KST Families ~
Can you believe we are in the last month of the 2022-23 school year!! Time truly goes by so quickly and at times we need to remember to slow down and enjoy each moment. Over the past year, students have made such growth academically and social-emotionally.
In relationship to our Kaneland Connects Strategic Plan, look how we have grown:
1:1 - Students have used technology to enhance their learning through iReady, IXL, and Reflex. Students have shared their learning with families by utilizing Seesaw and personal weekly emails.
SEL - Students added to their social-emotional toolbox with strategies learned through weekly lessons from the Second Step curriculum. Lessons included empathy, emotion management, problem-solving skills, relationship skills, and more.
MTSS - This school year marked the full implementation of MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) from our former RTI (Response to Intervention) program. Students are supported by the classroom teacher and the MTSS co-teachers with interventions provided in the classrooms that were directly related to skills currently being taught in the classroom. It was a fluid process where students receive necessary support based on their individual data throughout the year. MTSS looks at the whole child and we will continue to refine that process as we continue to discuss student needs.
PBP - Proficiency Based Progress provides students with clear expectations and learning targets of the reported standards within their grade level. This is a 5th-grade class in Mrs. Kuntsman’s music class - If you watch until the end of the clip, she briefly references the proficiency table on the screen. The proficiency table is posted during class as students play in solos or small groups. They can also refer to it on Canvas if they submit a recorded video at home. Students self-reflect on their own performance and provide peer feedback using the PBP table. Music Recorder Proficiency Table
SBG - Standards-Based Grading isn't new at the elementary level. For many years students have been assessed with (S) Strength, (P) Progressing, (D) Developing, (B) Beginning. Next year, we will use the scale reported below. This year students have had the opportunity to experience 3, 2, and 1 through PBP tables and self-reflection opportunities.
Important May Dates
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Open House Winners
Thank you to all the families who came out for Open House and participated in our Kaneland Connects Scavenger Hunt. The winning family is the Cluchey Family - Mr. & Mrs. Cluchey, Cael, & Mason. Congratulations on winning a Kaneland shirt for each family member!
Spring Weather Reminder
With the beautiful springtime weather, there come some unwanted pests to the community! We have had a few reports of TICKS being found on students. Tick season is considered to occur between April and September in the United States. They usually hide in low brush areas, waiting to find a host. If left undetected, several types of ticks may cause disease. We suggest that you check your student thoroughly at home after a day of playing out of doors.
If a tick is found, do not burn it or cover it with petroleum jelly. Do not use your bare hands to try to remove it either. Their mouths are like a tiny barb and may remain embedded, and that can lead to infection if not removed properly.
The best way to remove a tick is to grasp it with tweezers as close to the skin as possible and gently, but firmly, pull it straight out. Do not twist or jerk the tick as it may then break off. If the mouth parts do break off, consult your physician about removing them. If you want the tick identified, you may want to consider placing it in a container and contacting the health department.
If your student should develop a rash or any unexplained illness accompanied by fever following a tick bite, you should consult their physician immediately and explain that they were bitten by a tick. Lyme disease is transmitted by the bite of an infected deer tick – but NOT all ticks carry the bacteria and a bite does not always result in the development of Lyme disease. A rash may begin to appear in anywhere from 3 to 32 days following a bite. It is often accompanied by fatigue, chills, fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and joint and muscle pain.
Applying insect repellent and wearing light-colored clothing and hats may be helpful in avoiding contact with ticks. Tucking pant legs into socks and wearing protective gloves while gathering wood or gardening is also recommended. Check student’s skin; including the scalp to be sure they stay free from any potential harm from ticks. More information can be found on the website of the Center for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov) ~ Kaneland Nursing Team
Teacher Appreciation Week
Typically teacher appreciation week is the first week of May but this year it lands on the second week. In order to be in accordance with the National Education Association, we moved our dates to match. Sorry for any confusion this may have caused, but we were confused too :)Teacher Appreciation Week will be May 8th – 12th and the KST PTN has something special planned each day to celebrate our teachers/staff!
Monday: Breakfast in the Breakroom
Tuesday: Candies, Treats & Sweets
Wednesday: Lunch in the Lounge
Thursday: Make-Your-Own Culver’s Custard Creation
Friday: Popcorn Party and Pizza provided by Paisano's
On Thursday, we are inviting families to send their student(s) to school with a flower and/or teacher supply gift (classroom wish lists can be located HERE). A vase will be provided for each teacher and their collected flowers.
On Friday, students can bring in a thank you card, gift card, or letter for their teacher.
Please Note: These participations are appreciated if you can contribute but are not required of students/families.
If you’re not currently following these pages, come give them a “like” and get social with us!
John Stewart Elementary Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohnStewartElementary
KST PTN Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kstptn
Thank you for your continued support, KST families!
5th Grade Clap Out - 2023 Guidelines
It is that time again to host our annual tradition of the 5th-Grade Clap Out! Many students and families look forward to this tradition and we are excited to be able to celebrate our fifth-grade students as they move on to middle school!
The clap-out will be on Friday, May 26th at 1:45 pm.
- The clap-out will take place outside (weather permitting) around the walking path on the West side of the school.
- A map of the clap-out route can be found below. Parents, please arrive by 1:35 to find a spot on the inside of the walking path.
- We ask that you do not stop your child to take a picture during the Clap Out.
- Pictures can be taken after school in front of the 5th-grade Graduate banner that will be hung on one of the baseball backstops.
- Following the conclusion of the Clap Out, you may take your child home by signing them out on one of the sign-out sheets located at the baseball field.
- In the event of inclement weather, the clap-out will be held indoors and parents will be in the gym
KST CLAP OUT MAP
Wednesday, May 10th: School Nurse Appreciation Day
We are always so grateful for our nurses, especially Ms. Scott, our school nurse who works hard to take care of all of our students on a daily!! Please consider celebrating Ms. Scott on this day!
The Kaneland Administration has been working to conduct a thorough student, staff and family survey audit through our R.E.V. (Respect, Equity, and Value) process. The purpose of this survey is to get a snapshot of our learning community. We conducted the first of two surveys scheduled for this year back in August/September of 2022. Administrators reviewed the results and each building selected two to three goals to focus on for this year and two to three areas to celebrate as successes.
As we close the 2022-2023 school year, we are conducting the second of the two surveys to gather valuable post data to determine how we did on select goals and to determine possible goals and action steps for next year. Please see the link to the R.E.V. Survey.
The R.E.V. Core Team along with the Kaneland Connects Strategic Plan Committee will review the data from staff, students and parents to create potential goals based on our learning community's survey results. Please have the survey completed by May 12, 2023.
Thank you for your ongoing support and we trust your student has a successful conclusion to the school year.
Next year the District is creating one larger Kaneland Connects Commitment Review Committee. This committee will meet 3 times per year to review the process of implementation of our plan and yearly goals. If you are interested in serving on the Strategic Plan monitoring committee please contact Dr. Sarah Mumm at 10358@kaneland.org. It has been so exciting to see the progress of the Strategic Plan over the course of this school year.
Sincerely,
Kaneland District Administration
