Dear Kildeer Families,
One of the reasons I love this community the most is due to our "family feel". Kildeer Elementary is a place where we come together and take care of each other. Well, today we hosted new family tours and I'm pleased to say that we have approximately 50 new families joining our school this year. I thank all of you ahead of time for welcoming these new faces and opening our arms to support them!
We have been eagerly planning for our students' return next week and cannot wait to fill our halls once more! Classrooms are nearly ready, last-minute projects around the building are being completed, and Sunday night for staff is sure to bring excitement.
Please see below for more information I'd like to share with you. If you need anything at all, please don't hesitate to reach out!
New *Kildeer Teams 21-22*
First Grade: Mrs. Goyke, Mrs. Krohn, Ms. Koldon, and Mrs. Keller
Second Grade: Mrs. Lushpynskyj, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Holmes, and Ms. Sadowski
Third Grade: Mrs. Kroes, Ms. Lynch, Ms. Ohnsted, and Mrs. Scheribel
Fourth Grade: Ms. Markiewicz, Ms. Jaeckel, Mrs. Satoh, and Mr. Pazol
Fifth Grade: Mrs. Herlihy, Mrs. Strauss, Ms. Rickel, Mr. Lyles/Mrs. Niedermayer, and Ms. Wlodek
Specials: Mrs. Norman, Ms. Groessl, Mr. Emde, Mr. Tatar, Ms. Jones, Mr. Craw, and Mrs. Ok
Student Services Team: Ms. Avedon (social worker), Ms. Mullarkey (case manager), Ms. Cristofaro (case manager), Ms. Brand (occupational therapist), Mrs. Shvartsman (speech and language), Mrs. Halbert (BCBA) and Mrs. Flaskamp (reading specialist)
Instructional Coaches: Mrs. Kramer, Mrs. Emde, Mrs. Bodenlos, Mrs. Marquez, Mrs. Groncki, Mrs. Treshansky, Mr. Frishman, and Mrs. May
New *Upcoming Dates of Note*
- Curriculum Night - August 25, 2021- 6:30-8:00pm @ Kildeer
- Cougar Fun Run- September 10, 2021
- PTO Ice Cream Social- September 22, 2021
- Picture Day- September 24, 2021 @ Kildeer
NEW *Food Service*
FREE MEALS IN SCHOOL: Under the waivers to USDA Nutrition Programs currently offered, the District is able to provide free meals to all students. One reimbursable daily meal will be provided free of charge to each student that chooses to participate on school days.
SNACKS FOR PURCHASE IN SEPTEMBER: Snacks will start being offered at the beginning of September. If you wish your child to be able to purchase snacks at that time, please be sure to have their account prepaid on the K12PaymentCenter. This site will allow you not only to monitor balances but also transaction history. There are no transaction fees related to this account. To create an account you will need your student's 7 digit ID number, which will be emailed to you this evening with the subject line of D96 Food Service Information.
ORDERING PROCESS: Each morning, students will tell their teachers which entree they will order and those numbers will be shared with the food service staff. Please encourage your students to take the entree they ordered to ensure that all students receive the desired meal. Menus can be viewed on the District website.
FINAL DRIVE THROUGH MEAL HANDOUT: Now that all students will be in person, the final drive through meal handout will occur on Monday, August 16th and will contain four days of meals.
New *School Hours*
- Arrival time is between 8:10am and 8:25am
- The bell that starts the day rings at 8:25am. A parent/adult must accompany late arriving students into the foyer/office and sign them in using the iPad. You do this if you arrive after 8:25am.
- Do not drop your child off at any door since all doors are locked and secured at this time. Please be aware that while we try to keep clocks on time, they can sometimes run a minute or two fast. If there are no adults outside, please bring your child into the foyer/front office.
Dismissal: 3:00 p.m.
New *Three Types of School Days*
There are generally three different types of school days below. Each day begins at 8:25 am, but the end times based on the type of day, are listed below.
- Regular Day School Hours: 8:25 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Half-Day School Hours: 8:25 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
- Early Release Day School Hours: 8:25 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
New *General Communication Expectations for Teachers*
Teachers will communicate with parents, at a minimum, twice a month. Staff use different forms of electronic communication. Some examples include emailed newsletters, blogs, email, and websites. You will learn this information at meet the teacher and/or curriculum night as well if you are in attendance. If you can’t make it to either one of these events, please connect with your student’s teacher to learn how he or she communicates.
NEW *Arrival & Departure Procedures*
There are many rules and procedures regarding arrival and dismissal. This can be challenging to get acquainted with and even frustrating. However, these procedures, developed in conjunction with our Facilities Director, Sam Miranda, have student safety as the driving factor. The first few dismissals can be slow due to staff and students learning their routines. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Arrival
- Please follow the blue arrows for the flow of traffic. Hooray! We are using our front entrance again this school year!
- Cars should pull up all the way to the "Stop Here" sign out the front of the school.
- Students should not be dropped prior to 8:10 due to supervision coverage.
- If you would like to walk your child up to the front door, please utilize the front row of parking spaces all the way to the left. This will allow you to safely walk with your child without crossing the parking lot.
- NOTE: We will also leave the parking spaces in the front row directly in front of Kildeer open. However, in accordance with our handbook language, we ask that no one crosses the traffic between 8:10 and 8:20 while parent drop-off is happening.
- Thank you, as always, for utilizing the crosswalks whenever crossing in the parking lot.
Pick-Up
- Like last year, please have a sign in your car with your child's full name and grade.
- Cars should pull up all the way to the "Stop Here" sign in the front of the school.
