Keller Chronicle
Principal JoAnn Greene, Helen Keller Elementary
May 2020
Dear Keller Families:
As we enter another month of eLearning, I want to say THANK YOU to our families and our students for the tremendous support as we navigate teaching and learning remotely. Our Keller Family, including our dedicated staff, continue to work as a team to keep our students engaged and supported. We will continue to provide updates as often as possible. Please reach out to myself, your child's teacher or our counselor/social workers with any worries or concerns. As the weather warms, I do hope you are able to get outdoors and enjoy the sunshine.
Stay Well!
Mrs. Greene
D140 PROVIDES FREE DIGITAL LIBRARY
D140 is excited to announce that our students will now have access to Sora, a student reading app, which provides free 24/7 access to hundreds of ebooks and audiobooks!
Install Sora in 5 easy steps!
1. Install the Sora app from the District App Portal, Apple App Store or Google Play Store, or go to soraapp.com.
2. In Sora, find your school (or enter your school's setup code - kirbyil), then tap go on the keyboard or Get started!
3. Sign in with your student login information.
4. Browse the Explore tab and tap Borrow to read a book. Your book will open so you can start reading right away.
5. Close the book and go to your Shelf to see all your books (including assignments). From there, you can tap Open book or Open audiobook to read or listen to the book. Tap Options to renew or return the book, get to your notes and highlights, and more.
Can I link Sora to my public library’s collection?
Yes! If you link your school Sora account to your public library account, you will gain access to thousands of titles. Please click on your library below for directions on how to obtain a digital library card and/or link your account.
· How to Link to my Public Library (3:13)
If you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher or your school’s media director. Enjoy!
MAY 12 SUPPLY PICK UP INFORMATION
A survey was sent to you from the classroom teachers asking if you would like to pick up your student's supplies or if you would like us to donate the supplies. If you have not done so, please complete the survey. Thank you.
PICK UP INFORMATION AND PROCEDURES:
· DATES/TIMES: Pickup will be Tuesday, May 12th from 9:00am - 12:00pm and 5:00pm - 7:00pm.
· PICKUP LOCATION: Parents will drive into the BUS LANE directly in front of the school and STAY IN THEIR VEHICLES.
· PULL FORWARD: Pull forward to the designated pick up area. This will keep parent vehicles from backing up into the street.
· STUDENT NAMES: You will pick up for ALL household students in one stop. Please write the FIRST AND LAST NAMES and HOMEROOMS of each of your students on a sheet of paper (standard lined or printer paper is fine). Please use large, bold letters so we can read your sign from a distance. You will show this sign from your car window as you pull up. This is very important; not all staff helpers know you or your children. DO NOT EXIT YOUR VEHICLE.
· SOCIAL DISTANCING AND PPE: Staff will be wearing appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and will be maintaining social distance (at least 6 feet) from parents and other staff at all times. We miss you all greatly, but in the interest of public health and safety, we will have to limit our interactions to just a wave and perhaps a clarification through the car window from a distance. Our goal is to get all parents through the pick-up line as quickly and safely as possible.
· SUPPLIES: After reading your student name(s), staff will radio into the school building for your
student(s) packed and labeled belongings, including contents of desks, musical instruments, and
medications. We are not sorting the contents of the desks; it if is in the desk, it will come home. A staff member will deliver these supplies directly into your trunk. PLEASE DO NOT EXIT YOUR VEHICLE.
· PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RETURN ANY SCHOOL MATERIALS AT THIS TIME: We are NOT accepting the return of any school-owned supplies or devices, such as library books, textbooks, checked out calculators, or iPads, at this time. Please hold onto them. We will communicate on how to return these at a later date. As always, thank you for your partnership as we work together to keep students and staff safe. This continues to be a very fluid and difficult time for our students, our families, and our staff. Please do not hesitate to reach out me if you need clarification with this process. We are here to assist and support our families with whatever they need.
Thank you,
Mrs. Greene
COUNSELOR AND SOCIAL WORK MESSAGE
Dear Parents,
In light of Governor Pritzker’s decision to suspend in-school learning for the remainder of the academic year, it is necessary to discuss the emotional and mental well-being of our students and families. It is important to understand that responses to the governor’s decision will vary from person to person. There is no right or wrong way to deal with the news that in-person learning will not resume. Some students may be devastated to not say goodbye to their teachers, while others may feel relieved not to have to go back to school. What is most important to remember is that no matter the response, our attention should focus on our students' emotional needs and well-being.
Keeping in mind that every home faces different obstacles and concerns and that every family’s reactions and responses will look and sound different, Kirby School District 140 is offering our students crisis counseling. Listed below you will find every school building’s social worker, counselor, and administrator’s contact information. Should your family need assistance, please reach out. We are here for you.
Bannes Elementary
Principal - Daniel Callaghan: dcallaghan@ksd140.org
Social Worker - Jacqueline Carruth: jcarruth@ksd140.org
Fernway Elementary
Principal - Sandy Hutchinson: shutchinson@ksd140.org
Counselor - Lindy Darovic: ldarovic@ksd140.org
Social Worker - Michelle Roeder: mroeder@ksd140.org
Keller Elementary
Principal - JoAnn Greene: jgreene@ksd140.org
Counselor - Maureen Hegji: mhegji@ksd140.org
Social Worker - Maureen Maloney: mmaloney@ksd140.org
McAuliffe Elementary
Principal - Annette Szczasny: jgreene@ksd140.org
Counselor - Jennifer Brower: jbrower@ksd140.org
Social Worker - Cassidy Campbell: ccampbell@ksd140.org
Millenium Elementary
Principal - Julianne Cosentino: jcosentino@ksd140.org
Counselor - Lauren Garrison: lgarrison@ksd140.org
Social Worker - Melissa Peterson: mpeterson@ksd140.org
Social Worker - Laura Lorenz: llorenz@ksd140.org
Grissom Middle School
Principal - Deborah Broadwell: dbroadwell@ksd140.org
Assistant Principal - Karyn Bissell: kbissell@ksd140.org
Counselor - Joy Labudzik: jlabudzik@ksd140.org
Social Worker - Steven Kelley: skelley@ksd140.org
Prairie View Middle School
Principal - Megan Maurer: mmaurer@ksd140.org
Assistant Principal - Maura Baskovich: mbaskovich@ksd140.org
Counselor - Annie Doody: adoody@ksd140.org
Social Worker - Ray Hamad: rhamad@ksd140.org
Keep in Touch!
I encourage you to continue to visit ksd140.org throughout the school year for key events and information pertaining to our school and the District. As always, please don't hesitate to contact me if you need assistance. My door is always open.
Respectfully,
Mrs. JoAnn Greene
Principal
Helen Keller Elementary School
Email: jgreene@ksd140.org
Website: KSD140.org/keller
Location: 7846 West 163rd Street, Tinley Park, IL, USA
Phone: 708-532-2144