Dear Families,
We celebrated the 100th Day of School! So many of you found or created the most amazing shirts to send your little ones to school today. We were in awe of your creativity. We also had many parent volunteers drop in to assist in the fun of recognizing the 100th day. This just made for a day full of smiles and joy and we can't thank you enough for making it even more special.
On top of this, it was another day to recognize some students in each classroom to receive a warm fuzzy. As those children entered the office they were celebrated by a group of Willow Grove staff members, Ms. Payne, our friends from the Exceptional Learners Collaborative who help make and deliver our warm fuzzies, myself, and none other than Buddy the Bear! There is music playing and we cheer as the kids come in and shake our shiny purple pom-poms. It is quite the party! We are so proud of our students, and know that you are too! We always make sure each child is recognized by the end of the school year as they are all so deserving.
Believe it or not, I'm not done sharing the exciting whole school events we enjoyed this week! We had another Buddy Classroom event where our EC and kindy classes joined together and learn about our monthly theme. This month's theme is turn-taking and sharing. The students love this time together and we continually see the benefits of how this strengthens our school community.
Best,
Jenny Smith, Principal
February Dates to Know
13 – PTO Valentine's Day Parties
14 – Early Release Day
17 – Half Day - School Improvement Half Day
- Blended Early Childhood & ECSE: Blended and ECSE 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. PM only attends on February 17 (AM students do not have school). Hours are 8:30 AM - 11:00 AM. Parent drop-off begins at 8:20 AM.
- Structured Learning Classroom: 8:30 AM - 11:45 AM
- Kindergarten: 8:40 AM - 11:45 AM
20 – NO SCHOOL - Presidents Day
24 – Report period ends, Willow Grove–Grade 8
Gym Shoe Reminder
'Tis the season for boots! Please don't forget to have your child bring gym shoes daily to change into. We want to make sure they are safe. Boots are rough on our gym floor, but more importantly, are very easy tripping hazards at this age when they are running around. You are welcome to send a pair to school for your child to keep in their cubby so you don't have to continually remember. This is the case for all winter gear, extra clothing, etc. Thank you!
NEW *PTO News*
VALENTINE'S DAY PARTIES
Our Valentine's Day parties will take place on February 13th! There are still several classes in need of volunteers and it's not too late to sign up to help. Please check Membership Toolkit (linked below) to sign up. Forms are open for the following classes, which still need volunteers:
CAREY
CASAS-MAYA
FREER am/pm
MASON
RABIN
YANDURA am/pm
Volunteer spots will only be filled through Membership Toolkit on a first come first serve basis. Thank you for your help!
STOCK THE LOUNGE EVENT
We will be showing our Willow Grove teachers and staff some love and appreciation on February 14th! If you would like to contribute, please visit our social media pages or check our blog (linked below) to view our amazon wish list. You can also contribute a monetary donation for this event in Membership Toolkit.
REMINDER TO CONNECT WITH THE PTO
Remember to check the Willow Grove PTO online at the links below for the latest PTO news and events.
Willow Grove PTO Facebook Page
Willow Grove PTO Membership Toolkit
REPEAT *5Essentials Survey for Parents/Guardians*
Beginning January 24 through April 2nd, District 96 invites you to share your thoughts on the inner workings of your child’s school. 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.
As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness in a survey about your child’s school. Your participation will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide our improvement. Parent identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.
Please visit http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/ to begin the parent survey. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact UChicago Impact Client Services at 1-866-440-1874 or [email protected].
REPEAT *D96 Dual Language Program*
Do you have an entering kindergartner or know of a D96 resident who does? Are you interested in your child having a bilingual school experience?
The District 96 Spanish/English Dual Language Program was designed several years ago to implement instruction across the curriculum that provides an opportunity for students to develop a deep academic proficiency in two languages. In the Dual Language Program, 50 percent of the academic curriculum is delivered in Spanish, and 50 percent of the academic curriculum is delivered in English.
Families interested in enrolling their incoming kindergartners in the Spanish/English Dual Language Program can indicate so on the registration form while completing the kindergarten registration process that begins March 1, 2023. This process should be completed by April 15, 2023, to be entered into the Dual Language Lottery. Please note that indicating interest in the Dual Language Program does not guarantee acceptance into the Dual Language program.
Please visit our District 96 Website to learn more about the optional Spanish/English Dual Language Program and our Dual Language Lottery.
**District 96 will be hosting a Virtual Parent Night at 6:00 to 7:00 P.M. on MARCH 8 for parents of incoming Kindergarten students who are interested in learning more about the Dual Language Program.**
REPEAT *Valentine's Day*
If you choose to send valentines to school and include an item with your child's valentines, please note for the safety of our students only non-food items are permissible. This practice is consistent for all classrooms in District 96 elementary schools including Willow Grove. Your child's teacher will send home any classroom-specific information related to Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day will be celebrated at Willow Grove and all elementary schools on Monday, February 13th, as the 14th is an Early Release.
REPEAT *ACCESS Testing - Kindergarten Only*
The State of Illinois requires identified English Learner (EL) students to annually participate in the ACCESS testing to determine current English language proficiency in Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. Our ACCESS testing window will occur from 1/17-2/22. Each school’s testing schedule is unique and will only impact students who take the ACCESS test. Students taking ACCESS do not need to prepare anything ahead of time.