Ready, set, GO!
We are looking forward to kicking off the new school year next week on Thursday, August 18th, for Structured, AM Blended, and Kindergarten. Blended PM students begin on Friday, August 19th.
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 Wednesday. It will be a busy place at our Meet the Teacher event. This is an opportunity to drop off supplies, meet the teacher, and take a quick peek around the school. You will also receive a lot of information at Curriculum Night, just around the corner on Monday, August 22nd. Curriculum Night is a parent-only event.
This school year, we welcome Ms. Payne as our Willow Grove Assistant Principal. Ms. Payne enters her 10th year in District 96 having worked at Prairie and Ivy Hall as an instructional coach. We're thrilled to have her as she's already been a tremendous support in setting up our school year and brings warm, enthusiastic energy everywhere she goes!
We're looking forward to launching a successful school year next week!
Kindly,
Jenny Smith, Principal
NEW: Curriculum Night, Monday, August 22, 6:30-7:30 PM
Curriculum Night is scheduled for Monday, August 22, and is from 6:30-7:30 PM. This parent-only event is for all Willow Grove classrooms, including early childhood and kindergarten. Families begin with Assistant Principal, Ms. Payne, and me for a quick overview of some building items and then join their child's teacher for the remainder of the evening. The evening begins in our gym.
NEW *School Hours Reminder*
If you are dropping your child off, it's always helpful to come at the time doors open, as opposed to when school officially begins. As a reminder, these hours are listed below in repeated information. Always reference our district calendar for school days and hours.
A parent/guardian must accompany students to the office and sign them if they arrive after our official school start times. Please do not drop your child off as all doors are locked and secured at this time. If there are no adults outside, please bring your child into the front office.
NEW *Class Placement & Bus Information*
All teacher assignments were sent to families on August 10th and bus route information today. If you did not receive a notification, please email our administrative assistant, Ms. Kim O'Neill, at [email protected], or call the front office at 847-541-3660.
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. If you're packing a lunch for your child, please be thoughtful about what you pack as young children like to eat the treats first, and may not get to the lunch. Please also cut up any larger items, such as fruit or veggies.
- All: Items must be from our District Approved Snack List. 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. It's encouraged that your child's lunch is in a lunch bag and the snack can be in the front pocket of their backpack. Sometimes they get the two confused. If you place both together in the lunch bag, they will not have their snack because their lunch bag goes to the cafeteria first thing in the morning. Children eat their daily snacks in their classrooms.
- 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. This is for buses and emergency vehicles only.
- All: If you bring your child to school, please be on time. 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 when children are late it is a disruption to the regular classroom procedures. 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 PE activities that day and a reminder note will be sent home. It is encouraged that your child keeps 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.
PTO Updates
August 17, 2022: Please visit the PTO during Meet-the-Teacher, on Tuesday, August 17th. All committee and volunteer sign-ups will be online as well as sign-ups for many of the fundraisers. The PTO will have a table set up in front of the learning center and will be available to help. If you would like to get a head start, log on to Membership Toolkit, and update your information— there are already opportunities available including an opportunity to donate to our very first stock the lounge event to welcome back our wonderful Willow Grove teachers and staff (See our Amazon Wishlist, please select "Stefanie Bergman" at shipping. The PTO will ensure your donations get to the school.)
August 18, 2022: The PTO is hosting a Boohoo-Yahoo! Event at Green Lake Park Pavillion from 9-10:30 am. We will have a table set up for volunteer signup opportunities and coffee and donuts will be served.
Green Lake Park Pavilion
1101 Green Knolls Drive
Buffalo Grove, IL 60089
REMINDER ABOUT SPIRIT WEAR
The PTO will be offering spirit wear featuring our beloved Buddy the Bear at the beginning of the school year, we will be offering youth and adult sizes and sales will be online.
Please take a moment to visit and familiarize yourself with the PTO’s page and their blog at your earliest convenience. Registering with the Willow Grove PTO Tool kit will allow you to have access to sign up opportunities.
Willow Grove PTO Membership Toolkit
REPEAT *Important August Dates & School Attendance Hours*
Please make sure you have noted the 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.
Wednesday, August 17th - Meet the Teacher at Willow Grove from 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM. More info provided below.
Thursday, August 18th - First day of school. This is a half-day. Student hours are as follows:
- Blended Early Childhood: Blended AM and PM alternate days on half-day attendance days. Even if your child attends PM, if it is a district half-day, they will attend AM hours. AM attends on Thursday, August 18. Hours are 8:30 AM - 11:00 AM. Parent drop-off begins at 8:20 AM. If you are dropping your child off, we encourage you to come at 8:20 AM.
- Structured Learning Classroom: 8:30 AM - 11:45 AM - doors open at 8:20 AM
- Kindergarten: 8:40 AM - 11:45 AM - doors open at 8:25 AM
Friday, August 19th - Full day of school. Student hours on this day and all full days are as follows:
- Blended Early Childhood AM: 8:30 AM - 11:00 AM - doors open at 8:20 AM
- Blended Early Childhood PM: 12:35 PM - 3:05 PM - doors open at 12:25 PM
- Structured Learning Classroom: 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM - doors open at 8:20 AM
- Kindergarten: 8:40 AM - 3:05 PM - doors open at 8:25 AM
IMPORTANT: If you are dropping your child off, it is always encouraged on all school days for your child to be dropped off at or close to the time doors open.
