It's hard to believe that next week is May! We've been so proud of our students for persevering this school year. Our partnership has been more critical than ever before to best support each and every student.
Speaking of supporting students, it's time to celebrate our staff. Next week marks Staff Appreciation Week. I know that our PTO has some wonderful things in store to celebrate the commitment of our staff for our students.
Please join me in celebrating our staff by submitting a shout-out HERE! I will personally email the staff next week with your shout-out to thank them for a job well done!
Fondly,
Jenny Smith, Principal
Upcoming Calendar
May
11– EARLY RELEASE DAY: WG AM KDG/EC Blended AM dismisses at 10 AM; WG PM KDG/EC Blended PM dismisses at 2 PM; WG Structured dismisses at 2 PM
28 – HALF DAY - Teacher Inservice - 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
31 – NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day
June
2 – Last day for AM KDG/AM EC Blended
3 – 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.
NEW *Assessment Update*
Kindergarten MAP: Dates for In-Person and Remote Students
Wednesday 5/5: Kindergarten AM and PM
Thursday 5/6: Kindergarten AM and PM
In-person students
These 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. Teachers will begin instruction when all students present are finished with the assessment.
Remote students coming to test in-person
These students will only take the assessments. They will not access instruction on this day.
AM Arrival: 8:45
AM Dismissal: 10:30
PM Arrival: 12:45
PM Dismissal: 2:30
Click here for a description of arrival procedures, safety considerations, and needed materials.
Students not taking MAP
These students will receive asynchronous activities for the day.
NEW *Summer School Update*
Parents will have the opportunity to sign up their students for Enrichment Summer School courses soon. All classes will be virtual. The link to sign up will be accessible from the homepage of the District 96 website kcsd96.org on Mon., May 10, at 5 PM.
NEW *PTO News*
Included this week are many ways you can get involved to say "Thank you" for staff appreciation week.
Also included is our end-of-year picnic interest survey.
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.
REPEATING *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 *Safety Drills*
All schools are required to hold fire/evacuation, severe weather, and lockdown drills. We recognize some of the content could potentially be frightening for our little ones if not handled properly and are extremely cautious and developmentally appropriate in our delivery. Our teachers are attentive to our students' emotions throughout their instruction prior to the drills and during drills, are able to access support if needed, and would alert parents if their child seemed scared or under stress. I am unable to provide specific dates of the actual drills to parents, as drills are meant to be at times where the population is unaware and we respond without knowing exactly when it will happen. This is important for us, as adults, and our students, to help us learn to respond without knowing all of the specifics, just as in an emergency. You can expect lockdown education to be provided to your child as we come back from break followed shortly after by a drill. Your child's teacher will let you know when there has been instruction or a drill. We will maintain our social distancing requirements throughout all drills. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Repeating *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.
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.