Dear Families,
Happy New Year! We loved welcoming students and staff back this week. This time of year always means plenty of snow and cold, so please help your child come prepared for outdoor recess with boots, coats, gloves, hats, and snow pants. Having these items will allow your child to play in the snow during recess and ensure they stay warm. Be sure to label everything with your child's name as our Lost and Found gets overwhelmingly full during this time and we love helping lost items find their way back to their owners. You are always welcome to leave a full set of winter gear in your child's cubby so you don't have to think about it daily for the next few months. Storing items in a tote or reusable shopping bag is helpful for organization purposes.
Best,
Jenny Smith, Principal
Upcoming Dates & Helpful Resources
- January 14 - EARLY RELEASE DAY
- January 16 - Movie Night
- January 20 - NO SCHOOL - District Holiday
- January 29 - 100th Day of School Celebration!
2024-25 School Year Calendar & Hours
NEW *100th Day of School Celebration!*
We’re excited to mark the 100th Day of School with fun activities and learning celebrations! Teachers will be sharing individual classroom details with families, including ways students will commemorate this milestone.
We also have parent volunteer opportunities available! If you're interested in helping out, teachers will provide information on how you can get involved and support this special day.
Please note: Currently, the date is January 29th for our 100th day. Severe weather days leading to school closure can occasionally shift the date of our celebration. We’ll keep you updated if any changes occur.
Thank you for being part of this memorable event!
NEW *Valentine's Day*
Since Friday, February 14th, is a district half-day and we have both AM and PM early childhood classes, all Valentine's Day celebrations at Willow Grove will take place on Thursday, February 13th. Your child's teacher will share any classroom-specific details related to the holiday.
Valentine's items are already appearing in stores! If you choose to send valentines with your child and wish to include an item, please ensure it is a non-food item for the safety of all students. This guideline is consistent across all District 96 elementary schools, including Willow Grove.
NEW *Begin 2025-2026 Kindergarten Registration Today!*
Kildeer Countryside School District 96 is excited to welcome kindergarteners for the 2025–2026 school year! Get the process started TODAY! To ensure all students have the opportunity to build a strong and consistent educational foundation, children who are five years old on or before September 1st of a given school year will be enrolled in Kindergarten. Children who are six years old on or before September 1st of a given school year will be enrolled in first grade. For more information, please visit: https://www.kcsd96.org/wg/kindergarten-registration. Please note registration for all other grades at KCSD96 will begin on March 4th.
Registration Timeline:
- January 2025: Begin the registration process by emailing all required documents to Cristina Castro, Administrative Assistant at Willow Grove Early Learning Center, at [email protected]. If you have a student currently enrolled in Pre-K at Willow Grove, you do not need to resubmit these documents.
- March 4, 2025: Registration opens for all KCSD96 students. For incoming Kindergarten families, the district will send online registration links to Kindergarten families who have had their documents approved.
- March 18, 2025: Dual Language Program Virtual Parent Night from 6-6:30pm. This is for parents of incoming Kindergarten students who are interested in learning more about the program. Meeting link to be provided.
- April 15, 2025: Early Bird Discount Ends for Registration. Dual Language Lottery due date.
- April 29, 2025: Virtual Dual Language Lottery at 5pm. Meeting link to be provided.
- April 30, 2025: Complete registration by this date to attend the Kindergarten Kick-Off event at Willow Grove Early Learning Center. Registered families get the sign-up right away once they are fully registered.
- May 14, 2025: Kindergarten Kickoff will be held at Willow Grove. This event is sign-up only for families who are fully registered by April 30. Students will receive a free t-shirt at the event! Families registering after April 30 will not receive the free t-shirt.
Required Documents:
- Child's birth certificate, passport, or visa
- Parent/guardian driver's license or passport
- Recent (within 30 days) mortgage statement, signed lease, or property tax bill
- Recent (within 30 days) utility bill
- Completed Enrollment Form, Residency Form, and Home Language Survey (available in multiple languages)
Please review the Health Requirements and submit the necessary health forms by the specified due dates.
For questions, contact Cristina Castro at [email protected] or call (847) 541-3660.
Dual Language Opportunity
Interested in having your child obtain a bilingual education? The KCSD96 Spanish/English Dual Language Program is a unique and enriching opportunity in our region-- providing 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.
If families are interested in the Spanish/English Dual Language Program Lottery, they must indicate so during the virtual registration process starting in March. The deadline is April 15th. The lottery will be hosted virtually on May 5th. For more information, please visit: https://www.kcsd96.org/curriculum/dual-language-lottery
KCSD96 will be hosting a Virtual Parent Night from 6 to 6:30 p.m. on March 18, 2025, for parents of incoming Kindergarten students who are interested in learning more about the Dual Language Program.
NEW: Updated Approved Snack List
KCSD96 families, please view the newly updated Approved Snack List. This can be found on our website in the parent resources.
NEW: ACCESS Testing
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. The ACCESS testing window is from 1/15/25-3/4/25. 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.
NEW *PTO UPDATES*
Important updates this week, including:
- Movie Night – January 16: Meal pre-orders due!
- Dessert Day: Order now to ensure your child continues receiving their treat for the rest of the year.
- Seeking Pizza Bingo Volunteers: Sign up today!
REPEAT *Winter Weather Gear*
Please ensure that you are sending your child/ren to school with appropriate outerwear including winter coats, snow pants, boots, hats, and gloves. If you need assistance with outerwear, please contact the front office.
REPEAT *Safeway Communication*
As you may know, Safeway is KSD96's transportation partner for student busing. In the case that you need to speak with someone about a transportation-related issue during non-business hours (for example, when your school front offices are closed early in the morning or late in the evening), please contact the Safeway Transportation main line at 224-434-2399.