Ready, set, GO!
We are looking forward to kicking off the new school year next week on Thursday, August 19th, for Structured, AM Blended, and Kindergarten, and on the 20th for PM Blended!
Last week I included a significant amount of important information in my Principal’s Message. Each week I carry over messages that are still relevant. You’ll see these marked “REPEAT” in the heading. Similarly, new information will be labeled “NEW.” If you’re all caught up, you can skip the repeats, or they are just there for a friendly reminder.
Don't hesitate to contact us with any questions in the main office or ask while you're at our Meet the Teacher event on Tuesday. I do want to make a note that our Nurse is in an important training on Tuesday and will not be available during Meet the Teacher. If you have medical records to turn in, please do not wait for Meet the Teacher, as we must have our nurse review them before providing teacher placement. The office will be happy to collect any information or medication and the nurse will follow up with families after Tuesday.
We're looking forward to a wonderful week!
Kindly,
Jenny Smith, Principal
NEW: Arrival & Dismissal
Most little ones are SO EXCITED to jump on the bus. Some are scared, and that's o.k. With practice, they quickly see it isn't such a scary thing. Showing love and a sense of confidence in your child and our school is helpful with this transition. Let them know that their Willow Grove family will meet them at the other end and that you (or who you've arranged) will meet them back home at the end of the day. Having your child ride the bus will greatly help with our arrival and dismissal times of the day. We have limited parking, and ALL parents dropping off or picking up their children will need to park and walk their child to the main entrance of our school. There is no drop-off lane for parents. This includes families in our Blended and the Structured Learning Program. Never park in the circle drive, which is for buses and emergency vehicles only. For parents that choose to drop off and/or pick up their children, we have assigned doors you will bring your child to or collect them from.
- Blended preschool-Door 18, which is to the left of our main entrance.
- Kindergarten-Main entrance
- Structured Program-Teachers will contact you with these details
Parents may not enter the school. Parents may not walk children to their classrooms. It is our utmost priority to maintain a safe and secure environment.
If someone other than a parent or legal guardian is picking up your child, you must let the office know ahead of time (NOT a teacher email) and they must present a driver’s license/ID at pickup.
Parents may not pick up their child unannounced at dismissal time. If you need to pick your child up at dismissal, and this has not been communicated to us in your child's regular dismissal plans, you must notify us in advance (by 2:00 PM) by calling the office--NOT EMAIL. If you haven't notified us, we will send your child home on the bus and you'll need to get home to meet them. I also ask that if your child is a regular bus student, not to alter their dismissal plan if at all possible, especially as your children are getting used to our routines. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding!
Anticipate delays in transportation our first couple weeks of schools. As buses get used to new routes and traffic patterns settle at the start of the school year, pick-up/drop-off times will become more routine and efficient. We ask that you please are patient with us and the drivers. Thank you!
Changes to Dismissal Plans
Please contact the school office at least 1 hour prior to dismissal in the event that your dismissal plans change. Your child will be at the designated dismissal location unless the school is notified in accordance with the above. Please notify the office in writing in accordance with the district handbook (PLEASE REVIEW HANDBOOK LANGUAGE). Please see Section 9.4 in the Parent/Student Handbook regarding permission for students to ride other buses, as in most cases, this is not allowed (PLEASE REVIEW HANDBOOK LANGUAGE).
Busing Expectations
Please review bus expectations with your child. Strongly communicate to your child the importance of sitting in their seat and never standing until it is time to get off. Please review the following with your child so they know what to expect:
- You will have an assigned seat that you will sit in each day.
- Stay seated in your assigned seat until it is time to get off the bus. The seats are designed to keep you safe. You must stay in your seat.
- Talking voice is acceptable. No screaming or yelling.
- Hands and feet to self at all times
NEW: Food Service
FREE MEALS IN SCHOOL: Under the waivers to USDA Nutrition Programs currently offered, the District is able to provide free meals to all students. One reimbursable daily meal will be provided free of charge to each student that chooses to participate on school days.
ORDERING PROCESS: Each morning, students will tell their teachers which entree they will order and those numbers will be shared with the food service staff. Please encourage your students to take the entree they ordered to ensure that all students receive the desired meal. Menus can be viewed on the District website.
FINAL DRIVE THROUGH MEAL HANDOUT: Now that all students will be in person, the final drive through meal handout will occur on Monday, August 16th and will contain four days of meals.
NEW: Daily Snack
All students in blended, structured, and kindergarten should bring an individual daily snack. It is required that snacks are only from our District Approved Snack List for the safety of students. Please label snacks with your child’s name.
Approved Snacks: What Parents Need to Know
The District has revised the APPROVED SNACK LIST. The items the list includes are free of the Top 8 allergens: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat. This list includes the foods that are approved for students' Daily Snacks. Daily snacks for your children must be from this list or they will be sent home.
