The Dolphin Dive
March, 2021
A Note From Mrs. Daly
Dear VL Families and Guardians,
After spring break, the Virginia Lake faculty works together on a very difficult but important process. At this time, we begin to create class lists for the next school year. It is a very long process that has many stages.
Because the placing of students in classrooms for next year is such an important decision, we use a very specific and detailed process for all children. We consider six criteria in making our decisions, with no one being more important than another. The following criteria are considered together as a whole before placements are made:
• The total number of children in all grade-level classes needs to be equal.
• The ratio of girls and boys should be balanced in each grade level class.
• Ability levels of students need to be balanced in each grade level class.
• Leadership skills and other affective characteristics need to be balanced.
• Students’ learning styles should be matched appropriately with teachers’ instructional styles.
• Some student combinations should be split for social or academic reasons.
If you would like to provide specific information about your child to assist in the homeroom placement selection, please submit a letter by Thursday, March 19, 2020. That information might include the parents’ view of how the child learns best, the environment that seems to suit him or her best, peer social matches to possibly avoid (not always possible), and any other pertinent details. Such information will be considered as one component of our process, but the final decision about class assignments rests with the principal and the teachers. Even if you submitted a letter in the past, I'm asking if you'd like something to be considered for 2020-21, I would like a new letter as situations and individuals change.
Due to the nature and complexity of this task, we cannot reduce the process to simply accepting requests for specific teachers. PLEASE BE AWARE, LETTERS THAT CONTAIN TEACHERS’ NAMES WILL NOT BE GIVEN CONSIDERATION IN THE PROCESS. I ALSO ASK THAT YOU NOT PUT OUR TEACHERS IN AN AWKWARD POSITION BY ASKING THEM SPECIFICALLY FOR A HOMEROOM PLACEMENT. At times, they are not able to follow through on a request and I do not want them to feel responsible for not being able to follow through or for those requests to interfere with our other considerations.
Any letters received after Thursday, March 19th will not be considered in the process. Please note that the teachers and I spend an inordinate amount of time on this particular process and we take it very seriously for all of our students.
Lastly, please note that once homeroom assignments are made and letters are sent in August, we do not accept requests for changes for all of the reasons stated above. So, please take the opportunity now to share your thoughts. If you have questions or feel you need to have a conversation with me that our letter method doesn't provide, please contact me as I'd rather have this conversation now than a complicated conversation in August.
Thank you for your continued partnership.
Warmly,
Mrs. Daly
Hearing and Screening
Per the handbook:
Parents or legal guardians who object to screenings for their child on religious grounds may contact the school nurse for additional information.
Handbook: https://issuu.com/dist15/docs/d15_handbook_2020-21-english?fr=sNWIyNjI2MjgzMjQ
Webpage: https://www.ccsd15.net/Page/6213
Important - Parent 5E Survey - We want and need to hear from you
This is a reminder to participate in the parent survey supplement, part of the Illinois 5Essentials Survey administration. We guarantee that the survey response will never be connected to the identity of you or your child. School reports will only present aggregated information of how parents and students responded as a whole. You may complete the 5 Essentials Survey until March 5.
This year, the 5 Essentials Survey asks parents to enter their email address to access the survey. This allows the 5 Essentials staff to send thank you notifications that provide a clear signal that the survey information was properly submitted. This lack of a clear notification had been a source of confusion during past administrations. Including an email address also allows the 5 Essentials team to better track participation and ensure that only unique submissions are counted. Please know that providing an email address is not required at this time.
A parent survey report will be generated if at least 20 percent of households completed the survey. Your participation in the parent survey will schools understand how parents view the conditions at your child’s school. Again, your identity and individual survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.
Teachers and 4th through 8th graders in District 15 are also taking the 5Essentials Survey.
Please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/ to take the parent survey. to take the parent survey.
If you have any questions about the survey, please contact 5Essentials Customer Support at 1-866-440-1874 or 5essentials@uchicago.edu.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Daly
VL Principal
Calendar Dates
Monday, February 22 - SPARK Meeting 7 pm
Monday, February 22 - VL PTA Meeting 7 pm
Wednesday, February 24 - District Registration Webinar 6:30 pm
Wednesday, March 10 - Board of Education Meeting 7 pm
Friday, March 12 - No Student attendance - eLearning Plan Day
Monday, March 15 - SPARK Meeting 7 pm
Picture Retakes - March 17
March 22 - March 26 SPRING BREAK - No School
Monday, March 29 - Schools Reopen
Friday, April 2 - No School - Student Nonattendance Day/Staff Nonattendance Day
Important District Updates
Capacity/Boundary Study Update
The Board received an update on the District’s boundary adjustment planning at its February 10 meeting.
