Mrs. Cumpata's Weekly Message - 4.28.23

Mrs. Cumpata's Weekly Message - 4.28.23

Good Afternoon Kildeer Families,

It's time to celebrate our staff! Staff Appreciation Week will take place May 8-May 12. Our PTO has some wonderful things in store to celebrate our staff. We appreciate your partnership and all that you do to make our staff feel special and valued. Please join me in bringing them JOY by submitting a shout-out!  Kildeer Staff Appreciation Shout-Outs - Click Here. I will personally email the staff during staff appreciation week with your shout-out to thank them for a job well done! 

During the month of May we want to highlight our students and staff by introducing Kildeer’s 1st Cougars Got Talent!  Students are able to record themselves demonstrating their talent and then send the video to Mr. Higgins and me.  Videos will be played throughout the month of May during all lunch periods.  We are excited to see all of our talented Cougars!

EnJOY your weekend!

Mrs. Karen Cumpata

Upcoming Dates:

  • Monday, May 1st & Tuesday, May 2nd - MAP Testing

NEW *MAP Testing*

Students in kindergarten through grade 5 will take the MAP assessment on Monday, May 1st and Tuesday, May 2nd.

NEW *Kildeer ABC Countdown Calendar*

A huge thank you to our Student Council for creating our ABC Countdown Calendar.  Please click on the link below for the Kildeer ABC Countdown Calendar.

ABC Countdown Calendar - Click Here

NEW *Cross-Cultural Expert Speaks May 23*

An expert in the raising of children cross-culturally will share her wisdom with District 96 families at the end of next month.  Author Ruth E. Van Reken speaks virtually on “Raising Children Cross-Culturally: Maximizing the Benefits, Minimizing the Challenges'' on May 23, 2023 (7-8:30 p.m.).  She is the author of “Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds (3rd edition).”

Here’s what she will discuss:

“There is no question that there are many gifts for those who grow up interacting with different cultural communities. Learning to ‘code-switch’ positively in certain situations can be a great asset in today’s globalizing world. Being a cultural bridge is another gift that can come with such a childhood. But the realities of juggling the differing expectations between different cultural contexts can also introduce certain challenges. Questions related to identity, attachment, and belonging are often common during this process. This session will not only help to normalize why these challenges frequently arise, but also share practical strategies for how parents and other caregivers can help children maximize the gifts and grow from the challenges as well.”

To pre-register, please visit: https://kcsd96.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZArduCsrTwrGNL2dHxfbVHDgroIyXKYP1hP

For questions, please contact Lubna Andrabi, Community Parent Liaison, at [email protected].

NEW *PTO Update*

  • The Kildeer PTO is ordering FREE spirit wear shirts for all 1st-4th grade students to wear on our upcoming Field Day on May 17 and all next school year! Please complete this form no later than April 30 at 8 PM to guarantee your student’s size: https://forms.gle/pddRQFoUVYRzoZis8

  • 5th Grade Night Out is TONIGHT! All 5th Graders are invited to join us at Woodlawn from 6-8 PM. Registration begins at 5:30 PM!

  • It’s Showtime! Join us for a fun-filled evening at the 5th Grade Variety Show. Watch our talented 5th Graders perform on May 2 at 5:30 PM in the Small Gym!

  • You’re invited: Attend our final PTO General Membership Meeting of the year on May 3 at 8:30 AM in the Kildeer cafeteria.

  • WE NEED YOU… To join next year’s PTO Exec Board and Committees! Sign up now on Membership Toolkit or email us at [email protected]

REPEAT *Parent Input for Class Placement Survey* 

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 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, principals, 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 for grades 2-5. Willow Grove creates the class lists for our incoming 1st graders.  Our 5th-grade team actively works with Woodlawn to provide data and input 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 Sunday, April 30th. Please remember, while we welcome your input, specific teacher or friend placement requests will not be honored.

I cannot express enough how important it is that your thoughts are provided through the Parent Survey that is linked here.  As you can imagine, we receive a lot of parent input, and verbal information is impossible to track.  The information you provide in the survey will remain confidential between you, me, and Mr. Higgins.

REPEAT *Proof of Dental Exam* 

Dear Parents/Guardians of District 96 Kindergarteners, 2nd, and 6th Grade Students:

Please note that your child’s completed dental examination is now due, per Illinois school law. The deadline for the dental examination is due no later than May 15 of the current school year.  Proof of this required dental examination must have been completed within eighteen months prior to the May 15 deadline.

If you haven’t already done so, please make an appointment with your child’s dentist for a dental examination, have him and/or her complete the required form and return it to your child’s school nurse. 

State of Illinois Proof of Dental Examination Form

In the event that you are unable to fulfill this requirement, the state of Illinois does permit a waiver of the examination.

State of Illinois Dental Waiver Form