Principal's Message ~ February 18, 2022

Dear Families,

This week we celebrated Valentine’s Day with parties that were a great success. Thank you to our wonderful PTO and PTO volunteers for their assistance with the parties that took place Monday.

This week did see some unforeseen changes to the District’s timeline with regards to optional masking. There has been communication from Superintendent Julie Schmidt around these changes sent today and earlier in the week. Some of the key points are highlighted below. 

Thank you for your kindness and partnership as we move forward together as a community.

Warmly,

Jenny Smith, Principal


NEW *Bus Reminder*

I have been notified by First Student that some buses are routinely running late as a result of parents not waiting with or for their child at the bus stop. Please make sure at AM pick-up and PM drop-off an adult is waiting at the stop. Drivers are instructed to pass houses that do not have an adult/child waiting at the stop. When you are not at the stop, you are delaying the entire route. We appreciate your attention to this matter.


NEW *Calendar Reminder*

This is a friendly reminder that Monday, February 21, there is no school for President's Day.

Tuesday, February 22, is an Early Release Day:

• Full-Day KDG & Grds. 1–5 dismiss @ 2 p.m.

• Structured: 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m.

• Blended AM: 8:30–10 a.m.

• Blended PM: 12:30–2 p.m


NEW *Masking Information*

As communicated today in Julie Schmidt’s Superintendent Message, on Tuesday, February 15, the bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) blocked the reissuance of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) emergency rules for Covid protocols that were implemented by JCAR on September 17, 2021 and that were renewed on February 14.  

Last evening, the 4th District Appellate Court of Illinois dismissed the appeal of an earlier Circuit Court order on Covid related emergency rules issued by two state agencies and Covid related measures in the Governor’s Executive Orders. The Governor’s Executive Order regarding masking in schools remains the subject of continuing litigation as the recent circuit court ruling was on a temporary restraining order (TRO).

All decision-making and education regarding masking will be left up to individual families.  We strongly encourage families to make and discuss their family decision to mask or unmask with their children.  Please know that staff will not be monitoring or enforcing compliance with family decisions. Our role as educators will be to ensure that all students understand that whether they are masked or unmasked, they are safe, respected, and welcome.  Below you will find a list of talking points that have been created and provided to staff by our administrative team to use with students as needed.  Please feel free to review them with your children at home if you prefer.  As always, if you have any questions please contact your building principal.

Staff will be diligent in monitoring student interactions and report any concerning language/behavior if continuous or intentional.  Moving forward bullying/disrespect will be addressed consistent with our current district policy.

Addressing the Change in Rules: 

Rules have changed recently and masks are optional for students and staff in our schools. We know this may seem like a big change to people, especially since it is what we have all been doing for such a long time now.

We’ve been wearing masks for a while now, so this change may seem strange to some people. It’s ok if you’re not quite ready to go “maskless.” Masking is optional to people now. If you along with your parents feel more comfortable wearing your mask, it is ok to do so. It is also ok if some people do not want to wear their masks anymore. It is your family choice but we do want you to talk with your parents about what is most comfortable for you.

Maintaining Safety & Routine in School: 

  • The adults in this school are all here to make sure that everyone can safely learn in school. School is, and will remain, a safe place for all. 
  • Our school nurses, principals, maintenance staff and every adult in the building does their very best to make sure everyone is safe in school. Even though some people may not be wearing a mask, and others are, all students are safe in school.
  • Practicing good hygiene at all times is important to be healthy. We will still be washing our hands, monitoring our space when around others and in big groups, and we will always encourage those who are sick to stay home until they feel better. 
  • Anyone who tests positive for COVID will still need to isolate at home. 
  • You are following the school rules whether you are masked or unmasked. 
  • If there are things that make you nervous or anxious, there are lots of people in school to help you navigate those feelings. Make sure you talk to a trusted adult (teacher, parent, social worker, coach, etc) if you are experiencing stress or anxiety.

Respecting Everyone’s Personal Choice: 

  • We must be kind to one another no matter a classmate’s mask choice. We are all members of this school community, and we rely on each other to create a great environment to learn in. 
  • It is ok for other students and families to make a different choice than you and your family. We appreciate the difference in thought and opinion. However, if you disagree with someone’s decision on masking, it is not ok to make fun of them, argue with them, or be disrespectful to them in any way. 
  • It is not appropriate to encourage or coax other students to make a choice about masking that you believe is right.  Each person and family should make that choice themselves.
  • Families and teachers can make their own decisions based on what they feel most comfortable with at this time. Each family has its own set of circumstances that they need to consider when making a decision about masking. 
  • It is important to be understanding of others’ choices, even if they are different than our own. If someone wears a mask, that is ok. It is also ok to not wear a mask. 
  • Every person has a different level of comfort about personal space. If someone asks for some extra space because they are uncomfortable in a situation, it is kind and respectful to give them that space. 
  • Disrespectful behavior towards others based on their choice to or not to mask will not be tolerated. It is expected that you are kind and inclusive to all of your classmates.  
  • Disrespectful comments and actions towards others are not expected behaviors in our school. This includes comments and actions related to mask-wearing and mask choice.

