Mid-October News

Hello John Stewart Families -

Here are some friendly reminders mid-way through October!  Thank you to all those who participated in Spirit Week last week and shared pictures with us. We had a fun week celebrating! 

Halloween

We will still be allowing our students to dress for Halloween this year. Our A day students will come dressed in costume on Thursday, October 29 and B day students will come dressed in costume on Friday, October 30. We will not have any parent-planned parties or volunteers. Instead, teachers will celebrate with their students in class in a way that best fits the student's ages, curriculum, and classroom needs. We will share pictures of the day on our Facebook Page. There will not be a parade outside or throughout the school.

Parent/Teacher Conferences 

Hybrid Parent-Teacher Conferences 

Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held Wednesday, November 4th from 4:00 - 8:00 pm and Thursday, November 5th from 10:00 am - 8:00 pm.

This year, there will be two options for conferences for Hybrid Families: (1) Zoom or (2) conference call. 

Conferences will be twenty minutes long. Sign-ups have already gone out, please look for an email from your child's classroom teacher to reserve your time slot and indicate your choice of the conference.

Remote Parent-Teacher Conferences  

Conferences can be held starting at Wednesday, November 4th from 9:00 am - 8:00 pm and Thursday, November 5th from 10:00 am - 8:00 pm. This year, there will be two options for conferences for Remote Families: (1) Zoom or (2) conference call. 

EC-3rd Grade:  No live sessions will be held on Wednesday in order to provide more slots for parent/teacher conferences.  

4th and 5th Grade: No live sessions will be held on Wednesday in order to provide more slots for parent conferences.  4th and 5th-grade students will write a self-reflection on their progress that the Teacher will approve and send to Parents.  Families may use the reflection of progress in lieu of attending a scheduled conference time.  Each 4th and 5th-grade teacher will have 40 spots open for conferences.  Parents are asked to select only 1 of the 2 Teachers to conference with.  

Conferences will be twenty minutes long. Sign-ups have already gone out, please look for an email from your child's classroom teacher to reserve your time slot and indicate your choice of the conference.

Hybrid Application Day Reminders

Our expectation for students on application days (at home learning) is that they are completing 4-5 hours of learning. This will obviously look different from an in-school learning experience for a student but we wanted to help prioritize how the at-home learning time is spent and clarify what exploratory options our students have.  

 

The main priority of the learning day should be ELA and Math application assignments from the general education teachers.  Students should then look to spend some time working on any Science or Social Studies activities, these activities will likely be explorations and will not need to be brought back to school or handed in unless explicitly stated by the teacher. The next priority for learning would be to spend some time on Physical Education as this is an exploratory area that is required by the State of Illinois.  Finally, please spend time working in exploratory areas including Music, Art, Technology, and Critical Thinking.  The Exploratory teachers have worked hard to provide students access to many opportunities for learning through Canvas pages but some requirements for returning work could differ and most of the application day activities will be geared towards further standard exploration, this means teachers can review to see work is completed but feedback may not be given to students. Thank you for the help!

COVID Information - Masks

Here is some helpful information from the IDPH regarding mask care - 

Click here for the full document. 

 

How do I care for my mask?

It is a good idea to wash your mask or face covering at least daily. Place your used masks in a bag or bin away from small children or pets until they can be laundered with detergent and dried on a hot cycle. If you need to remove and reuse your mask before washing, consider putting it in a plastic or paper bag (not your backpack or purse) and be mindful not to put the mask where others can touch it or where the mask will contaminate other shared surfaces. Wash your hands immediately after putting it back on and avoid touching your face. Paper-based masks, like surgical masks, should be discarded after each use.

SELF-CERTIFYING: Please continue to self-certify your child prior to 8am on their In-Person Learning Days. Ensuring that your child is certified helps to expedite their entrance into the building.

COVID Parent Link  - www.kaneland.org/covid       Student Link - www.kaneland.org/pass

Remote Families

Thank you to all those who have sent pictures of their Remote Student(s). Please feel to email a picture of your child to Mrs. Aversa 10017@kaneland.org.

Important Dates

Wednesday, 10/21 - A Day Students Attend

Wednesday, 10/28 - B Day Students Attend

Thursday, 10/29 - Halloween Celebration for A Day Students (Student Wear Costumes)

Friday, 10/30 - Halloween Celebrations for B Day Students (Student Wear Costumes)

Tuesday, 11/3 - No School (Election Day)

Wednesday, 11/4 - Parent Teacher Conference 4-8pm

Thursday, 11/5 - No Student Attendance/Parent-Teacher Conferences 10am-8pm

Friday, 11/6 - No School

October News

Tardy Reminders

If you happen to be running late to school (after 8:50am), parents or guardians please walk your student(s) to the school to sign them in at the main office.  Thank you! 

