Dear Families,
The energy and excitement at Willow Grove during conferences were a wonderful way to wrap up the week before Spring Break! Our teachers and staff truly enjoyed connecting with you and celebrating your child's growth and achievements.
A heartfelt thank you to our amazing PTO and parents for providing such a delicious meal for us on Thursday. Your generosity and thoughtfulness make a big difference, especially during these busy conference days. Knowing our staff is well-fed and cared for means so much, and we are incredibly grateful!
Wishing you all a restful and joyful Spring Break! I hope you have the chance to spend quality time with family and make special memories together.
Best,
Jenny Smith, Principal
Upcoming Dates & Helpful Resources
MARCH
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Monday, March 24-28 - NO SCHOOL - Spring Break
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Monday, March 31 - School resumes
APRIL
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Tuesday, April 1 - NO SCHOOL - Institute/Election Day
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Thursday, April 17 - HALF-DAY - School Improvement Day
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Kindergarten (including Structured Kindergarten) and Early Childhood Structured: 8:40 AM - 11:45 AM.
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Pre-K Blended Early Childhood/ECSE: Blended/ECSE AM and PM alternate attendance days on district half-days (or balance with severe weather day needs). Even if your child attends PM, if it is a district half-day, they will attend during our AM hours. PM attends on Friday, February 14th (no AM students). Hours are 8:40 AM - 11:10 AM. Parent drop-off begins at 8:25 AM.
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Friday, April 18 - NO SCHOOL - District Holiday
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Tuesday, April 22 - EARLY RELEASE DAY
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Kindergarten (including Structured Kindergarten): 8:40 AM - 2:05 PM.
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Blended Early Childhood/ECSE AM: 8:40 AM - 10:10 AM.
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Blended Early Childhood PM: 12:35 PM - 2:05 PM.
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Early Childhood Structured Learning Classroom: 8:40 AM - 2:05 PM.
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2024-25 School Year Calendar & Hours
NEW *Current Kindergarten Families Only: FIRST-GRADE Parent Input for Class Placement (2025-2026)*
We are collecting first-grade parent input for placement at this time through Tuesday, April 29, 2025. Entering kindergarten families for the 2025-26 school year will be able to provide input through a link being emailed to families in April. Families must be fully registered to receive the link. This information is only for families with children heading to first-grade for the 2025-26 school year.
Creating balanced class lists that meet the needs of all students is a tremendously difficult job that takes many hours of thoughtful dialogue between classroom teachers, administrators, and specialists. At Willow Grove, we take this process very seriously. The process for class list creation is as follows:
Teachers reflect on the social and academic needs of each of their current students while recording pertinent information to assist in the decision-making process.
Grade-level teachers, the principal, the assistant principal, special area teachers, and specialists meet together to form class lists that are balanced in terms of academic, social, and emotional needs, as well as considering student relationships. This is no easy task and often takes several collaborative discussions. Our dedicated team of educators considers each child’s personality, academic needs, friendship patterns, etc. as they make a recommendation for each individual child. A draft of class lists is created while considering parent input.
Class lists are then revised in August to reflect changes resulting in adding or taking out students who move in or out of the district over the summer.
Willow Grove staff creates the class lists for incoming 1st graders to all District 96 elementary schools.
We strongly believe that this detailed and collaborative process creates learning environments that benefit all students. It is a delicate balancing act that takes much consideration and thought by professionals who know and care about your children. Our goal is to create balanced class lists that promote the success of each child. Please know that your child is placed in a classroom for very specific reasons. The process benefits all students. Because of the input and thought given by teachers, specialists, parents, and the principal, we are very reluctant to make changes once this process occurs, as removing or moving one child can disrupt the balance of an entire class, impacting all students.
We welcome any insight you wish to share about your child’s strengths, needs, and learning style. We will take into consideration pertinent information received on or before Tuesday, April 29th. Please remember, while we welcome your input, specific teacher requests and friendship requests will not be considered due to the complexity of this process.
I cannot express enough how important it is that your thoughts are provided through this 2025-26 First Grade Parent Class Placement Input Survey. As you can imagine, we receive a lot of parent input, and verbal information and multiple emails are impossible to track. We appreciate your input.
NEW *5Essentials for Parents*
It's a race against the clock and Kildeer is our first school to hit our GOAL of 20%! Each school must have 20% of its parent population take the short 5Essentials Survey by March 28th-- in order to receive their results. These results are crucial as all KCSD96 schools use this data for planning for the coming school years. Parents and guardians, please take 5 minutes of your time to complete this survey. Parent identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.
Please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ and select the appropriate survey to begin. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact UChicago Impact Survey Support at 1-866-440-1874 or [email protected].
The overall parent response rate is 12% for the 2025 Illinois Supplemental Parent Survey. As a reminder, schools need 20% of their parents to respond in order to receive a report. Also, note a school must have a minimum of 8 responding parents in order to receive a report.
Here are the parent response rates for schools in Kildeer Countryside CCSD 96:
- Country Meadows Elem School: 13%
- Ivy Hall Elem School: 11%
- Kildeer Countryside Elem School: 27%
- Prairie Elem School-Buffalo Grove: 11%
- Twin Groves Middle School: 2%
- Willow Grove Early Learning Center: 26%
- Woodlawn Middle School: 5%
REPEAT *Bears that Care Club Session 3 Enrolling NOW!*
Willow Grove is excited to announce the third and final session of our Bears That Care Club! This club will meet once a week and will center around our monthly Bears That Care themes. Students will participate in engaging, hands-on activities that will foster skills in areas such as friendship, working together, and peer leadership as they learn to be Willow Grove Bears that show kindness, respect, and responsibility.
