Mrs. Hafft's 5th Grade class proudly displaying their "Take Action" Projects
Good afternoon Prairie Families,
Happy March 1st! It's hard to believe we're already in the third trimester of the school year.
The days are getting longer, and the promise of spring is in the air. As a reminder, there’s no school on Monday.
Please enjoy the long weekend!
Ms. Lauren Delahanty
Principal
NEW *Upcoming Dates*
- Monday, March 4th - NO SCHOOL - Casimir Pulaski Day
- Tuesday, March 19th - NO SCHOOL (Staff Institute Day)
- Thursday, March 21st - EARLY RELEASE DAY: Spring Family–Educator Conferences
- Friday, March 22nd - NO SCHOOL - Spring Family–Educator Conferences
- Monday, March 25-29 - SCHOOL CLOSED: Spring Break
UPDATE *Response Rate - 5Essentials Survey for Parents/Guardians*
The parent response rate for Prairie is currently at 9% for the 2023-24 Illinois Supplemental Parent Survey. As a reminder, schools need 20% of their parents to respond in order to receive a report. Also note a school must have a minimum of 8 responding parents in order to receive a report.
Please visit http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/ to begin the parent survey. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact UChicago Impact Client Services at 1-866-440-1874 or [email protected].
NEW *Illinois Science Assessment (ISA)*
Students in grades 5 and 8 take the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) each spring. The district will be administering the ISA to students in grades 5 and 8 in the mornings on Wednesday, 3/6; Thursday 3/7, and Friday, 3/8.
NEW *Report Cards*
Trimester 2 report cards will be available online after 3 PM on Friday, March 1, for students in Early Childhood through 8th Grade.
See instructions to access the report cards online HERE.
Please contact the SCHOOL OFFICE with questions.
NEW *Spring Family/Educator Conferences*
Spring Family/Educator Conferences are right around the corner. The conference dates are Thursday, March 21st from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM and Friday, March 22nd from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM.
We will be using Meet the Teacher as an electronic sign-up for conferences. A School Messenger email will be sent to families on Tuesday, March 5th at 5:00PM with a link to sign up for conferences.
Conferences will be held virtually using Meet the Teacher’s video conferencing platform unless parents request an in-person conference using the instructions bolded at the end of this message. After you have scheduled your conferences, you will receive an email from Meet the Teacher with a link you will use to access the video conferences.
Elementary parents will have the option to sign up with the classroom teacher as well as select specials teachers and any related service providers their children see.
Middle school parents will have the option to sign up with one core content teacher (see below) and pertinent exploratory/PE teachers. Please note: Students on the B Day schedule will have their Spanish teachers available during this round of conferences. Available Middle School Core Teachers
- 6th Grade: 3rd Period Teacher
- 7th Grade: 2nd Period Teacher
- 8th Grade: 4th Period Teacher
If you are unable to schedule a conference with a specific teacher, please remember that conferences are not the only time to communicate with teachers. Please feel free to reach out any time.
REQUESTING AN IN-PERSON CONFERENCE
If you want to have an in-person conference with the teachers, you must notify the teachers via email by the end of the day on Tuesday, March 19th.
NEW *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 - Click Here
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 - Click here
*NEW* Sense of Belonging Survey
In District 96, we believe that feedback from students regarding their perception of the school climate and teacher-student relationships provides valuable input about their sense of belonging. Our school district is committed to providing our students with every opportunity to succeed. Substantial research indicates that supporting students’ social-emotional development improves their readiness to learn, positive classroom engagement, and overall academic performance. As a result, District 96 will administer a student belonging survey to all students EC-8. These surveys are below for your review. A physical copy will be available from the district office upon request.
Surveys Below:
With this information, the District can make thoughtful and informed decisions to support students' deeper sense of belonging at school. As always, student privacy and safety are of the utmost importance. This survey is FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act), and PPRA (The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment) certified. The collected data will improve our students’ sense of belonging and will only be used by our schools. Student responses will support group patterns so schools can provide support in those targeted areas. Thank you for supporting our school communities and their corresponding sense of belonging.
If you would like to exclude your child from participating in the survey, please contact your child/children’s building principal.
NEW *Prairie Dance Team Club Update*
Thank you for all the abundance of interest in the program. Due to the high amount of responses we can only accept 30 students. The sign-up is now closed and Miss Furlett and Miss Weil will be emailing families who have been accepted into our club. Please be on the lookout for next year if you are interested. Thanks!
NEW *WOW Winners!*
Congratulations to this week's WOW Winners!
