2/28/25
February is the longest short month. The last Friday in February is here, and the teachers are spread across the Stevenson High School Consortium of schools, working with colleagues from Aptakisic, Daniel Wright, and Stevenson High School to learn and share knowledge. This is an exciting day and one that I will miss in the future. I will have more to say about reflecting and what this school and community have meant to me later in the blog.
Upcoming Dates:
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
4/1- No School
From Ms. Nemes, Woodlawn’s BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst)
Homework help — escape maintained behaviors are behaviors that kids engage in when they want to get out of something. Do you have a kid who struggles to get started on homework? Delays studying for an exam or reading for language arts? Try breaking the task into smaller parts, allowing for breaks in between. We call this “chunking”. Kids gain access to escape but don’t entirely get out of the work.
For more information, look here:
https://www.thewatsoninstitute.org/watson-life-resources/situation/visual-chunking-homework-2/
5th Grade Only: Middle School Electives Process
We will be making Middle School elective selections on Tuesday, March 4th, during flex time for middle school students.
Students should be discussing their elective choices with their families at home prior to making their selections at school.
A common question we've received is whether students can take both band and orchestra. This has not been an option for KCSD96 students in the past and will remain unavailable moving forward.
For more details, here is additional information about the middle school elective process.
Report Cards- TODAY
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 forget 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!
Middle School Choice
We will be making Middle School elective selections on Tuesday, March 4th, during class meetings for elementary students and flex time for middle school students.
Students should discuss their elective choices with their families at home prior to making their selections at school.
A common question we've received is whether students can take both band and orchestra. This has not been an option for KCSD96 students in the past and will remain unavailable moving forward.
For more details, here is additional information about the middle school elective process.
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 your child's principal by March 7th.
Family Educator Conferences- COMING SOON. - Pay attention to this one for conferences!
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 signing up 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 whom 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].
Virtual Backpacks
District Virtual Backpack: https://www.kcsd96.org/about/virtual-backpack
Woodlawn Virtual Backpack: https://www.kcsd96.org/w/virtual-backpack
Click here for the Woodlawn Daily Announcements
Finally, life is not always rainbows and butterflies or a sparkles birthday party with flan for dessert. I have tried to enjoy all of the Woodlawn events throughout this school year. Naturally, some occasions are more fun than others. For example, the Woodlawn Fall Party. Two hours of unbridled mayhem in the gym and cafeteria with 250 of my closest, 11-14-year-old friends. This one is going to fall lower on the things I am going to miss ladder. I am becoming more reflective about a number of things recently. Student interactions and the fun we have, regardless of the grade level. High on the ladder. Parents not following the parking lot rules. Low on the ladder. 99% of my parent phone calls and the incredible support I have always received. Very high on the ladder. When I look at the community and how special my relationship has been throughout the years, it boils down to the TRUST we have had in each other. Not one parent is still the same as when I became a principal in 2003, yet the faith that we have in each other has remained the same through the years. When people ask me my plans for the future, I tell them that I do not know, but that this school and the staff are going to be fine because of the way the community supports us. I recognize and honor that you and the hundreds, if not thousands, of families have sent your most valuable resource to 6362 Gilmer Road every day and trusted me to keep them safe. I am honored to have been here and will continue to uphold the trust of this community throughout my term as principal. Thank you, and thank you to all of those families before you who believed in my leadership. TRUST and relationships will always be at the top of my appreciation ladder.