Based on the combined work of key administrators, STR architects and RSP & Associates, deep capacity analysis and demographic surveys have shown that the District may have the ability to achieve its goals without the addition of a 21st school. Should a 21st school be determined necessary, the District will research other viable locations. As such, the Board voted not to seek an additional extension on the Park Place property.
The community’s goals remain front-and-center in our ongoing facility study, in which two key components are school capacity and boundary planning. Linked to this work is our desire to honor community, Board and administrative priorities that include but are not limited to:
Full-Day Kindergarten;
A complete feeder pattern from elementary to junior high to high school;
Potential conversion to a middle school model;
Eliminate overcrowding and equalize capacities across our schools; and
Provide equitable access to programs and services.
The Board will receive another update at its March Board meeting before a formal presentation and discussion will take place at a special April Committee of the Whole meeting scheduled for Wednesday, April 21.
Community Engagement will be facilitated by Cor Strategies and is scheduled to begin this Spring.
Residency Verification Process
District administrators presented a plan for expanding the residency verification process from one time (at time of initial enrollment) to a limited expansion in 2021-22, which will require parents/guardians of incoming 4th and 7th grades to re-verify residency.
District 15 boundaries cover 35 square miles and service all or part of seven municipalities. As such, we believe we have families registered within our schools who may not actually reside within District boundaries. During the 2020-21 school year, our per pupil expenditure is $13,957.65. The District could experience a significant cost savings by identifying existing students who do not live within our District boundaries. As a District that strives to be good fiscal stewards, we believe this is an essential practice to standardize. Surrounding districts already require all families to prove residency every year.
The Board agreed with the District plan to implement the reverification process next year. View residency documentation here.
Student Fees
District 15 collects student fees to help fund quality programs and services, district initiatives, new instructional resources and technology purchases. We educate roughly 12,000 students annually and rely on fees collected to help offset our per pupil expenditures as they provide an additional source of revenue to the district. Student fees have largely stayed the same for the past 7 years despite an increase in the overall cost of educating students—particularly in the area of technology. It is for these reasons that the District proposed an increase in student fees over the next four years.
District 15 has families that qualify for free or reduced lunches and fee waivers. Determination for such fee waivers are made based on income level and follows a stringent identification process to determine eligibility.
Additionally, we have families that experience a temporary financial hardship making paying fees in full difficult. When this occurs, families are able to apply for a payment plan or fee waiver for a specific length of time. This process is managed through the Business Office.
The Board approved a $15 increase in fees for Grades 1-8 for each of the next four years, as well as a $15 increase in fees for Kindergarten for each of the next two years. In addition, the District will no longer pay the convenience fee for those who pay their fees via credit card.
PTA News
Rosati’s
225 W Dundee Road
Palatine
Opens at 4 pm
Pickup only
No coupons, please
Charleston Wrap- The VL PTA is running their spring fundraiser until 3/12/2021. Please see and share the link below with friends and family to help support our PTA fundraising goals!!
Here’s how to help!
Please click here to register today! Use our ORGANIZATION ID 12199 to register!
Contact our Office!
Please call ahead or email with any questions. Thank you for your patience as we navigate our school office during COVID times.
Office Hours 8:00am - 4:15pm
Main Office: 847-963-7100
- Diane Crouch crouchd@ccsd15.net
- Rosie Fink finkr@ccsd15.net
- Bilingual Liasion: Gloria Perez: perezg@ccsd15.net
Administration
- Principal, Stephanie Daly: dalys@ccsd15.net - 847-963-7105
- Assistant Principal, Ali Friedman: friedmaa@ccsd15.net - 847-963-7104
- Assistant Principal, Jason Christ: christj@ccsd15.net 847-963- 7121
Virginia Lake Elementary School
Website: www.ccsd15.net/VL
Location: 925 North Glenn Drive, Palatine, IL, USA
Phone: 847-963-7100