Dear families,
Today our in-person students completed their bus evacuation drills. They did a good job listening and running through the safety protocols.
This is an important reminder that our safety guidelines are still in place. Your partnership around sustained reinforcement of social distancing, mask-wearing, and hand hygiene is a critical part of keeping our buildings open. Thank you for your attention and collaborative support in these areas. It tremendously helps our entrance procedures when families have completed the daily self-certification. Remember that our staff is here to help. Please do not hesitate to call or email with any questions or concerns.
Kindly,
Jenny Smith, Principal
Upcoming Calendar
April
30 – Asynchronous Learning – All students will have a half-day of asynchronous work to do at home. No Willow Grove students attend in person. No specials for kindergarten. Teachers will share out asynchronous plans for students. Please check with your child's teacher for any questions.
NEW *Remote Assessment Survey Change Requests*
Families of remote learners who wish to change their assessment survey answers should contact Jeanne Spiller, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, at [email protected] by Monday, 4/26. After Monday 4/26, there will be no more adjustments made.
NEW *PTO News*
End of School Year Picnic - Interest Survey: Willow Grove PTO is exploring potentially hosting an end of the year "Socially Distant Tailgating Picnic" in the Willow Grove Parking Lot as a way to end the year and we would like to know your interest in participating in such an event through this survey.
More details on all of this in our PTO Blog!
REPEAT *Assessment Information - Kindergarten Only*
The district has finalized the dates for the MAP and IAR assessments for all students. If you have elected to have your remote learner attend in-person for these assessments, more information about attending on assessment days will be sent to your email and home mailing address prior to the assessment date.
Families of remote learners who wish to change their assessment survey answers should contact Jeanne Spiller, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, at [email protected].
MAP: Dates for In-Person and Remote Students
- Monday 5/3: Grades 5 and 6
- Tuesday 5/4: Grades 5 and 6
- Wednesday 5/5: Kindergarten and Grades 2, 3, and 4
- Thursday 5/6: Kindergarten and Grades 2, 3, and 4
- Friday 5/7: Grades 1, 7, and 8
- Monday 5/10: Grades 1, 7, and 8
In-person students will have the same arrival and dismissal times as they normally would and complete the assessment as a part of the typical school day.
Remote students coming to test in-person will follow the schedule below and rejoin their classes via Zoom once they return home (except for kindergarten).
Kindergarten AM
- Arrival: 8:45
- Dismissal: 10:30
Kindergarten PM
- Arrival: 12:45
- Dismissal: 2:30
Elementary
- Arrival: 8:45
- Dismissal: 11:35
Middle School
- Arrival: 8:00
- Dismissal: 10:45
*Remote students coming to take MAP in-person who have extended time will be contacted by building staff to communicate a dismissal time.
**Remote students coming to take the MAP in-person will also take the FastBridge assessments. FastBridge is a reading fluency assessment, which is typically administered in the same window as MAP.
ACCESS: Dates for In-Person and Remote Students
In-person students who take ACCESS will do so during the course of their school day.
Remote students who are coming in to take ACCESS will be contacted by school personnel to schedule the test. Students in kindergarten will have individual appointments as the test is administered one to one. Students in grades 1-8 will participate in the assessment on Thursday, May 13th and/or Friday, May 14th.
REPEAT *STUFF THE SQUAD Food Pantry Drive*
The Buffalo Grove Police Department invites KCSD96 families to donate food and essentials to support food pantries serving our local residents. Collection via centrally located boxes in schools will be underway at all KCSD96 schools in the weeks ahead. The last day to donate to “Stuff the Squad” is May 5. SEE REQUESTED ITEMS
REPEAT *Spring Assessments*
The standardized assessment window is quickly approaching. Because many of the required assessments must be taken in-person, families who selected remote learning for the rest of the year received a survey earlier today to outline their options and determine if their children will come to the buildings to take the assessments. Students who are in-person will take the assessments with one of their teachers.
Remote and in-person students will be kept separate during the administration of the assessments. Specific dates for each assessment will be determined once the results of the survey are collected, but you can find general time frames below.
NWEA MAP: Students at all grades participate in one assessment for English language arts and one assessment for math over two days. The data we receive from the MAP assessments provides valuable information regarding intervention and acceleration needs. The window for the NWEA MAP assessment is May 3 - May 14 with more specific dates within the window to come.
