Dear Kildeer Families,
What an incredible way to end 2020 on a positive note! This week brought lots of smiles and joy with each other as a school community. We participated in a fun spirit week, came together with our buddy classrooms, and enjoyed some winter-themed fun today!
As you take time to relax and rejuvenate over break, please consider having your children make their own snow globe, as introduced with our buddy classrooms. We will hit the ground running in January to continue our celebrations and prepare for our I AM ME...WE ARE KILDEER virtual family celebration on January 14th.
How to participate:
- Create a snow globe using materials of your choice.
- Print the linked snow globe and decorate
- Decorate the linked globe digitally
- Any other creative form
Staff Examples:
Due Date: January 8th. Please upload a picture of your completed snow globe to THIS LINK!
Please reach out with questions.
NEW *Materials Pick Up*
District 96 has set a date for the first materials pick up for trimester 2. Students will need these materials for classes whether under a remote or hybrid model. As a Chicagoland family, you know that the winter weather can be unpredictable. The week that we return to school (January 4-8), you will receive another message with more details regarding the structure and exact location of the materials pickup at Kildeer. The reason for this is that we will be watching the weather forecasts to determine the best format to allow for a pick-up based on the weather that day. The purpose of this message is to provide you the opportunity to mark January 8, 2021, on your calendar, so that you have advanced notice and can hopefully make arrangements to collect these important learning materials. We know that there have been several pick-up opportunities this year and appreciate your continued understanding and support while we work to continue educating students in the best way that we can.
NEW *Superintendent’s Message*
The following information was shared via email on December 16, 2020, however, I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight the information shared by Superintendent Julie Schmidt at last Tuesday’s board of education meeting. LINKED HERE is a video presentation and other information, including a review of additional mitigation measures that lower the risk of transmission in our schools. There will be future updates on January 6 and January 12. If conditions allow there will be an announcement for the reinitiation of the hybrid/in-person model. Please read Superintendent Schmidt’s message and view the video to learn more.
NEW *Preregister for 2021–22 Kindergarten Beginning Jan. 11*
Preregister incoming 2021–22 kindergartners beginning January 11 and no later than January 31 to receive a free T-shirt for your incoming student. SEE MORE INFO
*Repeat December Book Talk Videos from VAPL
Looking to get your child excited about reading over winter break? Check out these amazing book talks from the staff at Vernon Area Public Library!
1st grade: 1st-grade favorites
2nd grade: 2nd-grade favorites
3rd grade: 3rd-grade favorites
4th and 5th grade: 4th and 5th-grade favorites
For more book talk recommendations, please visit our Book Talk Help Guide at https://guides.vapld.info/booktalks
NEW *Guess Who?*
In order to get our students, staff, and community excited about our I AM ME...WE ARE KILDEER virtual family celebration we are including a new addition in our weekly blog.
Take a moment to see if you can guess which staff member identifies with the following information. The big reveal will happen weekly in the morning announcements!
Guess Who?
I was born in Russia! When I was 3 years old, my family immigrated to America. We lived with my grandma, who continued to teach me the Russian language. When my own children were born, we taught them Russian too. Now, we have many traditions that we still follow from our Russian background, but we also made new ones too.
WHO AM I?
(Watch the next morning announcements to find out!)
I AM ME...WE ARE KILDEER virtual family celebration
Thursday, January 14, 2021, from 6:30-8:00
The purpose of this evening is to learn from and about our Kildeer families.
Repeat *Monthly Asynchronous Wednesdays *
Once per month, beginning in December, students will participate in asynchronous activities for a portion of their school day. The dates for each of these asynchronous Wednesdays are identified below. You will notice that each date is identified as either AM or PM. If for example, AM is indicated, this means that students will participate in the asynchronous activities during the morning or AM portion of the school day and then transition to their regularly scheduled school day in the afternoon or PM. Specific times are indicated below with each identified date. Teachers will communicate with students to be sure that they understand the expectations for each of these days.
These monthly asynchronous days were created to give students the opportunity to participate in topics that will enhance our current curricular content, and so that teachers have time to collaborate and plan with each other to determine the best way to approach future instruction.
Asynchronous Wednesdays will take place on the following dates.
- January 13: AM Asynchronous
- February 24: PM Asynchronous
- March 17: AM Asynchronous
- April 21: PM Asynchronous
*Free Meals for Pick-Up for ALL D96 Students*
NEW INFO REGARDING PREORDERING FREE MEALS
Families Can Preorder Free Meals for Pick-Up During Winter Break
NOTE: Preorders must be in by 10 AM on THURSDAY for pick-up in the week ahead.
Preorder by 10 AM on THURSDAY, Dec. 17, to pick up meals (meal packs for 5 days) on Mon., Dec. 21.
Preorder by 10 AM on THURSDAY, Dec. 24, to pick up meals (meal packs for 5 days) on Mon., Dec. 28.
Preordering Free Meals in 2021
IMPORTANT: The last day to preorder free meals for the week ahead is changing. You’ll need to preorder by 10 AM on Thursdays, rather than Fridays.
To preorder meals for the first week after Winter Break (Jan. 4–8)
Preorder by 10 AM on THURSDAY, Dec. 31, to pick up meals on Mon., Jan. 4 (meal packs for 3 days) and Thurs., Jan. 7 (meal packs for 2 days).
D96 is pleased to offer free meals for pick-up for ALL students (age 18 and younger), thanks to the Summer Food Service Program from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
All District 96 families were sent an email on Mon., Nov. 16 (Subject Line: Fr Sch Dist 96: Free Meal Preordering and Pickup) with information about preordering free breakfast and lunch meals for their students.
Parents/guardians of all District 96 families may preorder and pick up meals at Twin Groves or Woodlawn Middle Schools for their children through age 18* on designated weekdays from 11 AM–2 PM.
The first step is for families to create an account online and add each child receiving meals to the account. Please see this webpage for details and brief instructional videos of the account set-up and preordering process.
Please direct questions to the public information coordinator: [email protected].
*Updated COVID-19 Metrics*
This UPDATED COVID-19 METRICS is the information “dashboard” that maintains transparent and open communication around COVID-19 metrics. As a user of the dashboard, the District has access to COVID-19 data as recommended by the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium. We review this data daily, update the dashboard weekly, and consider this data in making many decisions.
*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 ***
NEW BLOG! CLICK HERE!
- PTO GIFT ---LIGHT UP STEM CARD KITS ARE HERE!
LIGHT UP your holiday season with a Light-up Card Making Stem Kit purchased by the PTO for all Kildeer students. They can explore the STEM of circuits and create a unique greeting card for a loved one. Kits are available for pickup at Kildeer School inside the main entrance from 8am-3pm (M-F) while school is in session. Please note Only 1 per student.
Winter break brings a time for reflection and a time for new beginnings. I would like to take this opportunity to thank students, staff, and parents for contributing to the Kildeer community that we are all so proud to be part of.
Thank you to all of the families, students, and staff who have made tremendous efforts to carry on and do the best that we can for our kids, even though we all deeply wish to be in-person teaching and learning together.
When we start back to school in January, after a much-needed break, we will do so with our batteries charged and with the prospect of new circumstances, hopefully on the horizon. Celebrations are so important. Our Kildeer Family celebrates our partnerships with you all!
Wishing you an incredible break ahead!
Brent, Vail, Nolyn (5 1/2), Colton (3 1/2), Zoe, & Minnie (our new furry addition).
Fondly,
Mrs. Vail Kieser
Principal