Dear Families,
If you’re anything like me, you may be finding it hard to believe that the month of December is already upon us. It was a great week back from our short break last week, and we hope everyone was able to find time for relaxation and rejuvenation. You should have been able to access your child’s Trimester 1 report card beginning at 3pm yesterday, and if you have not yet done so, please CLICK HERE for instructions on how to access your child’s T1 report card. We hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and we look forward to another great week of learning ahead.
Warm regards,
Jenny Smith, Principal
Upcoming Calendar
December
15 – Early Release
EARLY RELEASE DAY HOURS: AM KDG/EC Blended AM dismisses at 10 AM; PM KDG/EC Blended PM dismisses at 2 PM; Structured dismisses at 2 PM
18 – Last day of school before Winter Break begins
SCHOOL CLOSED: Winter Break Dec. 21–Jan. 1 DEC. 2020
January
4 – School resumes
NEW *Monthly Asynchronous Wednesdays*
Once per month, beginning in December, students will participate in asynchronous activities for a portion of their school day. The dates for each of these asynchronous Wednesdays are identified below. You will notice that each date is identified as either AM or PM. If for example, AM is indicated, this means that students in our AM classrooms will participate in the asynchronous activities during the morning or AM portion of the school day, and PM students will have their typical classroom teacher-led school day. Specific times are indicated below with each identified date. Teachers will communicate with students to be sure that they understand the expectations for each of these days.
These monthly asynchronous days were created to give students the opportunity to participate in topics that will enhance our current curricular content, and so that teachers have time to collaborate and plan with each other to determine the best way to approach future instruction.
Asynchronous Wednesdays will take place on the following dates.
December 16: PM Asynchronous
January 13: AM Asynchronous
February 24: PM Asynchronous
March 17: AM Asynchronous
April 21: PM Asynchronous
SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE FIRST ASYNCHRONOUS WEDNESDAY: DECEMBER 16th
The asynchronous portion of the day will take place in the afternoon or PM portion of the school day. The asynchronous focus for this day is social-emotional learning. Students will be engaging in a variety of social-emotional learning activities.
AM Blended & Kindergarten: Students will engage in instruction with their teacher as they typically would in the morning from 8:30-11:00. For kindergarteners, the afternoon optional specials will not take place on this day.
PM Blended & Kindergarten: Kindergarten students will have the option to engage in their regular morning specials (PE and music) as they normally would from 8:30-11:00. In the afternoon, from 12:30-3:00, students will participate in the asynchronous activities shared with them on SeeSaw. Teachers will not be available for live instruction for the PM students as the asynchronous activities were created for students to work through without teacher support. We recognize that these independent activities may require substantial parent guidance for early childhood students and kindergarteners, so please participate in the activities provided at the level that is comfortable for you and your child.
Blended (Early Childhood) and Structured (Early Childhood and Kindergarten): Additional information will come directly from your child's teacher.
NEW *Together, WE are Willow Grove! Virtual Cultural Fair Coming in February!*
On the evening of February 18th, we’ll be hosting a virtual family event, showcasing the many families and cultures represented in our school community. We hope to encourage our students to learn about other cultures, to celebrate what makes us all unique and to recognize cultural traits that we share. We cannot do this without your support and are looking for parents who would like to share information from your family, around the country, and even the globe with our students and families. With our format being virtual this year, we are looking for families to submit videos, photos, or pdf activities that families will get to experience together.
Examples include:
Performances (dance, singing, music)
Recipes - could be video or written recipe or photos
Reading a children's picture book that your family enjoys (could be in a language other than English)
Activities - pdf coloring page, game board or instructions, art activity instructions, origami, etc.
Videos or photos of your family celebrating a holiday or special traditions
Collage of photos
Our evening will include a full school zoom gathering to kick-off the evening, followed by a choose-your-own-adventure path exploring family submissions to celebrate our school community. We will work with families prior to the event to provide instructions for uploading videos or submitting pdf activities. We'll then close the evening as a group.
With many holidays falling around this time of year, we wanted to bring this exciting opportunity to your attention, as it may be something to plan for or capture over break or in the upcoming months.
Families can share about traditions and anything that is special to your family. We are all unique and can learn from one another. We are so excited about this event! We hope that you’ll consider sharing with our school community. We would all love to get to know you more and learn from you! More on this exciting event to come.
In January, watch the Principal's Message for more information on how to take part in this community celebration. Mark your calendars for the evening of February 18th. This will be fun for the whole family!
NEW *Willow Grove Spirit Week - December 14-18*
PTO News
Restaurant night on December 11th!
Support Willow Grove PTO by ordering at Panera, Buffalo Grove on Friday, Dec. 11, 2020, anytime during the day. Make sure to mention Willow Grove PTO (present this FLYER or show it on your phone) and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to us! When ordering online, enter the code PRFUND at checkout to ensure our PTO gets a portion of the proceeds.
Don't miss our PTO Blog!
REPEATING *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.
REPEATING *MAP Testing Updates*
Given the pandemic and our current full remote setting, students in Kindergarten through Grade 2 will not participate in Winter MAP. Students in these grades will participate in MAP testing in the Spring.
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.