December News

Principal Message~
Happy Holidays! It's the season of giving and we have had several students demonstrating this spirit here at John Stewart! 

• 4th-grader, Anya S. recently organized a collection of toiletry items to bring comfort and joy to deployed Veterans.  The American Legion Auxilliary expressed deep appreciation of Anya's efforts. 
• 4th-grader, Paige F. received a personal note of appreciation from former John Stewart Principal Linda Albrecht, who is now a councilwoman in Mexico Beach, Florida, for donations made to Hurrican Michael relief efforts. The funds were raised through a bake sale Paige organized.   Paige's Thank You Card
• 2nd-grader, Timmy P. discovered that school bathrooms are not equipped with emergency lighting. He wrote me a letter expressing his concern, met with Mark Payton, Director of Maintenance and Grounds, and created a petition that was signed by all of our 2nd-grade students. Timmy also made a public comment at a school board meeting. As a result of Timmy's efforts, emergency lighting will be added to school bathrooms. In the words of Timmy's 2nd-grade teacher, "7-year-olds can change the world!" 

These are just three of many examples of students giving of their time and talents to help others that I have observed here at John Stewart. 

                                                                                                                                 ~Mrs. Laura Garland

                                                                                                                   Principal

   

Important Dates & Information                             
December 3rd-7th- Holiday Shoppe
                                Open during school hours all week and from 5-6:30pm on December 7th
December 7th- 1st Grade Performance 2:45pm
December 7th- PTN Holiday Hoopla/ Movie Night- 5:00pm
December 11th- PTN Meeting 6:30pm
December 12th- Fun Lunch- Reams
December 12th- School Level Spelling Bee for 3rd-5th-grade qualifiers
December 13th- One to One Device Town Hall Meeting 6:00pm at Harter Middle School
December 21st- Winter Parties 2:30pm
December 24th - January 4th- Winter Break
January 7th- School resumes

Holiday Party
Thank you to all of our party volunteers. Parents who have signed up to volunteer are welcome to arrive at 2:20pm to set up. Students will be participating in a school-wide holiday sing-a-long in the gym, prior to returning to classrooms at 2:30pm. 

Please remember only parents who have signed up to volunteer in advance are permitted to attend classroom parties. If volunteering, be sure to park in a designated spot, rather than along the parent pickup lane. Additionally, per the elementary handbook, younger siblings are not permitted to attend classroom parties. 

Thank You KST PTN!
Thank you from the entire John Stewart staff for the delicious dinner provided during Parent-Teacher Conferences. Your thoughtfulness and generosity are greatly appreciated! 

Substitutes, Paraprofessionals and Monitors needed

The Kaneland School District is accepting applications for substitute teachers, paraprofessionals and lunch/recess monitors. We are always looking for substitutes for both paraprofessionals and monitors. If interested, please apply at www.kaneland.org

One to One Technology for Learning Town Hall Meeting
Please join district representatives at Harter Middle School, on December 13th, at 6:00pm. We are looking for input, questions, ideas, and problem-solving on the specifics of implementing Chromebooks for all students 4th to 12th grades. More information can be found HERE

Young Knights Fair
Save the date for the 2019 Young Knights Registration and Literacy Fair. This event is for preschool and kindergarten registration, as well as to register for developmental screenings for children birth-3 years of age. More information can be found HERE

Friendly Reminder from the Crossing Guard
Please be sure to use your turn signal when attempting to enter or exit the school parking lots during student arrival and dismissal times. 

Elburn Countryside Fire Protection District 2008 Winter Newsletter

November News

Principal Message~
As we enter the season of thankfulness, I wanted to take a minute to express how thankful I am to "get" to work with wonderful students, staff and families every day.  A friend of my recently shared that she frames her responsibilities in terms of what she "gets" to do versus what she "has" to do. I know that I am fortunate to get to dance with students on Friday mornings, to get a voice in district-wide decision making, to get the opportunity to share celebrations of learning through a variety of platforms and to get to work in a building where students and staff demonstrate mutual respect for each other and a passion for learning. While the job of an elementary school principal certainly brings its challenges, its blessings are many. I don't have to serve the students, staff and families of John Stewart Elementary School, I get to and I am very grateful for the opportunity!

