March Newsletter
Note from the Principal
Dear KG Parents,
February’s weather has given us more precipitation than expected and in several forms. Due to the emergency days we’ve utilized this year, our projected final day of student attendance has moved to Thursday, May 30th. This will still be an early dismissal day (11:30 am) and will be when students receive their report cards and yearbooks. Our end of the year growth assembly will also take place that morning. If the district has to utilize its last emergency day set in the calendar, then the final student attendance day will fall on the last day in May. Below is a quick list of events to mark in your calendars:
May 8 Band Recognition Concert 7:00 pm
May 13 Chorus Recognition Concert 6:30 pm
May 16 Jr High Awards Night 6:00 pm
May 24 Graduation Dance 6:30 pm
May 28 Eighth Grade Graduation at LTHS East Auditorium 7:00 pm
May 29 KG Career Day & Field Day
March is the month for our required state assessments. We will begin the process on Tuesday, March 5 and, as always, student attendance during this month is imperative. Students will not be testing each day, so each day missed for orthodontist appointments or illness may lead to your child having to miss other classes to make up the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) or the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) testing sessions. There are now fewer testing sessions associated with the new IAR assessment which results in less instruction missed in the classroom. Although, students should be well rested, have a hearty breakfast, and ready to do their best for each testing session. The data gathered from these assessments play a role in placement decisions, but are also how our school is measured against the other schools in the state according to the Elementary and Secondary Schools Act (ESSA). While the Illinois State Board of Education now considers more data points to determine our school’s designation, the IAR and ISA will still be heavy contributors to our school’s overall rating. Please continue to stress the importance of these exams to your children as we strive to achieve an “Exemplary” rating.
I want to thank all of our KG parents for all you do to support your children and our school. Parenting and teaching are very similar in several ways and both can leave you frustrated beyond belief, which I know by having two teenagers myself. The rewards often come much later when we see the children grown up, self-sufficient, and we no longer have to remind them of life lessons we taught them earlier. Children see and hear much more than we ever did as kids due to social media and technology, and it’s more difficult for them to distinguish what’s important. Family should always be the number one priority in life, and we thank you again for being a part of our KG family! Go Hornets!
Sincerely,
John Jennings, Principal
Note from the nurse
The Sixth grade Dental Exam due date May 15, 2019. This date is quickly approaching. Please have your dentist complete the Illinois State Dental Exam Form found on the Health Update page of the D91 website. They must be received by May 15th, the school can hold the end of the year report card if this form is not handed in. Please contact me if you need to verify that I have your student’s exam on file.
Please remember the best way to prevent the spread of germs is proper hand hygiene. Remind your children of the importance of washing their hands frequently.
The office is not able to give out any medication without a signed medication authorization form from a parent/guardian, which can be found on the district website or in the office. This includes Tylenol, cough drops, cough syrup, etc.
If your child has a cold with symptoms that can be controlled with minimal medication, please drop off medication in the original package and the medication authorization form to the office. Please remind students that cough drops also need a note and need to be kept in the office.
Please contact me with any changes in your student’s medications or the development of any health concerns during the school year. It is important that the nurse is aware of any health concerns so the proper interventions can be implemented and the student’s health record is kept up-to-date.
When calling in your student’s absence to the attendance line, please be as specific as possible regarding any signs, symptoms or diagnosis of illness in order for us to accurately keep track of trending illnesses at Kelvin Grove
It is not too early to start thinking about next year’s sixth grade physicals! If you have a fifth grade student and get a physical done, have the doctor complete the Illinois health exam now! The same goes for a visit to the dentist.
5th Graders:
On Thursday March 29, 2019, fifth grade students will have the opportunity to be apart of an important lesson on the early stages of puberty. During the lesson the boys and girls will be separated, presented a video, and a powerpoint presentation on terminology from The Always Changing and Growing Up Program. This program helps both boys and girls:
Understand the physical and emotional changes they experience during puberty, and acknowledge these changes as a normal part of growth and development.
Learn the physiology of their bodies and correct terminology for parts of the reproductive system.
Understand that personal hygiene is each individual's responsibility.
6th Graders:
On, Wednesday March 22, 2019 sixth grade students will have the opportunity to be apart of an important lesson on the early stages of puberty and personal hygiene. During the co-ed lesson, the boys and girls will be presented a video from The Always Changing and Growing Up Program.
