Dear Kildeer Families,
We are incredibly fortunate to have Mrs. Hagen and Mrs.Wright in our front office. We celebrated them both this week for Administrative Professional's Day on Wednesday. Staff showered them with sticky notes of kind words, and then we took care of them with some flowers, beverages, and donuts!
Mrs. Hagen and Mrs. Wright, thank you for being the glue that holds our school together! We value you more than you know.
Families, feel free to send Mrs. Hagen and Mrs. Wright an email and join me in thanking them!
NEW *Remote Assessment Survey Change Requests*
Families of remote learners who wish to change their assessment survey answers should contact Jeanne Spiller, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, at [email protected] by Monday, 4/26. After Monday 4/26, there will be no more adjustments made.
NEW *PARKING for Parent Drop-off and pick-up*
For the remainder of the school year, our staff will not park in the spaces circled in red. This allows space for parents to conveniently park in the morning or afternoon and either utilize the sidewalk or the crosswalk safely.
PLEASE DO NOT WALK ACROSS THE PARKING LOT IN THE CAR LANE WITHOUT USING A CROSSWALK. You are still welcome to park in the side lot if there are spots available to use that crosswalk.
Also please note, if you are dropping your child off in the morning and it's after 8:25, you will need to park your car and walk your child into the foyer to sign them in. Thank you!
Lastly, the parking lot is a busy place. Let's remember to treat each other kindly and recognize we are all doing our best. I appreciate your support with this!
NEW *ABC Countdown starts NEXT WEEK*
Wednesday, April 28 A - Appreciation day - Tell or write your teachers or staff how much you appreciate them
Thursday, April 29 B - Backwards day - Wear your clothes backwards
Friday, April 30 C - Color day - 1st Purple, 2nd Red, 3rd Yellow, 4th-Green, 5th-Blue
ASYNCHRONOUS DAY A.M.
NEW *Transition to Middle School Program for Parents of Current 5th Graders*
Parents of all current fifth graders are invited and encouraged to attend the Transition to Middle School program presented by Middle School Principals Jessica Barnes (Twin Groves) and Greg Grana (Woodlawn). They'll discuss academics, extracurricular opportunities, and changes that middle school years bring. Current sixth-grade student panelists will also share their perspectives. The virtual presentation begins at 7 PM on Mon., May 10. Zoom link: https://kcsd96.zoom.us/j/88296995872?pwd=S0d6QnplZzh6S2t0dUMzYXcxSTVPZz09#success
Meeting ID: 882 9699 5872
Passcode: 450506
Repeat *April 30th Half-Day Attendance*
All students will have a half-day of morning asynchronous work and NO students will attend in-person on this day. The afternoon is a day off for students as teachers will be involved in professional development.
Repeat *Assessment Information*
The district has finalized the dates for the MAP and IAR assessments for all students. If you have elected to have your remote learner attend in-person for these assessments, more information about attending on assessment days will be sent to your email and home mailing address prior to the assessment date.
Families of remote learners who wish to change their assessment survey answers should contact Jeanne Spiller, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, at [email protected].
MAP: Dates for In-Person and Remote Students
- Monday 5/3: Grades 5 and 6
- Tuesday 5/4: Grades 5 and 6
- Wednesday 5/5: Kindergarten and Grades 2, 3, and 4
- Thursday 5/6: Kindergarten and Grades 2, 3, and 4
- Friday 5/7: Grades 1, 7, and 8
- Monday 5/10: Grades 1, 7, and 8
In-person students will have the same arrival and dismissal times as they normally would and complete the assessment as a part of the typical school day.
Remote students coming to test in-person will follow the schedule below and rejoin their classes via Zoom once they return home (except for kindergarten).
Kindergarten AM
Arrival: 8:45
Dismissal: 10:30
Kindergarten PM
Arrival: 12:45
Dismissal: 2:30
Elementary
Arrival: 8:45
Dismissal: 11:35
Middle School
Arrival: 8:00
Dismissal: 10:45
*Remote students coming to take MAP in-person who have extended time will be contacted by building staff to communicate a dismissal time.
**Remote students coming to take the MAP in-person will also take the FastBridge assessments. FastBridge is a reading fluency assessment, which is typically administered in the same window as MAP.
IAR: Dates for In-Person and Remote Students
- Monday 5/24: Grades 3-8
- Tuesday 5/25: Grades 3-8
- Wednesday 5/26: Grades 3-8
In-person students will have the same arrival and dismissal times as they normally would and will complete the assessment as a part of the typical school day.
Remote students coming to test in-person will follow the schedule below and rejoin their classes via Zoom once they return home. The dismissal time is different on Wednesday because the third English Language Arts test is shorter.
Grades 3-5
Monday 5/24 and Tuesday 5/25
Arrival: 8:45
Dismissal: 11:55
Wednesday 5/26
Arrival: 8:45
Dismissal: 11:00
Middle School
Monday 5/24 and Tuesday 5/25
Arrival: 8:00
Dismissal: 11:15
Wednesday 5/26
Arrival: 8:00
Dismissal: 10:15
*Remote students coming to take IAR in-person who have extended time will be contacted by building staff to communicate a dismissal time.
