Message from the Principal
Week of September 6, 2021
Message from the Principal
Dear Virginia Lake Families,
Happy Labor Day Weekend! I hope you are enjoying your weekend and extra time with your family.
This year, Virginia Lake will invite several famous authors to engaging our students in virtual assemblies. The authors will inspire our students by sharing information about themselves and the books they have written. Families will have the opportunity to purchase books from our authors. The links will be shared with families as we schedule visits. At this time, we have two authors, Max Brallier and Amy Timberlake, scheduled for virtual assemblies. Thank you, Mr. Bubaris for coordinating these visits for our students!
If your child needs a new charger for their 1:1 Chromebook, chargers can be purchased through our District for $20. They are also available on Amazon. Students in Grades 3-6 should charge their devices home every evening. Amazon Link
The governor’s mandate goes into effect this week, everyone working in a public school must be vaccinated or provide a negative COVID test result weekly. This mandate also applies to adults entering our building that volunteer to work with students on a regular basis. Parents and other volunteers must follow the Illinois Mandates - meaning they wear a mask in the building and either prove vaccination status or provide a negative Covid test that was administered that week. This does not apply to visitors in the office or visitors for meetings with staff, for example, an IEP meeting. Thank you in advance for your cooperation as we continue to implement safety measures for our students and staff.
Shield testing will begin the week of September 13th. Teachers will be showing a video to students, so they know what to expect if they are participating in testing. Families are encouraged to show the video to their students who are participating too. Video Link We will be testing students on Wednesday mornings.
We have realized that some emails from families that have Yahoo account have gone into staff members’ junk mail due to our District filters. If you do not receive a response from a staff member at Virginia Lake within 24 hours from the time you sent an email, Monday-Friday, please call our office. We will connect you with the staff member you want to reach.
A friendly reminder to car riders that drop off in the morning, please pull up in our car rider lane. Please do not let your children our by the crosswalk next to the buses. Families who drop their children off on Cooper, please be mindful of residence and do not block their driveways. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
This week we celebrated Mrs. Diane Crouch, Virginia Lake’s Secretary for her retirement. She supported the students, staff, and families at Virginia Lake for 25 years! Thank you, Mrs. Crouch! You will be missed!
Let’s make it a great week!
With Kindest Regards,
Patti Van Winkle, Principal
Congratulations, Mrs. Crouch!
Max Brallier- Virtual Author Visit
Max Brallier: Friday, September 10 for Grades 3-6. The seventh book in the Last Kids on Earth series, Jack & his buddies are road-tripping toward the mysterious Tower, when they are swept up by the Mallusk, an enormous centipede monster carrying the world’s largest shopping mall on its back.
Amy Timberlake, Virtual Author Visit
Amy Timberlake: Monday, September 27 at 10:00am CT. Grades 1-5. Roommates Skunk and Badger head out on a rock-finding expedition that becomes much more dangerous than they ever expected in Egg Marks the Spot, the second book in the Skunk and Badger series.
Our first PTA meeting will be held on Monday, September 13th. We will be meeting on the first Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. This year, we are offering an in-person and virtual option. Below is the information to join us virtually.
Topic: PTA- September
Time: Sep 13, 2021 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://ccsd15-net.zoom.us/j/85980678010?pwd=bDlTL1FVZDFOc0RUYURybEJBTDJ5UT09
Meeting ID: 859 8067 8010
Passcode: 589367
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Virginia Lake Highlights
Library
Word Study
Recess Equipment
Parent Handbook
The 2021-22 Parent/Student Handbook is now available online! You can view it here.
The annual handbook is a summary of Board of Education policies governing District 15. The complete School District 15 Board of Education Policy Manual is available for public review at the District office and on the District 15 BoardDocs website. State and federal laws require school districts to notify parents and students about certain rights, responsibilities, and procedures; you will find that information in this handbook. This handbook may be amended during the year.
The handbook offers information pertinent to the District as a whole. Some programs and procedures may differ from school to school, based on the size and location of the building, the grades served, the facilities available, and the programs conducted at the school. Your school administrators will inform you of these additional procedures. The handbook is intended to be a handy resource, but is not meant to take the place of personal communication between home and school. Please feel free to call your child’s school if you have any questions on programs or procedures, or consult your school’s website.¡El Manual para padres / estudiantes 2021-22 ya está disponible en línea! Puedes verlo aquí.
El manual anual es un resumen de las políticas de la Junta de Educación que rigen el Distrito 15. El manual completo de las políticas de la Junta de Educación del Distrito 15 está disponible para ser revisado por el público en la oficina del Distrito y en el sitio web de BoardDocs del Distrito 15. Las leyes estatales y federales requieren que los distritos escolares notifiquen a los padres y a los estudiantes sobre ciertos derechos, responsabilidades y procedimientos; usted encontrará esa información en este manual. Este manual puede ser enmendado durante el año.
El manual ofrece información pertinente para el Distrito en su conjunto. Algunos programas y procedimientos pueden diferir de una escuela a otra, según el tamaño y la ubicación del edificio, los grados atendidos, las instalaciones disponibles y los programas que se llevan a cabo en la escuela. Los administradores de su escuela le informarán sobre estos procedimientos adicionales. El manual está destinado a ser un recurso útil, pero no reemplaza la comunicación personal entre el hogar y la escuela. No dude en llamar a la escuela de su hijo/a si tiene alguna pregunta sobre programas o procedimientos, o consulte el sitio web de su escuela.
