4/8/22
Just a reminder…There is no school on Friday, April 15th.
Congratulations!
Congratulations to all the students who participated in the AMC 8, MAA American Mathematics Competition, in January. At Twin Groves, Michelle Zhang took 1st place, Jakub Angelow took 2nd, and Austin Ji and Andrew Kang tied for 3rd. We would also like to celebrate that eighth grader Michelle Zhang scored in the top 1% nationally, and sixth grader Jakub Angelow scored in the top 5% nationally. Great job to all of our mathematicians!
Catalyst
Here is a group picture from our last Catalyst SHS meeting. The group is looking forward to promoting good healthy decisions next school year!
Counseling Corner
Ms. Baker and Mr. Maddox, School Social Workers
Ms. Koulentes, School Counselor
Ms. Leverentz, School Psychologist
Mindfulness and Mental Spring Cleaning
As we press on through the school year, students can feel overwhelmed and stressed from their months of hard work. Meanwhile, springtime is known for fresh starts and for clearing away clutter. While many of us participate in Spring cleaning around the house, it can benefit us to apply that same mindset when it comes to mental health.
One way to start clearing away emotional clutter is to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is defined as “the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us”.
There are many benefits to mindfulness in schools. Recent studies have found that middle school students who practiced mindfulness not only experienced stress to a lesser degree than their peers, but also attained higher academic achievement (Caballero et al., 2019).
Practicing mindfulness does not have to be time consuming or difficult. In fact, it can be done in almost any setting. Please see below for an example of a mindfulness exercise provided by the Executive Director of the American Institute for Learning and Human Development:
1. Find a seat or any peaceful spot to make yourself comfortable and close your eyes
2. Pay attention to breathing: to the inflow and outgo of air through the nostrils, or to the rising and falling of the chest or stomach
3. Maintain this focus on breathing, and without judgment, note if your thoughts start to wonder before returning your attention to the flow of your breathing.
4. In your own time, open your eyes and take one last deep breath before continuing on with your day
There are many other ways to practice mindfulness, but the method above is a great starting point. If you are interested in learning more about mindful practices you can speak with a mental health service provider or visit one of the various websites below centered around mindful practice.
https://www.mindfulnessforteens.com
https://www.mindful.org/mindfulness-can-empower-kids-and-teens/
https://www.changetochill.org/mindfulness-for-teens/
Registration now open for the 2022-23 school year
Registration is now open for the 2022-23 school year. This week, parents and guardians of returning students and pre-registered Kindergartners were emailed Notification letters with a SnapCode to start their registration process.
Register today to avoid the $20 late fee (per child) to be charged on registrations completed after April 15.
If you have questions about the 2022-23 Registration Notification email, please email [email protected] or call 847-459-4260, ext. 8022.
For information on registering a new student, visit https://kcsd96.org/registration.
2022-23 KINDERGARTEN KICK-OFF EVENT - MAY 3, 2022
Kindergarten Kick-Off is an opportunity for all FULLY REGISTERED incoming kindergarten students and families to tour Willow Grove and for incoming kindergarteners to experience an activity in a classroom. Families must be fully registered by Monday, April 18, to receive the invitation link for the event. Kindergarten Kick-Off sign-up closes on Tuesday, April 19. During the time children are in classrooms (30 minutes), parents will meet with Willow Grove Principal, Jenny Smith, for Kindy 101 to learn about Willow Grove and common questions families have.
YOU MUST BE FULLY REGISTERED AND SIGN UP TO ATTEND. For information on registering your incoming kindergartener, CLICK HERE. If you fully registered and do not believe you've received the link to sign up for Kindergarten Kick-Off, call the Willow Grove office for support or email [email protected].
https://www.kcsd96.org/wg/preregistration-program-for-kdg-parents
Opportunity for Incoming SHS Freshman
Making a Healthy Transition to Stevenson Panel
Monday, April 25, 2022
7-8 p.m.
Stevenson High School
1 Stevenson Drive
Lincolnshire, IL 60069
Register here: https://stevensontransitionpanel2022.eventbrite.com
Panelists:
-Troy Gobble, Principal, Stevenson High School
-Zara Dittman, Freshman Mentor Coordinator and Spanish Teacher, Stevenson
-Cristina Cortesi, Ph.D., Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator, Stevenson
-Hanvita Ramineni, Stevenson High School student and member of Catalyst Club
Parents, come learn:
-About your student's social transition
-How you can support the academic change
-How to support your child's mental health during this season
-How to recognize signs of drug/alcohol use, including vaping
At the same time, students are invited to a separate panel just for them with our Catalyst high school students. These panels will be happening simultaneously.
Students will learn how to:
-ADJUST to the academics and manage your time
-GET HELP when you need it - academic and emotionally
-GROW your social circle
-RESPOND in social situations if alcohol/drugs are offered
-CARE for your mental and emotional health
-MAKE the most out of your time at Stevenson
All incoming 2022-2023 Stevenson freshmen, their parents, and other interested adults are encouraged to participate in this free community program sponsored by Stevenson Stand Strong Coalition and Catalyst Club.
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.