Absence Line 

Just a reminder to call your student into the absence line, (630) 364-8170 press 4, if your student will miss any part of the school day.  This includes in person-days as well as at-home learning. If your child is sick on an at-home learning day, please still call them in. Full remote students should also be called in if they will miss any remote session. 

Cold Weather 

As the weather starts to get cooler, please remember to dress your child appropriately, (In layers, jackets, pants, etc) for recess, mask breaks, and some lessons and classes that are still being held outdoors. 

Chromebook and Canvas Navigation Tools

• Four ways to review teacher feedback given on Canvas - Canvas Quick Tip for Reviewing Student Feedback 
• Here is a video regarding Navigating Zoom on a Chromebook https://youtu.be/dNYEUsYmtnY

Hybrid and Remote - Teacher Office Help Desk Hours

We have revised our office hours for our help desk to support students in Math, Reading, and Writing during application days and times.  Please don't hesitate to reach out to these great resources!!   Revised Office Hours

Parent/Teacher Conferences 

Hybrid Parent-Teacher Conferences 

Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held Wednesday, November 4th from 4:00 - 8:00 pm and Thursday, November 5th from 10:00 am - 8:00 pm.

This year, there will be two options for conferences for Hybrid Families: (1) Zoom or (2) conference call. 

Conferences will be twenty minutes long. Sign up begins October 13th, please look for a sign-up genius link from your classroom teacher to reserve your time slot and indicate your choice of the conference.

Remote Parent-Teacher Conferences  

Conferences can be held starting at Wednesday, November 4th from 9:00 am - 8:00 pm and Thursday, November 5th from 10:00 am - 8:00 pm. This year, there will be two options for conferences for Remote Families: (1) Zoom or (2) conference call. 

EC-3rd Grade:  No live sessions will be held on Wednesday in order to provide more slots for parent/teacher conferences.  

4th and 5th Grade: No live sessions will be held on Wednesday in order to provide more slots for parent conferences.  4th and 5th-grade students will write a self-reflection on their progress that the Teacher will approve and send to Parents.  Families may use the reflection of progress in lieu of attending a scheduled conference time.  Each 4th and 5th-grade teacher will have 40 spots open for conferences.  Parents are asked to select only 1 of the 2 Teachers to conference with.  

Conferences will be twenty minutes long. Sign up begins October 13th, please look for a sign-up genius link from your classroom teacher to reserve your time slot and indicate your choice of the conference.

The Scholastic Book Fair will be held this year in a different format.  Please be on the lookout for more information to come! Thank you for your support! 

Updated Fall Learning Calendar

Click here to view the updated Fall A/B Learning Calendar.  It has been updated to December. 

Halloween

We will still be allowing our students to dress for Halloween this year. Our A day students will come dressed in costume on Thursday, October 29 and B day students will come dressed in costume on Friday, October 30. We will not have any parent-planned parties or volunteers. Instead, teachers will celebrate with their students in class in a way that best fits the student's ages, curriculum, and classroom needs. We will share pictures of the day on our Facebook Page. There will not be a parade outside or throughout the school.

Illinois Department of Public Health Issues COVID-19 Halloween Festivities Guidance

4th/5th Library Incentive Program

We are excited to announce an upcoming reading incentive program for 4th and 5th Grade Remote and Hybrid students, but we need your help! In order to make this program successful, we need multiple copies of the same book. Please consider purchasing one of the books to donate to the library for students to check out. Once the incentive is over, these books will become available to all students. We have attached the Amazon wish list with the copies of the chosen books. Amazon will also ship it right to KST. Thank you for any support you can provide!

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3584RQTLIYZ4O?ref_=wl_shares

Full Remote Families

On October 21st we will be having an asynchronous learning session.  Students will not be logging onto their regular time as a whole class.  On this day your student's teacher will communicate a schedule with small group work time and/or one on one conferences for feedback on learning.  Please note it is still a learning day, but the times for logging in may differ for your child. 

 

Kaneland Strong No Matter the Distance - Remote Students

Even though we can't see our remote students in person, we still want them to have a presence in our building. They are still a major part of our KST family!  Please email me (Samantha.Aversa@kaneland.org) a picture of your child(ren) doing their remote learning or of them waving hi. We would love to display their pictures in the hallways for our teachers and hybrid students to see!!  Thank you for their participation!

