Dear Parents,
We had a successful first week of 5-day attendance for in-person students. A positive energy could be felt in the building with students continuing to share that they are happy to be back in the classroom. Our safety routines continue to run smoothly and the lunchroom procedures are working fluidly. Compliments to our students who are doing a wonderful job of following all the safety protocols throughout the day. Kudos to our teachers as well who seamlessly integrate instruction and social activities for our in-person and remote learners every day.
As always, we are here to support you and your child(ren). If you need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Kindly,
Christine Pfaff
Principal
NEW *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
Grades 3-5
Wednesday 5/26
Arrival: 8:45
Dismissal: 11:00
Middle School
Monday 5/24 and Tuesday 5/25
Arrival: 8:00
Dismissal: 11:15
Middle School
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.
NEW *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 *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 Twin Groves 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 FRIDAY, 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 Prairie-Parent Input for Class Placement 2021-2022 Survey. 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 and me.
NEW *Collection of Literacy Materials*
Over the course of the year we have been sending home materials with students. At this time, 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.
- Materials that are still being used are noted in the checklist, and those can stay at home for now.
- Starting April 19th, from 7:00am - 4:00pm materials can be put on the grade level designated tables outside the main office. Please make sure the materials are in a bag and labeled with your child's name and homeroom teacher.
Materials lists
If you have any questions, please reach out to your student’s teacher.
NEW *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. Please click HERE to see highly requested items.
NEW *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 *Attendance Procedures for In-Person Students*
With the change to five days of in-person learning for all students beginning April 12th, the expectation is that students will attend in-person unless the student is under quarantine/isolation or is home ill. If for some reason your child needs to attend school remotely instead of in-person on a given day, attendance procedures are changing to state that the child’s parent/guardian will need to contact the school office prior to the start of the school day.
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.
Country Meadows- Monday
Ivy Hall- Tuesday
Kildeer- Wednesday
Willow Grove- Wednesday
Prairie- Thursday
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 *2021–22 KCSD96 REGISTRATION FEE CHARGES ON CREDIT CARD STATEMENTS*
After successfully submitting your student’s 2021–22 registration, you will receive an itemized receipt by email promptly that lists the total charge, including required fees and optional donations, if any, that you chose to make.
IMPORTANT:
Please do not refute the charge. It will result in a chargeback fee for your family.
If you select the credit card payment option when paying 2021–22 registration fees, look for either of the following identifying description labels on your credit card statement: POWERSCHOOL MD 512375–4514 or PB POWERSCHOOL. District 96 registration charges are not described with the District or school name.
Also, be advised that some banks code this transaction as a donation.
If you have questions, please refer to your registration receipt and/or contact the public info coordinator [email protected]