Dear Families,
Today’s edition of the Principal’s Message will be our last of the school year, and what a year it has been. TOGETHER, WE made it! We close our school year next week on Wednesday (AM) or Thursday (PM and Structured). Please remember to check the upcoming calendar section below so you know which day is your child's last day of school. We were fortunate to provide our students with the same quality education that they have always received. Kudos to our teachers for all their hard work in planning engaging lessons for both remote and in-person learners. This was no easy task I want to thank them for their exceptional dedication to our students. Parents, thank you as well. You were equally supportive of our efforts and served as home overseers to your child’s education. This year was a collaborative effort like no other, and we appreciate YOU! We wish our kindergarten students the best as they leave Willow Grove, ready for the new experiences and environments that their next school will bring them.
Thank you, again, for your partnership!
Kindly,
Jenny Smith, Principal
Upcoming Calendar
May
31 – NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day
June
1 – On Tuesday, June 1, we have a virtual full school assembly at 10:15-10:45 AM for AM students and 2:15-2:45 PM for PM students. We have an alternate PE schedule to allow for Mrs. O'Gara to attend our assembly. If your child has Mrs. Holzman, Mrs. Preskill, Mrs. Rabin, or Mrs. Schmidt/Mrs. Maya, instead of their regular PE time, they can choose from the following:
Students with PE in the AM (PM classroom): 8:30 AM, 8:55 AM, 9:20 AM, or 9:45 AM
Students with PE in the PM (AM classroom): 12:30 PM, 12:55 PM, 1:20 PM, or 1:45 PM
2 – All students attend. Last day for AM KDG/AM EC Blended.
3 – June 3 is the last day of required attendance for Willow Grove PM Kindergarten/PM EC Blended (meet 12:30–3 PM) and Willow Grove Structured (HALF-DAY ONLY meets 8:45–11 AM). Specials schedule remains in place for kindergarten PM students to join their AM specials; Willow Grove AM Kindergarten/AM EC Blended is not in attendance.
NEW *Student Report Card Access June 3 After 3 PM*
Your student’s report card will be available for you to access online Thursday, June 3, AFTER 3 PM. If you need assistance, please SEE INSTRUCTIONS TO VIEW YOUR CHILDREN’S REPORT CARDS, to switch between your children’s report cards, and more. Report cards will be available for online access after 3 PM on June 3rd.
NEW *Celebrations from Parents*
Thank you for your student shout-outs! We enjoyed sharing them with staff today to celebrate the wonderful work of our students!
NEW *REQUIRED SUMMER READING & OPTIONAL WEEKLY SUMMER LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES*
To keep the learning going all summer, District faculty developed a 10-week summer curriculum with required reading for incoming students in KDG–Grade 8 AND optional math review activities. In addition, optional fun activities in the areas of STEM, music, writing, and more are also designated by week. SEE SUMMER ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES
The SUMMER READING webpage includes Book Lists for optional reading for Early Childhood–Grade 5 as well as the required reading assignment for middle school students entering Grades 6–8. Note that required summer reading for students entering KDG–Grade 5 is found in the SUMMER ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES resource, as described above.
REPEAT *2021–22 School Supply Lists and Kits*
See Info to download grade-level school supply lists or order school supply kits to be delivered directly to your home. (Order kits by July 9 for home delivery by Aug. 13.)
REPEAT *Protocol Update*
On May 13, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that fully vaccinated individuals do not need to wear masks or practice social distancing in any setting–whether indoors or outside.
Consistent with our practice throughout this pandemic, we are in conversation with local health officials at the Lake County Department of Public Health to understand how this announcement from the CDC will affect our learning environments.
Be advised that our current mitigation strategies remain in place as we await local guidance.
That is–regardless of whether they have been vaccinated–our faculty, as well as our students, will be expected to continue to wear masks and practice social distancing at school and at a school-sponsored event such as 8th-grade Graduation. As you know, at this time students in our elementary district have not yet been vaccinated.
As local guidance is updated, be assured that we will share it and its implications with you promptly, as we’ve done consistently throughout the year.
REPEAT * iPad Exchange Info for ALL KCSD96 Students*
Action needed! This summer District 96 will exchange your student's old iPad, charging cable, charging brick, and iPad case for new equipment. You'll need to schedule an appointment to make the exchange and the exchange must occur before Aug. 1. READ DETAILS about this process and how it affects ALL District 96 students.
REPEAT *School Spirit Countdown Begins Monday, May 24*
Willow Grove is excited to announce our "Fun and Fabulous Final Days" spirit days countdown to the end of the school year. Be sure to check it out on the prior link or in the virtual backpack.
REPEAT *PTO Updates*
Restaurant Fundraiser on Tuesday, May 25th: Willow Grove PTO is having our Restaurant Fundraiser at Weiner Take-All on Tuesday, May 25th. Find more details and the flyer on our blog.
2021-22 School supply kits: School Supply Kits for the year 2021-22 are now available. You can find the order link and the school code details on our blog.
Yearbook pickup for Remote Learners: Willow Grove Yearbooks are ready and will be available for pickup during the week of May 24th for Remote learners. Watch out for more information on our PTO Blog and our Facebook page for pickup times.
More details on all of this in our PTO Blog and follow us on our Facebook page for regular updates!
REPEAT *Materials Return*
There are only a few materials the district is looking to collect back from those that were distributed throughout the year. We are asking for the materials listed below to be returned to Willow Grove during the week of May 24th AND JUNE 1. For those students who are remote, please come to the office where we will collect your materials and also provide you with your student's yearbook if you ordered one. Please be sure to bag your materials, and please label materials with your child's name and classroom teacher. Students who are in-person can bring them back and give them to their teacher.
Blended and Structured: Your child's teacher will share with you what should be returned. You should send/bring this in the week of May 24, as well.
We are NOT collecting music, PE, or Exploration Lab materials. Your child may continue to engage with these materials and enjoy!
Note: Yearbooks for in-person students who ordered one will also be provided the week of May 24.
REPEAT *Virtual Full School Assembly - Parents Invited!*
On Tuesday, June 1, we are going to have an end-of-year full school virtual assembly that parents are invited to attend. The assembly (one for AM and one for PM) is meant to celebrate the end of our year together and wish our kindergarten students a bright future as they move onto their first-grade schools. This assembly is for EC and Kindergarten. We are excited to see EC students again next year!
In-person students will be zooming in from classrooms. Remote students will zoom in on their iPads and teachers will support them to do so. Parents will be provided a zoom link from their child's classroom teacher. If you are a parent of a remote student and you are with your child, you can just join them in their zoom view; no need to join separately. We are also recording the event to share with parents who can’t make it or experience any technical difficulties. The assembly is at 10:15 AM for AM students and 2:15 PM for PM students. It will be about 30 minutes in length. We hope to see you there!
If you haven't heard from your child's teacher with the ZOOM link, please reach out to them. Thank you!