Monday, August 22nd - Curriculum Night. Curriculum Night is for all student families and is a PARENT/GUARDIAN ONLY evening of attendance. The evening is from 6:30-7:30 PM. You will be able to hear from me and our Assistant Principal, Ms. Payne, and also meet with the star of the evening, your child's teacher!
Tuesday, August 30th - District Early Release day. Student hours are as follows:
- Blended Early Childhood AM: 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM - doors open at 8:20 AM
- Blended Early Childhood PM: 12:35 PM - 2:05 PM - doors open at 12:25 PM
- Structured Learning Classroom: 8:30 AM - 2:05 PM - doors open at 8:20 AM
- Kindergarten: 8:40 AM - 2:05 PM - doors open at 8:25 AM
REPEAT *Food & Willow Grove*
Daily Snack for All Programs (Kindergarten, Blended, and Structured)
Children have daily snack time in their classrooms. Snacks must be from the Approved Snack List (see below).
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 in the Parent Resource section of this letter, below.
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 *Approved Snacks: What Parents Need to Know*
The District has revised the APPROVED SNACK LIST. The items on the list 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.
Director of Educational Services, Bob Hanrahan, 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.
Lunches packed from home may contain any food items 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.
REPEAT *School Lunch Program*
The federal program that allowed school districts across the country to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of income, expired on June 30, 2022. As a result, schools across the nation will be reverting back to free and reduced-price meals based on income eligibility guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
During the 2022-23 school year, families who do not qualify for free or reduced lunch will have to pay for school meals. Students whose families are eligible for free or reduced-price breakfast or lunch will be able to access meals at no cost or at a discounted rate. Applications for free and reduced meals are available on the District’s website. Within this link, you will find menus and how to complete pre-payment for meals. If you have any questions, please contact the Willow Grove office at 847.541.3660.
REPEAT *Lost and Found*
Our lost and found accumulate items very quickly. To avoid the loss of costly coats, bike helmets, lunch boxes, water bottles, you name it, please label everything with your child’s name. We periodically review items in the lost and found that have not been retrieved and provide any labeled items back to our students. Thank you for your help!
REPEAT *Arrival & Dismissal*
Most little ones are SO EXCITED to jump on the bus. Some are scared, and that's OK. 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 teachers 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 AM/PM - AM drop-off and pick-up are at the main entrance. PM drop-off is at the main entrance. PM pick-up is at door 18, to the right of the main entrance when facing the building.
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).
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 of weeks of school. 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 (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 (review handbook language).
Busing Expectations
Please review bus expectations with your child. Here is our bus book you may read 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:
- Stay seated in your 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
- Follow the directions and reminders of the driver
REPEAT *Student Picture Day*
Willow Grove’s picture day is Thursday, September 29th. More information to come as we near the date.
REPEAT *Class Placement Information & Bus Information*
Your child’s class placement and bus information, if applicable, will come to you electronically on Wednesday, August 10th. A team of staff members worked diligently to make sure each child was placed in the classroom in which he or she will 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, Ms. O'Neill, at [email protected], or give us a call in the office at 847.541.3660.
REPEAT *Short Video Clip Invitation*
Dear Community Members,
Are you just as excited about returning to school as we are? If so, District 96 wants to hear your story!
You are invited to submit short video clips encouraging and/or thanking our staff for the work they do with our students every day. The purpose is for us to use these thoughtful video clips of voices from our community members to create a montage for our staff, to continually remind them of the positive impact they make. If you are interested in joining our efforts, please take a moment to review the specifics for recording and submission.
Recording Specifics:
- Please use a personal phone, tablet, or camera that records video to record one child, multiple children, or your entire family sharing in the message.
- Shoot the videos horizontally (landscaped) so the videos we stitch together are all of the same orientation.
- Verify your settings are at least 720p when using your camera. (Please check your device's camera settings to verify this.)
- Limit your message to 15-45 seconds each.
Submission:
- Once you have your videos recorded, please upload them to the Dropbox folder found here: Dropbox File Request Link
- When submitting your video, please know you are giving us permission to play your recording at an Institute Day for our staff.
- District 96 will review the video clips and create a montage that will be shared with staff at different times of the year to celebrate our employees.
If you have any problems with this link or any of the processes listed above, please email us at [email protected], and we will help you.
REPEAT *Alternate Dismissal Arrangements - Kindergarten Only*
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 Monday, August 8. Call the office right away if you miss the August 8th deadline and need to update us. Again, complete the Alternate Dismissal Plan 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.
REPEAT *Meet the Teacher - Wednesday, August 17th*
Meet the Teacher is for all students and caregivers to attend - Kindergarten, Blended AM/PM, and Structured. The event is on Wednesday, August 17th, from 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM.
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 them 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 *Kindergarten Parent Resources*
Here are some resources to support you and your child as you begin the school year.
Willow Grove Kindergarten Welcome Video
Parent Frequently Asked Questions - This will give you plenty of information to get you off on the right foot!
Kindy 101 - Parent presentation from Kindy Kick-Off in May of 2022