2/21/25
Upcoming Dates:
2/28- No School
3/3- No School
3/20- Early Release- Students dismissed at 1:30 PM and Conferences from 5:00 PM- 8:30 PM
3/21- No School- Conferences from 10:00 AM- 1:30 PM
3/24-3/28- No School- Spring Break
What’s Happening at Twin Groves?
Art: Please be sure to ask your child to show you their artwork. Most work has gone home but there is still some work displayed in the halls that will be returned to students later. 6th grade just finished up an abstract design emphasizing rhythm and pattern 7th grade just made futuristic self-portraits. 8th grade is finishing up painting trees with an emphasis on value and texture. Good luck in Music!
Music: We are at the end of our 2nd Trimester! 6th grade is learning important compositional techniques and using notation software to write their own melodies. They then take the melodies they created and rearrange them on Soundtrap. 7th graders analyze song structure and write their own lyrics to a song. They have been learning how to dissect a song and what songwriters use to tell stories in music. In 8th grade, we are learning about the 12-bar blues. These students are working in partners to improvise and play the 12-bar blues on guitar. Music students will rotate to TASOL for the 3rd Trimester.
TASOL: All TASOL students have been working in the kitchens. We have made some great recipes, including baking powder biscuits, lemonade cookies, french toast , and many more. As the trimester comes to an end, 7th and 8th grade students will be creating a presentation for their Cooking at Home assignment. Sixth grade finished their sewing projects. They have been learning how to be safe in the kitchen, read recipes, and identify utensils. Take some time and cook in the kitchen with your students. They love to try new recipes and it is the perfect way to spend quality time with your students. Trimester 3 will start on February 24. All TASOL students will rotate to Art.
Band: The band is going through the busy season with IGSMA, KCSD96 Band Festival, Band contest, Concerts in March, and the 7th Grade band Orchestra field trip. The band festival is our 5th annual event where we have brought in an outstanding conductor to clinic our bands and instrumental teachers to give master classes to our students. There will be two concerts in March. The first one, March 6 at 7:30 PM is for students in the Jazz Band and Honor Band. The second concert is Monday, March 10 at 7:00 PM and involves students in the Concert band and the 5th grade Cadet Band. The Honor Band is busily preparing for Contest on Friday, March 7. Finally, the 7th-grade students will be going to the Elgin Symphony Orchestra on Wednesday, March 12. This year we had outstanding student performances all day long at the IGSMA solo and Ensemble contest. The band had around 50 performances.
Orchestra: As the trimester comes to a close, the orchestra students are finishing up their benchmarks and assessments and celebrating a great trimester! As March approaches, we are getting to our busy time of year in Orchestra! All grades are preparing for our upcoming “Music In Our Schools Month” concert on Thursday, March 6th at 6:30 pm in the TG Large Gym. Please refer to the previously sent email for more info.
Congratulations to ALL of the students who participated in the IGSMA Solo/Ensemble Contest on Saturday, Feb. 8th. I am so proud of all of the students and their hard work. It was truly a fantastic day of performances!
Please see below for more upcoming events/performances:
Thurs. Feb. 27th, 7:30 pm @ SHS PAC: Chamber Orchestra Performance at 5th Grade Orchestra Concert
Wed. March 5th: Permission forms due for 7th Grade Orchestra field trip to ESO
Thurs. March 6th, 6:30 pm @ TG: Music In Our Schools Month Concert: Orchestras & Choirs
Wed. March 12th, during school: Elgin Symphony Field Trip for 7th Grade Orchestra
Mon. March 17th, 7:00 pm @ Woodlawn: TG/WL Combined Chamber Orchestra Concert
As a reminder, please make sure to review our concert/events calendar below:
2024-2025 Twin Groves/Prairie/Ivy Hall Orchestra Concert/Event Calendar
Lost and Found
Lost and Found is on display in the Cafeteria. Items not claimed by March 7th will be donated.
If you are looking for a misplaced item, email Mrs. Jaegers, [email protected] with your child's name and a description of the missing item.
Fidgets
We understand that fidget toys can be beneficial for some students who need something to keep their hands occupied during class. However, it’s important that these items remain discreet and do not disrupt the learning environment.