                                                                                                                                 ~Mrs. Laura Garland

                                                                                                                   Principal

   

Important Dates & Information                             
November 2nd- Spirit Wear Orders Due
November 7th- Parent-Teacher Conferences 4-8pm
November 8th- Parent-Teacher Conference 10am-8pm
November 9th- Non-Attendance Day

November 13th- PTN Meeting 6:30pm

November 14th- Fun Lunch Burger King

November 16th- Flag Raising Ceremony 8:50am 

                           5th Grade Veteran's Day Performance 2:45pm

November 19th/20th- No School Institue Days
November 21st-23rd- Thanksgiving Break

November 28th- Fun Lunch

Halloween Reminders 
We're looking forward to celebrating Halloween tomorrow,  October 31st. Students who choose to wear costumes to school should come dressed in their costume and be able to independently manage all their bathroom and movement needs while in costume. Additionally, costumes should be school appropriate...no blood, gore or weapons. Masks are allowed to be worn during the parade if students have an adequate field of vision, but they will not be allowed to be worn during instructional classroom time. Our Halloween parties will run from 2:30-3:00 pm, with the parade beginning at 3:00 pm. Parents are welcome to stand along the front sidewalk to view the costume parade. Please remember that only parents who are on the volunteer list will be able to enter classrooms and no younger siblings are permitted in the classrooms. Finally, please do not send any Halloween candy as it will not be able to be distributed or eaten.

5 Essentials Survey Parent Survey
The State of Illinois is once again requiring the 5 Essentials survey. This survey, if unfamiliar, consists of 3 aspects- a parent survey, a student survey, and a staff survey. The parent survey is ready. Select the following link: https://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/ and follow the prompts. You are able to take the survey now, information will also be available during Parent-Teacher conferences for you to take it while you are waiting. All 4th and 5th graders will be taking the survey. We plan to have them take it in November, and it will be done during homeroom time.


Book Fair
Fall Book Fair Information
Book Fair dates: Monday, Nov. 5 – Thursday, Nov. 8
Preview dates: Monday, Nov. 5 and Tuesday, Nov 6 (school hours)
Shopping hours: Tuesday, Nov. 6 (9:30 – 3:15) Wednesday, Nov. 7 (9:30- 3:15 and 4-8
pm), Thursday, Nov. 8 (Parent Teacher Conferences 10am-8pm)

If you are unable to attend the Fair in person, we invite you to visit our Online Fair at
scholastic.com/fair. Our Online Fair is available from Oct. 28 to Nov. 10.

Lost and Found
We've barely hit hat and glove season and our Lost and Found is already growing. If you're looking for a lost sweatshirt, hat or even a shoe, stop by the Lost and Found table when you're here for conferences.

Lunchroom Reminder

Please remember to pack utensils in your child's lunch. We do not stock forks or spoons in the lunchroom. You may also want to write your child's name in his/her lunchbox as several have found their way to our Lost and Found table. 

Cosley Zoo Update
Thank you to all of our wonderful families for supporting the collection for Cosley Zoo! The students enjoyed learning more about the humane treatment of animals and how the staff at Cosley meets the animal's needs. The Zoo received many items from their wishlist and we were able to pass along an additional check for $255.45! A special thank you to the following 4th and 5th graders for organizing the collection: Nick K., John S., John H., Sophia M., Ellie O., Paige F., Maggie D., Aidan M., Mackenzie J., JJ P., Morgan O. and Jack W. Student leadership at its finest! 

Parent-Teacher Conferences
Our Parent- Teacher Conferences are right around the corner. We will hold them on Wednesday, November 7th from 4:00-8:00 pm after a full day of school and on Thursday, November 8th from 10:00 am - 8:00 pm. There is no school for students on Thursday, November 8th or Friday, November 9th.