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REPEAT *Opening March 1: Registration for 2024-25 School Year*
Registration for the 2024-25 school year opens on Friday, March 1. Parents and guardians of new Kindergarten students and returning District 96 students will be emailed a link to register their child for the 2024-25 school year.
Complete registration by April 15 to receive a $20 Early-Bird discount. Families with returning students who register after April 15 will pay the standard registration fee. Registering early helps us to plan for the upcoming school year.
Registration fees paid by April 15 for the 2024-25 school year are:
- Early Childhood Blended Tuition: $2,870 (or $335.07 monthly)
- Kindergarten: $90
- Grades 1-4: $110
- Grade 5: $120
- Grades 6-8: $135
REPEAT *5Essentials Survey for Parents/Guardians*
Beginning January 30th through March 29th, District 96 invites you to share your thoughts on the inner workings of your child’s school. On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago.
As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness in a survey about your child’s school. Your participation will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide our improvement. Parent identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.
Please visit http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/ to begin the parent survey. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact UChicago Impact Client Services at 1-866-440-1874 or [email protected].
REPEAT *Human Growth & Development*
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 2023-24 school year, District 96 will continue to cover the same topics that were previously taught in grades 4 and 5. These topics align to the Illinois Physical Development and Health Standards.
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 4th grade materials, please reach out to your child’s PE teacher. For questions about the 5th grade program, please contact the school’s principal or assistant principal.
For specific materials, please see below.
Fourth Grade
This year Physical Education teachers will provide Human Growth and Development lessons to students in 4th grade. Those lessons will take place on March 15th in all elementary schools during the physical education class. Students will not be separated by gender during these lessons.
Please use the links below to preview the lessons and materials that will be used on March 15th.
4th Grade: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bfdVQB1r8pp8oEfVH5F1thZRyug-eLcV/view?usp=share_link
Fifth Grade
This year Kildeer 96 will be hosting Candor Health Education (formerly Robert Crown Center) on March 13th at 1:00 pm. Candor Health will provide the learning to 5th grade students, and 5th grade teachers will be present during this learning experience. As with 4th grade, students will not be separated by gender during the presentation by Candor Health.
Please click on the links below for an overview of the program. The letter contains tips for parents to start conversations with children. The video (Puberty I - gender combined) will show you everything the students will see during the presentation.
School Program Overviews for Parents – Candor Health Education VIDEO
Password Premier24
Repeat *Dual Language: For Parents of Incoming Kindergartners*
Do you have an entering kindergartner or know of a D96 resident who does? Are you interested in your child having a bilingual school experience?
The District 96 Spanish/English Dual Language Program was designed several years ago to implement instruction across the curriculum and provide an opportunity for students to develop a deep academic proficiency in two languages. In the Dual Language Program, 50 percent of the academic curriculum is delivered in Spanish, and 50 percent of the academic curriculum is delivered in English.
Families interested in enrolling their incoming kindergartner in the Spanish/English Dual Language Program can indicate so on the registration form while completing the kindergarten registration process that begins March 1, 2024. This process should be completed by April 15, 2024, to be entered into the Dual Language Lottery. Please note that indicating interest in the Dual Language Program does not guarantee acceptance into the Dual Language program.
Please visit our District 96 Website to learn more about the optional Spanish/English Dual Language Program (https://www.kcsd96.org/curriculum/dual-language) and our Dual Language Lottery (https://www.kcsd96.org/curriculum/dual-language-lottery).
**District 96 will be hosting a Virtual Parent Night from 6 to 6:30 p.m. on March 12, 2024 for parents of incoming Kindergarten students who are interested in learning more about the Dual Language Program.**
REPEAT *24-25 Kindergarten Registration Open*
Are you the parent of a kindergarten student or friends with someone who is? Please help us get the word out! Kindergarten registration is now open for the 24-25 school year. Families who complete registration by April 30th may attend Kindergarten Kick-Off in May at Willow Grove Early Learning Center and receive a free t-shirt while at the event! Kindergarten Kick-Off is an exciting event designed to welcome and introduce incoming kindergarten students and their parents/guardians to Willow Grove, supporting a successful transition into school and kindergarten. Please follow this link to learn about the steps to register. Fully registered families will receive additional information about Kindergarten Kick-Off and more in early April.
If your child is already attending Willow Grove in the early childhood program, you will automatically receive a registration link in March for kindergarten. Please wait until you receive that link to proceed with registration. You will still want to complete the registration process by April 30th to receive your child's free t-shirt and attend Kindergarten Kick-Off.
Please note that your child must be 5 years old by September 1st, 2024 to attend kindergarten for the 2024-25 school year.
https://www.kcsd96.org/wg/kindergarten-registration