Happy Friday Cougar Families,

I hope everyone had a great week!

Thank you to everyone who has been following our drop-off/pick-up procedures. The lines have been moving as quickly as possible and we are very grateful for you partnering with us in this process. That light on Deerfield Road does not do us any favors, but overall, we are doing great. Here are some expectations to keep in mind - please make sure you are following these guidelines:

-Please stay in your car and continue to pull as far forward as possible. Please do not stop near the main entrance door if there is room in front of you. Pull as far forward as possible along our sidewalk. We want to keep the line moving as efficiently as possible. If you don’t think your child can open the car door and hop out, then please find a parking space in the parking lot and walk your child to the door. All parents must remain in their cars in the car line at all times. Thank you for following this expectation.

-If you want to walk your child to or from the door at dismissal, please find a parking spot in the lot or on the street and then walk to the building.

-If you need to talk to your child’s teacher please email them about your concern rather than having a conversation in the carline.

Thank you for your partnership in this effort.

All my best to you and your families over the weekend!

Respectfully,

-Matthew

Mr. Matthew O. Lombardo, NBCT

Principal

Kipling Elementary School

B Friends is finishing up spirit wear orders and we should have the second delivery by the end of next week. Please let us know if you do not get yours. We appreciate your patience!

Please visit https://kiplingpto.membershiptoolkit.com/home for all things PTO. Please also note these important upcoming dates:

10/2 - 10/6: PTO Halloween Costume Drive - see info below!

10/6: PTO Meeting, 9:30am in the Teachers' Lounge

10/14: Pumpkinfest @ Kipling, 12-3pm, Sensory-friendly time: 11:30am-12pm

Pumpkinfest!

VOLUNTEERS: Please sign up to volunteer. We need volunteers to help facilitate the games, tickets and food! This event can not happen without each of you. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E44ACAD22A3FBCF8-44472490-kipling/29374066#/

FOR SALE: Pumpkinfest wristbands and raffle tickets are on sale now! Online sales close on Thursday October 5th. Login into https://kiplingpto.membershiptoolkit.com to purchase your items. ONLINE SALES DEALS WILL END ON OCTOBER 5TH!

Please feel free to email ptokipling@gmail.com for any questions!

Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on Thursday, October 26th from 1:00-4:00pm & 5:00-8:00pm and Friday, October 27th from 8:30-11:30am. All DPS109 schools will hold in-person parent-teachers conferences this year with an option to use Zoom or Google Hangouts for parents/guardians who are not available for an in-person conference.

Parents will sign up for a conference using Sign-Up Genius. The links to sign-up were shared yesterday and are included here again.

It is best practice to hold one parent conference per child, to ensure that both parents receive the same information regarding their child’s strengths and needs. Therefore, I ask that parents sign up for one joint conference per student.

Conferences are a discussion between parents and teachers. At this time elementary conferences do not include students and therefore we ask that children not attend the parent-teacher conference.

In an effort to ensure inclusion of diverse populations and perspectives, we are looking for other Kipling families to use the Kipling Cultural Collection to teach the Kipling community about your culture! Display objects may include 6-8 traditional or cultural objects, a family video describing the significance of each object, recipe, flag, map, music, etc - anything to bring your vibrant culture to life!

If you and your family are interested in sharing your culture with the Kipling community, please complete this brief form. If you sign up, a member of our committee will be in contact about next steps. If you have any questions, please email Mike Schwartz @ mschwartz1@dps109.org.

Please see the linked information here about how to enter the contest!

We are looking for daily parent volunteers to help students as they learn our new routine. Parents can sign up for a once a week, once every other week, or monthly slot. If you aren't familiar with composting, we promise it's easy. We will provide training and the kids are catching on quickly. This is a great chance to help the planet and see your Kipling kids in action. Please email Sandra Merrill at SandraKMerrill@gmail.com or Jessica Lorber at Jzindell@gmail.com or Jessica Cohen at

jessicabrody12@gmail.com for more information about volunteering. Sign up to volunteer here.

UPCOMING DISCUSSION: HOW TO RAISE AN ADULT

Deerfield Parent Network, in partnership with Districts 109, 112 and 113, is pleased to announce Julie Lythcott-Haims’ presentation, “How to Raise Successful Kids” on November 30th at 7:30 pm at Deerfield High School’s Auditorium.

Julie Lythcott-Haims is the New York Times best selling author of “How to Raise an Adult''. Drawing on research; conversations with admissions officers, educators, and employers; and on her own insights as a mother and as a student dean, Julie Lythcott-Haims highlights the ways in which over-parenting harms children, their stressed-out parents, and society at large. Mark your calendars - this is sure to be a great program! While walk-ins are always welcome, DPN is asking that you RSVP for planning purposes.

RSVP LINK: RSVP HERE

Two Weeks Left To Turn In Health Forms!

It is very important that we have the most up to date health information for your child.

PHYSICALS: All new students, Early Learners, kindergarteners, and 6th graders must have an updated health form on file by October 15th or they will be excluded from school.

EYE EXAMS: Kindergarteners and new students must have an updated eye exam on file by October 15th or they will be excluded from school.

DENTAL EXAM: All new students, kindergarteners, 2nd graders, and 6th graders must have an updated dental exam on file by May 15th of this school year.

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT FORMS

Park District Before and After Care

The Deerfield Park District runs all of our before and after school care programs. Please contact the Park District, 847-945-0650, if you have questions.

Park District After School Enrichment Information

Sharing on behalf of the Deerfield Park District: registration is open for fall enrichment programs. To see a brochure of programs and get more information, visit https://www.deerfieldparks.org/programs/youths-teens/.

If you have any questions, please contact the park district directly as they run the programs.

-Thurs 10/5: Picture Day

-Fri 10/6: PTO Meeting in the Staff Lounge, 9:30-10:30

-Mon 10/9: No School, Indigenous People’s Day

-Tues 10/10-Sat 10/14: Spirit Week!

-Sat 10/14: Pumpkinfest @ Kipling, 11am-2pm, Sensory-friendly time: 10:30am-11am

-Thurs 10/26: ½ Day of School Student Dismissal at 11:40am

-Thurs 10/26: Parent Teacher Conferences, 1-4pm and 5-8pm

-Fri 10/27: Parent Teacher Conferences, 8:30-11:30am

-Tues 10/31: Halloween Parade! More info coming soon…