Happy SPRING BREAK!
I hope you have a wonderful spring break! As a reminder, spring break runs from Monday, March 27 through Tuesday, April 4th! Students return to school on Wednesday, April 5th! Have a wonderful Spring Break!
volunteer opportunity - Field Day - June 5th
Please hold the date. On June 5th, all children will end the year with a BANG! Some children participate in Field Day activities in the morning, and some in the afternoon. Students in the Blended and Structured program will attend. Mrs. O'Gara is organizing the fun and is looking for volunteers. After Spring Break we can let you know which classrooms are going when (a.m. or p.m.). If your child only attends Willow Grove for a 1/2 day program, they will participate with their classroom during their program hours. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Mrs. O'Gara at [email protected].
Erin's Law: Info & April 4th Parent Program
Illinois law known as Erin’s Law requires schools to implement an age-appropriate sexual assault and abuse awareness/prevention curriculum for grades pre-K through 12.
District 96 faculty researched and observed best practices and programs for delivering this instruction, selecting Victor Pacini to present Be Seen & Heard ©.
The focus of this developmentally appropriate and interactive program is to teach our students skills to keep them safe from danger or abuse. Concepts discussed will include distinguishing safe from unsafe touches, safety rules at home and school, saying NO, safe/unsafe secrets, and telling a trusted adult, as well as reinforcing that an adult’s touching him or her is not the child’s fault.
Parents who would like to preview the information he will present to KCSD96 elementary students may attend a program with Mr. Pacini at 6 p.m. on Tues., Apr. 4, in the Mat Room at Ivy Hall School, 1072 Ivy Hall Lane, Buffalo Grove. MORE INFO
Willow Grove's student presentations with Victor Pacini are Monday, April 17.
If you prefer that your child does not attend this prevention education session, please submit your written request - or your questions - to me.
An opportunity for our students' creativity: Law Day 2017
Law Day is a day of national dedication to the principles of government under a law, designated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1958. This year’s theme is the Fourteenth Amendment: “Transforming American Democracy–Equal Protection Under the Law.”
The Judges of the Circuit Court of Lake County, Illinois, have invited all Lake County students to participate in Law Day celebrations. Students are invited to take part in contests designated by grade level as described below.
• Students in KDG–Grade 3 may participate in the Law Day Coloring Contest. Students may color and submit only the picture (pdf) linked below for their grade level:
KDG/Grade 1: COURTHOUSE PICTURE TO COLOR
Grades 2 and 3: JUDGE AND LITIGANTS PICTURE TO COLOR
Coloring Contest Guidelines/Entry Submission Instructions
(Mail coloring entries to Lake County Courthouse by Apr. 19, 2017)
• Students in Grades 4–5 may participate in the Law Day Poster Contest.
Theme: Transforming American Democracy, Equal Protection Under the Law
Poster Contest Guidelines/Entry Submission Instructions
(Mail poster entries to Lake County Courthouse by Apr. 19, 2017)
RESIDENCY CHECK! IMPORTANT!
Thank you to the 30 or so parents who took care of this since my last message! If you still need to complete your residency check, please do! You MUST come in (read on).
I always like to flag things for parents that are super important, and this is one of them. You do not want to delay getting your registration residency check done. This delays your entire registration process, including your child's class placement for next school year. This impacts the number of sections at a grade level, and ultimately classroom size. I don't think parents necessarily realize this, so I wanted to really bring this to your attention, as currently, we have over 70 parents that need to complete the residency check.
Residency Requirement: All current students must come into Willow Grove and prove residency. There is a form you have to sign in the office, and until that is done, your residency check is not complete. Please bring a current utility bill, your lease if you rent, or your mortgage statement or tax bill. If you aren't sure if you've done this, give our office a call at 847-541-3660.
FIRST-GRADE PARENT CLASS PLACEMENT INPUT
Can you believe it is already time to begin thinking about class placement for next school year? Please read the information below on how class lists are created and how to provide input. This is for first-grade only. If you have an incoming kindergarten student a survey will be emailed to you before the end of this school year, if you have fully completed the registration process.
Creating balanced class lists that meet the needs of all students is a tremendously difficult job that takes many hours of thoughtful dialogue between classroom teachers, specials area teachers, specialists, and the principal. We at Willow Grove take this process very seriously. The following describes the process for creating balanced class lists.
*Classroom teachers consider the social and academic needs of each student.
*Specialist Team members (social worker, speech teacher, special education teacher, etc.), the Specials Team (Music, P.E.), and the principal provide input as well during this process.
*Parent input is considered.
*We consider placing your child with other students they are familiar with. We cannot accommodate friendship requests.
*Class lists are finalized in August as summer changes must be considered such as move ins/outs, section size changes if any, etc.
We strongly believe that this detailed and collaborative process creates learning environments that benefit all students. It is a delicate balancing act which takes much consideration and thought by professionals who know and care about your children.
Because of the input and thought given by teachers, specialists, and administrators, we cannot make changes once this process occurs, as moving one child can disrupt the balance of a class, impacting all students.
We welcome any insight you wish to share about your child. We will take into consideration pertinent information about your child's learning style and needs. If you would like to share input, please complete this optional survey prior to Friday, April 21st. Any parents that submit letters/emails will be redirected to the survey. This keeps our information organized so that no emails or letters are missed! Thank you!
PTO HIGHLIGHTS
Have a wonderful Spring Break!
Be sure to read the PTO Blog so you don’t miss a thing!