- Adults will be outside to help students get to their appropriate vehicles.
- Thank you for being on time!
- Thank you for being patient with other cars in the parking lot.
Changes to Dismissal Plans
Please contact the school office at least 1 hour prior to dismissal in the event that your dismissal plans change. Your child will be at the designated dismissal location unless the school is notified otherwise. Please review the student handbook website for more specifics.
New *Daily Snack*
All students should bring an individual daily snack. It is required that snacks are only from our District Approved Snack List for the safety of students. Please label snacks with your child’s name.
Approved Snacks: What Parents Need to Know
The District has revised the APPROVED SNACK LIST. The items the list includes are free of the Top 8 allergens: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat. This list includes the foods that are approved for students' Daily Snacks. Daily snacks for your children must be from this list or they will be sent home.
IMPORTANT: All items for Daily Snacks, with the exception of fruits and vegetables, MUST be prepackaged to allow staff to easily check that snacks meet the approved requirements.
Director of Educational Services Amy Gluck also has provided responses to FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs) about foods approved for daily snacks/special events.
For your convenience, find links to the District 96 Approved Snack List and Approved Snack List FAQs on the homepage of the District 96 website and the homepage of each school.
Lunches packed from home may contain anything and do not need to be from the Approved Snack List. If your child is bringing in lunch, snacks must be packed separately from lunch. Please label lunch bags and snacks with your child’s name.
Repeat *Meet our office staff*
Please take a moment to meet our incredible office team! If you ever need anything this year, please don't hesitate to reach out. We are here for YOU!
Mrs. Jennifer Hagen, Administrative Assistant, [email protected]
Mrs. Tracey Wright, Clerical Aide, [email protected]
Mrs. Alison Forsythe, School Nurse, [email protected]
Mr. Josh Higgins, Assistant Principal, [email protected]
Mrs. Vail Kieser, Principal, [email protected]
Repeat *Meet the Teacher*
We are thrilled to welcome our students and families back into the halls of Kildeer for the traditional meet the teacher! This is an opportunity to drop off your school supplies and briefly meet the teacher. Thanks for helping us to keep this event fun and safe for everyone by following the guidelines below.
- Everyone must wear masks regardless of vaccination status.
- Please be aware of social distancing.
- All children must be supervised by their caregiver for the duration of the event.
- Please attend anytime during your assigned time slot. This will help us to keep the halls and classrooms less crowded.
Kildeer Elementary School - Tuesday, August 17th.
- Last Names A-L 8:30am - 9:15am.
- Last Names M-Z 9:15am - 10:00am.
Repeat *First Day of School - Thursday, August 19th - HALF DAY*
Kildeer- 8:25 AM - 11:45 AM
Please see the District 96 calendar link for more information
Repeat *Birthday Treats*
Our birthday treat policy has changed. Please know that moving forward, only school-appropriate, non-food items such as pencils, stickers, crazy straws, etc. will be allowed. If you are unsure whether the item is school-appropriate, please contact your child's classroom teacher for guidance.
Repeat *Health Form Deadline*
The district website lists today as the deadline for immunization forms. All immunizations should be completed to avoid school exclusion. Please refer to the D96 Student Health website for more information.
Repeat *Curriculum Nights*
More information will be forthcoming. Please save the date:
Kildeer Elementary School - Wednesday, August 25th
Grades 1 & 2: 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Grades 3 - 5: 7:15pm - 8:15pm
Repeat *I AM ME...WE ARE KILDEER family celebration SAVE THE DATE*
Please mark your calendars for Thursday, January 13, 2022! We will be hosting our 4th annual family celebration. What makes this one special? It's an evening where we come together to learn from and about each other. It's that simple! Keep a lookout for more details in the upcoming months!
Repeat *REQUIRED SUMMER READING & OPTIONAL WEEKLY SUMMER LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES*
To keep the learning going all summer, District faculty developed a 10-week summer curriculum with required reading for incoming students in KDG–Grade 8 AND optional math review activities. In addition, optional fun activities in the areas of STEM, music, writing, and more are also designated by week. SEE SUMMER ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES
The SUMMER READING webpage includes Book Lists for optional reading for Early Childhood–Grade 5 as well as the required reading assignment for middle school students entering Grades 6–8. Note that required summer reading for students entering KDG–Grade 5 is found in the SUMMER ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES resource, as described above.
Repeat *2021–22 School Supply Lists and Kits*
See Info to download grade-level school supply lists or order school supply kits to be delivered directly to your home. (Order kits by July 9 for home delivery by Aug. 13.)
Repeat * iPad Exchange Info for ALL KCSD96 Students*
Action needed! This summer District 96 will exchange your student's old iPad, charging cable, charging brick, and iPad case for new equipment. You'll need to schedule an appointment to make the exchange and the exchange must occur before Aug. 1. READ DETAILS about this process and how it affects ALL District 96 students.
*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 ***
- Please visit the PTO table on Tuesday, August 17th for Meet the Teacher and get signed up with membership toolkit if you have not already! PTO members will be there to answer any questions and share information about how to get involved this school year. We will be located at the front entry of the school.
- *NEW* Follow our PTO on social media! Facbook: Kildeer pto, Instagram: @kildeerpto
Check out the blog! New blog coming soon!
From all of the excited, new faces we saw today at our tours, I can only imagine what next week brings. We are thrilled to kick off this year in a positive way and can't wait to see YOU at Meet the Teacher.
Have an incredible weekend and we will see you soon!
Fondly,
Mrs. Vail Kieser
Principal