Dear Families,
In just a few short weeks, we will have the opportunity to meet with you at Family Educator Conferences. The conference dates are Thursday, October 9th, and Friday, October 10th. Please keep an eye out for more information about conference times and signups.
Today, students who eat lunch with us at Willow Grove and whose parents opted to purchase it enjoyed our first Dessert Day through our PTO today. Thank you, PTO, for all the work to organize and distribute this special treat to kids at lunch today. It's always so much fun and we love seeing our volunteers, too!
Lastly, we are looking forward to our Willow Walk next week on Friday! Don't forget to have your child wear spirit wear or our colors, purple, gray, and/or blue! We're excited for all students to meet our fuzzy and friendly mascot, "Buddy the Bear" during the walk!
Kindly,
Jenny Smith, Principal
Upcoming Dates & Helpful Resources
- Friday, September 27 - Willow Walk - Spirit Wear or Willow Grove colors day (purple, gray, and/or blue)
- Thursday, October 3 - NO SCHOOL - District Holiday
- Thursday, October 10 - NO SCHOOL - School Improvement & Fall Family/Educator Conferences
- Friday, October 11 - NO SCHOOL Family/Educator Conferences
- Monday, October 14 - NO SCHOOL - District Holiday
- Wednesday, October 16 - Picture Retake Day (details below)
- Tuesday, October 22 - EARLY RELEASE DAY
- Thursday, October 31 - Halloween Parade & PTO Party (details below)
2024-25 School Year Calendar & Hours
NEW *Author Visit & Book Signing Opportunity*
Thank you to our PTO for providing an author visit at Willow Grove! Rekha Rajan is visiting Willow Grove on October 18th. If you are interested in having a book signed by the author please use the following Amazon links to purchase the book/s and then send the book/s to school with your child by October 14th. Please write your child’s name and classroom teacher on a post-it note and attach it to the inside cover of the book/s.
Please also fill out this Google form so that we can make sure the books are signed by the author.
If you have any questions please email Mrs. Martinez.
NEW *Virtual Backpack*
I want to highlight an invaluable resource that is available to you: the Virtual Backpack. The Virtual Backpack provides easy access to information and resources from our school, PTO, District, and our community.
To help you stay connected, I’ll include a link to the Virtual Backpack in future messages and you can always access it from our website. I encourage you to explore this helpful tool!
Take a look, HERE!
NEW *Halloween, Thursday, October 31*
It’s hard to believe it’s already time to talk about Halloween, but here we are! Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. I especially love watching your children in all of their excitement! It's important that you know the parameters about costumes as you are choosing the perfect one for our school celebration! There is also an opportunity for you to view our parade I’d like to share with you.
Costumes
As you are choosing or creating a costume for your child, please keep them school-appropriate. No blood or gore and no bare tummies in school. Children may not wear masks. Weapons, real or pretend, are never allowed on school grounds. No cigars or cigarette items. Please keep hair coloring and make-up simple. I can't wait to see what you come up with!
Halloween Festivities
9:15 AM - Parade - Parents may stand on the front sidewalk to view our parade! If there is rain, we will need to cancel the outdoor parade. We cannot allow parents in the school to view the indoor parade, for obvious security reasons. Let's cross our fingers for a beautiful fall day!
9:45-10:30 - Party (Kindergarten, Structured, and AM Blended/ECSE) - Only approved PTO parent volunteers may enter the building for the classroom parties. Approved volunteers may not swap with a different person or bring relatives/siblings. Our room parents put together a fun celebration in each classroom and we thank you so much!
2-2:45 - Party for PM Blended
Blended and ECSE Program - Blended will have 2 parties (one for AM and one for PM). Again, only PTO-approved volunteers may attend the party. Blended PM parents may bring their child in just for the parade if they'd like. Parents must provide transportation to and from the school parade. Students must leave after the parade and return when their typical program starts. If you choose to bring your child to the parade please notify your child’s teacher so they know to expect your child. You will drop them off in the office and pick them up there after the parade. Please bypass the line for scanning IDs for the party and come right in to retrieve your child.
Important Notes for PTO-Approved Halloween Party Volunteers
Parents attending the parties may not bring additional family members, other children, etc. We need everyone to abide by this and will have to ask you to leave if you come with other attendees. For your sake and ours, please do not put us in this situation. We have many individuals entering our building for the party and cannot accommodate additional individuals. This includes "trading" with another individual for the approved volunteer.
Every PTO volunteer approved to come into our school MUST have their license or ID scanned through our security system to enter. You have to bring this with you or you will not be able to enter. There is always a very long line at this first party, so please anticipate this. We highly encourage PTO room party volunteers to swing by Willow sometime in the month of October before October 31st to have their license scanned, which will speed up the process. The more people who come in early to be scanned, the shorter the line! You may also come in the day of the Halloween party BEFORE THE PARADE to have your license scanned. We will clear out the office just before the parade starts, so please come early, as the lines are long for this first party.
NEW *SMART Watches*
Many SMART watches have similar capabilities to SMART phones (game, voice, and text capabilities). If a SMART watch becomes a distraction or is used for communication, it may be confiscated and stored in the office to remove the distraction from the learning environment. Essentially, we will treat the SMART watches like a cell phone. Confiscated equipment may be picked up in the office at the end of the day by the student(s). If a pattern of distraction occurs, parents may be asked to pick up the technology.
NEW *PTO Update*
Be sure to check out our blog for information about the upcoming Scholastic Book Fair and Ice Cream Social (Oct. 21-24). We're looking for volunteers and would love your help! This and much more in our BLOG!
REPEAT *Fire Drill*
On September 24, Willow Grove will be conducting a Fire Drill. Students will be evacuating the building during the drill. If the weather does not cooperate, we will reschedule the drill when the weather is better.
