Dear Families,
I want to thank all families for your continued support and flexibility during this most challenging school year. This afternoon staff members were able to collaborate during the school day to discuss the scoring of student writing submissions. Why is this process so valuable? Teachers collaborate across teams to calibrate and align their grading interpretations to our common rubrics. This helps to ensure equitable growth-producing feedback for students. This is done by analyzing the common rubrics and comparing the language to student writing samples. It's also a time where teachers and instructional coaches work together to identify and discuss strategies to support continued growth for all students. Have a great weekend!
Be well,
Jenny Smith, Principal
Upcoming Calendar
November
25th – NO SCHOOL - District Holiday
26 – NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Day
27 – NO SCHOOL - District Holiday
NEW-KINDERGARTEN ONLY: *Don't Miss Out On Specials Classes!*
All kindergarten students have the option of participating in specials during the half of their school day when they are not with their classroom teacher. There are valuable, engaging activities happening that your students will enjoy! Take a peek at THIS BRIEF VIDEO to meet the specials teachers and get a glimpse into some activities. If you have any questions about how to access specials classes for your child, don't hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher or the specials teachers directly.
Mrs. O'Gara - PE (Daily)
Mrs. Martinez - Quest (Mondays); Workshop/Asynchronous (Wednesdays suggested); Exploration Lab (Thursdays)
Mrs. Muehling - Music (Wednesdays)
Mrs. Coleman - Music (Fridays)
NEW: *Free Meal Pickup For All Students*
More information will be coming via email on Monday, November 16, 2020, about free meal pick-up. However, here is some preliminary information. Meal pick-up will start Monday, November 23rd (the week of Thanksgiving). You may pick up meals (breakfast and lunch will be provided) for all 5 days on Monday, November 23rd between 11am and 2pm at either Twin Groves Middle School or Woodlawn Middle School. The normal twice-weekly meal pickup will occur starting the week of November 30, 2020, with 3 days of meals picked up on Monday and 2 days of meals picked up on Thursday. Online pre-ordering information will also be included in Monday's email.
NEW: *Gifts for Staff*
Gifts are never an expectation for our staff members, so it is with some humility that I broach this topic. Some families have started to inquire about delivering gifts to staff members. Staff may or may not be working from the building and therefore may have limited opportunities to retrieve anything left for them at the school building. If you make the decision to provide a gift, it recommended that you consider a virtual gift that can be delivered to their email. Thank you for your understanding!
NEW: *PTO News*
Scholastic Virtual Book Fair from Nov. 9th - Nov. 22nd!
Support our school and PTO by shopping at our Scholastic Virtual Book fair. This book fair is a means of fundraising for our school and PTO to continue with our activities for the school year. Help us and join our mission to achieve our goal of 625 book sales at this Scholastic Book fair!
Read our Willow Grove PTO Nov. 13 BLOG on how we can support our Kindergartners with reading. Let's instill a love for reading this festive season!
New: *Photo Features*
I love capturing photos of kids learning in my Principal's Message each week. As currently, students are learning in your homes, I'd love it if you wouldn't mind sharing a photo with me to use in my Principal Message. If you are comfortable sharing, please email me a photo of your child engaged in remote learning at [email protected]. Thank you to those of you who have been sending them so far! They are so fun to receive and share.
REPEAT *Newcomer Coffee*
Has your family recently moved to the United States or are you and your student(s) new to this area?
On Tuesday, November 17th at 1:00 pm parents that are new to our area and have students at Willow Grove, are invited to a casual conversation.
This is an opportunity for parents to meet some D96 staff, ask questions, share their thoughts, and also to meet parents that may have had similar experiences or have been in the district for a long time.
This is an informal opportunity for parents who–like their students–are experiencing our social customs and practices of teaching and learning for the first time.
Join Zoom Meeting
JOIN OUR ZOOM MEETING HERE
Meeting ID: 840 1517 4116
Passcode: 249378
One tap mobile
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Dial by your location
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Meeting ID: 840 1517 4116
Passcode: 249378
Find your local number: https://kcsd96.zoom.us/u/kdnKc0vbJ2
REPEATING *Meals Are Available for Drive-Up Pick-Up*
Any KCSD96 family choosing to do so may pick up free breakfasts/lunches for their students weekdays from 11 AM–1 PM when District 96 students are in session. SEE DETAILS
REPEATING *ComEd Bill Payment Assistance Options*
ComEd has provided bill payment assistance options for families experiencing financial hardship. Please find info HERE.
REPEATING *Updated COVID-19 Metrics*
This UPDATED COVID-19 METRICS is the information “dashboard” that maintains transparent and open communication around COVID-19 metrics. As a user of the dashboard, the District has access to COVID-19 data as recommended by the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium. We review this data daily, update the dashboard weekly, and consider this data in making many decisions.
REPEATING *Tech 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.