Cougar Clips

Happy Friday Kipling Families,

Despite the weather yesterday, we just had my two favorite days of the school year. Seeing the joy and pride on our students’ faces and on our Special Someone faces is exactly what makes Kipling so special. Thank you to our incredible PTO and to all the parent volunteers who made our Special Someone Days and our Book Fair an incredible success. Thank you to all the Special Someones who took the time to come to Kipling to spend quality time with our students. Thank you as well to our amazing staff here at Kipling who volunteered their time and altered their schedules this week to make both of these events possible for our students. I love this tradition at Kipling and I am so grateful to our entire community for making it happen.

As a reminder, next week we do not have school Wednesday through Friday in celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday. I hope all of you and your loved ones have a special holiday together and spend quality time celebrating all for which you are grateful.

All my best to you and your families over the Thanksgiving holiday!

Respectfully,

Mr. Matthew O. Lombardo, NBCT

Principal

Kipling Elementary School

We understand that head lice can be a nuisance, but it is not considered a true health concern. Parents of students in an affected student’s classroom will only be notified if there are multiple confirmed cases in the same class that have been reported to the school. In accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC, Illinois public schools do not perform mass head checks or exclude students who are symptomatic.

As a precautionary measure, we have deep cleaned classroom rugs and soft surface items and are storing them until after Thanksgiving break. Our Buildings and Grounds department is also deep cleaning every classroom and office throughout this week and next.

Please see this linked important information for what you can do at home.

Please notify our school nurse, Edina Szabo, when a case of head lice is suspected. The information below can help answer some frequently asked questions about head lice.

How common are head lice?

Head lice are most common in preschool- and elementary school–aged children. Each year millions of school-aged children in the United States get head lice. However, anyone can get head lice. Head lice are found worldwide.

How do head lice spread?

Head lice are crawling insects. They cannot jump, hop, or fly. The main way that head lice spread is from close, prolonged head-to-head contact. There is a very small chance that head lice will spread by sharing items such as combs, brushes, hats and sports helmets.

What are the symptoms of head lice?

Itching on the areas where head lice are present is the most common symptom. However, it may take up to 4 to 6 weeks after lice get on the scalp before the scalp becomes sensitive to the lice saliva and begins to itch. Most of the itching happens behind the ears or at the back of the neck. Also, itching caused by head lice can last for weeks, even after the lice are gone.

How do you treat head lice?

Check with your child's doctor before beginning any head lice treatment. The most effective way to treat head lice is with head lice medicine. After each treatment, using the comb-out method every 2 to 3 days for 2 to 3 weeks may help remove the nits and eggs.

The cold temperatures and winter weather have arrived. Here is what you need to know regarding our winter weather expectations and procedures:

Many factors are considered when deciding whether recess will be held inside or outside. These include temperature, wind chill, and the conditions of our playgrounds and blacktop areas (e.g., snow, ice, or water). Generally, we will go outside if the temperature is at or above 15 degrees with the wind chill, assuming the playgrounds and blacktop areas are safe.

The decision to go outside is often made just before recess, so it's important for students to come prepared every day. Please make sure your child has proper winter clothing, including a coat, hat, gloves, boots, snow pants, and other necessary items. Students will not be allowed in the snow without snow pants or snow boots.

To prevent mix-ups, please label all items with your child's name. Additionally, we encourage all students to have a change of clothes at school.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping to keep our students safe, warm, and ready to enjoy the winter weather!

1. Go To Sign Up At: 2024 Holiday Gift Drive

2. Select Item(s) Listed - You May Choose As Many Items As You Wish. Note: Please Sign Up By December 9, 2024.

3. Purchase The Item(s) You Selected & ASK FOR GIFT RECEIPTS. Note: All Items Should Be New & Unused.

4. Wrap The Item(s) & INCLUDE GIFT RECEIPTS - If A Gift Card, Please Put In An Envelope With The Denomination Indicated.

** Note: Hope Closet Items Do Not Need To Be Wrapped. General Gift Cards That Are NOT For A Specific Family Member Do Not Need To Be Placed In An Envelope. Please Just Write The Dollar Amount On The Gift Card.

5. Label Gifts/Envelopes on the outside indicating the Family Member (Example: Family A1)

6. Deliver Items To Kipling On Tuesday, December 16, 2024 from 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM or 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM or Contact Elise Kleinberg or Jill Lerner directly For Other Arrangements.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact: Elise Kleinberg (917.929.2527/emandi75@aol.com) or Jill Lerner (312.636-8895/ jilllerner@gmail.com)

Please open your heart to help make this a special holiday season for all.

Thank you in advance for your support!

The Philanthropy Committee

See's Candies

'Tis the See's-on to order some candy and support the PTO! Please share the link with family and friends and encourage everyone to order!

CLICK HERE TO SHOP/SHARE THE KIPLING PTO SEE'S CANDIES HOLIDAY STORE

CLICK HERE TO SHOP/SHARE THE KIPLING PTO SEE'S CANDIES STORE

109 Gives Back Holiday Gift Drive

Once again DPS109 families have an opportunity to bring joy to children and families within our own community this holiday season by donating gifts.

Here’s how it works:

1. View the wish list:
   Click the link below to access the list of requested holiday gifts. (The list will grow over time, so check back often!)

2. Select your gift(s):
   Choose items to purchase from the list. Click here or use the button below.

3. Shop and drop off:

1. Bring unwrapped items to Wilmot on any weekday between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM from Monday, December 2 through Wednesday, December 11th.

2. It is essential that you include the family name (e.g. Candy Cane, Cocoa, etc.)

3. If you’re donating gift cards, please drop them off in the front office.

4. Alternate options:

1. If you prefer to ship gifts directly to Wilmot, address them to Eileen Brett - Operation Snowflake (795 Wilmot Rd)

2. For alternate drop-off arrangements, contact me at ebrett@dps109.org.

3. Not a shopper? Consider donating gift cards (Target, Amazon, Walmart, Jewel etc.), which we’ll share with families.

4. 
   

Note: Please do not wrap gifts. Wrapping supplies, such as paper and bows, will be provided to families.

Our goal is to come together as a community to make the holidays brighter for everyone. Thank you for your generosity and support of Operation Snowflake!

Tech Tips

While we encourage everyone to limit time spent on devices, we understand that these tools can foster meaningful connections when used wisely. However, in today’s digital age, it can be difficult to stay informed about the latest apps and trends to ensure your child's online safety. We want to do our part in supporting students and families in the various ways they can implement security settings on their children’s devices and monitor time spent online. What better time to introduce these tech tips than October, Cybersecurity Awareness Month! Throughout the school year, we will feature practical technology tips in our newsletters, offering fresh ideas for families to use at home developed by our own Student Resource Officer, Lauren Maldonado, and our Innovations Specialist, Maria Galanis.