With the school year well underway, students have participated in fall expectation walks, completed benchmark assessments and are becoming more familiar with their daily routines and procedures. These initial weeks of school are dedicated to building positive relationships with teachers and peers. All students have been participating in daily social-emotional learning lessons led by their homeroom teacher, along with an additional adult staff member from either our Exploratory, Response to Intervention or Special Education teams. Our School Social Worker and School Psychologist have also led specific lessons based on the STOP-WALK-TALK strategy designed to promote self-advocacy in situations where students feed bullied, annoyed or offended.
I look forward to the year ahead and the wonderful memories we're sure to make!
~Laura Garland, Principal
Important Dates
~Laura Garland, Principal
Important Dates
- September 2nd, No School, Labor Day
- September 3rd, PTN Charleston Fundraiser Begins
- September 4th, Tornado Drill
- September 6th, Practice Fire Drill (no fire department participation)
- September 9th, Board of Education Meeting, 7pm, Harter Middle School
- September 11th, Fun Lunch
- September 11th, 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 24th, Fire Drill with Fire Department
- September 25th, Fun Lunch
- September 27th, 5th-Grade Outdoor Education
- September 30th, Board of Education Meeting, 7pm, Harter Middle School
Visitors
When visiting John Stewart during school hours, ring the bell located to the right of the main doors to gain entrance. Once inside the office, you will be asked for your driver's license, which will be scanned through our RaptorWear system. You will be provided with a visitor badge that must be worn while in the building. Even if you have been entered into our system in previous years, we will need to re-scan your license this year. Please remember to bring your driver's license when visiting 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. Recess Reminders
- A variety of outdoor games and equipment is provided for students. Please do not bring additional items from home.
- Completing twists and flips on the bars is a popular recess activity. Parents may want to consider having girls wear shorts under skirts and dresses.
- Open-toes shoes are prohibited at recess
- Stop-Walk-Talk is emphasized as a way to manage peer relationships. If your child is reporting difficulty with a peer, remind him/her to ask the peer to stop, walk away, and if necessary talk to a monitor. Please reiterate the Stop-Walk-Talk language at home as a way for your child to advocate for his/her own needs and as a way to be aware of the needs of others.
Transportation Reminders
- Be sure to send a note to school with your child detailing any changes to his/her normal transportation routine.
- If your child is going home with a friend, a note is required from both families.
- A parent or other adult must meet kindergarteners at their bus stop.
i‑Ready is an online learning program which connects rich assessment data to personalized digital learning and powerful classroom instruction. With i‑Ready, teachers can sharpen their insight into student needs with actionable data and access rigorous, yet engaging instruction to help each student succeed. Students in grades 2-5 will complete their diagnostic testing in reading and math between Tuesday, 9/3- Friday, 9/6.
As with any testing, please make sure your child receives:
- a good night's sleep
- a healthy, nutritious breakfast
- arrives at school on time
Pay it Forward~ Kaneland Community Read
This blog is dedicated to a community-wide sharing of the book Pay It Forward. Throughout the school year, Kaneland Staff from across the district will be posting videos and updates on this blog sharing their thoughts, ideas, connections to the community. Families are also encouraged to also post comments and videos sharing the impact of the book and how they have chosen to Pay It Forward. To begin your family's journey, start by reading pages 1-26 and watch our first video. We are excited to work together on our community read!
Preschool Screening
Kaneland School District will hold the first of four annual Early Childhood Developmental Screeners in September. This event is fast approaching on September 13th, 2019. This process is free to all Kaneland community members and will allow parents to better understand their child's global development from ages infant-preschool.
These screeners are set up by appointment only and take place at the Early Childhood Center for Kaneland students located in Blackberry Creek Elementary School. The team will include a preschool teacher, speech and language pathologist, occupational therapist and physical therapist.
Both morning and afternoon appointments are available. If a family is interested in scheduling a screening or has additional questions, please call 630-365-4118. All families are required to provide proof of residency and a valid ID at the time of the screening.