IMPORTANT: All items for Daily Snacks, with the exception of fruits and vegetables, MUST be prepackaged to allow staff to easily check that snacks meet the approved requirements. If you choose to send a water bottle with your child, it must be a "spill proof" top and non-glass. See the Kindergarten 101 handout in the Virtual Backpack for examples/non-examples.
Director of Educational Services Amy Gluck also has provided responses to FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs) about foods approved for daily snacks/special events.
For your convenience, find links to the District 96 Approved Snack List and Approved Snack List FAQs on the homepage of the District 96 website and the homepage of each school.
For structured and kindergarten, lunches packed from home may contain anything, and do not need to be from the Approved Snack List. If your child is bringing in lunch, snacks must be packed separately from lunch. Please label lunch bags and snacks with your child’s name.
NEW: General Communication Expectations for Teachers
Kindergarten teachers will communicate with parents, at a minimum, twice a month. Blended and Structured classrooms also provide a daily update. Staff uses different forms of electronic communication. Some examples include emailed newsletters, blogs, email, and websites. You will learn this information at meet the teacher and/or curriculum night as well if you are in attendance. If you can’t make it to either one of these events, please connect with your student’s teacher to learn how she communicates.
NEW: Tips for a Successful Start
- Kindergarten & Structured: When our students eat lunch, we build in additional time in our schedule to teach routines for the first few days. Please know your children are supported and we help them and make sure they eat. If you send a lunch from home, know that your child will eat the treats in their packed lunches first, slowing down getting to the good, healthy things you’ve packed. A tiny treat, if any, is fine, like a mini oreo or a couple m&m's at lunch. Save bigger treats for home, please.
- All: Daily snacks should be quick, small items, like a baggy of grapes or a banana or a single serve pre-packaged item from our District Approved Snack List. No more than one item should be provided. It gets confusing and takes too long when a lot of extra food is packed. If you are sending a lunch from home (kdg or structured), pack snacks and lunches separately and make sure your child knows where each is. You'll have the lunch in a lunch bag and the snack can be in the front pocket of their backpack. Sometimes they get the two confused.
- All: Label EVERYTHING. Tracking down lunch boxes, water bottles, snacks, etc. is very difficult. At this age, students love to explore their backpack items and put them where they don't necessarily belong. Keep those labels going as we get into colder months for coats, mittens, scarves, etc.
- All: Never park in the front circle drive.
- All: If you bring your child to school, please be on time. See times in "REPEAT: First Day of School & Hours." This creates a smoother transition for your child into his or her school day and helps keep our routines and procedures in order for morning check-in. Teachers need to do a lot to get kids checked in and having one child late significantly cuts into our learning time for all children. Please aim for our drop-off start times.
- All: Please be sure your child brings or wears gym shoes and socks every day to school for gym class. Their shoes must be fully covered on top for safety reasons. Sandals, sports sandals, crocs, and boots are not appropriate for gym class. If your child does not have gym shoes, he/she will sit out of gym that day and a reminder note will be sent home. It is encouraged that your child keep a pair of gym shoes in his/her cubby at all times. This will also help out in the winter months when they may be wearing boots to school.
REPEAT: Class Placement Information & Bus Information
This year your child’s class placement and bus information will come to you electronically on Thursday, August 12th. A team of staff members worked diligently to make sure each child was placed in a classroom to create balanced class lists where each child can find success. We know you appreciate the fact that, with such careful thought and consideration put into these decisions, including your input, no changes will be made and we thank you for your support.
If you do not receive a notification, please email our administrative assistant, Mrs. Lundeen, at [email protected], or give us a call in the office.
Alternate Dismissal Arrangements: At Willow Grove, all kindergarten students are assigned a bus route, which will be provided by email just before the start of the school year. If you are planning on routinely picking up your child from Willow Grove or have alternate arrangements other than our bus, please complete our ALTERNATE DISMISSAL PLAN. If you do not complete this, we will assume your child will be taking the bus home every day. We need this information by this Sunday, August 8. Call the office right away if you have missed the August 8th deadline and need to update us. Again, complete the Alternate Dismissal Plan or call us ONLY IF your child will not be taking the bus home daily. Alternate arrangements must be consistent week-to-week, meaning you can have a different plan on different days of the week, but it needs to be consistent every week.
Questions or changes in the schedule? If the information you provide should change prior to or during the school year or you have any questions, contact the Willow Grove Office at 847.541.3660.
Blended Early Childhood: Busing is not an option for families of tuition-based students. All tuition-based students (non-IEP) must provide their own transportation.
Structured and Blended (IEP only): Your transportation information comes through our student services department at the district office. Contact our office if you need support.
REPEAT: Meet the Teacher - Tuesday, August 17
Meet the Teacher is for all students and caregivers to attend - Kindergarten, Blended AM/PM, and Structured. The event is on Tuesday, August 17th. Please note, in an effort to control traffic of the event and maintain social distancing practices, families are assigned to a half-hour window during the event, according to the first letter of the student's last name as follows:
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM - A-L families
10:30 AM-11:00 AM M-Z families
Everyone must wear masks regardless of vaccination status.