Lockdown Opt Out
Dear Parents and Guardians:
District 15 is strongly committed to school safety. Each year, school are required by by Illinois School Code to conduct the following drills:
Three evacuation drills. One of the three evacuation drills must be supervised by the fire department.
One bus evacuation drill.
One severe weather/shelter-in-place drill.
Two law enforcement (lockdown) drills. One of these two law enforcement drills must be a staff initiated lock-down. The schools also conduct an annual drill review meeting with principals and representatives from police and fire departments to continuously improve each school’s readiness to respond to an emergency and/or crisis situation.
House Bill 2400 (The School Safety Drill Act) states:
All lockdown drills will be announced to all school personnel and students prior to the commencement of the drill.
Schools will provide sufficient information and notification to parents and guardians in advance of any lockdown drill that involves the participation of students.
Schools will provide parents and guardians an opportunity to exempt their child for any reason from participating in the walk-through lockdown drill.
Schools will provide alternative safety education and instruction related to an active threat or active shooter event to students who do not participate in a walk-through lockdown drill to provide them with essential information, training, and instruction through less sensorial safety training methods.
Building administrators will notify families of upcoming drills at least one week in advance of the drill. If you prefer your child does NOT participate in the yearly required lockdown drills, please complete this form. Please submit one form for each of your children you are opting out.
Estimados padres y tutores:
El Distrito 15 está fuertemente comprometido con la seguridad escolar. Cada año, las escuelas están obligadas por el Código Escolar de Illinois a realizar los siguientes simulacros:
Tres simulacros de evacuación. Uno de los tres simulacros de evacuación debe ser supervisado por el departamento de bomberos.
Un simulacro de evacuación del autobús.
Un simulacro de clima severo/refugio en el lugar.
Dos simulacros de aplicación de la ley (encierro). Uno de estos dos simulacros de cumplimiento de la ley debe ser un cierre iniciado por el personal. Las escuelas también llevan a cabo una reunión anual de revisión de simulacros con los directores y representantes de los departamentos de policía y de bomberos para mejorar continuamente la preparación de cada escuela para responder a una emergencia y/o situación de crisis.
El proyecto de ley 2400 (Ley de simulacros de seguridad escolar) establece:
Todos los simulacros de cierre serán anunciados a todo el personal de la escuela y a los estudiantes antes del comienzo del simulacro.
Las escuelas proporcionarán suficiente información y notificación a los padres y tutores antes de cualquier simulacro de cierre que implique la participación de los estudiantes.
Las escuelas proporcionarán a los padres y tutores la oportunidad de eximir a sus hijos, por cualquier motivo, de participar en el simulacro de cierre a pie.
Las escuelas proporcionarán educación e instrucción de seguridad alternativa relacionada con una amenaza activa o un evento de tirador activo a los estudiantes que no participen en un simulacro de cierre a pie para proporcionarles información esencial, capacitación e instrucción a través de métodos de capacitación de seguridad menos sensoriales.
Los administradores del edificio notificarán a las familias de los próximos simulacros por lo menos una semana antes del mismo. Si usted prefiere que su hijo/a NO participe en los simulacros de cierre requeridos anualmente, por favor complete este formulario. Por favor, envíe un formulario para cada uno de sus hijos que está optando por no participar.
District 15 Career Fair
District 15 will be holding a Career Fair on Tuesday, September 21, 2021 from 12:00-3:00pm at the Palatine Library, 700 N. North Ct. in Palatine. Come apply onsite! We are looking for the following positions:
- Bus Drivers - no experience necessary; paid training; free benefits (employee only); pension; paid holidays
- Substitute Teachers and Substitute Program Assistants - set your own schedule!
- Full time Program Assistants
- Office and Library Clericals
- Maintenance/Laborers/Custodians
- And more!
Please contact Chanell Lopez at lopezc@ccsd15.net or Lori Thum at thuml@ccsd15.net with any questions.
Concurrent Learning
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will continue to offer concurrent learning to our in-person students if/when they have been directed to quarantine if they are deemed a close contact to a positive individual or to go into isolation due to testing positive for COVID-19. We will ONLY allow students who have medical documentation or have been directed by the school nurse and approved by the building principal to quarantine or isolate. Students that have been directed to quarantine and approved to participate in concurrent learning for a specified period of time will be given a device and a link to the Google Meet to participate in learning. Students on vacation, out of the country, or home ill with any other illness will NOT be allowed to participate in concurrent learning. They will be marked absent per BOE policy 7:070 ATTENDANCE AND TRUANCY.
Important Dates
Monday, September 6th- No School- Labor Day
Friday, September 10th- Virtual Author Visit
Monday, September 13th- PTA Meeting- 7:00 p.m.
Monday, September 20th- Parent Collaboration Committee- 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, September 21st- District 15 Career Fair- 12:00-3:00 p.m.
Virginia Lake Elementary School
Email: vanwinkp@ccsd15.net
Website: https://www.ccsd15.net/VL
Location: 925 N Glenn Dr, Palatine, IL, USA
Phone: 847-963-7105