Student Conferencing 
Recently we had a professional learning morning with our staff and discussed conferencing with students in the classroom. As a parent, I know it can be frustrating when students aren't eager to share how their day went or what types of things they learned. Below are some good questions to ask to get those conversations started. 

Student Leadership


Our students are showing their leadership potential in so many ways! Most recently we had several 4th and 5th graders organize the collection for Cosley Zoo, 4th grader Paige F. organized a bake sale to benefit Hurricane Michael victims, 2nd graders Aiden C. and Madison P. volunteered to read to kindergarteners, 5th grader Loreli F. wrote a letter to our maintenance department, successfully advocating for a new flag for the school and 2nd grader met with our Director of Buildings and Grounds to discuss the importance of emergency lighting during power outages. Our students never cease to amaze me with what they are able to accomplish when given the opportunity.

October News

Principal Message~
Happy Fall! This is my favorite season for so many reasons! I am one of those people who will buy anything labeled "Pumpkin Spice" and has fall decorations up far too early :) I also love that by the first day of fall, the hecticness of the early weeks of school has settled down and an energetic, productive vibe has settled through the building. Everywhere I look, I see students sharing ideas, researching topics, collaborating together, documenting their thinking and proudly demonstrating new learning. After you review the information below, I'll treat you to a few photos of the exciting things happening around the building.

                                                                                                                                 ~Mrs. Laura Garland

                                                                                                                   Principal

   

Important Dates & Information 

October 8th- No School- Columbus Day
October 10th- Fun Lunch- Paisanos
October 10th- School Board Meeting 7:00pm at Harter Middle School
October 12th-13th- PTN Clothing Sale at John Stewart
October 16th- PTN Meeting at 6:30pm at John Stewart
October 18th- K-2nd -Fire Prevention Assembly
October 23rd- District-Wide Elementary Parent Curriculum Presentation
                        6:30pm at Harter Middle School
October 24th- Fun Lunch- Ambrogi's Macaroni and Cheese
October 25th- Cosley Zoo Assembly on Humane Treatment of Animals- PTN Sponsored
                        (Related to The One and Only Ivan)
October 26th- PTN Family Movie Night 6:00pm
October 29th- Q&A Twitter Chat with elementary principals 3:00pm
October 29th- School Board Meeting 7:00pm at Harter Middle School
October 31st- Halloween Parties 2:30pm
                       Halloween Parade 3:00pm

Curriculum Night/ Twitter Chat
Each year our district holds a curriculum night for all k-5 families across the district. It is held at a central location; Harter Middle School. We are looking forward to seeing you there on Tuesday, October 23rd from 6:30-8:00pm. This is an evening where we focus on what is happening this school year and then provide opportunities for break-out sessions for parents to engage in more dialogue or ask questions in specific areas. This year, we will add a tutorial on Twitter at the end of Curriculum Night, as we hope to engage with our community throughTwitter chat. #AskKanelandPrincipals on October 29th


PTN Needs Your Help~
It's that time of year, where PTN is working on plans for our after-school enrichment program for John Stewart students.  ACE (After Class Enrichment) takes place on Thursday afternoons in February and is led by volunteer parents and local community businesses.  Many KST kids look forward to ACE and all of the programs we offer.  Classes like Tae Kwon Do, Lacrosse, Arts and Crafts, American Girl, Cooking and so much more.  We are in need of parent volunteers to teach or help facilitate outside businesses during ACE.  Parent volunteers can teach students a hobby, skill, interest of their choice for the four Thursdays in February.  All volunteers are provided childcare for younger siblings and reimbursement for any monetary needs for their class.  This program can only continue with your help.  If you are interested in participating or need more information please contact Becky Fair at 630-365-3294 or rrubeck@hotmail.com


Coming Soon..... 