REPEAT *Leaving a Positive Digital Footprint*
As we navigate an evolving digital age, it is important for our children to learn how to use technology safely and responsibly. To best support our students in developing these lifelong skills, KCSD96 will be introducing the Common Sense Digital Citizenship Lessons to our K-8 students throughout the year. These age-appropriate lessons will cover essential topics like online safety, protecting personal information, and recognizing positive and negative online behaviors. It’s important that we set our students up for lifelong success.
Common Sense is a widely-used resource used by school districts across the country, including in our region. We encourage you to review the material with your child and have open discussions about what they learn in class. You can access the resources and learn more by visiting the Common Sense Digital Citizenship website.
By working together, we can help our children become thoughtful, safe, and respectful digital citizens. If you have any questions, please reach out to Jenny Smith, Principal, at [email protected].
REPEAT *FAMILY TECH TALK*
Technology plays an important and evolving role in your child's education. It's critical that you and your family have open discussions about your use of technology. KCSD96 is hosting its annual "Family Tech Talk” in the Educational Development Center (downstairs of Ivy Hall Elementary at 1072 Ivy Hall Lane, Buffalo Grove). This discussion is scheduled for Tuesday, September 24 at 7pm. Presenters are Director of Information Technology Services Bob Hanrahan and School Resource Officer Edyta Zuk. Mr. Hanrahan will talk about the district and its technology initiatives. Officer Zuk will discuss online safety awareness and tips.
If you have questions, contact the Community Parent Liaison, Lubna K. Andrabi, at [email protected]
REPEAT *Parent Engagement Opportunities - GCI and TEP*
KCSD96 is dedicated to fostering strong partnerships with our community, offering a range of opportunities for parent engagement. Through these programs, we empower parents to actively contribute to and enrich the educational environment for all of our students. This information, including meeting dates for the 24-25 school year, will be sent to all families in Friday's E-News. We encourage our teachers to relay this information to families who may be interested.
Guiding Coalition of Interculturalism
GCI is a learning community that reflects and connects the KCSD96 values of diversity and inclusion; aligns parents, educators, and students in cultural and educational experiences; and engages with a wide audience. This year our Bilingual Parent Advisory Council will merge with GCI to create a more cohesive group focused on cultural diversity, inclusion, and language support. We will align their missions to create a unified group that addresses both interculturalism and bilingual education and create one communication platform for parents, educators, and community members. GCI meeting dates for the 24-25 school year are:
- October 1st, 2024
- November 12th, 2024
- January 21st, 2025
- February 25th, 2025
- April 22nd, 2025
Meetings are at 6:30pm in the Educational Development Center at Ivy Hall Elementary (1072 Ivy Hall Lane). Please fill this Google Form to indicate your interest. For questions, please contact, Community Parent Liaison: [email protected].
Thought Exchange Partnership
TEP offers parents the opportunity to share their thoughts and receive information about instruction, programs, and district initiatives. TEP is a committee that seeks parent feedback in developing student discipline policies and procedures related to the Student Handbook and provides information and feedback to the Board. District 96 values two-way communication, and a deep understanding of parent perception supports district planning and communication. TEP meeting dates for the 24-25 school year are:
- October 8th, 2024
- December 10th, 2024
- January 28th, 2025
- March 11th, 2025
- May 6th, 2025
Meetings are at 6:30pm in the Educational Development Center at Ivy Hall Elementary (1072 Ivy Hall Lane). Please fill this Google Form to indicate your interest. For questions, please contact, Community Parent Liaison: [email protected].
REPEAT *PHYSICALS AND IMMUNIZATION FORMS DUE by 10/15*
Please ensure that all physicals and immunization forms are turned into the school nurse by October 15th.
REPEAT *Willow Walk - Friday, September 27, 2024*
On September 27, we'll be having our annual Willow Walk. Due to the age of our students (early childhood and kindergarten only), this is a reasonable walk designed just for them! The walk will promote positive school unity and give us all a brief activity to enjoy as a school family. This is not a 5k-like event. This is much shorter given the age of our students.
Please be sure to dress your children for walking in mind and for the weather. We will go out if it is cold. If it is rainy, we will try to schedule a rain date. Let's cross our fingers for a beautiful day! We also encourage kids to wear Willow Grove spirit wear or our colors, purple, gray, and/or blue.
Parents may view the walk from the designated viewing area. The viewing area is on our front sidewalk/grassy area surrounding the flagpole, along Checker Dr. Do not stand on the circle drive or walk onto our campus during the walk. We must maintain a safe and orderly environment for all children. The walk begins at about 9:30 and kids will circle past the viewing area one time for you to cheer them on!
A Special Note for Parents of PM Blended Early Childhood Students
As we want this to be an opportunity for all of our students, you are welcome to bring your child to attend. Please bring your child to the Willow Grove office at 9:30 a.m. where they will meet their teacher to participate in the walk. You may view the walk from our designated viewing area (grass near the flagpole) and come to the main office after the event to collect your child. If you would like to bring your child to the walk, please email his/her teacher to let them know, so they know who to expect.
Willow Walk Parent Volunteer Opportunity
CLOSED - All spots have been filled. Thank you! Volunteers need to be adults-only, no siblings or guests may be with volunteers. We will confirm with all who offer to volunteer a week prior to the walk.
REPEAT *Retake Picture Day Information*
We have a retake day on Wednesday, October 16th, for any student who missed our original picture day (absent or newly enrolled) or whose parent chooses a retake option. If you are choosing to have your child retake their picture, please make sure you see the information that was provided in your child's picture envelope. They are available to students with eye closure, glass glare, bad expression, or photographic error. You will also need to email your child's teacher so they are aware.