Important Dates
Wednesday, December 3rd Fun Lunch - Paisano's Pasta
Friday, December 12th 1st Grade Music Concert @ 9:30am
Tuesday, December 16th KST Spelling Bee 1:30-3:00pm
Wednesday, December 17th Fun Lunch - Culvers
Thursday, December 18th 1 Hr Early Dismissal 2:25/2:30 pm
Friday, December 19th Holiday Parties & 1 Hr Early Dismissal 2:25/2:30
Holiday Break December 20 - January 4th
Monday, January 5th Classes Resume
Early Dismissal Reminder
Due to high school final exams, all Kaneland Schools will have a 1-hour early dismissal on Thursday, December 18, and Friday, December 19.
Our adjusted dismissal times will be:
Winter Gear for Winter Weather
Please know that all students will go outside for their daily lunchtime recess when the wind chill is above 9 degrees. It is important to dress your children for the weather. Warm coats, hats, gloves, and boots, labeled with your child's name, are recommended. You can put the items in a reusable bag labeled with their name.
K-3rd Grade All Snow Gear (Pants/Boots/Coat) is required to play or walk in the snow.
4th & 5th Grade Students can walk in the snow if they have snow boots on but cannot play in the snow unless they have snow pants.
**Students without the proper clothing or boots will have to stay on the sidewalks.**
iReady Testing 1st - 5th Grade
Your child will soon be taking the i-Ready Diagnostic in reading and math the first week of December. This adaptive test will help teachers personalize instruction and monitor your child's academic growth throughout the year.
What to know about the assessments
- It's a personalized tool: The diagnostic questions will get easier or harder based on your child's answers, providing a better picture of what they know and what they are ready to learn next.
- It's not for a grade: The results are for instructional purposes only to help teachers, not to assign a grade.
- It's a helpful guide: The data from the diagnostic helps teachers tailor lessons and provide targeted support for each student.
- It’s okay not to know every answer: Reassure your child that it is expected they will not get every question right, and making their best guess is the best approach.
- It's integrated with instruction: Immediately after the diagnostic, your child will begin personalized online instruction based on their results.
How you can help
1. Encourage your child to get a good night's sleep and eat a healthy breakfast on the day of the test.
2. Remind your child to do their best and try not to rush.
3. Let them know it's okay to get some questions wrong, and to make their best guess and move on if they are stuck.
Parent Parking Lot Reminders
As the weather gets colder, we’re seeing many more cars in the parking lot—and with that, an increase in families parking and walking children through the lot or sending students through on their own. This creates safety concerns and slows down the flow of traffic. With so many cars moving at once, it can be very difficult for staff to see students walking between vehicles.
For everyone’s safety, please use the crosswalk, and we highly encourage all families to use the designated car drop-off line whenever possible. The drop-off line is the quickest and safest way for students to exit, especially during winter weather. Reminder: In the drop-off line, please stay in your car and pull all the way forward to help keep the line moving safely and efficiently.
Thank you for helping us make arrival safe for every student!
❄️ Holiday Party - Friday, December 19th
Due to the Hour Early Dismissal, afternoon parties will be held one hour earlier
Kindergarten parties: 10:40-11:20.
First - Fifth Grade: 1:30-2:20
*Parents set up at 1:30-1:40 while Student/Staff are at whole school Sing-Along 1:10-1:35
Holiday Spirit Week
(click picture to view)
We’re excited to celebrate the final week before winter break with a fun Holiday Spirit Week! Each day will have a festive theme to help us end 2025 with joy, school pride, and lots of smiles.
Teachers' Favorite Things List
Looking for an easy way to show appreciation to our amazing teachers this holiday season? We’ve created a Teacher's Favorite Things List that shares each teacher’s favorite things. This is a great resource for holidays, birthdays, or just-because treats to say “thank you” for all they do to support our students every day.
