Happy Friday Kipling Families,

Thank you for all your collaboration and your continued partnership as we held conferences the past two days. When there is open, two-way, and positive communication between home and school, the greatest beneficiaries are our students. Our staff is second to none and they always have your children’s best interest in all of their thinking and planning. All of the achievements and successes we see in school are not possible without your support at home. I am so grateful to be a part of our school community. Thank you for entrusting us with the education of your children and for partnering with us to benefit their holistic development.

All my best to you and your families over the weekend.

Respectfully,

-Matthew

Mr. Matthew O. Lombardo, NBCT

Principal

Kipling Elementary School

Please visit https://kiplingpto.membershiptoolkit.com/home for all things PTO. Please also note these important upcoming dates:

11/3: PTO Meeting @ Kipling, 9:30-10:30 in the Lounge

Hello 3rd, 4th and 5th grade families!

We are delighted that author Keir Graff will be visiting Kipling on Wednesday, November 1st to share his book, Minerva Keen's Detective Club, a middle-grade book co-authored by James Patterson that is the most spine-tingling, creepy-crawling, giggle-producing kid's detective club ever.

Keir Graff is also the author of The Tiny Mansion, a pitch-perfect middle grade adventure where twelve-year-old Dagmar must endure a summer living off-the-grid with her family in a tiny home, and The Phantom Tower, a spine-chilling middle-grade adventure where twin brothers discover their new home is also a portal to a parallel dimension, and a handful of other books for kids and grown-ups. Keir lives in Chicago with his wife, two sons, and their two cats, Toothless and Totoro. Learn more at keirgraff.com. Please use this link to order these books and have the author personalize and sign your copies. All orders are DUE this MONDAY 10/30.

Halloween is coming to Kipling on Tuesday, October 31st! We want to remind families to be cautious when helping your child select a costume for Halloween. Using another's culture as a Halloween costume can be viewed as insensitive or offensive. In addition, we encourage students to be as inclusive as possible when dressing in group costumes so that students do not feel excluded during the Halloween festivities. P.E. classes will be run as close to normally as possible so please have your child wear gym shoes if they have P.E. on Tuesdays.

Below are some additional reminders about wearing costumes at school.

-Please do not send students with accessories (e.g witch’s broom).

-Toy weapons are strictly prohibited.

-Students should either wear costumes to school all day or have the ability to change into costumes in the classroom. Students will not be permitted to change clothes in the bathrooms.

-Masks that cover the face as a costume accessory can be worn during the parade and party, not during class time as it may be a distraction during learning.

Parade

-Students will exit out the main entrance, walk around the entire school, and enter back through the main entrance

-If there is inclement weather the parade will take place inside the school. Parents and guardians will not be allowed to enter the school if the parade is indoors.

Timeline

-2:05-2:30 - Costume Parade

-2:30-3:05 - Class Party (Party helpers and volunteers must come to the office to lobby guard before noon on 10/31 to expedite the process of entering to volunteer for the parties.)

-3:05-3:15 - Clean-up + Dismissal

Families who are not comfortable sending their child in costume, please reach out to your teacher so we can be sensitive to you or your child's feelings about dressing up for Halloween. We want everyone at Kipling to feel comfortable.

Picture Retake Day is Tuesday, November 14th.

Calling all grandparents, aunts, uncles, and caregivers! Please join us on Thursday, November 16th or Friday, November 17th for an exciting day at Kipling Elementary School. Each student will be able to have a special visitor come to school to see what they are learning about and stop by our PTO Book Fair! Special Someone Day will look a little different this year:

-Kindergarten, 2nd Grade, and 4th Grade will have their day on Thursday November 16th

-1st Grade, 3rd Grade, and 5th Grade will have their day on Friday, November 17th.

-Limit 1 Special Someone per student due to space issues.

-Only Pre-registered Special Someones with a valid Driver’s License or State ID will be allowed into our school and you must scan your ID through our Visitor Management system before the time of the event.

-Click here for more information and the sign up link!

Referral GPS

ReferralGPS is a web-based service focused on assisting our community in finding local mental health and substance use-related treatment. You are invited to use this interactive tool at https://referralgps.com/find-help/D109 to search for treatment resources or connect with a Care Navigator anonymously. The platform has the ability to filter by mental health concern, clinician gender/specialty, location, and insurance acceptance. The service is available for all types of private and public insurance options including PPO, HMO, Medicaid, and families that are uninsured or underinsured. ReferralGPS is available for use by district students, staff, and families at no cost. All information entered on the ReferralGPS tool is completely confidential and securely stored. Please note, this service is an optional resource available by choice and is not mandatory in any way.

109 GIVES BACK FOOD DRIVE

PLEASE INCLUDE THE FOOD DRIVE FLYER FOR YOUR SCHOOL. HERE IS THE FOLDER OF FLYERS.

DHS EVENTS TONIGHT

Come for TRUNK OR TREATING at 5pm TONIGHT in the back parking lot of DHS! Admission is free with a suggested donation to benefit Gigi’s Playhouse!

Directly following Trunk or Treating TONIGHT is our Family Friendly DRIVE IN MOVIE. Come with friends and family, bring blankets, and enjoy treats! Admission is $20 per car. Purchase tickets on schoolchest.org now or pay when you arrive! Hope to see you there!

Park District Before and After Care

The Deerfield Park District runs all of our before and after school care programs. Please contact the Park District, 847-945-0650, if you have questions.

Park District After School Enrichment Information

Sharing on behalf of the Deerfield Park District: registration is open for fall enrichment programs. To see a brochure of programs and get more information, visit https://www.deerfieldparks.org/programs/youths-teens/.

If you have any questions, please contact the park district directly as they run the programs.

-Tues 10/31: Halloween Parade and Class Parties

-Fri 11/3: PTO Meeting @ Kiping, 9:30-10:30 in the Lounge

-Wed 11/8: 4th Grade Music Show

-Fri 11/10: No School - Veterans’ Day

-Tues 11/14: Picture Retake Day

-Wed 11/15-Fri 11/17 - PTO Book Fair

-Thurs 11/16: Special Someone Day for K, 2nd, and 4th Grade

-Fri 11/17: Special Someone Day for 1st, 3rd, and 5th Grade

-Wed 11/22-Fri 11/24: No School - Happy Thanksgiving!

-Fri 12/1: Kipling PTO Meeting, 9:30am in the Staff Lounge

-Tues 12/12: Band Concert @ Shepard, 6:30-7:30pm

-Wed 12/13: 3rd Grade Music Show, 5:30-6pm

-Thurs 12/14: Board of Education Meeting - District Office, 7pm

-Mon 12/18: Choir Concert @ Shepard, 6-7pm

-Thurs 12/21 - Sun 1/7: No School - Winter Break

-Mon 1/8: No School - Teacher Institute Day

-Tues 1/9: Classes Resume