Dear Families,
This week our classes celebrated Valentine's Day! Our family volunteers joined our classroom communities for crafts, games, and a DJ Dance Party! Thank you to our PTO party volunteers for creating a memorable event for all students. Watching 3-6-year-olds have the time of their lives and dance, dance, dance...priceless!
We also wanted to give a great big thank you for the "Stock the Lounge" event hosted and organized by our PTO. There were snacks and breakroom essentials. This truly was so kind and generous and we thank all who contributed.
Just a reminder that we would genuinely love your feedback by completing the 5 Essentials Survey for Parents/Guardians. The details are below. Please begin the parent survey HERE. Also, don't forget there is no school on Monday, February 19th.
Best,
Jenny Smith, Principal
February At-A-Glance
19 - NO SCHOOL - District Holiday
23 - Report period ends
27 - EARLY RELEASE DAY
District 2023-2024 School Year Calendar
NEW *Dual Language: For Parents of Incoming Kindergartners*
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 and provide 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 kindergartner in the Spanish/English Dual Language Program can indicate so on the registration form while completing the kindergarten registration process that begins March 1, 2024. This process should be completed by April 15, 2024, 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 from 6 to 6:30 p.m. on March 12, 2024, for parents of incoming Kindergarten students who are interested in learning more about the Dual Language Program.**
REPEAT *5Essentials Survey for Parents/Guardians*
2/9 Update: We are currently at 1% parent participation. Please help us get to 20%! Thank you!
Beginning January 30th through March 29th, 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 *PTO Updates*
In the latest edition of the PTO Blog, the Spirit Wear drive is coming back later this month, Valentine’s Day Party sign-up, and more.
REPEAT *24-25 Kindergarten Registration Open*
Are you the parent of a kindergarten student or friends with someone who is? Please help us get the word out! Kindergarten registration is now open for the 24-25 school year. Families who complete registration by April 30th may attend Kindergarten Kick-Off in May at Willow Grove Early Learning Center and receive a free t-shirt while at the event! Kindergarten Kick-Off is an exciting event designed to welcome and introduce incoming kindergarten students and their parents/guardians to Willow Grove, supporting a successful transition into school and kindergarten. Please follow this link to learn about the steps to register. Fully registered families will receive additional information about Kindergarten Kick-Off and more in early April.
If your child is already attending Willow Grove in the early childhood program, you will automatically receive a registration link in March for kindergarten. Please wait until you receive that link to proceed with registration. You will still want to complete the registration process by April 30th to receive your child's free t-shirt and attend Kindergarten Kick-Off.
Please note that your child must be 5 years old by September 1st, 2024 to attend kindergarten for the 2024-25 school year.
REPEAT *ACCESS Testing - Kindergarten/English Learners 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.