August 5, 2022
Good Afternoon Kildeer Families,
The Kildeer Energy Bus is fueled up and ready for the 2022-2023 school year!
My name is Mrs. Karen Cumpata and I am thrilled to be the Principal of Kildeer Countryside Elementary School. I am looking forward to all of our upcoming Back to School events so I can start meeting all the wonderful families and students of Kildeer. The Kildeer staff is very excited to be working with you and your child(ren) this year. If this is your first experience as a Kildeer family, I know that you will be pleased with our school and staff and love being part of the Kildeer community. This school year, we will be inviting students, staff and parents to “hop on the Kildeer Energy Bus” for a ride that will fill everyone with joy, excitement and positive energy. As a school community, we will be using The Energy Bus by Jon Gordman to set the tone for this year. I am excited to welcome each of you as passengers onto the Kildeer Energy Bus!
Building positive relationships and making positive choices will be a daily focus this school year. During the school day, each class will have PAWSitive Time. This time will be used to build classroom connections and spread positive energy. Students will also continue to have Buddy Classrooms where a primary class and an intermediate class will buddy up and participate in different activities. Finally, as a school we will be “fueling up” our positive behavior and support structure with more celebrations and student recognitions.
The staff and I are looking forward to seeing all our students in person. Please see the “Important August Dates” section below for events going on this month. We look forward to seeing you there. If you are new to the District, please take a few minutes to view our Welcome to District 96! video.
As a new administrator to District 96, I know the importance and value of creating a positive partnership with families, so please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Kindly,
Mrs. Karen Cumpata
NEW *Important August Dates*
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Friday, August 12th from 2:00 pm - 2:45 pm - New Family Tour at Country Meadows, Ivy Hall, Kildeer, & Prairie
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Wednesday, August 17th from 8:30 am - 9:30 am - Meet the Teacher at Country Meadows, Ivy Hall, Kildeer, & Prairie
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Wednesday, August 17th from 10:00 am - 11:00 am - Meet the Teacher at Willow Grove
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Thursday, August 18th - First day of school. This is a half-day. School starts at 8:25am and ends at 11:45am Students may arrive at school at 8:10am, when adult supervision starts. Please do not arrive to school earlier than 8:10am. Please see the Twin Groves, Woodlawn, and Willow Grove Principal’s Message for attendance times.
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Friday, August 19th - Full day of school. 8:25am - 3:05pm. Please note the new dismissal time. Please see the Twin Groves, Woodlawn, and Willow Grove Principal’s Message for attendance times.
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Wednesday, August 24th Curriculum Night at Country Meadows, Kildeer, & Prairie
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6:30 to 7:15 p.m. (Grades 1 and 2)
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7:15 to 8 p.m. (Grades 3-5)
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Thursday, August 25th Curriculum Night at Ivy Hall
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6:30 to 7:15 p.m. (Grades 1 and 2)
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7:15 to 8 p.m. (Grades 3-5)
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Tuesday, August 30th - Early Release at 2:05 pm at Country Meadows, Ivy Hall, Kildeer, & Prairie. Please see the Twin Groves, Woodlawn, and Willow Grove Principal’s Message for attendance times.
NEW *August 18 ~ First Day of School*
The first day of school is Thursday, August 18th. It is a half-day, from 8:25-11:45am. On the first day of school, we will have extra staff at all entrances and outside the building to support student arrival and dismissal. Parent Drop-Off and Parent Pick-Up will be in the front of the building. Bus Drop-Off and Bus Pick-Up will be in the back of the building. I have included an arrival and dismissal map for our parent drop-off and pick-up below. Student safety is our main concern during arrival and dismissal, so it is essential that all parents follow the drop-off and pick-up procedures. Please note, students and families cannot use the crosswalk during arrival and dismissal. If you park in the green oval area (see below), you will be able to safely use the sidewalk to drop-off or pick-up your child. We truly appreciate your support and patience during the first few weeks of school when arrival and dismissal might take a little longer.
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.
NEW *Approved Snacks: What Parents Need to Know*
The District has revised the APPROVED SNACK LIST.
The items on the list 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, Bob Hanrahan, 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 any food items, 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.
NEW *School Lunch Programs*
The federal program that allowed school districts across the country to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of income, expired on June 30, 2022. As a result, schools across the nation will be reverting back to free and reduced-price meals based on income eligibility guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
During the 2022-23 school year, families who do not qualify for free or reduced lunch will have to pay for school meals. Students whose families are eligible for free or reduced price breakfast or lunch will be able to access meals at no cost or at a discounted rate. Applications for free and reduced meals available on the District’s website. Within this link, you will find menus and how to complete pre-payment for meals. If you have any questions, please contact the Kildeer School office at 847.634.3243.
