This week provided a bit of fun for our students as they had opportunities to play outside in the snow. We have some really big snow hills out there due to all of the snow we have received, and our students had a ton of fun playing at recess. It's wonderful to see our students having fun and getting out some energy all at the same time. For our students at home, I hope they, too, can get outside and play in the snow. They also need some exercise and should try to have fun in the snow.
Starting on Monday our arrival procedures are going to change due to the severe cold weather that is coming. When it gets really cold, the touchless thermometers do not work as well, plus our screeners can get very cold while checking in your children. So starting next week on Monday, I am asking that for those families who drop off their children in the front circle to simple let their children get out of the car and come straight into the building. Our screeners will be inside the building to greet them and take their temperatures. If a students comes in and a self certification has not been submitted, Mrs. Perez, our health clerk, will certify them right then and there. If your child has a fever or and symptoms when they are certified, we will direct them to the health office and call you immediately to come back to school to pick them up. It is, therefore, extremely important that you self-certify your child by 8:00. The less we have to certify here at school, the more quickly we can get your children screened and off to class. Our hope is that this will help speed up the drop off process and also keep everyone warm and safe. We will continue this procedure through spring break.
Next week we are supposed to have extreme cold weather. Please make sure the students come prepared in the appropriate winter attire. As a reminder, we keep our students indoors when the temperature or wind chill are below ten degrees. Otherwise, we will let them go outside to play at recess. As a reminder, please make sure that if you have students coming to school for in-person learning that they bring a pair of gym shoes for PE class. Boots cannot be worn on the gym floor.
The 5Essentials Survey has opened up to families across the State of IL. You should have received a district communication earlier this week about taking the survey. We require a certain percentage of families to take the survey so it will be indicated on our school report card, and we can use the data from the survey to look at different aspect of the school and district to see if we can be making improvements. So, I ask you to please take a few minutes to fill it out. You can find the parent survey here: http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/. We really appreciate your feedback.
Please note that the district sent a communication about a couple changes to the calendar. February 22 will now be a pandemic planning day, and there will be no school for all students. February 24 will now be a regular student attendance day. The remote half day will now be March 01. On that date, the morning will be a half-day planning for teachers (no school for all students), and the afternoon will be all remote for all students in grades 1-8 and afternoon kindergarten. There will be no morning kindergarten on March 01.
On Feb. 02, online kindergarten registration opened. If you have a prospective kindergartener for 2021-2022, or if you have neighbors who do, please begin the registration process. Registration for 2021-2022 is also open for all new and returning students. If you have any questions about the registration process, please contact Mrs. Bojarski in the office at 847-824-1501.
Finally, if you, your student, or anyone in your family is struggling in any way, please know we are here to help you and support you. You can reach out to me directly or to Mrs. Greenwood, our social worker. We are here to help you if you need it.
Enjoy the weekend!
PLEASE READ THESE OTHER IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
Cardinal Call Out
On Fridays we acknowledge our students who consistently demonstrate our expected behaviors (Be Safe, Be Ready, and Be Responsible). Please click here to view our Cardinal Call Outs for the week of February 01. Congrats to the students who have been recognized this week!
5Essentials Survey: Families, please take a few minutes to complete the 5Essentials survey. It only takes a few minutes. You can click here to begin the survey: http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/. You DO NOT need an email address to complete the survey. Please make sure you choose "Cook" for the county.
Materials Pickup:
Our next pickup will be Thursday and Friday, February 18 - 19 from 4:00 - 6:00. Your teachers will send you reminders when these dates get closer. If you cannot make one of the timeframes listed below, we will do our best to work with you. Please contact your child's teacher(s) or the main office to arrange an alternative time. Please see the information below for your planning:
- Schedule
- February 18 - Grades K-2 from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
- February 19 - Grades 3- 5 from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
- Procedures
- Families will pull up in the front circle in their cars. Please do not walk-up to the building.
- Cars should have signs with student names and teacher names clearly visible for staff to see easily.
- Staff will bring new materials to car and collect prior materials along with the bags you initially received.
- For families with multiple students, you can pick up materials on one day. That day will be the day you pick up for the youngest sibling.
Right At School:
If you have a student returning on January 19th and are looking for a before and/or after school program, please check out the Right At School website.
Remote Learning Tips:
- Prepare a quiet learning space to support your child’s focus on school.
- Organize learning materials to ensure they are easily accessible for your child.
- Post your child’s daily schedule in an easily viewable section of their quiet learning space.
- Always encourage your child to do their best in everything in which they are engaged.
- Ask for help from the teacher if your child needs more support to learn.
- Ensure your child maintains a respectful and kind demeanor with their teachers and peers every day.
Food Distribution:
Boxes containing meals for a week will be distributed every Monday from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Algonquin Middle School. Should you not be able to pick up meals at that time, you may call the kitchen office at (847) 789-5630 on Wednesdays between 11:00 a.m. and noon to arrange for the pick up of emergency boxes.
Meals will be provided to any child (age 18 and under), regardless of financial need. Child(ren) does (do) not have to be present when picking up meals. Transportation will not be provided.
We appreciate our partnership with Arbor Management in continuing food service to our students.
D62 Technology:
The District Technology Department is pleased to announce they have expanded their technology support hours into the evenings on Monday and Wednesday nights from 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Families are encouraged to email [email protected] during this time or call the tech helpline at 847-824-8115 and leave a message to generate a help desk ticket. A member of the technology team will answer help desk tickets in the order they are received during the evening support hours.