Upcoming Calendar Events
Happy Spring Break! There will be no Principal Message until the Friday we return. Thank you!
-
March 25-April 1: No school for spring break
-
Tuesday, April 2: No school for Institute Day
-
Wednesday, April 3: SCHOOL RESUMES
District 96 Cares
It is with great care and concern that I share a Willow Grove staff member lost their home and all belongings to a fire. Thank goodness, she and her four boys are safe and unharmed.
If you are able, we'd love your help in supporting her. New or gently used clothing would be wonderful. Her two younger boys are size 7 and 8 in tops and bottoms. Her two older boys are men's M and L in shirts and 32/30 pants. Also in need of women's size small in tops and 6 or 8 in pants. Shoe sizes are boy's 2 and 3, men's 12, and women's 10. I'm sure basics like new underwear, socks, toiletries, etc. would also be appreciated.
You may drop items off directly at Willow Grove. A gofundme page has also been setup to support this wonderful family. Thank you so much for your generosity and kindness.
2019-20 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 on May 1st 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 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.
I welcome any insight you wish to share about your child’s strengths, needs, and learning style. I will take into consideration pertinent information received on or before FRIDAY, APRIL 26th. While we welcome your input, a specific teacher or friend requests will not be honored. Should you provide a specific teacher or friend request, this will be omitted from information being considered.
To provide your input, please make sure your thoughts are provided through this First Grade Placement Input 2019-2020 Survey. As you can imagine, we receive a lot of parent input, and verbal information and multiple emails are impossible to carefully track. Any parents that submit letters/emails will be redirected to the survey. This keeps our information organized so that no input is missed! Thank you!
Incoming 2019-20 Kindergarten Families
In the beginning of May, you will receive an opportunity to provide classroom input for your child's kindergarten experience if you have fully completed the registration process. You must complete registration with a snapcode (electronic code) that was emailed to you if you pre-registered. A survey will come to you directly in an email. In the same email there are additional steps for you to take to prepare for our next school year.
Raise a Reader
Parents wanting to raise a life-long reader will appreciate strategies shared by D96 literacy coaches from literacy expert Pernille Ripp. For straightforward advice about nurturing readers in your home, please take a moment to read Parents: Create Joyful Reading Routines at Home.
PTO News
Don't forget to order your school supply kits! We are in need of volunteers for the year end party it range from set-up, to helping plan or even clean up, see our blog for more details. Be on the look out for information on how to be a part of next years PTO and details on Staff Appreciation week and how you can help out!
Warm regards,
Jenny Smith, Principal
Follow me on Twitter @JennySwanSmith
The following is repeat information from last week's blog, but still current. You can skip this if you already reviewed last week's message.
Kindergarten Parents - Save the Date!
Kindergarten Parents, Save the Date: Friday, May 10th ~ You are Invited! Kindergartners have a wonderful opportunity to perform for you in May! This performance will be about SPRING!
Performance: Singing Into Spring!
Date: Friday, May 10th
Dress: Spring colored top (i.e. light blue, yellow, pink, etc.) with Black Bottoms (pants, skirt, shorts)
There are two shows. Find your child's teacher's name below:
Show 1: 9:30 - 10:00 AM ~ (Filippo, Buban, Chappas, May, Santucci)
Show 2: 10:30-11:00 AM ~ (Dolan, Dyer, Holzman, Wittenberg, Rabin, Derry)
We are looking forward to seeing you then!