The Always Changing and Growing up Program is based on national research and consultation with school nurses, health educators, parents and medical professionals. It has been a trusted resource for over 30 years and has been taught to millions of students nationwide. It is provided as a free educational service to our school.
After the program, there will be a special guest appearance from the Lockport Police Department. K-9 Officer Citgo and his handler will be here to discuss the importance of drug abuse prevention and perform a brief demonstration. Students will have an opportunity to ask questions and see Citgo in action.
Permission slips for both 5th and 6th grade programs will be sent home the first week in March
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.
Jenna Drobick, BSN, RN
Kelvin Grove Nurse
815-838-0737 ext. 1102
4th and 5th Grade Guidance
4th and 5th Grade Guidance
It is hard to believe we are entering our last trimester of the school year! In guidance classes with both fourth and fifth grades, we have just finished a unit on managing emotions. Our next unit of study will be addressing problem solving. Our problem solving model will consist of four “STEPs”:
S - Say the Problem
T - Think of Solutions
E - Explore Consequences
P - Pick the best Solution
Thank you for completing the Second Step homework activities with your child! I hope it is helping you to have some meaningful conversations and to reinforce positive life skills at home.
As always, if you have any comments, questions or suggestions regarding the Guidance program, please contact me. I would love to hear from you!
4th Grade
It’s hard to believe that we have surpassed 100 days of school! In that time we have been very busy. We are moving right along in all curricular areas. Be sure to ask your child about all they have been learning.
In reading, we are expanding our vocabularies using our Sadlier Vocabulary series. We have also been studying nonfiction text structures such as cause and effect, problem/solution, and sequence. In language, we have learned the skills of subject, object, and possessive pronouns, adjectives, articles, and verbs.
We have been working diligently in math on fractions. We are now adding and subtracting mixed numbers. Looking forward, students will begin to multiply fractions. To help your child, you can practice these concepts as well as basic multiplication facts. As you know, basic math facts are useful in many concepts in math other than just multiplication. We find them to be helpful with fractions, such as finding common denominators and simplifying fractions.
Our science lessons have been teaching us about energy. We have learned about how energy transfers from one object to another in collisions. In social studies, we are learning about the regions of the United States, focusing on the Southeast and Midwest regions. For each region we study the history, landscape, economy, and natural resources specific to that area.
Please continue to check your child’s agenda and home folder. Although your child is old enough to do homework on his/her own, it is still important to check over the work discussing any errors made. Establishing a good homework routine now will prove beneficial to your child in the future.
5th Grade
Students have been working with Officer Szmergalski for a few weeks now with the GREAT program. Once the program is complete, students will participate in the GREAT ceremony, more information on this will be sent home as the date gets closer.
In math students have been working really hard with adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions. In social studies we are learning about the 13 original colonies and will move on to the the Revolutionary War. In science we are learning about water systems. In reading we are preparing for the Illinois Assessment Readiness test.
IAR testing will begin the spring. We will be making a trail mix for students to have as their snack during IAR testing. More information will be sent home regarding this as well.
Please check your child’s agenda and your teacher’s website on a daily basis. Also, have your child continue practicing their multiplication facts.
P.E.
First a couple of exciting announcements:
February 25th was the Grand Opening of our newly remodeled old gym. The kids are enjoying playing on the new floor! March PE classes will be starting our Racket Sports Unit. In this unit the students will be learning and playing Badminton, Pickle Ball, and Ping Pong.
We are anxiously looking forward to the weather getting warmer and the kids being able to get outside and run around!
Have a happy and healthy Spring!
4th & 5th Grade Technology Class- Mrs. Lakics
Students have been working hard to learn the basic skills needed to computer program in 4th and 5th grade. 4th grade has been learning to code on Code.org Course E and an unplugged activity called My Robotic Friends. 5th grade has been learning to code on Code.org Course F and an unplugged activity called Building a Foundation.
CAD
In Science, we learned about thermal energy, and carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores. At mathtime, we have been practicing money skills and measuring. We learned about President’s Day, and the history behind Valentine's Day. Everyone is reading their stories and making progress. We heard an interesting article about Esports and learned all about it. February is flying by!
