Dear Families,
Thank you for your participation in Family Educator Conferences this week. We are grateful for your partnership in your child’s education with us. If you were unable to attend, please reach out to your teacher to set up an appointment. Remember, teachers are always available to speak with you by appointment.
As always, thank you for keeping up with the large amount of communication you have been receiving. We truly appreciate the time you take to thoroughly read and/or watch the information.
Enjoy the long weekend.
Fondly,
Jenny Smith, Principal
Principal
NEW *Upcoming Calendar/Schedule Reminders*
Monday, October 12th there is no school.
Tuesday, October 13th there is no school due to the recent approval of a Remote Planning Day for all staff.
NEW *Picture Day - Monday, October 26*
Picture Day is Monday, October 26, at Willow Grove. Weather pending, pictures will be taken outside in tents. Ordering will be completely digital (ordering link will be in next week's message). Pictures will be shipped directly to your home.
In-person students will be taken for their picture by their classroom teacher.
Remote student families must follow these guidelines:
Oct 26, 9:30 AM-4:30 PM - NOT during your child's classroom teacher time
Park and bring your child to one of the photography tents to have their picture taken (photographers will be masked and maintaining social distance). ONE adult can come with each child if outdoors. If the weather requires we move indoors, the parent will walk the child to the door and pick up at another door. We will have signage that will direct parents where to go, either way.
All students and parent/guardian MUST wear a mask. Students may remove their mask when their picture is being taken.
PICTURE RETAKE DAY: November 30th
NEW *Parent Teacher Conferences Survey
I hope the conference process went smoothly over the past few days. Please take a moment to fill out the conference evaluation form. We are eager to hear your thoughts about the process. There were a lot of new features to conferences this fall, like Meet the Teacher, all virtual, and the move to October.
Please let us know your thoughts. The Family Educator Conference Committee will review your responses to consider future improvements to the conference process.
*Parent surveys were sent to families via principal's messages today. We will share those results with you as soon as the survey closes.
Thank you for your responses. Please complete the survey by October 23. Have a great weekend.
Link to the Elementary Conference Survey
NEW *Food at Willow Grove*
Please do not send your child to Willow Grove with food. If your child needs to bring food for their program before or after, please alert the teacher and let your child know they should not take it out of their backpack until they are at their other childcare location. Children should never consume food on the bus as this poses a safety risk. We do not allow food birthday treats to be distributed. Parents may choose to provide a non-food item for the class (pencil, eraser, sticker) if they'd like to recognize their child's birthday in this way. Children may bring water bottles. They should have a spill-proof top and should not be glass. Thank you!
NEW *Acclimation to Protocols*
We are excited about our return to in-person learning coming soon. As we transition to in-person learning, we have many new arrival and dismissal procedures. We appreciate your patience as we acclimate to the new procedures.
NEW *Halloween Information*
Given the unique circumstances we are faced with this year, we will not have students wear Halloween costumes or partake in our annual Halloween parade. At Willow Grove, we will celebrate with a "Mismatch Monster Mash Day!" Students may wear mismatched clothing and teachers are preparing a fun game to enjoy during the school day. Our PTO is providing a craft for kids to take home, too! More to come on how we'll distribute those for our remote students. Children in-person or remote will partake in the mismatched fun and Halloween themed game.
NEW KINDERGARTEN ONLY *Material Pick-Up (remote learners) Material Exchange & Bus Tag Pick-Up (in-person learners)*
Note - this is a repeat from last week but there was one error. Students dropping supplies off should not bring their whiteboard, dry erase markers, or eraser. Thanks!
Mark your calendars for Wednesday, October 14th, for another material drive-thru round. Hours will be 11:30 AM-5:00 PM.
Remote Learners:
Continuing remote learner families will be picking up Exploration Lab materials and additional content materials for their continued remote learning plan.
In-Person Learners (beginning Oct. 15):
As specials will continue remotely during the second half of a student’s day (non-classroom time, as it has been) we have additional materials to pick-up for Exploration Lab. In-Person learners will also pick up their “bus tag.” Bus tags are an identification tag so we know who your student is when they arrive at Willow and what their end-of-day dismissal plans are. In addition, they’ll include a barcode that we scan to verify parents have completed the daily self-certification wellness check. All students get a bus tag, regardless of if they take the bus or not. It is very important parents attach these bus tags securely to the outside of your student’s backpack. To ease your child's load to school on the first in-person attendance day, families should also return particular materials and all student supplies. Families should place their child’s dropoff belongings in a disposable bag (such as a kitchen garbage bag) that is clearly labeled with their child’s name. Following is the list of materials and supplies your child will need:
- Any reading materials that were provided in prior pick-ups (ReadyGen books, small readers, etc.)
- Writers composition notebook (school provided)
Whiteboard, dry erase markers, and eraser (school provided)(please keep whiteboards, dry erase markers and eraser at home)- Bridges math curriculum books (school provided)
- Bridges math material box (school provided)
- General Supplies LIST HERE - Please keep supplies simple, nothing fancy, and by the quantities listed in the supply list, not more.