Thank you to Ms. Mazurkiewicz, Mrs. Svhilik and Mrs. Orman for submitting and winning a Kaneland Foundation Grant to bring an interactive Lego wall to our school. Construction on the wall will begin this month. A special thank you to the PTN for funding additional Legos to use with the wall.




Message from the LRC
Please take a look around the house for any library books you may have forgotten to return. We currently have approx. $750 worth of books checked out last year and not returned. We appreciate your help!!

Halloween Party/Parade Guidelines
Specific information regarding the Halloween Party and Parade can be found: Here

As promised, here are some photos of the wonderful learning experiences taking place around our school! 

Principal Message~

September News

Principal Message~

Hello~ The school year is off to a great start! I've been enjoying getting to know our new students and welcoming back our returning students. In between hearing about all of our students summer adventures, we managed to squeeze in quite a few activities. In the past 8 days, all students have completed Expectation Walks for each common area of the school,  engaged in fall benchmark testing, enjoyed an all-school kick-off assembly for the One School, One Book project, had their fall picture taken and have begun to settle into their daily routines. As the year continues to progress, please do not hesitate to reach out if there is anything I can do to support you and/or your student(s). 

                                                                                                                                 ~Mrs. Laura Garland

                                                                                                                   Principal

   

Important Dates & Information 

September 3rd- No School- Labor Day

September 4th- PTN Charleston Wrap Fundraiser Begins

September 7th- Tornado Drill

September 11th- First PTN Meeting- 6:30pm at John Stewart

September 12th- Fun Lunch- Potbellys

September 13th and 14th- 5th Grade Outdoor Education

September 17th- Kaneland High School Traveling Homecoming Assembly for students

September 19th- Kaneland Community Homecoming Parade in Sugar Grove- 6:00pm

One School, One Book~ The One and Only Ivan

On Thursday, August 30th, our school kicked off a One School, One Book project with an all-school assembly. This project involves every student, teacher, bus driver, secretary, nurse... everyone, reading the same book following the same timeline. In Kaneland, every elementary school will be reading The One and Only Ivan.  At our assembly, each child was given a copy of the book to take home, along with a nighly calendar of readings.  We encourage you to read with and/or to your child and to discuss the story at home. If you or your child would like to hear the book read aloud by staff members, log on to our website or Click Here . Trivia questions based on the nighly readings will be read on the announcements each morning and those who participate will be entered into prize drawings. 

Visitors

If you have visited the school over the past week, you have experienced the new entry system. Visitors will need to ring the bell located to the right of the main doors to gain entrance. Once inside, the practice of scanning driver's licenses and wearing visitor badges will remain the same. Please remember to bring identification when visiting the school. 

**If you bring your child to school after 8:50am, be sure to walk him/her into the building. The exterior doors will automatically lock at 8:50am and visitors will need to ring the bell to gain entry.  Young children may be unaware of how to access the building if they are sent in alone after 8:50am. Parents are also required to sign their student in at the main office if they arrive after 8:50am. 

PTN  

If you have not already done so, be sure to sign up for the weekly PTN emails. You can sign up Here  The weekly email contains great reminders about all PTN events, including Fun Lunch! 

Exploratory Incentive Plan
This year, our Exploratory teachers (art, music, PE, computer, critical thinking) are trying something new. All classes will earn Exploratory Points for each exploratory they attend daily.  Each class that earns enough points by November 26th, will have a free-choice day during their regularly scheduled exploratory time.  Free-choice day means that each individual student will be able to choose whether they’d like to go to art, music, PE, technology or critical thinking during one of the 30 minute blocks on December 17th.  We think students will be motivated by the opportunity to choose their exploratory for a day. Classes that do not earn the minimum number of required points will follow their regular Exploratory schedule.

Music Performances

Given that many of our music performances take place during the day, we understand that some forward planning may be required to allow you to attend. Please note the date and time of each grade level's performance this year, so you can get it on your calendar early.