ACCESS: Students that are identified as not yet English proficient participate in four assessments in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The Illinois State Board of Education requires ACCESS to be administered in-person. Students who are in-person are being scheduled by building level personnel.
Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR): Students in grades 3-8 participate in assessments for both literacy and math over three days. The Illinois State Board of Education requires IAR to be administered in-person. The window for the IAR is May 17 - May 28 with more specific dates within the window to come.
Illinois Science Assessment (ISA): Students in grades 5 and 8 participate in three assessments in science. The Illinois State Board of Education requires ISA to be administered in-person. ISA will be administered on Friday, June 11 for those families who wish to participate. We will be sending out a separate survey to fifth and eighth-grade families later in May to find out who would like to participate in ISA.
REPEAT *2021–22 REGISTRATION EMAILS WERE SENT AGAIN MAR. 31*
On Mar. 31, District 96 parents/guardians of returning and pre-registered new students were again sent registration email(s) for the upcoming 2021–22 school year (From: [email protected] Subject Line: Register Your District 96 Student for the 2021–2022 School Year). All returning and new students must be registered. Each registration email (one per D96 student) will include a link and a unique “snapcode” needed to access that individual’s online form. Register by Apr. 15 to save. After Apr. 15, required registration fees increase by $20 per student for all returning students.
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CARGO DE LA CUOTA DE INSCRIPCIÓN KCSD96 2021–22 EN LOS ESTADOS DE CUENTA DE LA TARJETA DE CRÉDITO
Después de enviar con éxito la inscripción de su estudiante para el ciclo escolar 2021–22, usted inmediatamente recibirá un recibo detallado con el cargo total por correo electrónico, incluyendo las cuotas requeridas y las donaciones opcionales, si las hubiera, que usted eligió hacer.
IMPORTANTE:
Por favor, no rechace el cargo. Eso resultará en un cobro de devolución para su familia.
Si usted elige la opción de pago con tarjeta de crédito al pagar las cuotas de inscripción de 2021–22, busque cualquiera de los siguientes términos descriptivos en su estado de cuenta: POWERSCHOOL MD 512375–4514 o PB POWERSCHOOL. Los cargos de inscripción del Distrito 96 no son descritos con el Distrito ni con el nombre de la escuela.
Además, tenga en cuenta que algunos bancos codifican esta transacción como una donación.
Si tiene preguntas, por favor consulte su recibo de inscripción y/o contacte a la coordinadora de información pública [email protected]
EL 31 DE MARZO SE VOLVIÓ A ENVIAR UN CORREO ELECTRÓNICO PARA LA INSCRIPCIÓN DEL 2021–22
El 31 de marzo se volvió a enviar correos electrónicos a los padres/tutores del Distrito 96 de los estudiantes que regresan y de los nuevos estudiantes preinscritos para el ciclo escolar 2021–22 (De parte de: [email protected] Tema: Inscriba a su Estudiante del Distrito 96 para el Ciclo Escolar 2021–2022). Todos los estudiantes que regresan y los estudiantes nuevos deben ser inscritos. Cada correo de inscripción (uno por estudiante del D96) incluye un enlace y un código único (snapcode) que va a necesitar para ingresar al formulario en línea. Inscríbase para el 15 de abril y ahorre. Después del 15 de abril, las cuotas de inscripción aumentan $20 por estudiante para todos los estudiantes que regresan.
REPEAT *April Family Activity*
Spring is here! With April comes blooming spring flowers as they burst out of the ground, just as our students have grown so much this year! For this month's activity please CLICK HERE for a flower coloring sheet and have your child write/draw one thing in each petal that they have learned this year! In-person families can send these to school with your child to turn into his or her teacher. Remote learner families can drop them off anytime. We'll display these at our main entrance for all to celebrate!
REPEAT *Attendance Procedures for In-Person Students*
The expectation is that students will attend in-person unless the student is under quarantine/isolation or is home ill. If for some reason your child needs to attend school remotely instead of in-person on a given day, attendance procedures are that the child’s parent/guardian will need to contact the school office prior to the start of the school day.
REPEAT *Kindergarten Families Only: FIRST-GRADE Parent Input for Class Placement (2021-2022)*
We are collecting first-grade parent input for placement at this time through Friday, April 30.
