Monday, August 6, 2018

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

1st-5th 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 hereand 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.









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