In-person students should KEEP handwriting, music, and PE materials at home for their remote specials.
During the hours of 11:30 AM - 5:00 PM on Wednesday, October 14, please drive into our front circle drive (one-way only). With all members inside the vehicle and wearing masks, hold a sign in the window with your child’s name and homeroom teacher written bold and large for us to read. One of our staff members (with a mask and gloves) will gather and/or collect your child’s materials from your trunk.
If you cannot attend:
Remote Learners: Pick up your child’s materials in the office anytime between 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, any day after the 14th.
In-Person Learners: Call the office to arrange or send what you can with your child, and above all, have your child’s name clearly marked on his/her backpack on the first day of in-person learning, October 15th.
If you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher regarding material specifics or our front office for any logistics.
REPEAT *Commitment to Partnership*
As emphasized in Superintendent Schmidt's message sent on Tues., Sept. 29, implementing a hybrid in-person learning model is and must be a partnership.
We know that some surrounding districts or schools who began their in-person learning plan have had to revert to full remote for a period of time. In many situations, this has been due to positive cases about which families were not truthful with the school or with the health department regarding symptoms and the diagnosis or with those conducting the contact tracing process.
We are confident that the District 96 community will rise to the occasion and partner with us to ensure safety and success. Please think carefully about your commitment to our partnership before sending your kids to school.
REPEAT *Updated Student Schedules and In-Person Learning Protocols*
UPDATED SCHEDULES will take effect for ALL of our students on the following schedule:
Kindergarten – schedule effective beginning Oct. 15
For those returning to schools in the hybrid model, please review the IN-PERSON LEARNING PROTOCOLS thoroughly, so that you are prepared to complete and submit the required one-time annual self-certification and acknowledgment of protocols via a link in an email communication you will be sent after Oct. 5.
REPEAT *In-Person Arrival & Dismissal Details*
Thursday, October 1st, I shared a SPECIAL BLOG POST about In-Person Arrival & Dismissal. If your child is NOT taking the bus home daily, we need you to complete the survey included in this message by Monday, Oct. 5, at midnight so we can get organized for a safe dismissal. There are also many other important details included. If you haven't read, please do.
REPEAT KINDERGARTEN *In-Person Odds & Ends*
We are looking so forward to having some of our students in-person at Willow Grove, beginning October 15th. These are a few things our in-person families can prepare for:
- Please pack a spare change of clothing (at least pants/underpants) in your child's backpack in a ziplock storage bag. Label the bag with your child's name.
- Can your child tie his/her own shoes? If not, now is the time to start practicing! Consider velcro or shoes without ties while your child is still learning to help us at school.
- Can your child zip his/her own coat? This is also the age for children to learn to zip on his/her own. Start practicing now.
- It's beginning to get a bit chilly! Where we may go outside for a brief break, we will not have extended outdoor recess time in our half-day schedule. Children do not need snow pants or boots. To execute socially distanced arrival and dismissal, we will not be using the cubbies in our hallways. Children will have a chair in the classroom for their coat and backpack at their individual table. Please keep additional winter gear at a minimum, as children won't be playing in the snow, getting wet, etc. When the temperature gets really cold as it does here in the Midwest, of course, feel free to add mittens/gloves, hat, and scarf!
- Children will be bringing iPads and Logitech iPad "crayons" between home and school daily. Please develop a routine of charging both every night and putting them in their backpack each morning. A helpful tip is to post a sign at child eye level on the door where your child will exit in the morning. You can make a picture checklist of this and anything else to support your child to develop independence with morning routines.
- Children should NEVER bring food to school. They should never eat on the bus. We will not have snack during our half-day schedule.
- Please do not send any toys or personal play type belongings to school. These tend to get lost on the bus and also cause a learning distraction.
- Children may bring individual water bottles to school. They should not be glass and should have a spill-proof top. Children should not take water bottles out on the bus as the roll on the floor and cause a potentially dangerous situation. Please label your child's water bottle with his/her name.
- Remind your child to never stand on the bus or get out of his/her bus seat unless they are getting on or off. Children should always remain seated in their assigned seats and out of the aisle.
- MOST IMPORTANTLY: Parents must do the DAILY self-certification for their child. More info will be coming from the district on this process.
REPEATING *Tech Hub*
KCSD96 Family Technology Hub! The District 96 Family Technology Hub is designed to guide families through technology tools related to Enhanced Remote Learning. On this site you can find links to the recordings and the corresponding Slides decks for the parent/family informational sessions from last week. You can also find tutorials on how to use ZOOM, Schoology, Seesaw, Clever, Notability, and other iPad essential tools for student learning. Additionally, there is a link to email the technology support desk. Please save or bookmark this site. It will be updated with tools, resources, and tutorials through remote learning to better support your family.
Please email [email protected] with any tech-related support needed.