Lately, we’ve noticed an increase in fidgets that are becoming distractions in the classroom. When selecting a fidget for your child, please ensure that it fits comfortably in their hand, is quiet, and doesn’t create a mess. Some of the items being brought to class, like clay and putty, are leaving residue on both the furniture and students' hands. If your child does not need a fidget, please ask them to keep it at home.
Thank you for your understanding and support!
OPEN NOW: *5Essentials Survey for Parents/Guardians*
Now through March 28th, KCSD96 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 https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ and select the appropriate survey to begin. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact UChicago Impact Survey Support at 1-866-440-1874 or [email protected].
COMING SOON: *5Essentials Student Survey*
Beginning the week of March 10th, KCSD96 students in 4th-8th grade will be administered the Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This 25-minute survey is based on over 20 years of research at the University of Chicago and asks students about their experiences in school with the purpose of providing school leaders with critical student input to help develop school improvement plans. Students’ identities will be completely confidential, and teachers and administrators will never see individual responses to survey questions and will only receive aggregated information.
Please be aware that under the Protection of Pupil Rights Act. 20 U.S.C. Section 1232(c) (1) (A), you have the right to review a copy of the questions asked of your student(s). Survey questions can be found on the UChicago Impact Support Center (https://impactsurveyshelp.force.com/s/article/illinois-5essentials-survey-questions).
If you do not want your child’s input to be considered for school improvement purposes, please contact Jessica Barnes at [email protected], by March 7th.
NEW: *Family Educator Conferences*- COMING SOON
Family/Educator Conferences are right around the corner! Once again, we are using Meet the Teacher as our scheduling platform for conferences on Thursday, March 20th (5:00-8:30) and Friday, March 21st (10:00-1:30).
The site for scheduling opens on Thursday, March 6th at 3 PM.
All conferences are virtual via Meet the Teacher’s platform unless you contact the staff members and notify them.
-Elementary school families: When you open the Meet the Teacher platform, you will see your child's classroom teacher in the list of available conference sign-ups as well as some specials teachers, special education teachers, and related service providers if your child sees them during a school day.
-Middle school families: When you open the Meet the Teacher platform, you will see ONE of your child's core teachers in the list of available conference sign-ups as well as exploratory teachers, special education teachers, and related service providers if your child sees them during a school day.
Please sign up for a conference with any staff member listed who you would like to see. Meet the Teacher Conference Sign-Up will close at 4:00 pm on Monday, March 17th. After that, you must contact the building administrative assistant at the school.
Click on the link below to sign in to Meet the Teacher or copy and paste it into a browser: https://kildeerdistrict96.meettheteacher.com
For those who may be trying to sign up for a conference using a mobile device, please know that you may encounter issues navigating the platform. For best results, it is recommended that you try to access the link on a laptop or computer.
Families with multiple students in KCSD96 may experience issues when trying to switch between sign-ups. To mitigate any problems, please try using a different browser or logging out between sign-ups.
NEW- *March 4th Student Registration Opens*
Student registration for the 2025-26 school year opens on March 4th. Parents and guardians of new Kindergarten students (who have submitted all required documents) and returning KCSD96 students will be emailed a link to register their child for the 2025-26 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 2025-26 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
Families new to District 96 can find more registration information here: https://www.kcsd96.org/about/registration
If you have any registration questions, please contact [email protected].
Report Cards
As we approach the end of the reporting period, Kildeer Countryside School District 96 is excited to remind families that Trimester 2 report cards will be issued on February 28th. This marks a significant moment to reflect on student progress and achievements. We encourage parents to review these reports with their children and celebrate their efforts and growth.
To view, parents will need to log into School Insight/TeacherEase. Returning families should have School Insight/TeacherEase log-in information. For new families or anyone who does not have an account established, you will soon be receiving an email from the district. If you have any questions, please reach out to your school's front office. If you forgot your password, please ensure you are selecting "Forgot Password" on the School Insight/TeacherEase log-in page. Thank you for your continued support in fostering a positive learning environment!
Virtual Backpacks
District Virtual Backpack: https://www.kcsd96.org/about/virtual-backpack
Twin Groves Virtual Backpack: https://www.kcsd96.org/tg/virtual-backpack
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.
Twin Groves Athletics
Please click HERE to access the Twin Groves Athletics site.
This site will be updated frequently.