2/25/22
Today was the last day of Trimester 2.
Trimester 3 starts on Monday, February 28th.
March Reminders:
March 7th- No School
March 14th- Early Release 1:30 PM dismissal for students
March 14th- Family Educator Conferences 5:00 PM- 8:30 PM
March 15th- No School
March 15th- Family Educator Conferences 10:00 AM -1:30 PM
March 18th- No School
March 21st-25th- Spring Break
March 28th- Classes Resume
Congrats!
In an effort to spread positivity, Twin Groves uses our 5 Traits to recognize exemplars of the following qualities: Responsible, Accountable, Respectful, Safe, and a Community. In addition to the 5 Traits, we are also recognizing students for being leaders, role models, supportive peers, brave, and positive.
As part of this focus, the Twin Groves Staff would like to recognize the following students who consistently demonstrate these qualities.
Dylan Entin
Anna Freitas
Medha Koneru
Denys Mytsak
Veda Nallapati
Josh Peterson
Lorelei Vaysburg
What’s Happening at Twin?
Spanish
The 6th graders have been studying verbs and adjectives. They will then learn the verb SER, body parts, and clothing.
The 7th graders have been studying a theme around food and parties. Soon, they will move on to the restaurant unit.
The 8th graders have learned chores and are using them to state commands in the present progressive. They will then move on to accessories and higher numbers.
Band
This has been a whirlwind month with the Jazz Festival, the KCSD 96 Band Festival, IGSMA Solo/ Ensemble Contest, concerts for all students 5-8, and the Contest Band contest coming up on March 5. Along with preparing for the concerts and contests, students have been working in smart music, submitting scales, and preparing solos for class performance. It’s been an exciting month. We are looking forward to the concert next Thursday ( Band students need to be in the band room by 7:10 PM) and the March 5 Band contest.
This is the time of year that families decide what their plans are for next year. I certainly hope all band students in 6th and 7th grade will keep on going in their band studies. And, if your student was in band in the 5th or 6th grade and you would like to come back for 7th or 8th grade band next year, I would love to have your student back in the program. They could continue on the one they started earlier or begin a new one. We have a great practice room for them to learn their instrument and come and be a part of the band.
Orchestra
Congratulations to all of the orchestra students who participated in the IGSMA Solo/Ensemble Contest on Sat. Feb 5th! It was a wonderful day of performances and all of the students did so well. I am so proud of all of them and the hard work they put into preparing for the event.
Just a reminder about the following upcoming event/info:
Thursday, March 3rd, 2022: Music in Our Schools Month Concert
6:30pm: 6-8 Orchestra and Chorus
7:30pm: 6-8 Bands
*There will also be work featured by students from the Art Fair Club. The art work will be displayed one hour before and one hour after the concert*
In our classes, we have been wrapping up the Trimester with final assessments and benchmarks. We are looking forward to new music and new materials in Trimester 3!
5Essentials Survey for Parents!
Parent 5Essentials Survey: Share Your Thoughts About Your Child’s School
Parents and Guardians: KCSD 96 wants to hear from you!
You’re invited to complete the Illinois 5Essentials Parent Survey. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of your child’s school and help school and District leaders better understand the parent/school relationship. This survey is administered on behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education.
The survey gathers data related to five indicators that can predict important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains. These five indicators that affect and predict school success include:
Effective Leaders
Collaborative Teachers
Involved Families
Supportive Environments
Ambitious Instruction
To take the survey, please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ and select the “Parent” survey to begin. Please know that your identity and responses will be kept confidential and will not be connected with your child. You may submit a survey for each child you have in the district.
The survey closes on March 11.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact 5Essentials Client Services at 1-866-440-1874 or [email protected] or Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Jeanne Spiller at [email protected].
*NEW - Updates to mitigation measures coming March 2nd*
On Wednesday, March 2nd updated information related to mitigation measures will be shared with the community. As positivity rates and positive COVID-19 cases within our schools continue to decline, KCSD96 continues to be confident in the mitigation measures we have in place. However, if you have ongoing concerns about optional masking due to your student's extensive medical condition, please reach out to your building principal.
Illinois Science Assessment (ISA)
Students in grades 5 and 8 participate in the Illinois Science Assessment. The ISA is aligned to the Illinois Science Learning Standards and is designed to reflect classroom experiences. The ISA consists of three sections that will be administered over three days (March 9-11) during the regular school day.
Parent Letter from ISBE (English)
Parent Letter from ISBA (Spanish)
SPRING COLLABORATIVE CONFERENCES
The collaborative conference dates are Monday, March 14th from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM and Tuesday, March 15th from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM.
We will be using Meet the Teacher as an electronic sign up for collaborative conferences. A School Messenger email will be sent to families on Thursday, February 24th at 6:00PM with a link to sign up for conferences.
Collaborative conferences will be held over zoom unless parents request an in-person conference using the instructions below. A document with all the staff zoom links will be sent out on Friday, March 11th.
REQUESTING AN IN-PERSON CONFERENCE
After selecting the teachers you wish to meet with and choosing a time for each conference, Meet the Teacher will prompt you to save the appointment and ask if you want to add a message for the teacher. If you want to have an in-person conference with the teachers, you must notify the teachers via this messaging feature (see picture below).
Join us for 'Raising Kids Who Thrive'
Join journalist and parent educator Katherine Reynolds Lewis at 7 p.m. March 2 for ~ "Raising Kids Who Thrive: Responsibilities, Healthy Habits and Emotional Well-Being" ~ an interactive talk about how parents can raise children to thrive, be responsible, learn how to take care of their mental and physical health and manage anxiety and stress.
The author of “The Good News About Bad Behavior: Why Kids Are Less Disciplined Than Ever — And What to Do About It,” Katherine will share problem-solving strategies for kids’ difficult behavior or disengagement. This talk covers how to tune in to children's emotions, develop helpful family routines and language for tough conversations, and deal with stress and your own sense of feeling overwhelmed.
Pre-register at: https://kcsd96.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYkd-uoqTwtH9Frqo4U0boPDVi1-AMLihpl
For more information, contact Lubna Andrabi, the District's Community Parent Liaison, at [email protected].
Stevenson Volunteer Request for 8th Grade Families
Eighth Grade Families,
We're looking for adults who are interested in joining the Stevenson Patriot Parent Association (PPA) Executive Board or serving as a co-chairperson of one of our many committees. Be involved in PPA with the Bake Sale, Staff Hospitality, Cookie/Treat Day, Class Reps, or the Assignment Notebook committees. Applications are being taken online now until March 30.
Apply here: https://forms.gle/8gmqr3oY4C2xYVS9A. There will be an opportunity this summer to volunteer for individual events during the 2021-22 school year. Watch for that announcement by following the PPA on Facebook or Instagram: @shsppa If you have any questions, please contact Gayle Stein at [email protected].
NEW *Covid Metrics*
To stay up-to-date this school year on local metrics, please visit the COVID DASHBOARD for District 96. Our priority remains to keep our students safe and follow guidance from the CDC. If your student is identified as a "close contact", you will be notified individually through the contact tracing process.
Daily Announcements
Please see Twin Groves website for up to date school announcements. The announcements let you know what exciting activities and clubs are going on at Twin Groves. Please click HERE to access the Daily Announcements.