LASEC Academy
LASEC Academy students will be reading Bridge to Terabithia. In Science, we are learning about energy and fossil fuels and other natural resources. In Social Studies, we are beginning a research project about World War Two. In Math, 8th grade is learning about nonproportional relationships. The 7th grade is learning about multiplying rational numbers. The 5th and 6th grade are learning about classifying rational numbers, expanded form, and the different properties.
6th Grade
Students are preparing for the Illinois Assessment of Readiness. This test will be given in the month of March and will cover skills learned in Math, Reading, and Language Arts classes. For curriculum updates, please make sure you are receiving the weekly emails from the sixth-grade team. This will provide dates for tests and quizzes as well as important announcements for parents. Additional information can also be found on the teacher websites.
Technology Class
Students in 6th grade technology class have been learning about Digital Citizenship: Don’t Fall for Fake. Itʼs important for kids to understand that the content they find online isnʼt necessarily true or reliable, and could involve malicious efforts to steal their information or identity. Phishing and other online scams encourage Internet users of all ages to respond to pitches from people they donʼt know and sometimes even from people pretending to be someone they do know. Students reviewed the lesson by playing the Interland: Reality River game.
7th Grade
In math, students completed their unit on expressions and equations. We have switched gears and begun our study of geometry. Students will be learning about relationships within drawings of figures, and between the drawings and the real-life shapes they represent. Students will also explore circles and discover pi.
In ELA the students are taking time to complete their Take A Stand research papers. We are focusing on the organization of the paper, and use the proper format. Sadlier Vocabulary Units are continuous in class, please see the weekly email for the specific unit they are working on. FlyGirl is our current novel study, we are discussing how the main character encounters discrimination in the forms of racism and sexism as well as looking for evidence of change in her life. Figurative language is helpful with comprehension and we are discussing the different forms we find as we read. Students are working on short stories, recognizing key ideas and details, formulating and organizing thoughts, ideas and arguments. We are also working on identifying audience and purpose in both our writing and as readers. Your student has conferenced about their MAP scores and developed a plan based on their needs to help them improve on skills and identify areas they need to work on. Please take a minute to talk with your student about their plan.
In Science students will have wrapped up their Scope on Reproduction in Plants & Animals. We will then be moving on to our next Scope: Genes & Proteins. We will focus on the Inheritance of Traits. Develop and use a model to describe why structural changes to genes (mutations) located on chromosomes may affect proteins and may result in harmful, beneficial, or neutral effects to the structure and function of the organism. Genes are located in the chromosomes of cells, with each chromosome containing genes. This information will give us the knowledge to succeed in our next topic for the following Scope: Mutations, followed by Natural Selection.
In Social Studies, we will continue to read through the Constitution of the United States. We are taking notes, working on homework assignments, reviewing in class and working on study guides in order to prepare for the quizzes.
7th Grade P.E.
First a couple of exciting announcements:
February 25th was the Grand Opening of our newly remodeled old gym. The kids are enjoying playing on the new floor!
Congratulations to our 7th Graders as they completed their Community Service Projects and Graduated from the Lockport Police GREAT Program on February 22nd.
March PE classes will be starting our Racket Sports Unit. In this unit the students will be learning and playing Badminton, Pickle Ball, and Ping Pong.
We are anxiously looking forward to the weather getting warmer and the kids being able to get outside and run around!
Have a happy and healthy Spring!
Technology Class
Students in 7th grade technology class have been learning about technology innovators like Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, and Grace Hopper. Each student selected a technology innovator to learn more about. After doing research on their technology innovator students created an animated presentation video using a website called Powtoon.
Eighth Grade Team Forristall/Kelly/Peil
READING-LANGUAGE ARTS
Sadlier Vocabulary Workshop: https://www.sadlierconnect.com/@1952592
The eighth graders have been enjoying reading stories from our text. We recently finished “Flowers for Algernon” and the discussions that occurred while we were reading were very insightful and interesting. It is great to see so many of the students becoming activity engaged with the stories we are reading.
Journal writing is done on a regular basis. Vocabulary study continues with the online Sadlier Connect program. Study guides are given for each unit test, so make sure that your child has completed the study guide and is using it to prepare for the final test.