Supporting my child at home:

We encourage you to take this opportunity to make the best decision for your family regarding masking and discuss this with your children so they are clear as to your wishes. Staff cannot reasonably be expected to monitor or enforce student compliance with family preferences regarding mask-wearing. Staff will and have been mindful about giving students reminders to adhere to their family preference. Please bring this up with your child periodically as we move forward to continue to support your family choice and check in with your child. Additionally, you may speak with your child about respecting choices of others and feeling comfortable to share any concerns with a trusted adult at school so we can help support and problem solve anything, if needed. 

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact the building principal.


*NEW* SPRING COLLABORATIVE CONFERENCES*

The collaborative conference dates are Monday, March 14th from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM and Tuesday, March 15th from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM.

We will be using Meet the Teacher as an electronic sign-up for collaborative conferences. A School Messenger email will be sent to families on Thursday, February 24th at 6:00 PM with a link to sign up for conferences.

Collaborative conferences will be held over zoom unless parents request an in-person conference using the instructions below. To support easy location of Zoom meeting links, a single document with ALL the staff zoom links will be sent out on Friday, March 11th. 

REQUESTING AN IN-PERSON CONFERENCE

After selecting the teachers you wish to meet with and choosing a time for each conference, Meet the Teacher will prompt you to save the appointment and ask if you want to add a message for the teacher. 

If you want to have an in-person conference with the teachers, you must notify the teachers via this messaging feature (see picture below).


NEW! UPDATE! *Save the Date - Kindergarten Music Performance*

We are looking far ahead at our calendars to prepare for the kindergarten music performance. This event celebrates our kindergarten students as they near the end of their school year. To allow for a larger audience, our kindergarten music performance will be outdoors. We ask that you save the dates of May 6, with May 12 as a rain date. The kindergarten music performance is during the school day and the show is about 30 minutes in length. In very short order I'll have an update that includes the specific time of your child's performance. We also share a recording of the concert with families if you aren't able to make it. 

UPDATE - TIMES

Each kindergarten student will take part in one of the two performances.  Each performance lasts about 30 minutes.

AM show (10:15 AM): Schmidt, Longman, Filippo, Casas-Maya, Hibbs, Preskill, Rabin

PM show (1:15 PM): Wittenberg, Chappas, Santucci, Dolan, Derry, Holzman


NEW *5 Essentials Survey for Parents/Guardians Coming Up*

5ESSENTIALS SURVEY–SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL

Share your thoughts about how your child’s school is doing on the 5Essentials for school success. On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago. District 96 will participate in the statewide 2020–21 5Essentials Survey to meet state legislation and the Board’s mandate. District 96 parents may voluntarily participate to complete the survey. Please select the Parent Survey and begin.

Beginning in February and through Apr. 2, students and teachers will complete their surveys to help identify strengths and weaknesses in their school’s learning environment. In District 96, students in grades 4–8 will complete their surveys on Mar. 19. 

This survey is designed to help school and district leaders better understand the parent/school relationship. All responses are anonymous. Parents are asked to complete a survey for each student attending a Kildeer Countryside District 96 school. The survey will be open through Apr. 2, 2021. Questions? See Frequently Asked Questions and/or contact 5Essentials Client Services, 866.440.1874.


NEW *PTO UPDATES*

The PTO would like to thank all of the room parents and volunteers who worked to make the Valentine’s Day parties a wonderful success. The students had a great time!

Due to multiple obstacles, including limited seating, as well as conflicting dates in the district, Movie Night on April 8th has been canceled.  The PTO is researching other events to put on for our students that would include the entire student population. We appreciate your understanding! 

We are looking forward to a fun-filled family night at Pizza Bingo on April 28th!  Mark your calendars!

CLICK HERE FOR OUR PTO BLOG FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THESE AND OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS!


REPEATING *PCR Results*

If you do not receive your child’s PCR results, we apologize for the inconvenience.

For missing PCR test results, please send an email ~ with your children's first and last names and date of birth ~ to [email protected], indicating that you are looking for missing lab work for them. 


REPEATING *Covid Metrics*

To stay up-to-date this school year on local metrics, please visit the COVID DASHBOARD for District 96. Our priority remains to keep our students safe and follow guidance from the CDC. If your student is identified as a "close contact", you will be notified individually through the contact tracing process.