Weekly News from Kimball Hill
Happy Holidays!
Message from the Principal
Hello Kimball Hill Parents,
Students had a great day celebrating their success today in their holiday pajamas. As a reminder, beginning on Thursday, December 23, school will be closed, and classes will resume on Monday, January 10, 2022. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season with your loved ones.
I wanted to inform parents that in January, students are eligible to use mental health days.
In August of 2021, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a new state law that allows students who are aged 7 to 17 to take a maximum of five days off school for mental or behavioral health reasons. These days do not require a doctor’s note to be used and students may begin using these days starting in January.
The intent of this law is to help parents support children that are experiencing increased stress in their lives. If a parent would like for their child to use a mental health day, the parent would contact their school’s attendance line and indicate that the student will be using a Mental Health Day. The school records the Mental Health Day as an excused absence.
This law also requires that schools contact parents if a student takes 2 or more mental health days during the school year. This contact is meant to help the school determine if the student’s reaction to stress is at a level that may require some support at school.
Thank you for your continued support!
As always, please feel free to email or call me with any questions, concerns or needs.
Warmly,
Michelle LaCamera
Dine & Donate Fundraiser at Reps
IMPORTANT NEWS FROM DISTRICT OFFICE: NEW SCHOOL HOURS
Please see the important message below, also shared from District office about our School District's new school start times. This will impact Kimball Hill. Our school hours are being changed. Please read the entire message. Our school hours will change to 9:15 a.m. - 3:55 p.m. effective February 23, 2022 for 1st-6th graders and LEAP classes.
Half Day Kindergarten hours will be AM class 9:15am-11:50am and PM class 1:20pm-3:55pm. Friday release hours will be shared soon. We will review schedules and share updated lunch times for Kimball Hill students as soon as it is finalized.
December 22, 2021
Dear District 15 Parents/Guardians and Staff,
This letter is to inform all District 15 staff and families that beginning on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, we will move to a 3-tiered bus system in order to continue to be able to transport all 10,000 students during a nationwide bus driver shortage.
As we have reported to the Board of Education over the past many months, there is a critical nationwide driver shortage across many industries here and across the country. School bus drivers are a true part of this shortage. To that end, District 15 has been faced with a significant and growing bus driver shortage since the start of the school year.
We know this is a hardship. We truly understand the impact a mid-year change in daily school schedule will have on many of our staff and families and have made every effort to minimize the impact, but the problem cannot be solved without changes being made. We have done everything we can to work within this shortage, but there are no easy long-term solutions which would maintain the current start times. Please know that changes to school start times range from 10 to 35 minutes. The transportation department will send out new pick up/drop off times in February.
Again, the 3-Tier bell schedule will go into effect on Wednesday, February 23, 2022. We wanted to give families and staff as much advance notice of the change in times in order to allow you to plan accordingly. We have reached out to the local Park Districts that currently operate before and after school daycare programs in our schools and they have agreed to change their hours of operation to accommodate the new bell schedules at each elementary school. In cases where no before school program has been needed based on low enrollment, Jane Addams and Stuart R. Paddock, the Palatine Park District is working to hire staff to launch a program should there be enough interest.
District 15 will remain a 3-Tier transportation system for the foreseeable future. We will communicate the 2022-23 start times to staff and parents before Spring Break, so that families and staff are able to plan for their daycare needs. As we have done each month, we will continue to update our Board of Education at their regular meetings. We know this is not easy and we thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
Claire Kowalczyk, Deputy Superintendent Tom Bramley, Director of Transportation
Estimados padres / guardianes y personal del Distrito 15:
Esta carta es para informar a todo el personal y las familias del Distrito 15 que a partir del miércoles 23 de febrero de 2022 , nos trasladaremos a un sistema de autobuses de 3 niveles para poder seguir transportando a los 10,000 estudiantes durante una escasez de conductores de autobuses en todo el país.
Como informamos a la Junta de Educación durante los últimos meses, existe una escasez crítica de conductores a nivel nacional en muchas industrias. Los conductores de autobuses escolares son una parte real de esta escasez aquí y en todo el país. Con ese fin, el Distrito 15 se ha enfrentado a una escasez significativa y creciente de conductores de autobuses desde el comienzo del año escolar.
Sabemos que esto es una dificultad. Realmente entendemos el impacto que tendrá un cambio de mitad de año en el horario escolar diario en muchos de nuestro personal y familias y hemos hecho todo lo posible para minimizar el impacto, pero el problema no se puede resolver sin cambios. Hemos hecho todo lo posible para trabajar con esta escasez, pero no existen soluciones fáciles a largo plazo que mantengan los tiempos de inicio actuales. Tenga en cuenta que los cambios en los horarios de inicio de clases oscilan entre 10 y 35 minutos. El departamento de transporte enviará nuevos horarios de recogida / entrega en Febrero.
Nuevamente, el horario de timbre de 3 niveles entrará en vigencia el miércoles 23 de febrero de 2022. Queríamos avisar a las familias y al personal del cambio de horario con la mayor antelación posible para permitirles planificar en consecuencia. Nos hemos comunicado con los distritos de parques locales que actualmente operan programas de guardería antes y después de la escuela en nuestras escuelas y han acordado cambiar sus horas de operación para adaptarse a los nuevos horarios de inicio en cada escuela primaria. En los casos en que no se haya necesitado un programa antes de la escuela debido a la baja inscripción, Jane Addams y Stuart R. Paddock, el Distrito de Palatine Park está trabajando para contratar personal para lanzar un programa en caso de que haya suficientes participantes.