NEW *Lost and Found*
Our lost and found accumulates items very quickly. Items that remain when school goes into a break such as winter, spring, and summer breaks, these items are donated to local charities. To avoid the loss of costly coats, bike helmets, lunch boxes, water bottles, you name it, please label everything with your child’s name. Labeled items are returned to students. Thank you for your help!
NEW *Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Morning Parent Vehicle Drop Off
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Earliest drop off is 8:10am when adult supervision starts
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Follow the blue arrows on the arrival and dismissal map
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Pull up as far as you can
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Students exit vehicle on passenger side, if driver side exit is needed, call over a supervisor for assistance
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Adults stay in the vehicle, drop and go
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If you would like to walk your student to the front door, you must park in the green oval (map above) and use the sidewalk
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NO cell phone use in school zones - Illinois State Law
After School Parent Vehicle Pick-Up
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Follow the blue arrows on the arrival and dismissal map
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Pull up as far as you can
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Please tape your family name card to the passenger side front windshield at a height visible to supervisors. A family name card will be given to your student on the first day of school. If you need more, contact the office.
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Using your family name card will decrease wait time for everyone, as supervisors can quickly call students to vehicles
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Students will enter the vehicle on the passenger side. Supervisors will assist if driver side entry is needed.
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Drivers stay in the car
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If you would like to get out of your car to pick up your student, you must park in the green oval (map above) and use the sidewalk
Bus Drop Off & After School Pick Up
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Students who ride the bus will be dropped off and board the bus in the back parking lot
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Upon arrival, students will enter the building and walk to their classroom
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After school, students will board the bus. Many supervisors are present to ensure students board the correct bus. Bus signs and student bus tags are color coded for easy verification.
NEW *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 in accordance with the above. Please notify the office in writing in accordance with the district handbook. Please see Section 9.4 in the Parent/Student Handbook regarding permission for students to ride other buses, as in most cases, this is not allowed.
NEW *Student Picture Day*
Kildeer’s student picture day is Wednesday, October 12. More information to come in an upcoming Principal’s Message.
NEW *Birthday Treats*
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.
NEW *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.
NEW *Class Placement Information & Bus Information*
Your child’s class placement and bus information, if applicable, will come to you electronically on Wednesday, August 10th. A team of staff members worked diligently to make sure each child was placed in the classroom in which he or she will find continued success. We know you appreciate the fact that, with such careful thought and consideration put into these decisions, including your input, no changes will be made and we thank you for your support. This year’s class lists were developed with the following teaching teams in place to ensure student success.
1st: Miss Allison Bekielewski, Mrs. Hana Goyke, Miss Cooper Kolden, Mrs. Kristen Krohn
2nd: Mrs. Lauren Holmes, Mrs. Aly Lushpynskyj, Miss Brooke Sadowski, Mrs. Heidi Smith
3rd: Miss Carley Lynch, Miss Ashley Markiewicz, Ms. Melanie Ohnsted, Mrs. Lisa Scheribel
4th: Miss Erica Jaeckel, Mr. Jason Pazol, Mrs. Barb Satoh, Ms. Katie Slowikowski
5th: Mrs. Joanie Herlihy, Ms. Amanda Rickel, Mrs. Kim Strauss, Ms. Nikki Wlodek
If you do not receive a notification, please email our administrative assistant, Mrs. Amanda O’Kerns, at [email protected], or give us a call in the office at 847.634.3243.
NEW *Short Video Clip Invitation*
Dear Community Members,
Are you just as excited about returning to school as we are? If so, District 96 wants to hear your story!
You are invited to submit short video clips encouraging and/or thanking our staff for the work they do with our students every day. The purpose is for us to use these thoughtful video clips of voices from our community members to create a montage for our staff, to continually remind them of the positive impact they make. If you are interested in joining our efforts, please take a moment to review the specifics for recording and submission.
Recording Specifics:
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Please use a personal phone, tablet, or camera that records video to record one child, multiple children, or your entire family sharing in the message.
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Shoot the videos horizontally (landscaped) so the videos we stitch together are all of the same orientation.
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Verify your settings are at least 720p when using your camera. (Please check your device's camera settings to verify this.)
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Limit your message to 15-45 seconds each.
Submission:
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Once you have your videos recorded, please upload them to the Dropbox folder found at the URL below:
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When submitting your video, please know you are giving us permission to play your recording at an Institute Day for our staff.
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District 96 will review the video clips and create a montage that will be shared with staff at different times of the year to celebrate our employees.
If you have any problems with this link or any of the processes listed above, please email us at [email protected], and we will help you.