Hi Prairie Families,
We've had a busy week this week with IAR testing in grades 3, 4 & 5. Students who are testing are doing a great job. The whole school has had an adjusted daily schedule to ensure that all testing occurs in the morning. Everyone is doing great with this change as well. Other than students who need to complete make up testing, we will be finished with IAR testing on Tuesday, March 14th.
Speaking of Tuesday, March 14th, this is an early release day. Prairie students will be dismissed at 2:05pm. Our staff will spend the time digging into oracy. What is oracy? Simply stated, it's about being able to express yourself well. It's about having the vocabulary to say what you want and the ability to structure your thoughts so you make sense to others. Communication skills are a key to success. Being able to express your ideas and concerns is paramount. We are excited to have this professional development provided to us by our knowledgable coaching team.
Have a wonderful weekend. As always, if you need anything, do not hesitate to reach out.
Kindly,
Christine
NEW *Upcoming Dates*
March 14, Tuesday - Early Release
March 23, Thursday - Early Release, Conferences 5:00pm-8:30pm
March 24, Friday - No School, Conferences 10:00am-1:30pm
March 27 - 31 - Spring Break
NEW *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 child. 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 29th at 11:55 pm. 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 Class Placement Input for 2023 - 2024 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, me, and Mrs. Clausell.
NEW *Lost & Found*
Please encourage your child to check the lost and found for any missing items. There are many coats, gloves, hats, water bottles, and so much more. Any items remaining at the end of the school day on Thursday, March 23rd will be donated to Good Will.
REPEAT *Current Kindergarten, 5th Grade Families Need to Reprove Residency*
District 96 families of current Kindergarten and fifth-grade students are reminded that they will need to reprove their residency by April 15.
To reprove residency, scan or take a photo with your phone and email to the administrative assistant at the school your current Kindergartner or 5th grader now attends:
1. a current monthly mortgage OR lease statement OR property tax bill OR Warranty Deed, and
2. a current utility bill (e.g., water OR electric OR waste collection), and
3. this Proof of Residency Form (completed and signed)
Your current kindergartner’s or current 5th grader’s teacher assignment/schedule will not be provided for the 2023–24 school year until residency is reproved.
For more information, please click HERE.
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
Thank you,
Educational Services and Cynthia Francona, CSN
REPEAT *Human Growth & Development*
Each year Physical Education teachers provide Human Growth and Development lessons to students in 4th and 5th grade. This year those lessons will take place on April 12th and 13th in all elementary schools during the physical education class. Consistent with D96 values, students will not be separated by sex-assigned at birth during these lessons.
Illinois State law requires all school districts with a comprehensive health curriculum to provide instruction on specific health topics including human growth and development. The Illinois State Board of Education indicated that districts “may still teach sexual health aligned to the Illinois Physical Development and Health Standards.” Therefore, during the 2022-23 school year, District 96 will continue to cover the same topics that were previously taught in grades 4 and 5. These topics align with the Illinois Physical Development and Health Standards.
Our curriculum is designed to introduce topics at the most age-appropriate time; therefore, lessons in grades four and five focus on puberty and the changes associated with it.
Please use the links below to preview the lessons and materials that will be used on April 12th and 13th.
Kildeer 96 will host a parent night closer to the implementation of the lessons to discuss our approach to these topics and answer parent questions. The specific day and time of the parent night will be posted in the Principal Message at a later date.
District 96 recognizes that parents/guardians are the primary educators for their families on these topics.
As parents, you may elect to excuse your child from instruction on this topic. If you choose this option, please submit a specific request, in writing, to the school principal, asking that your child be excused from the class during that specific period(s) of instruction, and we will provide an alternate assignment.
If you have questions concerning the materials, please reach out to your child’s PE teacher.
REPEAT *Student Led Conferences*
Student Led Spring Conferences will be held on Thursday, March 23rd from 5:00pm to 8:30pm and Friday, March 24th from 10:00am to 1:30pm.
Conferences will be 20 minutes in length for students in grades 1 - 8. Students in kindergarten and early childhood will have 15-minute conferences, and students in Guided, Structured, and ILC classrooms will have 15-minute conferences.
During the conferences, students will be guiding their parents/guardians through a reflective presentation regarding the progress they have made this year as well as areas of strength and growth. After the presentation has concluded students will be able to provide a tour of other learning spaces in the school.
The Meet the Teacher sign-up will be open to parents at 5:00 pm on Monday, March 6th, and it will close on Sunday, March 19th at 11:55 pm. After that, you will need to call the school office to schedule a conference.
Please Note: All student-led conferences will be held in-person. There will be no remote option for Student Led Spring Conferences. If you are unable to attend in-person, students will be able to share their presentations at home.
Because conferences are student-led, there will be no conferences scheduled or provided between the parent and teacher only.
REPEAT *Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR)*
Students in grades 3 - 8 take the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) each spring. This year the district will be administering the IAR to students from Tuesday, March 7th through Monday, March 13th. Prairie Elementary and Kildeer Countryside Elementary have been selected for a field test this year, which will be administered on Tuesday, March 14th.