Bears That Care Club will be led by Mrs. Felleson, a kindergarten teacher at Willow Grove, and will meet weekly on Wednesdays from 3:05–4:00 PM, running from April 9 through May 21.
Spots are limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to children who have not yet participated in the previous two sessions. While those who have already attended are welcome to sign up, please note that the content will remain the same. Parents will receive an email confirming their child's enrollment or notifying them if all spots have been filled.
Please complete THIS FORM by April 2nd if your child is interested in being part of our Willow Grove Bears That Care Club!
REPEAT *Kindergarten Save the Date - Music Performance on Friday, May 9*
We are looking ahead at our calendars to prepare for the kindergarten music performance. This event celebrates our kindergarten students as they near the end of their school year. We ask that you save the date of Friday, May 9th. The kindergarten music performance is during the school day and the show is about 30 minutes in length. The following are the times for each classroom's performance:
9:15-9:45 - Chappas, Zanardo, Crescenti, Dyer, Felleson
10:15-10:45 - Preskill, Shannon, Casas-Maya, Derry, Rabin
1:15-1:45- Anderson, Hibbs, Santucci, Melamed, Wisneski
REPEAT *Response Rate - 5Essentials Survey for Parents/Guardians*
The parent response rate for Willow Grove is currently at 7% for the 2024-25 Illinois Supplemental Parent Survey. As a reminder, schools need 20% of their parents to respond in order to receive a report. Also note a school must have a minimum of 8 responding parents in order to receive a report. Thank you for your support.
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*
Information about:
- 2025-26 Kindergarten Parents - Join our Facebook Group!
- Pizza Bingo March 12! - Pre-Order Your Pizzas and Dessert Tickets
- Pizza Bingo Silent Auction Opens Monday March 9th at 7pm
- 2025-26 Willow Grove PTO Board Support Needed
REPEAT *APRIL 17 - District Half-Day*
KCSD96 community, please note that there has been a 24-25 school calendar that has been circulating that erroneously left off a Half Day in April. Please know, there will be a Half Day for students on April 17th. This half-day was included in the 24-25 calendar that was approved and adopted by the Board of Education prior to the start of the school year.
Half-Day Schedule for April 17th:
- Pre-K Blended Early Childhood/ECSE: Blended/ECSE AM and PM alternate attendance days on district half-days. Even if your child attends PM, if it is a district half-day, they will attend AM hours. PM attends on Thursday, April 17th (no AM students). Hours are 8:40 AM - 11:10 AM. Parent drop-off begins at 8:25 AM.
- Kindergarten (including Structured Kindergarten) and Early Childhood Structured: 8:40 AM - 11:45 AM.
- Elementary Schools (Grades 1-5): 8:20 am - 11:45 am.
- Middle Schools (Grades 6-8): 7:45 am - 11:10 am
If you like to download the calendars and keep them in your home, we kindly ask that you download the link below and print it. It is important that families plan for the upcoming Half-Day accordingly. Thank you!
UPDATED 2024-25 DISTRICT CALENDAR
REPEAT *March 4th Student Registration Opens*
Student registration for the 2025-26 school year opens on March 4th. Parents and guardians of new Kindergarten students (who have submitted all required documents) and returning KCSD96 students will be emailed a link to register their child for the 2025-26 school year.
Complete registration by April 15 to receive a $20 Early-Bird discount. Families with returning students who register after April 15 will pay the standard registration fee.
Registering early helps us to plan for the upcoming school year.
Registration fees paid by April 15 for the 2025-26 school year are:
- Early Childhood Blended Tuition: $2,870 (or $335.07 monthly)
- Kindergarten: $90
- Grades 1-4: $110
- Grade 5: $120
- Grades 6-8: $135
Families new to District 96 can find more registration information here: https://www.kcsd96.org/about/registration
If you have any registration questions, please contact [email protected].
REPEAT *Kindergarten Registration*
Spread the word– Kildeer Countryside School District 96 is excited to welcome kindergarteners for the 2025–2026 school year! 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. In addition to the information below, we have more details on our website.
Registration Timeline:
- STARTING NOW: 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: The district will send online registration links to families with approved documents.
- 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!
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.
REPEAT *Incoming Kindergarten Dual Language Parent Night 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. To RSVP and receive the virtual meeting link, please complete this form.
REPEAT *Safety First at Drop-Off and Pick-Up*
We want to remind everyone of the importance of following our parking and pick-up/drop-off procedures to ensure safety for all:
- Cones at Willow Grove Parking Lot Entrances and Checker & Essington: These are in place to prevent parking that obstructs visibility and creates dangerous conditions. Please respect these cones and avoid parking in these areas.
- Crossing Safely: When parking on Checker, always use the crosswalk at our circle drive exit or walk behind the buses near the entrance. Please do not cross through bus traffic. In addition, a parent/guardian must escort children to the entrance—never let them walk alone.
- No U-Turns: U-turns in front of the school during high traffic times are unsafe and illegal. Police monitor this and may issue tickets.
- No Double Parking: Please find a safe parking spot. Double parking, which we have seen on Checker nearest our school entrance, blocks the roadway and is not safe.
- Safe Traffic Signaling: Always use your blinker when pulling into or out of a spot.
Thank you for your kindness, patience, and commitment to safety. Together, we can ensure a smooth and secure drop-off and pick-up process.