Tuesday, April 2, 2019

April News




Principal's Message~ 
Welcome Back! In talking with students today, it was great to hear of all the adventures that took place last week. Camping trips, road trips, the first time in an airplane, watching turtles hatch on the beach...the stories have been amazing! I imagine the memories will last a lifetime. The students were definitely less impressed to hear about my exciting week of mid-day Costco trips and folding laundry! 

As we move into April, we are looking forward to welcoming everyone to our Open House and showcasing the learning taking place throughout the building. We are also beginning to plan for next school year. If you have not already registered an incoming kindergartener, please contact the school office at 630-365-8170. We are hoping to get as accurate of a student count as possible to help determine the number of kindergarten sections we will run. 

I hope everyone is able to get out and enjoy the nicer weather that is supposed to be right around the corner! Please remember the afternoons can still be chilly. Students do go outside daily for 20 minutes of recess, so please be sure your child is dressed for the weather. 

I look forward to seeing everyone on the 11th!
                                                                                                                       ~Laura Garland
                                                                                                                        Principal

Important Dates & Information
April 3rd- Fun Lunch-Paisanos
April 5th- Daddy Daughter Dance 6-8pm
April 7th- Kaneland Arts Initiative Festival at Kaneland High School
April 11th- 3rd Grade Performance 5:30pm
April 11th- Open House 6pm
April 15th- 5th Grade Choral Festival at Kaneland High School 7pm
April 16th- PTN Meeting 6:30pm
April 17th- Fun Lunch- Ambrogi's
April 19th- No School
April 23rd- Erin's Law Parent Presentation at Harter Middle School 7pm
April 24th- Secretary and Monitor Appreciation Day
April 26th- PTN Mother/Son Event
April 30th- One to One Technology Parent Meeting at Harter Middle School 6:30pm


Open House
Please Join Us Thursday, April 11, 2019
From 6:00 - 8pm

During this evening, bring your family and let your student(s) lead you through the school. They will showcase
  • Learner Profiles - how they self-reflect on how they learn best
  • I Can Statements - targets of learning in the various content areas
  • Learning Environment - Then vs. Now - school has changed a great deal since we were kids...see the school day through your child's eyes

Don't forget about our Book Fair - it is a great and easy way to support our library by purchasing books from our book fair.

3rd Grade Performance 
Please join us in the Gym at 5:30 pm on Thursday, April 11th, 2019, just prior to Open House for a special concert by our 3rd graders!

*Please have your 3rd grader in the multi-purpose room at 5:15 PM.  Please be sure to arrive on time, so that your child may participate.  Students will check-in with their teacher and line up in concert order.  Parents will proceed to the gym to find their seats. Our 3rd-grade classrooms will be closed at this time.

*The concert begins promptly at 5:30 PM.  


* Please be sure your child is dressed nicely for the concert, but nothing too fancy. (It helps to make the pictures and video extra special.)   Please, No hats!  
  
*Immediately following the concert, the 3rd-grade teachers will walk their students back to the classroom & parents will follow AFTER all 3rd-grade students have exited the concert.  This will ensure a safe dismissal.

*All third-grade classrooms will close at 7:15 PM, so be sure to visit your third grader's classroom first before going to other siblings’ classrooms.

Yearbook
If you would like to place your order directly through the school please complete
this form and return it to the main office NO later than April 10th, 2019. Yearbook Order Form
Any order forms received after April 10th, 2017 will not be processed and will be returned to your student. You will still be able to order a yearbook online using the website any time after April 10th, however, you will be charged an $8.99 shipping fee for direct shipping to your house. All yearbook orders received by April 10th will be distributed at school in May.

Now Hiring
Kaneland school district is looking to add nurses to our sub-pool. If you would be interested in serving as a substitute nurse in one of our schools, please click this link to fill out the online application for substitute nurse.  Thank you for your consideration!

Illinois Science Assessment
All fifth- and eighth-graders and some high school students will begin taking the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) March 1. 5th-grade students at Kaneland John Stewart will take this assessment on April 4, 2019. The ISA aligns with our new Illinois Learning Standards in science. This assessment helps families understand how well students are performing academically and see whether they are on track to succeed in college. The ISA represents Illinois’ commitment to preparing all students for college and careers, including in the high-demand science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The assessment also satisfies federal accountability requirements.


The ISA is designed to reflect classroom experiences. Many students who took the assessment last year said the ISA seemed more like an instruction than a test. Students do not simply select an answer and fill in the bubble of a multiple-choice test. Rather, the ISA pushes students to apply their knowledge when they give answers, thus better preparing them for higher education and a career. All students deserve the opportunity to demonstrate what they know; they get to see how knowledge is applied to real-life situations.


The ISA is an hour-long summative assessment. The results provide administrators with important data to help them make broad curriculum decisions at the school and district levels. But classroom educators will not use the results to make teaching adjustments year-to-year for individual students.


We encourage you to talk with your children about the importance of doing their best on the ISA while communicating that the assessment yields only one piece of information about them and their school’s progress. Students’ attendance, classroom work, homework, projects, performance on local tests, participation in sports and extracurricular activities, and contributions to the school’s climate and culture all help them grow and learn.

We all work together to ensure Illinois students build a cohesive understanding of science over time. Thank you for your role in developing lifelong learners and successful citizens.


Erin's Law
“Erin’s Law” requires that all public schools in each state implement a prevention-oriented

child sexual abuse program. A parent meeting regarding Erin's Law presentations for 1st and 4th grade families will be held on Tuesday, April 23rd  at Harter Middle School at 7pm. Additional Information regarding how Kaneland CUSD #302 meets Erin's Law requirement can be found here: Erin's Law Parent Presentation     Erin's Law Parent Letter

One to One Technology Parent Meetings
All parents are invited and welcomed to attend the 1:1 learning implementation parent meeting. We are excited to begin the process of rolling out Chromebook for each 4th-12th-grade student beginning next year. At this parent meeting, the team will share the purpose, process and key parent signature pages that must be completed. Please be sure to attend one of the following meetings:

April 22nd at 6:30pm in the Middle School Cafeteria- Middle School focus 
April 23rd at 6:30pm in the Kaneland High School Cafeteria- High School focus
April 30th at 6:30pm in the Middle School Cafeteria- 4th and 5th-grade focus

Please bring your questions to the session.  Students are also encouraged to attend this meeting to hear the process and responsibility.  We look forward to a great session!

Exploratory Choice Day
The exploratory team is once again providing an exciting opportunity for all students to earn an exploratory "Free-Choice" day on Friday, May 17, 2019. This means each individual student will have the chance to spend their exploratory time in whichever exploratory classroom they choose as their most favorite (Art, Music, PE, Computer, Critical Thinking). In order to maintain eligibility for this event, students will be expected to follow the school-wide expectations, receiving no more than 2 behavior documentation forms from any teacher between Monday, March 11th through Thursday, May16th. Between the school-wide expectation walks students engage in three times per year, daily expectation reminders from teachers and peers, as well as your support at home, we expect high levels of student participation in this event. Should any students not meet the expectation, an alternate activity will be planned during their exploratory time.  

March Newsletter

March 1 No School - Kane County Institute Day for Teachers 6 Fun Lunch - Buona Beef 7  Fifth Grade District Concert (7:00 pm @ Harter Middle...