Kindergarten Performance- February 8, 2019 @2:45pm

1st Grade Informance- December 7, 2018 @2:45pm

2nd Grade Tea for Two- May 10, 2019 @2:45pm

3rd Grade Open House Performance- April 11, 2019 @5:30pm

4th Grade Recorder Performance- May 3, 2019 @2:45pm

5th Grade John Stewart Veteran's Day Celebration- November 16, 2018 @2:45pm

5th Grade Choral District Festival- April 9, 2019 @7:00pm at Kaneland High School

Enjoy a peek at our first few days!

  

August News

Principal Message~
Welcome Back!! The staff at Kaneland John Stewart Elementary School is eager to get the 2018-2019 school year started! Below you will find helpful back to school information. Feel free to stop into the school office or give us a call if you have additional questions or needs. Summer office hours of Monday-Thursday, 8am-11am and 1pm-3pm will remain in effect through August 10th. Regular office hours of Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm will resume on Monday, August 13th. Our main office phone number is 630-365-8170. We look forward to seeing everyone soon!

                                                                                                                                 ~Mrs. Laura Garland

                                                                                                                   Principal

   

Important Dates & Information 

August 9th-  Elementary homeroom information available on Tyler

August 15th- Transportation information available on Tyler 

                      (Be sure to review again on August 21st for changes)

August 20th- Curriculum Night/Supply Drop Off at all Elementary Schools

August 22nd- Registration Fees Due (please pay on-line through Tyler/Web Store)

August 22nd- First Day of School 
August 27th-  Board of Education Meeting
August 30th- School Picture Day 

Curriculum Night/ Supply Drop-Off

Monday, August 20, 2018

4:00-6:00 PM

Please join us to:

• meet your child’s classroom teacher
• drop off school supplies
• learn about the grade level curriculum and expectations

1^st-5^th Grade Families

Three, identical, 25 minute sessions will be availble. You are welcome to attend any of the following classroom sessions:

Classroom Session 1: 4:15-4:40pm

Classroom Session 2: 4:50-5:15pm

Classroom Session 3: 5:30-5:55pm

Kindergarten Families

We will be offering 3 sessions as follows:

Session 1: 4:15-4:45 Group 1 supply drop off in classroom (first time KST families)

Session 2: 5:00-5:30 Optional Curriculum Presentation

Session 3: 5:30-6:00 Group 2 supply drop off in classroom (veteran KST families)

                           

New Staff
Please join me in welcoming several new (or returning) staff members to John Stewart!

Mrs. Samantha Aversa~ Assistant Principal~ Mrs. Aversa is a familiar face, as she previously served for many years at John Stewart as a PE teacher and most recently as the Dean at Harter Middle School. Mrs. Aversa is known for her energy, creative problem solving and strong work ethic. We will be sharing Mrs. Aversa with Blackberry Creek, where she will also serve as Assistant Principal. 

Alicia Hardy~ Half Day Kindergarten~ Mrs. Hardy is returning to teaching full time. She has been a highly effective substitute throughout the Kaneland district, successfully completing many long term positions. One of those positions was with our kindergarten team last year, where she proved to have the flexibility and heart of a kindergarten teacher. We will also be sharing Mrs. Hardy with Blackberry Creek, where she will serve as a half day kindergarten teacher. 

Kellee Conquest~ 4th/5th Grade STEM~ Ms. Conquest joins us from District U-46, where she completed her student teaching experience, as well as a one year leave of absence position in 3rd grade. Ms. Conquest's knowledge and enthusiasm are sure to win the hearts of our intermediate students. 

Sharon Dillon~ 4th/5th Grade ELA~ We are fortunate to have Mrs. Dillon transferring to us from John Shields Elementary in Sugar Grove, to fill the shoes of recent retiree, Mrs. Ogden. Mrs. Dillon's experience and positive nature make her a perfect addition to the 4th/5th grade teams. 

Heidi Gilkey~ Art~ Mrs. Gilkey is another familiar face, returning to us after spending a few years teaching art at other Kaneland elementary schools. If you have older students who have benefitted from Mrs. Gilkey's talent and compassion in the past, then you know how fortunate we are to have her back!