El Distrito 15 seguirá siendo un sistema de transporte de 3 niveles en el futuro previsible. Comunicaremos las horas de inicio de 2022-23 al personal y a los padres antes de las vacaciones de primavera, para que las familias y el personal puedan planificar sus necesidades de guardería. Sabemos que esto no es fácil y le agradecemos su comprensión.
Atentamente,
Claire Kowalczyk, Superintendente Adjunto Tom Bramley, Director de Transporte
Join the PTA
You can sign up to be a PTA member through this link: https://kimballhillpta.memberhub.com/store
Please also follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimballHillPta
Please email the khpta1@gmail.com for questions.
Outdoor Recess District Procedures
Please see our district-wide outdoor procedures below. If your child is in need of a winter jacket, please send me an email; lacamerm@ccsd15.net
Students generally go outside for recess every day, so they should dress appropriately for the weather. Exceptions are made only when a child brings a doctor's note excusing him/her from outdoor recess.
Staff members provide playground supervision. If students are not following behavior expectations, a staff member will address the behavior with the student(s). Based on the behavior, the child may speak to an administrator.
Cold weather: Indoor recess is determined based on the following guidelines:If the temperature outside, together with the wind chill, is below 0°F, all students will remain inside for the entire lunch hour.
If the temperature outside, together with the wind chill, is between 0°-10°F, the preferred procedure is a rotation of 20 minutes for lunch, a 20-minute outdoor recess, and a 20-minute indoor recess. However, at the principal's discretion, students may be kept inside for the entire lunch hour.
If the temperature outside, together with the wind chill, is above 10°F, students will have regular outdoor recess.
Warm weather: Students will be outside for recess/PE if the temperature (or heat index) is below 100 degrees. Students will be inside for recess/PE if the temperature (or heat index) is 100 degrees or above.
Other considerations in which indoor recess is allowed include the condition of the playground and the presence of precipitation.
En espanol Recess
Los estudiantes generalmente salen al recreo todos los días, por lo que deben vestirse adecuadamente por el clima. Solo se hacen excepciones cuando un niño/a trae una nota del médico que lo excusa del recreo al aire libre.
Los miembros del personal proporcionan supervisión en el patio de recreo. Si los estudiantes no siguen las expectativas de comportamiento, un miembro del personal abordará el comportamiento con el/los estudiante/s. Según el comportamiento, el niño/a será enviado a hablar con un administrador.
Clima frío: El recreo interior se determina según las siguientes pautas:
Si la temperatura exterior, junto con la sensación térmica, es inferior a 0°F, todos los estudiantes permanecerán adentro durante toda la hora del almuerzo.
Si la temperatura exterior, junto con la sensación térmica, está entre 0°-10° F, el procedimiento preferido es una rotación de 20 minutos para el almuerzo, un recreo al aire libre de 20 minutos y un recreo interior de 20 minutos. Sin embargo, a discreción del director, los estudiantes pueden permanecer adentro durante toda la hora del almuerzo.
Si la temperatura exterior, junto con la sensación térmica, es superior a 10°F, los estudiantes tendrán un recreo regular al aire libre.
Tiempo de calor: Los estudiantes estarán afuera para el recreo/PE si la temperatura (o el índice de calor) es inferior a 100 grados. Los estudiantes estarán adentro para el recreo/PE si la temperatura (o el índice de calor) es de 100 grados o más.
Otras consideraciones en las que se permite el recreo interior incluyen la condición del patio de recreo y la presencia de precipitaciones.
Para el recreo en interiores, los estudiantes son supervisados en sus aulas.
oor recess, students are supervised in their classrooms.
Dates to Remember
- December 23-January 10 Winter vacation
- January 10, 2022- All Classes Resume
- January 13, 2022- ACCESS Testing Parents Virtual Night (EL Learners) 6:00pm
- January 19- February 4, 2022- ACCESS Testing
- January 17, 2022- Martin Luther King Dr Holiday- No Classes
- January 18, 2022- Teacher Institute Day- No Classes
- January 24-January 25, 2022- School Store Visit
- January 26, 2022- Cougar Rally
- January 27, 2022- NAEP Test- selected 4th Graders
- January 28, 2022-School Wide Celebration (more info soon)
School Hours
- School Hours: 8:45am-3:25pm
- Morning Kindergarten: 8:45am-11:20am, Fridays: 8:45am-10:55am
- Fridays: 8:45am-2:35pm
- Afternoon Kindergarten: 12:50-3:25pm, Fridays: 12:25pm-2:35pm
Please note: these are our current hours; which will change effective February 23, 2022 to 9:15am-3:55pm for all 1-6th graders. Half Day Kindergarten hours will be AM class 9:15am-11:50am and PM class 1:20pm-3:55pm.
Friday release will still be one hour earlier than regular dismissal time.
Contact the Principal
Michelle LaCamera
Kimball Hill School
2905 Meadow Dr.
Rolling Meadows, 60008
847-963-5200