COVID - Parent Reminders 

• Decision Tree for Symptomatic Individuals in Pre-K, K-12 Schools. When a student is excluded from school, please reach out to your child's teacher for homework and other class information. 

• Face Mask Reminders Per IDPH on Sept. 9th: All persons on school grounds including students, teachers, school nurses, administrative and secretarial staff, food service personnel, custodial staff, public safety personnel, etc., must wear a face covering at all times when in school or in transit to and from school (i.e., school buses) unless a specific exemption applies. 

• Face coverings may be temporarily removed at school: • When eating • When outdoors and physical distancing of at least 6 feet can be maintained • When playing a musical instrument outdoors with at least 6 feet social distancing • If using a face shield when other methods of protection are not available or appropriate. Strict adherence to social distancing should be maintained when face coverings are removed in limited situations. 

• Students still participate in multiple mask breaks during the day.  We encourage students to advocate for a break if it is needed beyond their scheduled breaks with their class. 

• Please continue to send your student with bottled water to drink during the day as water fountains are not available to drink from, only to refill water bottles.

Fire Prevention Week

The Kaneland Fire & Safety Foundation was founded by Elburn & Countryside Fire Protection District, Kaneville Fire Protection District, Maple Park & Countryside Fire Protection District, and the Sugar Grove Fire Protection District to provide fire safety education to the elementary students in our districts. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will not be visiting the individual schools like we normally do during Fire Prevention Week. Instead, we are providing online instruction, lesson plans, and materials for our families to utilize for Pre-K through 5th-grade to assist in educating our families on fire safety.

Fire Prevention Week - 2020

Spirit Week October 5 - 9

We are excited to share an upcoming spirit week that all four elementary buildings will be participating in! Please share this flyer with your families.

Important Dates

Monday, 10/5 - PJ Day

Tuesday, 10/6 - Camo Day

Wednesday, 10/7 -Picture Retake A Day/Remote Students (8-9am) & Flannel Day

Thursday, 10/8 - Sports Day

Friday, 10/9 - Kaneland Spirit Day

Monday, 10/12 - No School

Wednesday, 10/14 - B Day Students Attend

Wednesday, 10/21 - A Day Students Attend

Wednesday, 10/28 - B Day Students Attend

Thursday, 10/29 - Halloween Celebration for A Day Students (Student Wear Costumes)

Friday, 10/30 - Halloween Celebrations for B Day Students (Student Wear Costumes)

Tuesday, 11/3 - No School (Election Day)

Wednesday, 11/4 - Parent Teacher Conference 4-8pm

Thursday, 11/5 - No Student Attendance/Parent-Teacher Conferences 10am-8pm

Friday, 11/6 - No School

Mid-September News

 

Can you Help the Library?

We are excited to announce an upcoming reading incentive program for 4th and 5th Grade Remote and Hybrid students, but we need your help! In order to make this program successful, we need multiple copies of the same book. Please consider purchasing one of the books to donate to the library for students to check out. Once the incentive is over, these books will become available to all students. We have attached the Amazon wish list with the copies of the chosen books. Amazon will also ship it right to KST. Thank you for any support you can provide!
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3584RQTLIYZ4O?ref_=wl_shares

Student Pick-Up/Drop Off Reminders

• Use the West lot
• Follow the route in the picture to the right
• Pull all the way forward before allowing your child to exit or enter the car
• Children should enter/exit on the curbside only
• Remain in your car if using the drop-off/pick-up lane. Drivers, please do not get out of your car to let your child(ren) out.  If you need to open the door for them, please park in a spot. 
• If walking your child to their door, park in a designated spot and use the marked crosswalk
• Refrain from pulling around cars that are unloading children
• Model respectful, patient, and positive interactions for student
• DO NOT make a left turn into the west parking lot during drop off or pick up times.

Getting Too Many Canvas Announcements

Each Canvas user can control his/her own notification preferences.  This can be done at the account level or at the course level.   Adjusting notifications for a course will override notifications at the account level.

• HERE is a guide about changing account level notifications (this should be done before making any changes to a single course's notification settings)

• HERE is a guide for adjusting notifications in a single course

ALICE Drill Update 

Our Hybrid student will be participating in an upcoming barricade drill as many of them participated in last year.  Please review this letter that provides you with more insight into our implementation of the ALICE Plan this fall.  In this plan you will be able to review a mock drill plus listen to the book, I'm Prepared, Not Scared. 

