Back to School Important Dates
6th Grade Chromebook Distribution: Monday, August 19th, 6:00—7:00 PM in the Gurrie gym (see details at the bottom of this email)
Back to School Celebration: Monday, August 19th, 5:00—7:00 PM on the Spring Avenue blacktop (5:00—6:00 in the event of rain)
First Day of School for 1st-6th Graders: Wednesday, August 21st—Full Day, Early Release 2:15 PM
First Day of School for Kindergarten and Kindergarten/New Parent Breakfast: Friday, August 23rd (breakfast 8:30 AM in cafeteria)
Curriculum Night: Tuesday, August 27th, 6:30—8:00 PM
Labor Day: No School on Monday, September 2nd
The D105 2019-2020 Calendar.pdf is attached, and can always be found on the District 105 website.
Teacher assignments for students will be mailed to you approximately a week prior to the first day of school, and this information will also be available at the Back to School Celebration.
Summer Enrichment Opportunities
In late May and June, a Powerpoint from our Advanced Academics department was shared with you in my community emails. Some of the camps and opportunities may already be past, but many of the ideas and resources contained in the presentation could still give your children some quality enrichment to keep their brains busy and prevent “summer slide”. Please review the attached presentation for some great resources: Parent Presentation- EOY Prevent Summer Boredom - 2019.pptx
Staffing Changes for 2019-20
6th Grade teacher Bonnie McAuley has accepted a position as a bilingual resource teacher at Hodgkins Elementary. We are sad to see her leave Spring Avenue, but happy that she is remaining a part of the D105 family. I would like to thank her for her contributions to our school and wish her the best of luck in her new role!
Filling the vacancy at 6th Grade will be Lauren Huebner, who was an outstanding edition to our 3rdGrade team last year. With the creation of additional sections at 1st, 3rd, and 4th Grades last year, the movement of teachers is a bit more complex than usual. Subsequent to Miss Huebner’s placement in 6th Grade, Sarah Kubilius will remain in 4th Grade for the upcoming school year, where she was an outstanding addition to that team as well. Speaking of outstanding additions to our school and her team, Shannon Tobin, who joined our 1st Grade team last year, will be moving up to 2nd Grade for the upcoming school year.
Registration
If you haven’t submitted your child’s registration packet and/or $75 fee payment for the 2019 – 2020 school year, please do so now. Office hours are typically 8:15 AM to 12:15 PM, but you may also return your materials to the secure drop box outside the main entrance. Our Walk-In Registration option will be held on Tuesday, July 23rd, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at Seventh Avenue School.
Reminder to parents of Incoming Kindergarten and 6th Grade students: Physical exam and immunization records (or evidence of a scheduled doctor’s appointment) are required before students may attend school. Please submit any physical, dental, and/or vision forms to the office as soon as possible, so nurses are able to review prior to the beginning of the school year.
Before and After Care
Earlier in the summer, you received information from the district regarding our new before and after care provider, Ivy League Kids. I have included some of that information below for your convenience:
The Ivy League Kids program will be available onsite at each of the elementary buildings with before care starting at 7:00 a.m. and after care ending at 6:00 p.m. Parents can create a flexible schedule for their child’s attendance choosing from a full five day attendance for both before and after care to one day a week at either before or after school.
The program will start at each school on the first student attendance day. We are excited about this opportunity, and we encourage you to learn more about the program at www.ivyleaguekids.org
To register for the program, simply fill out the before and after school program registration form online. Each child will need a separate registration packet. Ivy League Kids will also have representatives at the July 23rd registration night. This is a great opportunity to meet them and learn more about the program. You can also call their main office at 815-464-1265 with any questions.
6th Grade Chromebooks Additional Information
We are pleased to inform you that all incoming 6th graders will be issued a D105 Chromebook computer as part of District 105’s 1:1 device initiative. They will take this device home every day in order to assist them in managing their learning at home and at school. In order to ensure that your student is ready to start school with his or her device, we have a mandatory informational meeting on Monday, August 19th from 6:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M. at Gurrie Middle School. The purpose of this meeting is to review the 1:1 initiative, explain the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), as well as explain best practices for how to care for and maintain your child’s device.
At the end of this meeting, staff members will be distributing the devices and parents will be signing the Chromebook Agreement and the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). Students will NOT be issued a device unless a parent or guardian attends this meeting. If you are unable to attend this meeting, please contact your school’s office.
Note: Students must attend with their parents and sign Chromebook Agreement and AUP in order to receive their device. A $15 Chromebook case fee has been applied to your student’s account. Prior to the August 19 meeting, please login to our D105 Web Store (https://d105.revtrak.net/) to pay with a credit card. Alternatively, bring $15 in cash or check on August 19.