Mid-November Newsletter

Important November Dates

21 - 25 No School - Thanksgiving Break
29 PTN Meeting 6-7pm KST Library

30 Fun Lunch - Corner Grind

Important December Dates

1 PTN Night Out - MOD Pizza (St. Charles)

9 1st Grade Holiday Concert 9:30am 

9 Movie Night / Food Truck / Stuff Animals

12-16 Holiday Shop

14 Fun Lunch - Culvers

20 One-Hour Early Dismissal (2:25/2:30)

21 Holiday Party (Kinder 10:40-11:20 / 1st-5th 1:35-2:20)

21 One-Hour Early Dismissal (2:25/2:30)

Dec 22 - Jan 8 Winter Break (Students Return January 9th)

District Information

On November Tuesday 29th, 6:00-7:30 pm, Kaneland will be hosting a District Information Night hosted at Harter Middle School to discuss the following topics: Standards-based grading at the 6-12 level, R.E.V. data, and updates, as well as opportunities to learn about job postings and staffing needs across the district.  More information with a more detailed description of each session will be shared with our families and staff next week.  Kaneland families are encouraged to attend. 

Our Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences have recently concluded with great attendance across the district.  Thank you to our parents for attending and for our teachers sharing important updates on our student progress.  Over the past several years, more and more students are demonstrating their levels of proficiency and understanding of standards through student-led conferences. Students shared with their parents how they are progressing in their learning, how they advocate for their learning, and what is going well in their day-to-day experiences.

IgKnight Conference 2022- On Monday, Nov. 21st our staff and administrators will be engaging in a busy day of professional learning through our annual Kaneland IgKnight Conference. With nearly 50 Kaneland staff members set to present to their colleagues, this is one of our largest, peer-led conferences that we provide. On November 22nd, our staff will work with their grade-span colleagues at their buildings working on building-specific topics relevant to the rest of the year. 

Emergency Snow Day Information 

It is that time of year again to prepare for possible snow days or remote learning emergency days.  The district will call a remote learning emergency day by 8:00pm the night prior to the learning day.  A snow day will be called anytime after 8:00pm the night before to 5:30am on the learning day.  The following are guidelines for the remote learning emergency day when they are called:

-All EC-1st grade will complete lessons in the Blizzard Bag that was sent home the first two weeks of November

-2nd-12th grade students will access Google Meet links using Canvas.  --Students should log onto the class period using the posted Google Meets link at the designated time as regularly scheduled or school shared schedule.  
-Learning activities will be posted on Canvas to support the instruction on Google Meets for all classes on an emergency day on the Canvas learning management system
-Families will not be asked to pick up any materials from the school on these days
-No schools are physically open for family and student academic communication.
-A school may be opened for extra-curricular activities on an individual basis

Student Expectations:
-Students should follow the regular, or posted school day schedule
-Students will need to log onto all class sessions and check for the activities to be completed
-If a student is unable to attend to learning activities due to illness, technology connectivity issues, etc, please call the attendance secretary for your school in order to be counted as an excused absence
-All work is to be completed by the noted due date (some due dates may be the next school day).

John Stewart Information

Bookfair

Thank you to everyone who visited and purchased from the book fair during parent-teacher conferences, it was a huge success!! A portion of your purchases gives money back to our library for us to purchase more books from student feedback and interests. We will be hosting another book fair in the spring during the week of Open House.

Teacher Favorite Things
As the holiday season comes around, you might be thinking of what you could get for your child's teacher.  Here is a list of a Few of Their Favorite Things!

Art to Remember

This semester, our school is participating in a unique fundraising program with Art to Remember that gives you the opportunity to purchase keepsake items with your child's artwork on them. The best part is that every keepsake order supports our school. Just head to ArtToRemember.com and search for your child’s name, enter their online order code, or upload artwork from home and start shopping!

Staff Book Club - Restorative Justice

What is Restorative Justice and Why Do We Do It?

• Senate Bill 100 - A new approach to student behavior and discipline 

• A way to understand the root behavior to address and teach alternative behaviors. Brings awareness to the student of the harm they caused others from their actions. 

• Last year’s feedback from staff and students asked for more professional development on restorative practices and a desire for more positive peer relationships. 

• The School-Improvement (SIP) Team at KST reviewed the fall REV (Respect, Equality, Value) survey data, collected earlier this year from students, staff, and families, where we identified three areas for growth. 

1. Our school uses a restorative justice approach to discipline.
2. Students have a choice over what, when, where, how, and with whom they learn.
3. Students are solving real-world problems in their communities. 

The book study is just one way we will be addressing these identified areas.  Our team will be working on infusing student voice into our action plan as we begin to address this feedback.  Please keep a look out for future information about these topics throughout the school year. 

 

CELEBRATIONS: We are happy to share REV Identified Areas of Strength within John Stewart. 

Student's Top Responses:

Knowing how to access mental health support at school

Our school climate is positive, warm, and welcoming  

Students feel safe 

Students have at least one adult that cares about them & supports them

 

Staff Top Responses: 

Families feel welcomed and valued

Social-emotional needs of students are supported in our school  

Students are regularly asked for feedback

 

Family's Top Responses: 

My school is committed to an excellent education for each student

Families feel welcomed and valued.

Our school climate can be described as warm, welcoming, & inclusive. 

Wishing you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving Break!!

We are so very thankful for the wonderful families, students, and staff at KST!

~ Mrs. Aversa and Mrs. Tucker ~