SOCIAL STUDIES - Discovery Education
Online Textbook: http://www.discoveryeducation.com/
United States History (Civil War to Present)
The students will be examining the events that led up to WWII and the events that led up to U.S. involvement in WWII. The 8th grade students also had the privilege to visit the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. They explored the history and lessons of the Holocaust as told through the personal belongings, photographs, historical records, and stories of local Survivors and eyewitnesses.
SCIENCE -StemScopes
Online Textbook:http://stemscopes.com/ (login with school email and password)
“Earthquake Shake Project” - The students have been researching, designing and building a 2-story structure that is self-supporting, free-standing, sits within a standard lot, and can withstand a “moderate” earthquake using an earthquake table. The students will also be studying the role of water in the Earth’s surface and the influences of weather and climate.
MATH - Go Math
Online Textbook:https://my.hrw.com/ (login with school email and password)
During the month of March, we will finish Unit 4, Transformational Geometry. This will include the Module on Transformations and Similarity. We will complete the module and the Unit Assessment will be given in early March.
Unit 5 is on Measurement Geometry. We will be looking at the properties associated with angles, lines and triangles. In addition, we will look at some right triangle principles including the Pythagorean Theorem and the Distance Formula. Finally, we will look at some solid figures (3 - dimensional) and discuss volume.
8th Grade P.E.
First a couple of exciting announcements:
February 25th was the Grand Opening of our newly remodeled old gym. The kids are enjoying playing on the new floor!
March PE classes will be starting our Racket Sports Unit. In this unit the students will be learning and playing Badminton, Pickle Ball, and Ping Pong.
We are anxiously looking forward to the weather getting warmer and the kids being able to get outside and run around!
Have a happy and healthy Spring!
Technology Class
Students in 8th grade technology have been learning about technology careers. Students did research of five different technology careers and used their information to create a Google Site to present what they learned about each career. The students did an amazing job learning how to be website developers.
The Art Update
The Kelvin Grove art students have been working hard continuing with the art of painting.
Both fourth and fifth grade students are exploring the color wheel, learning about tint and shade, and completing work in spirit of both Georgia O'Keeffe, Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, and many others.
The third trimester art students are beginning their experience with two functional art projects including their place card to identify their seat in class and their art portfolio, which will hold their completed and in progress projects.
Please note the following ART CLUB dates for March and April:
MARCH 6, 2019
MARCH 13, 2019
MARCH 20, 2019
APRIL 10, 2019
APRIL 17, 2019
Thank you for your continued interest and support! Please be sure to check us out on the web anytime!
LRC
The Kelvin Grove LRC skillsets are aligned with I-SAIL standards. The five main standards are:
Standard 1: Access information efficiently and effectively to inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge
Standard 2: Evaluate information critically and competently
Standard 3: Use information accurately, creatively, and ethically to share knowledge and to participate collaboratively and productively as a member of a democratic society
Standard 4: Appreciate literature and other creative expressions of thoughts and ideas and pursue knowledge related to personal interests and aesthetic growth
Standard 5: Understand and practice Internet safety when using any electronic media for educational, social, or recreational purposes
LRC STUDENT GOAL FY 2019
The Kelvin Grove LRC student goal is to increase individual reading appreciation, joy and comprehension by experiencing a wide variety of literature and non-fiction texts supportive of District 91 curriculum and Illinois Learning Standards; to engage students using S.T.R.E.A.M. concepts, increase library/ research skills and strengthen digital citizenry through hands-on activities in LRC Centers and MakerSpace; and to have FUN while meeting this goal!
TAKE A PEEK INSIDE
After students read some non-fiction passages about the history of toys and inventions, they rotated through LRC centers offering hands-on problem solving, design, and building opportunities. #KelvinGroveEngineers
Students reviewed and observed primary sources AND took a virtual visit to a modern LEGO manufacturing plant that uses AI. Students will continue to research and explore during March and incorporate chromakey (green screen room), stop-motion animation and learn the basics of 3D pens in the KG Tech Petting Zoo.
Our reading focus for March is non-fiction genre and accessing new recreational / digital reading materials using KG LRC's subscription service to e-Read Illinois. 8th graders reviewed Holocaust primary sources and heard Holocaust survivors tell their stories, as well as reviewing print materials from World War II.