Sunday, August 4, 2019

Welcome Back!

Principal's Message~ 

We are eagerly anticipating the return of energy, laughter and excitement to our building. It gets pretty quiet around here without students and staff. While the custodial and maintenance crews are wonderful, there is nothing like the sound of enthusiastic students and staff filling the halls! 

We have been working hard throughout the short summer to prepare for the upcoming year. As you'll see below, we have been interviewing extensively and are thrilled with the results. We have hired some top-notch staff members who can't wait to meet you! The KST faculty as a whole is a hard-working dedicated group of professionals committed to providing our students with a quality education. They have spent the last several weeks preparing learning environments, collaborating on curriculum and instructional strategies and engaging in planning to ensure the first days of school are as perfect as possible. The excitement and promise of a new year is upon us! 

A few upcoming community events that you will want to be aware of are the K-5 Curriculum Night/ Supply Drop-Off and the first-ever Taste of Kaneland. Additional information can be found by clicking on each link.  

Please keep the lines of communication open throughout the school year. Your interest and support show your child that their education is important. As a staff, we are here to celebrate, problem-solve, discuss, listen and reflect alongside you and your child. As parents, you are key team members in building a memorable and meaningful school year. Your involvement is greatly appreciated and respected. 

We look forward to seeing everyone soon~

Laura Garland

Welcome New Staff
We are pleased to welcome the following new staff members to Kaneland John Stewart Elementary School: 

Mrs. Tracy Read, Half-Day Kindergarten (PM) Teacher
Ms. Paige Nachreiner, 1st-Grade Teacher 
Mrs. Kaitlyn ImHof, 2nd-Grade Teacher
Mrs. Stacie Salzman, 4th-Grade ELA Teacher
Mr. Dan Rutter, 4th/5th-Grade STEM Teacher
Mrs. Taylor Knoepke, Special Education Teacher
Mrs. Kathryn Gabrielson, Social Worker
Mrs. Rachel Walker, Instructional Coach
Mrs. Kathy Kerry, Library Resource Center Assistant 

While not new to John Stewart, Mrs. Natalie Smith will take on a new role this year, moving from 1st-grade teacher to instructional coach. Mrs. Lori Doll will be moving from 4th-grade ELA to Extended Day Kindergarten and Mrs. Liz Orman will be moving from 2nd-grade to 1st grade.


K-5 Teams
Kindergarten: Mrs. Druwe (EDK), Mrs. Doll (EDK), Mrs. Tracy Read (PM)
1st Grade: Mrs. Liz Orman, Ms. Paige Nachreiner, Mrs. Karen Weigt
2nd Grade: Mrs. Kristi Purnell, Mrs. Ashley Sterkel, Mrs. Kaitlyn ImHof
3rd Grade: Mr. John Ahearn, Mrs. Teri Hartkopp, Ms. Chris Zollers
4th Grade Homeroom: Mrs. Terra Pyfer, Ms. Kellee Conquest, Mrs. Stacie Salzman
5th Grade Homeroom: Mrs. Sharon Dillon, Mr. Rob Williams, Mr. Dan Rutter

Crossing Guard Needed
We are in great need of a crossing guard for the upcoming school year. We can also always use substitute recess and lunch monitors. If you or anyone you know is interested in either position, please contact me at 10166@kaneland.org

Important Dates
  • August 12th, 4:00-6:00 pm, K-5 Curriculum Night
  • August 14th, First Day of School
  • August 25th Taste of Kaneland
  • August 26th, Board of Education Meeting, 7pm, Harter Middle School
  • August 29th, Fall Picture Day
  • September 2nd, No School, Labor Day
  • September 3rd, PTN Charleston Fundraiser Begins
  • September 9th, Board of Education Meeting, 7pm, Harter Middle School
  • September 11th, Fun Lunch
  • September 12th and 13th, 5th-Grade Outdoor Education
  • September 16th, PTN Charleston Fundraiser Ends
  • September 17th, First PTN Meeting, 6:30pm at John Stewart
  • September 20th, PTN Run for Fund
  • September 25th, Fun Lunch
  • September 30th, Board of Education Meeting, 7pm, Harter Middle School

First Day of School Information
  • August 14, 2019!
  • 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 8/12) will align with the color of the teacher's sign. 
  • 2nd-5th-grade students will line up at their designated door (see below). Their teachers will greet students 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. The assignments are the same as last year. 
  • Kindergarten and 1st Grade: Door #1/Front Main Entrance
  • 2nd/4th Grade: Door #2 / Front of building/ east end of the building
  • 3rd/5th Grade: Door #12 /Front of building/ west end of the 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. 

We kindly ask for your patience and compassion toward the staff members working to keep our parking lot safe for everyone during student arrival and dismissal. We recognize pulling all the way forward or waiting a few moments to pull away after picking up your child is not always convenient, but these simple actions support the greater goal of student safety. Please remember, the professional training and experience of the staff on "parking lot duty" is in the education field, not traffic control. They do their best each day and greatly appreciate positive feedback and demonstrations of grace. The hecticness of the parking lot during student arrival and dismissal is a perfect place to model kindness for our children. 


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 effortsAll parents and staff are automatically members.; no need to officially join :) 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. Mark your calendar for our first meeting on September 17th.

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.

School Start and End Times
School begins at 8:50 am. Students arriving after 8:50 am are considered tardy and will need to stop in the office for a tardy slip. Doors open for students at 8:40 am and supervision of students waiting to enter school, begins at 8:35am. Please be sure to sign your student into school, in the main office, if he/she is arriving after 8:50am.

At the end of the day, walkers are dismissed at 3:25 pm and bus riders are dismissed at 3:30pm

1:1 Technology - Grades 4 and 5
The complete 1:1 handbook can be found HERE. Pages 14-16 need to be completed and returned to the school office before your student can bring his/her device home. 

2019-20 Grade Level Musical Performances
Given that several of our grade level musical performances take place during the school day, we understand it may require some additional planning on the part of families to attend. Therefore, we wanted to share the dates with you as early as possible. Please see each grade level's 2019-20 performance dates.

Kindergarten- February 7, 2020, at 2:45 pm
1st-Grade- December 13, 2019, at 2:45 pm
2nd-Grade- May 8, 2020, at 2:45 pm
3rd-Grade- April 16, 2020at 5:30 pm (just prior to Open House, which is from 6-8pm)
4th-Grade- May 1,2020 at 2:45 pm
5th-Grade- District-wide 5th-Grade Choral Festival April 14, 2020, at 
                      Kaneland High School at 7:00pm. 

2019-20 Holiday Parties
At Kaneland John Stewart, we celebrate Halloween, Winter, and Valentine's Day with classroom parties. Parent volunteers and the PTN do an amazing job planning fun celebrations within each classroom. 

This year our celebrations will take place on the following dates:
Halloween Party~  Thursday, October 31st at 2:30 pm- Costume Parade at 3:00 pm
Winter Party~Friday, December 20th at 1:30 pm (This is a 1-hour early dismissal day)
Valentine's Party ~ Thursday, February 13th at 9:30 am (There is no school on 2/14)

We are experimenting with the time for the Valentine's Day party this year, having it in the morning, rather than the afternoon. We are curious to see if morning party time alleviates the parking and traffic congestion that is typical with end of the day parties. We'll see how it goes!


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...