Thank You From Mrs. Steers - Book Fair
Grade-Level Data Chats
Last month, each Grade level participated in Data Chats at our data wall in the front hallway. During these conversations, we reviewed our School Improvement Plan (SIP) goals, looked closely at beginning-of-year i-Ready scores, and discussed test-taking strategies to help students feel confident and prepared for the upcoming assessment. The student discussions were powerful—our learners shared insightful “noticings and wonderings” that showed how invested they are in their own growth.
Our writing goal focuses on responding to questions using the CER/RACE strategy while strengthening writing conventions. Students are working on starting sentences with capital letters, using an uppercase “I” when referring to themselves, ending sentences with correct punctuation, and adding details and descriptive language to enhance their responses.
Our second goal centers on building students’ understanding of feedback. We discussed the three levels of feedback ownership:
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Level 1: Someone tells you something.
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Level 2: The teacher and student discuss strengths and areas for growth and make a plan together.
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Level 3: The student takes the lead—coming prepared with reflections, identifying their needs, setting goals, and tracking their own progress.
These data chats help our students see themselves as active partners in their learning, and we are so proud of the thoughtful contributions they made throughout the process.
The drop-off box is located in John Stewart's Vestibule.
Thanks for donating!
Summary Results from Parent Survey
A quick overview of the main thoughts
The engagement survey reveals a generally positive sentiment from parents regarding their understanding and involvement in their children's education, with specific interest in family engagement activities. A significant 65% of parents agree that they understand what their child is learning, and 61% feel the school provides adequate information to support learning at home. However, there's interest in more resources and strategies to support learning at home (78% expressed interest) and a strong inclination towards attending family engagement events, with 44% very likely and 42% somewhat likely to participate. Qualitative responses further emphasize the demand for consistent communication, detailed academic insights, and specific suggestions for enhancing family-school collaboration.
Categories
Communication and Support at Home: Participants consistently highlighted the need for more detailed and regular communication regarding curriculum and learning expectations to better support their children at home. Many parents expressed interest in supplemental resources such as workbooks or additional instructional strategies, suggesting that while current communication efforts are helpful, there is room for improvement in specifics regarding academic guidance.
Engagement Opportunities: Parents expressed a strong interest in family engagement activities, such as workshops and curriculum nights. The desire for short and accessible formats (80% prefer short sessions and 76% prefer evening events) was evident. The perceived benefit of such events lies in fostering a deeper connection and collaboration between the school and families.
Feedback and Collaboration: The feeling of being valued and heard by the school community is generally positive, with 47% of parents agreeing that their input is sought in school decisions. Nevertheless, some comments indicate a desire for more personalized and consistent communication about their child's progress and specific needs.
Comfort in Communication: A significant portion of parents feel comfortable reaching out to teachers or administrators, with 64% strongly agreeing. This suggests a positive perception of the school's openness and approachability, although there is always room for improvement in building trust and ensuring all parents feel equally heard.
Desired Improvements: Suggestions for improvement focus on enhancing communication, providing more specific academic insights, and diversifying engagement opportunities. The feedback includes requests for more personalized updates and constructive feedback, reflecting a desire for detailed interaction between parents and school staff.
Areas Mrs. Aversa will investigate further
Communication Specificity: Although 65% agree they understand what their child is learning, further exploration is needed into why some parents (16% disagree or are neutral) feel insufficiently informed about academic expectations.
Family Engagement Preferences: Despite high interest, potential barriers preventing participation in engagement opportunities should be examined to tailor more effective and inclusive events.
Feedback and Collaboration Processes: With 19% of parents only believing their input is actively sought, understanding and addressing these concerns could enhance trust and collaboration.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey to support our learning community!
🍎 We’re Looking for Substitute Lunch Monitors!
Do you love being around kids and want to make a difference in the middle of your day? We have are looking for Substitute Lunch Monitors! Hours are 10:30–1:15, making it the perfect opportunity for anyone wanting to be part of our school community—without a full-day or full-time commitment. Sub Monitors are called on an as-needed basis when our full-time monitors need time off.
If you’re interested or would like more information, please reach out to Mrs. Aversa at 10017@kaneland.org. We’d love to have you join our team! 🌟
You can also complete an online application via the link below.
Get plenty of rest – A good night’s sleep is key to staying focused.
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