Please be aware of social distancing.
All children must be supervised by their caregiver for the duration of the event.
At the Meet the Teacher event, parents and kids will meet their teacher, see their classroom, and while there, may tour around our building. The PTO will also be there and you can check out all the things they have to offer. Families should bring their child’s supplies to drop at school this day. Click here for the school supply list. If you ordered from the PTO, those will be shipped to your home for you to bring in. We will also have parents confirm dismissal plans and once confirmed, you’ll receive an ID/Bus tag that your child will need to have attached to their backpack prior to arriving for their first day of school. It’s used for us to ID your child right away and during arrival and dismissal procedures. If you’re unable to attend the Meet the Teacher event, your child will receive their Bus tag on their first day of attendance. Please make sure your child’s backpack very clearly has their name somewhere so we can identify each child as they enter the building.
REPEAT: First Day of School & Daily Hours
Please make sure you have noted important dates indicated on our school calendar. You’ll find information on all student attendance days, such as our daily program hours, days off, early release days, and district half-days.
Our first day of student attendance is August 19th, which is a Half-Day.
Release Times for Half-Day Attendance:
Kindergarten & Structured program dismisses 11:45 AM; ONLY Blended AM attend (8:30-11:00) and these alternate between the AM and PM classes throughout the school year (see District 96 Quicklist Calendar).
Regular School Hours & Daily Drop-Off Times if Your Child Does NOT Take the Bus:
Kindergarten: 8:40 AM-3:00 PM. Parent drop-off starts at 8:25 AM and is located at the main entrance. If you’ve elected the half-day for kindergarten, dismissal is at 11:55 AM daily, unless it is a District Half-Day Attendance, when dismissal is at 11:45 AM.
Blended AM: 8:30 AM-11:00 AM. Parent drop-off starts at 8:20 AM and is located at the main entrance.
Blended PM: 12:30 PM-3:00 PM. Parent drop-off starts at 12:20 PM and is located at the main entrance.
Structured: 8:30 AM-2:30 PM. Parent drop-off starts at 8:20 AM and teachers will provide instructions for location.
REPEAT: Food & Willow Grove
Daily Snack for All Programs (Kindergarten, Blended, and Structured)
Children have daily snack time in their classrooms. Parents send snacks daily and they must be from the Approved Snack List. There are particular guidelines you must follow. Abiding by this helps to keep our environment safe for all students to do their best learning. Any items not on the Approved Daily Snack List sent to school will be returned home.
Kindergarten & Structured Program Lunch
Unlike snack, where you must pack items from our Approved Snack List, students may bring anything in for lunch, as lunch is out of the classroom. We have safety measures in place during lunch for children with allergies. If you have questions, please contact our school nurse by calling our main office. Additional details about lunch are included in the video and Frequently Asked Questions.
Birthdays
We do not allow food to be passed out to children for birthdays. It is not required to send anything for your child’s birthday to share with the class. If you choose to send something in, it must be a non-food item. Examples include a sticker or pencil.
REPEAT: Curriculum Night
More information will be forthcoming. Please save the date:
Willow Grove - Monday, August 23: 6:30pm - 7:30pm
*More information coming 8/20*
REPEAT: Kindergarten Parent Resources
Here are some resources to support you and your child as you begin the school year.
Willow Grove Kindergarten Welcome Video
Kindergarten 101 & Parent Frequently Asked Questions - This will give you plenty of information to get you off on the right foot! (Spanish link to same doc)
NOTE: We recently have transitioned from Lourdes Albrecht in the office to Mel Lundeen and these forms have the old contact information. Mrs. Lundeen is your smiling office support, along with Mrs. Kathleen Brady, our nurse, Mrs. Bri Holtz, and myself, Jenny Smith, Principal.
REPEAT: PTO News
We look forward to seeing you at Meet the Teacher! Visit our table in the learning center and near the cafeteria to see all the exciting things you can sign up for.
The PTO is hosting a back-to-school "Boohoo/Yahoo Parent Breakfast" on the first day of school (Aug. 19th) from 9:00-10:30 AM at Deerfield's Bakery - 201 N Buffalo Grove Rd! We'll be up in the loft. Please wear your mask in consideration of others. And bring some cash as we'll have our limited edition Willow Grove Water Bottles for $8 a piece. Hope to see you there!
Be sure to make a Membership Toolkit (MTK) account to see what opportunities are available, and sign up! The Dessert Day order form is on your MTK account...So, don't forget to sign up for those monthly lunchtime treats Deadline is Aug. 27th!
Check out our BLOG for additional details on these things and more, and on Facebook. We also post regular announcements on the "Willow Grove Kindergarten Parents 2021-2022" Facebook page.