 96 was advised by NWEA representation to suspend MAP testing on Thursday, September 17th and Friday, September 18th. An updated plan is indicated below for each grade-level.
3rd and 4th Grade
D96 suspended math MAP testing for Thursday, September 17th. *Testing is now scheduled for Tuesday, September 29. *Please know this date may change if NWEA issues have not been resolved.*
1st and 2nd Grade
D96 suspended math MAP testing for Friday, September 18th. *Testing is now scheduled for Wednesday, September 30 for both 1st and 2nd grade. *Please know this date may change if NWEA issues have not been resolved.*
*Reading MAP testing for 2nd grade is now scheduled for Thursday, October 1st. *Please know this date may change if NWEA issues have not been resolved.*
Repeat *Calling All Photogs*
We love capturing photos of kids learning in the Principal's Message. While currently, students are learning in your homes, we'd love it if you wouldn't mind sharing a photo us to use in the Principal Message, Twitter, etc. If you are comfortable sharing, please email a photo and caption to Mrs. Wright in the front office: [email protected]. Thank you!
Repeat *Calling All Kildeer Cougars*
Last year our morning announcements were so special because we involved our staff AND students. This year, we are looking for brave students to recite the Kildeer Pledge to be featured on the Monday morning announcements. If you are interested, please record a short video introducing your first name, homeroom, and grade. Then say the following:
As a Kildeer Cougar,
I promise to start each day with a smile on my face and make Kildeer school a safe, happy place.
I pledge to follow the Cougar 5 each day, respecting others in every way.
I am proud to be a Kildeer Cougar.
*PLEASE SEND YOUR VIDEOS TO TRACEY WRIGHT: [email protected]*
Repeat *Tech Hub*
KCSD96 Family Technology Hub! The District 96 Family Technology Hub is designed to guide families through technology tools related to Enhanced Remote Learning. On this site you can find links to the recordings and the corresponding Slides decks for the parent/family informational sessions from last week. You can also find tutorials on how to use ZOOM, Schoology, Seesaw, Clever, Notability, and other iPad essential tools for student learning. Additionally, there is a link to email the technology support desk. Please save or bookmark this site. It will be updated with tools, resources, and tutorials through remote learning to better support your family.
Please email [email protected] with any tech-related support needed.
*** PTO News ***
- Virtual Fall Book Fair- Monday, September 21st thru October 4th! Click HERE to learn more about the virtual book fair. Click HERE for Kildeer's Scholastic Homepage. Click HERE for the Scholastic Book Fair Flier.
- Yearbook Pictures- Please help the yearbook committee by sending in the first day of school and remote learning pictures to [email protected].
- 5th-grade parents- Please submit a headshot of your child when he/she was 6-12 months old. The baby pictures will all be displayed in the yearbook and matched with your child's future dreams/favorite memories. Digital photos can be emailed to [email protected].
- Follow our PTO on: Kildeer PTO on Facebook and/or KildeerPTO on Instagram
I need to share a story with you because as you know, I'm experiencing the "public school parent hat" for the first time this year.
The other day, I came home after a very full day at Kildeer. When I walked into my home, I plopped down on a chair and felt my body melt into a puddle. My daughter came over with her iPad and said she wanted to show me something.
Do you know what that little girl did? She opened up her app and proceeded to read a book to me. The little girl that was just a baby in arms read actual words aloud to me. Well, my heart just about exploded and you'd think she won the Nobel Peace Prize with how incredibly excited I was for her.
My point is this: there are celebrations and successes from our kids all over the place. No matter how small, let's make sure they know how proud we are of what they are accomplishing in this environment! As a side note, I've LOVED seeing all of the parent participation with cougar paws this past week! On the google form, there is an opportunity to submit notes and this might be my favorite one yet with a parent speaking about their child: "I am hoping to adopt some of her work habits into my daily life."
I agree! Our students are amazing. Way to go Kildeer Cougars!
I want to give a shout-out to the Mills family for being the first to drop-off a pumpkin! We are looking forward to seeing what else our Kildeer families come up with!
Fondly,
Mrs. Vail Kieser
Principal