Entering kindergarten families for the 2021/22 school year will be able to provide input at a later date. Registered families will receive a link later. This is only for First-Grade families for the 2021/22 school year.
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, administrators, and specialists. At Willow Grove, we take this process very seriously. The process for class list creation is as follows:
Teachers reflect on the social and academic needs of each of their current students while recording pertinent information to assist in the decision-making process.
Grade level teachers, the principal, specials area teachers, and specialists meet together to form class lists that are balanced in terms of academic, social, and emotional needs as well as considering student relationships. This is no easy task and often takes several collaborative discussions. Our dedicated team of educators considers each child’s personality, academic needs, friendship patterns, etc. as they make a recommendation for each individual child. A draft of class lists is created while considering parent input.
Class lists are then revised in August and changes are made to include students who move in or out of the district over the summer.
Willow Grove staff creates the class lists for incoming 1st graders to all District 96 elementary schools.
We strongly believe that this detailed and collaborative process creates learning environments that benefit all students. It is a delicate balancing act that takes much consideration and thought by professionals who know and care about your children. Our goal is to create balanced class lists that promote the success of each child. Please know that your child is placed in a classroom for very specific reasons. The process benefits all students. Because of the input and thought given by teachers, specialists, parents, and the principal, we are very reluctant to make changes once this process occurs, as removing or moving one child can disrupt the balance of an entire 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 30th. Please remember, while we welcome your input, specific teacher requests will not be honored.
I cannot express enough how important it is that your thoughts are provided through this 2021-22 First Grade Parent Class Placement Input Survey. As you can imagine, we receive a lot of parent input, and verbal information is impossible to track. The information you provide in the survey will remain confidential.
Repeat *Calendar Updates*
With our half-day, 5-day a week structure at Willow Grove, district calendar updates can use some additional explanation. Recently, communication has come out that provides in-person days on Wednesdays for elementary and middle school students. At Willow Grove, our 5-day per week schedule is in place and student assignments for Wednesdays do not apply to us. Previously, I communicated asynchronous dates (remaining March 17 and April 21). These dates have been revised, based on the new elementary/middle school structure. I’ve outlined Willow Grove specific calendar updates for your convenience below:
April 30:
All students will have a half-day of asynchronous work to do at home.
No Willow Grove students attend in-person
May 28:
Willow Grove AM KDG/EC Blended AM meets 8:30–11 AM
Willow Grove Structured meets 8:45–11 AM
NO SCHOOL for WG PM Kindergarten and PM EC Blended ONLY
June 2:
Last day for AM KDG/AM EC Blended
June 3:
If NO ADDITIONAL Emergency Days are used, June 3 is the last day (Half Day) of required attendance for Willow Grove PM Kindergarten/PM EC Blended (meet 12:30–3 PM) and Willow Grove Structured (meets 8:45–11 AM)
Willow Grove AM Kindergarten/AM EC Blended are not in attendance.
Repeat *Kindergarten and 2nd Grade Parents Dental Screening Reminder*
The Illinois School Code requires all children in kindergarten, second and sixth grades to have a dental examination by May 15th of each year in compliance with the rules adopted by the Illinois Department of Public Health. If you have not already done so, please submit your 2nd-grade child’s dental exam form to our building nurse. To see a complete list of the health forms required for students, please visit our Student Health Section of our Web page.
*Repeat* Spring Assessments
The standardized assessment window is quickly approaching. Because many of the required assessments must be taken in person, families who selected remote learning for the rest of the year received a survey earlier today to outline their options and determine if their children will come to the buildings to take the assessments. Students who are in person will take the assessments with one of their teachers.
Remote and in-person students will be kept separate during the administration of the assessments. Specific dates for each assessment will be determined once the results of the survey are collected, but you can find general time frames below.
NWEA MAP: Students at all grades participate in one assessment for English language arts and one assessment for math over two days. The data we receive from the MAP assessments provides valuable information regarding intervention and acceleration needs. The window for the NWEA MAP assessment is May 3 - May 14 with more specific dates within the window to come.
ACCESS: Students that are identified as not yet English proficient participate in four assessments in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The Illinois State Board of Education requires ACCESS to be administered in-person. Students who are in-person are being scheduled by building-level personnel.
Repeat *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.