ACCESS: Dates for In-Person and Remote Students
In-person students who take ACCESS will do so during the course of their school day.
Remote students who are coming in to take ACCESS will be contacted by school personnel to schedule the test. Students in kindergarten will have individual appointments as the test is administered one to one. Students in grade 1-8 will participate in the assessment on Thursday, May 13th and/or Friday, May 14th.
Repeat *Collection of Literacy Materials*
Over the course of the year, we have been sending home materials with students. Starting April 19th, we are going to begin collecting these materials.
For Students Attending In-Person
Please see the attached list of materials for your child(ren) by grade level. Gather these materials and send them back with your student to give to their teacher.
Materials lists
For Students Learning Remotely
Gather the materials from the checklist below, if you have not already done so. You may drop them off at the front office anytime between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Materials that are still being used are noted in the checklist, and those can stay at home for now.
Materials lists
If you have any questions, please reach out to your student’s teacher.
Repeat *STUFF THE SQUAD Food Pantry Drive*
The Buffalo Grove Police Department invites KCSD96 families to donate food and essentials to support food pantries serving our local residents. Collection via centrally located boxes in schools will be underway at all KCSD96 schools in the weeks ahead. The last day to donate to “Stuff the Squad” is May 5. SEE REQUESTED ITEMS.
Repeat *Make Lunch Plans*
Parents, please help. With many more students learning in person in KCSD96 schools, it's essential that parents place their students' free meal preorders by 6 PM on Thursday of the week before. Find preordering instructions HERE. Questions? Contact [email protected].
ALSO, please remind your students of the meal choices you preordered, so the meals they request at lunchtime are the meal options that you preordered for them. Thank you!
Repeat *UPDATED Population Screening Schedule CHANGE*
Grades 1-2 will have a new drop-off schedule for their population screening. Grades 3-5 will maintain their current schedule.
- Kildeer- Wednesday- drop-off for grade 1-2
- 3rd-5th graders will continue to collect the samples at school
Repeat* Keeping Students (and siblings) Home Due to Symptoms
Per the IDPH COVID-19 School Exclusion Guidance, if any household member is showing any one of the symptoms listed below, ALL SIBLINGS must stay home from school. Please let the school office know when calling for attendance if your child is staying home due to illness, even if the student is participating remotely.
The symptoms in which a student must stay home due to COVID-19 protocols are: fever (100.4°F or higher), new onset of moderate to severe headache, shortness of breath, new cough, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, new loss of sense of taste or smell, fatigue from unknown cause, muscle or body aches from unknown cause.
*Repeat* Calendar Reminders
Revised March–June 2021 Calendar
Please refer to this REVISED March–June 2021 Calendar (1-page), reflecting in-person learning schedule changes announced in Superintendent Julie Schmidt's Mar. 17 message.
Repeat *Parent Input for 2021-2022 Class Placement Survey*
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 30th. 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 21-22.
Repeat *VAPL Book Talks*
Take some time in APRIL to see some new recommendations by the Vernon Area Public Library. You won't want to miss this!
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
*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 ***
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Spring Virtual Book Fair is going on NOW... Awesome opportunity to get some great new books! Purchases will also benefit our Kildeer School!
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5th Grade Parent Volunteers Needed! The PTO is planning a few surprises for our 5th graders and could use your help...if interested in helping with 5th Grade Night Out, Transition Day, or End of Year Gifts/Parade please contact Rebecca Bacci at [email protected]
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5th Grade Night Out- Date and venue change!! All 5th-grade students from Kildeer and Country Meadows are in for a treat!! Save the date for an awesome virtual event Thursday, May 13 from 4-6 pm. More information will be emailed to parents with a link for the night!!
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Spring Flower Kits up on Membership Toolkit!!! The PTO has 2 kits available...Plant your own flowers or a cute Flower Suncatcher kit. Go HERE for more info and to order.
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Cookie and Rice Krispy Kits are back!! Due to popular demand, we have 2 kit options either a Spring Kit or a Graduation option. Go HERE for more info and to order.
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Kildeer Blankets. Looking to get rid of that Membership Toolkit Credit??? This awesome knit Kildeer Blanket is super soft and perfect for those outdoor picnics. Go HERE for more info and to order.
Check out the blog! CLICK HERE!
A final thought....
As students become more comfortable being at school, it is important to remember that our safety guidelines are still in place. Your partnership around sustained reinforcement of social distancing, mask-wearing, and hand hygiene is a critical part of keeping our buildings open. Thank you for your attention and collaborative support in these areas.
The weather next week looks like it will begin warm and then cool off. As we all eagerly wait for the arrival of summer, this is a gentle reminder to send your student(s) to school with clothing that will allow them to accommodate the changing weather. Remember that our staff is here to help. Please do not hesitate to call or email with any questions or concerns.
Fondly,
Mrs. Vail Kieser
Principal