Now Hiring...
We have an opening for a recess monitor position. If you have an interest in this position, you can apply by clicking here 

2018-2019 Grade Level Teaching Teams
Kindergarten: Mrs. Druwe, Mrs. James, Mrs. Hardy
1st Grade: Mrs. Green, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Weigt
2nd Grade: Mrs. Orman, Mrs. Purnell, Mrs. Sterkel
3rd Grade: Mr. Ahearn, Mrs. Hartkopp, Mrs. Zollers
4th Grade STEM and ELA: Mrs. Doll
4th/5th Grade STEM: Ms. Conquest, Mrs. Palpant, Mrs. Pyfer
4th/5th Grade ELA: Mrs. Dillon, Mrs. Mann, Mr. Williams

*STEM teachers will have 4th Grade Homerooms, ELA teachers will have 5th Grade Homerooms 

First Day of School Information

• August 22, 2018!
• This is a full day of attendance
• Busses typically run a bit late, as routes and routines are established
• Kindergarten and 1st grade teachers will meet their students outside by the flagpole. They will be holding color coded signs, with their name of them. The color of your child's transportation tag (you will receive this at Curriculum Night/Supply Drop-Off on 8/20) will align with the color of the teacher's sign. 
• 2nd-5th grade students will line up at their designated door (see below). Their teacher's will meet them in their classrooms. 
• There will be extra staff on hand during the first few days of arrival and dismissal to assist students. 

Student Entrance/Dismissal
To ease congestion and increase safety, students enter and exit our building through various doors, assigned by grade level. 

• Kindergarten and 1st Grade: Door #1/Front Main Entrance
• 2nd/4th Grade: Door #2 / ront of building/ east end of building
• 3rd/5th Grade: Door #12 /Front of building/ west end of building

Parking Lot Procedures
All parents dropping off or picking up their child(ren) should use the west parking lot only. The main lot is reserved for buses during arrival and dismissal times. No cars should enter the main lot during arrival and dismissal. 


Parent Teacher Network (KST-PTN)
The KST PTN is a wonderful group of dedicated parents, administrators, students and  teachers, working to enhance the educational environment by fostering a sense of support, pride, and enthusiasm through cooperative efforts. The KST-PTN meets monthly and welcomes all teachers and parents to attend, share ideas and hear about what is being planned for the upcoming school year. 

Be sure to visit the PTN website by clicking here, and subscribe to the email mailing list for important information and reminders about upcoming events and activities. 

PTN 2018-2019 Board MembersVice President – Jamie Schambach
Treasurer – Julie Olson
Secretary -Katy Masinick
President Lori Humm

Contact us at stewartptn@gmail.com

Virtual Backpack

Be sure to check this wonderful resource for school, district and community information, as well as extra-curricular opportunities for students. Paper flyers are not sent home via student backpacks, so it is crucial to check the Virtual Backpack regularly. The backpack can be accessed via our school or district website, by clicking the link at the top of this page, or by clicking here

Student Handbook

Be sure to review the Kaneland Elementary Student Handbook for the most updated policies and procedures related to the elementary level. Handbook information includes topics such as student attendance, birthday celebrations, recess/lunch guidelines, among many others. The handbook can be accessed via the school or district website, by clicking the link at the top of this page, or by clicking here

Supply Lists

Supply lists can be accessed via our school or district website or by clicking here.

Health Requirements

If you haven't done so already, please turn in your child's school health physical, on the State form, by the first day of school.  If this requirement is not met by October 16th, 2018, your child will be excluded from school until the documents are received.  You may submit any physical or health form through email, fax (630- 365-0651), mail, or it can be brought in with your child.

For district health forms, please click here

For a complete listing of health requirements, please click here

School Safety

Please see District #302's information regarding school safety by clicking here. From time to time, each of our schools experience some type of unusual event or incident.  The purpose of sharing this information with our parents is to provide the basic structure of our emergency plans and procedures.