Upcoming Dates

Wednesday, 9/16 - Remote Picture Day/Rigby Testing at Meredith Middle School

Wednesday, 9/23 - A Day Student Attend

Thursday, 9/24 - A Day Students Participate in ALICE Barricade Drill

Friday, 9/25 - B Day Students Participate in ALICE Barricade Drill 

Monday, 9/28 - A Day Students Participate in Bus Evacuation 

Tuesday, 9/29 - B Day Students Participate in Bus Evacuation

Wednesday, 9/30 - B Day Student Attend School & Picture Retake for B Day. 

Kaneland Strong No Matter the Distance - Remote Students

Even though we can't see our remote students in person, we still want them to have a presence in our building. They are still a major part of our KST family! Please email me (Samantha.Aversa@kaneland.org) a picture of your child(ren) doing their remote learning or of them waving hi. We would love to display their pictures in the hallways for our teachers and hybrid students to see!! Thank you for their participation!  

Please reach out with any questions you may have! 
Thank you for all you do!  
~ Mrs. Aversa      

  

September News

Picture Day is Here

We have a new picture company that we will be working with this school year - Josten’s Pix. Please click here for the 2020 Fall Portrait Information for Hybrid Families.  B day students have already taken their pictures. Please see the schedule below: 

Wednesday, September 2nd - A Day students

Wednesday, September 30th - Picture Retakes for B Day Students

Wednesday, October 7th - Picture Retakes for A Day Students 

Remote Student Picture Day

We are excited to announce that we have secured a picture day for our remote students at our Meredith Campus on Wednesday, September 16th from 9:00-3:00. This day will be asynchronous learning to accommodate families wanting to get their pictures taken. Attached is the link to sign up. Each 10-minute time slot can hold 15 students.

 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409094BA4A729A5F49-remote

 

We are asking if you choose to get your child’s picture taken, that you self-certify your child for COVID-19 before coming to the Meredith Campus. If you do not, we will need to screen you upon arrival and this can cause our picture schedule to be delayed. Masks are also required to enter the building. Students will only take it off to have their picture taken.

 

Here is the link for self-certification- http://www.kaneland.org/covid

 

Typically at the start of any school year, we complete a reading assessment called Rigby on all students. This helps us to guide our instruction to meet the needs of all our learners. We are making staff available on September 16th to assess our remote learners after their school pictures at the Meredith Campus, if you feel comfortable in doing so. We will be adhering to all the safety measures that are put in place at all of our schools. If you don’t feel comfortable, we have a Zoom option available that day or the option to set up another time that is convenient for you. We would like to get all of our remote learners assessed at some point this fall.

 

In order to help prepare for this day, please complete the following Remote Picture Day and Reading Assessments form by Friday, September 11th.

 

If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Aversa at Samantha.Aversa@Kaneland.org

Hybrid Learning Calendar

Hybrid Fall Learning Calendar

 

Self-Certification

Please continue to practice self-certification daily. It really helps make our entrance to school smoother when we know that students have already been asked questions by their parents. THANK YOU for your help!

 

 

Wednesday Schedule

September 2 - A Day

September 9 - A day (due to Labor day)

September 16 - B day

September 23 - A day

September 30 - B Day

 

Helpful Information

• Please remember that on application days, we expect to see your child's work, not an adult or older sibling. Thank you for your continued support however, we need to see what your child(ren) can do so we can best support them! 

• We are busy gathering data for students as we always do at the beginning of the school year. RtI services will not begin until closer to October.

• If you haven't already - set up expectations for at-home learning. Create a specific space for this to take place, come dressed for school, and limit distractions - especially no TV.

 

Parents Do You Need Help or Assistance 

Are you or your child in need of help as a remote learner or during your application day? We have some help for you! Our Instructional Coaches are available and ready to assist. Select THIS LINK to find the time to meet with them.

 

Visit www.kaneland.org for any help you need, the middle of the page has a bright blue bar with several tabs to get the help you need!

Also, Check out these helpful Parent Support Videos put together by our Instructional Coaches!! Please feel free to share with other Kaneland Elementary Parents.    Parent Support Videos

 

AM Crossing Guard Needed

We are in need of an AM Crossing Guard (8:25 - 8:55).  We can also always use substitutes in the lunchroom and at recess - if you are interested, please let Mrs. Aversa or Mrs. Ward know by calling 630-365-8170 or emailing 10017@kaneland.org

 

 

Follow us on Facebook

There are often updates through our school Facebook Page - Kaneland John Stewart. If you don't already, please follow us on Facebook. Thank you! https://www.facebook.com/JohnStewartElementary

 

 

Coronavirus Updates

Kaneland continually updates the district website as more information is provided about the Coronavirus. Please see the link to read more about this topic: Coronavirus Information

Thank you again for all your continued support!! 

 

Samantha Aversa - Principal