3/21/25
The Twin Groves Staff wishes everyone a wonderful Spring Break!
Upcoming Dates:
3/24-3/28- No School- Spring Break
4/1- No School
4/17- Half Day- Students dismissed at 11:10 AM
4/18- No School
4/22- Early Release- Students dismissed at 1:30 PM
5/13- Early Release- Students dismissed at 1:30 PM
5/23- Half Day- Students dismissed at 11:10 AM
5/23- Last Day for 8th Graders
5/26- No School
5/27- 8th Grade Graduation 8 PM
5/29- Last Day for 6th and 7th Graders
5/29- Half Day- Students dismissed at 11:10 AM
Congratulations!
Each month, Twin Groves will be recognizing students who are Upstanders at Twin Groves.
The Twin Groves Staff would like to recognize the following students who consistently demonstrate that they are Responsible, Respectful, and Safe, but most importantly Upstanders. These students have been recognized by the staff for being leaders, role models, supportive peers, brave, and positive.
Demi Brown
Akshara Giridharan
Daniel Kim
Lily Tokar
5Essentials Survey for Parents/Guardians- ACTION NEEDED!
PLEASE HELP TWIN GROVES REACH OUR PARENT RESPONSE RATE GOAL! Currently Twin Groves is at a 2% response rate for parents. The Twin Groves Staff would very much appreciate your support!
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].
What’s Happening at Twin Groves?
Art: We just started Tri 3 and we are already finishing up excellent projects. 6th grade has learned how to draw the human figure and face using correct proportions. They are drawing 2 people based on a song of their choice. This has sparked fun debates on favorite singers and songs. 7th grade just finished a printmaking project using oil pastels. They are now learning how to use graphite pencils 5H - 6B and will shade a cube and sphere. Next, they will learn how to draw a 1 and 2 point perspective cube. 8th grade just finished using Canva to make a quote design. They learned how typography, formatting, and layout affect text and could negatively impact the intended message. They are now working on learning how to draw each facial feature; the nose, eyes, and lips. They will use this knowledge to make a clay face!
Music: Welcome back, everyone! This month in Music we started our Bucket Drumming unit in 6-8th grade. We focused on the fundamentals of music by breaking down the difference between beat and rhythm. We also discussed tempo and how the speed affects the overall sound. The students then applied that knowledge to the drum by practicing simple and complex rhythms on various parts of the bucket. 6th graders worked on playing these patterns together and performing them as an ensemble. 7th graders investigated how to improvise and played their own patterns while others kept a beat. 8th graders focused on independence as performers as they each played their own rhythmic patterns while different combinations were being played. Looking forward to a great year with your students!
TASOL Welcome back! This month in TASOL we are working on the Financial Literacy unit for 7th and 8th grade. Students have been exploring needs vs wants. They looked at how consumers make purchases and what are influencers. We have completed a taste test to discover differences in brand name and store brand. We will start cooking next week. In 6th grade, we have been looking at the family functions and created a family crest to represent those functions within each individual's family. Students are currently exploring different career clusters and have begun creating a resume.
Orchestra: Trimester 3 has been great so far in Orchestra! The 6th Graders are continuing to work on new rhythms. The 7th Graders are reviewing one-octave scales and learning about arpeggios. The 8th Graders are continuing to work on two-octave scales. All grades are already preparing for our last concert of the year on May 8th!
The 6th Graders will be participating in the District 96 Orchestra Festival on Friday, April 11th at Twin Groves from 3:20 pm-6:15 pm. The students will be working with a guest conductor as well as sectional leaders. There will also be a small performance at the end of the festival. Please see my previously sent email for more info and details.
As we approach Spring Break next week, please make sure to take your student’s instrument to the vendor if they are in need of a new size or any repair/replacement. It is very important to keep up with those items since a smaller size can affect a student’s posture and position, and any needed repairs can get worse if not taken care of. Thanks for your help with this!
Please see below for more upcoming events/performances:
Wednesday, April 9th, 4:30-7:30 pm @ Dave & Busters (Vernon Hills): End of the Year Band/Orchestra Party
Friday, April 11th, 3:20-6:15 pm @ TG: D96 Orchestra Festival (6th Grade only)
Thursday, May 8th, 7 pm @ TG: 6-8 Orchestra Spring Concert
Friday, May 16th, During the school day: TG Orchestra Tour (8th Grade & select 7th Grade only)
Tuesday, May 27th, 8 pm @ SHS: Orchestra Performance at Graduation (7th Grade & select 6th Grade only)
As a reminder, please make sure to review our concert/events calendar below:
2024-2025 Twin Groves/Prairie/Ivy Hall Orchestra Concert/Event Calendar
Illinois Assessment of Readiness
As required by the State of Illinois, 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 within a window between April 2nd to April 8th. The Illinois State Board of Education does not offer an opt-out. Instead, it is considered a refusal as this is a required test by the state. Parents and guardians, please note that this test is highly important and is on par with assessments like the ACT and SAT. Additionally, this is an opportunity to build your child's test-taking skills prior to attending high school.
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.