3/3/23
Upcoming Dates:
There is no school on Monday, March 6th.
There is an early release on Tuesday, March 14th. Students will be dismissed at 1:30 PM.
There is an early release on Thursday, March 23rd. Students will be dismissed at 1:30 PM.
There is no school on Friday, March 24th.
Spring Break- There is no school from Monday, March 27th to Friday, March 31st.
There is no school on Tuesday, April 4th.
There is no school on Friday, April 7th.
There is a half day of school on Friday, April 21st. Students will be dismissed at 11:10 AM.
There is an early release on Tuesday, April 25th. Students will be dismissed at 1:30 PM.
Music In Our School Concert and Art Fair
Last night we had our annual Music In Our School Concert.
The Orchestra, Band, and Chorus were fabulous! Everyone sounded amazing! It was wonderful to listen to their hard work.
In addition, Mrs. Dodge’s Art Club students had a chance to display their hard work at the Twin Groves Art Fair!
Counseling Corner
Ms. Baker and Mr. Maddox, School Social Workers
Mrs. Koulentes, School Counselor
Mrs. Leverentz, School Psychologist
Spring Break is on the horizon. The weather is getting just a little bit nicer and our eighth-grade students are already starting to think about graduation. All of the great things about March, and Spring in general, can also create a problem at school- lower motivation. For some of our students (and, let’s be honest, some of us) this means restless behavior and less work getting done. No one is immune from the occasional low-motivation day. It’s important to acknowledge this challenging time of year and take some proactive steps to keep motivation high. Some signs that your student might be dealing with lowered motivation include not wanting to attend classes, procrastinating on their assignments (more than usual), struggling to pay attention in their classes, and telling you that they are often bored at school.
So what can we all do, and encourage our students to do, to stay motivated in March? Here are some tips:
1. Wake up early - Getting an early start to the day allows you to be productive right away and build momentum for the rest of the day. If you know you are someone who doesn’t have a lot of time at the end of the day, it could be a great chance to check some things off the list.
2. Make to-do lists - A great way to organize what needs to get done, while checking items off also provides a visual reminder of progress!
3. Go for a walk - Indoors or outdoors, standing up and getting moving is a great way to get the blood pumping and increase motivation.
4. Create specific goals - Similar to a to-do list, crafting and meeting goals builds momentum and can make long-term tasks feel more manageable
5. Celebrate accomplishments - Making any amount of progress is worth celebrating and can help keep you going.
6. Change up the daily routine - It’s easy to lose motivation when every day feels the same. Engage in different activities or schedules as much as possible to keep it interesting.
7. Make time for yourself - Taking the time to practice self-care helps nurture motivation and positivity
8. Surround yourself with positive people - Positivity and continued encouragement are paramount to staying motivated
Each person has their own reasons to feel motivated. Some might need to focus on long term goals, some might need to focus on incremental progress and rewards. Find what works best for you, and for your student, and make an effort to build the momentum that will last through the end of the school year!
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. This examination can as old as November 15, 2021.
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
Dental examination forms, as well as dental waiver forms, can be downloaded from the District’s website.
Thank you for your prompt cooperation.
Student Led Conferences
Student Led Spring Conferences will be held on Thursday, March 23rd from 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm and Friday, March 24th from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm.
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 30-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.
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.
Twin Groves Testing Schedule:
March 7th, 8th, 9th- 7:45 AM - 9:35 AM
March 10th and 13th- 7:45 AM - 10:15 AM
Make Ups will take place starting on March 14th.
NEW *Dual Language Parent Night for Incoming Kindergartners*
If you are enrolling an incoming Kindergarten student and want to learn more about our D96 Dual Language Program, we would love for you to join us at 6 pm on Wednesday, March 8th for our Incoming Dual Language Parent Night. This virtual meeting will take place via Zoom and will be an opportunity for you to learn about our Dual Language Program and have your questions answered.
Date: Wednesday, March 8th
Time: 6:00-6:30
Zoom Link:
https://kcsd96.zoom.us/j/87185468645?pwd=UUR3VnI0N0JTZHYxRGQ5aXlJa1k5Zz09
5Essentials Survey for Parents/Guardians
Beginning January 24 through April 2nd, 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].
PTO INFO!
Staff Conference Dinner
We only have 3 things left on our Wishlist! Can you help the next time you place an Amazon order?
Conferences are right around the corner. We need a few things for our Twin Groves Tailgate Party for our staff dinner. Can you help? Check out our Amazon wishlist! The conference dinner is on 3/23!
https://linktr.ee/twingrovespto
Book Fair is March 20th-22nd!!!
We are bringing the book fair back to Twin Groves this March! We need parent volunteers to help out. On Monday, March 20th students will walk through the fair during their ELA period. If you want to see your kid sign up then or if you don’t want to run into them pick a different time. Students will also have the opportunity to shop during their FLEX period on Tuesday and Wednesday. If you have additional time we are looking for additional committee members for the book fair. Hope to see you there! https://twingrovesmspto.membershiptoolkit.com/
Students will have the opportunity to walk through the fair during the day. We recommend setting up at E-Wallet but cash, checks, and credit cards are okay too. Book blurbs and previews will be posted to our Facebook page! Check out https://linktr.ee/twingrovespto to set up an e-wallet.
PTO Fundraiser - Do-Rite Donuts - March 24th
Start spring break on a sweet note! Twin Groves PTO is partnering with Dwell Social to deliver fresh baked amazingly delicious Do Rite donuts to your door on Friday, March 24th. $5 from every sale will be donated back to the PTO. Delivery will be between 6:30 am and 9:30 am on Friday, March 24th.
In addition, we are competing against 7 other Chicagoland schools in a March Madness sales competition. If we are in the top 3 for sales, we will win a bonus donation to our organization. Fresh donuts delivery, $ back to the PTO, and a chance to earn bonus funds…It's WIN, WIN, WIN!!!!!
Upcoming Events!!!
March 8th- Dessert Day
March 20th-22nd- Book Fair
March 22nd- Special Lunch
March 23rd- Weiner Takes All Fundraising Day 10:30 AM-8:00 PM
Please click here to access the PTO Blog.
Twin Groves Athletics
Please click HERE to access the Twin Groves Athletics site.
This site will be updated frequently.
Daily Announcements
Please see the 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.