Back-to-School Guide

Welcome back to the 2024-2025 school year! We hope you had a restful and enjoyable summer. As we kick off the new year, we wanted to send along a back-to-school guide to help students, parents, and educators navigate the transition smoothly. This guide contains essential tips and helpful resources, everything you need to start the year off right. Let's make this year the best one yet!

• Grades 1-8: Wednesday, August 28
  
• Pre-K: Thursday, August 29
• Kindergarten Group A: Thursday, August 29
• Kindergarten Group B: Friday, August 30

Your school's principal will send you a message via ParentSquare letting you know which kindergarten group your student belongs to.

Our full calendar can be found here.

All students who will attend CCSD21 schools must register online. This includes all students returning to the district, as well as incoming kindergarten students and any student new to the district. Registration fees are waived for the 2024-2025 school year.

CCSD21's preschool program services eligible students ages 3-5 years old. Our free pre-kindergarten screening assesses the following developmental areas:

• Motor
• Concepts
• Langauge
• Self-Help
• Social-Emotional

To request a screening to determine your child’s eligibility, please fill out the electronic form below.

Early entrance refers to the process where a student is allowed to start school earlier than the standard age or grade level. This option is typically considered for students who demonstrate advanced cognitive, social, and emotional development. Early entrance can apply to kindergarten or higher grade levels, depending on the student’s needs and abilities. Read more about our early entrance consideration here.

Does your child require up-to-date health forms for the upcoming school year? Click here to view a list of what's required. Health exams may be faxed or emailed to the health office or registered nurse at your child's school. A physical exam may be required if participating in sports.

If your child has specific needs related to allergies, please contact the nurse at your child’s school. You can also fill out the Allergy Emergency Action Plan here, or the Family Food Allergy Health History form here.

Did you know we opened a health center to provide comprehensive primary and preventative physical, mental and educational health services for children and adolescents within our district? All medical and mental health appointments, including school and sports physical exams and on-site testing services, will be of no cost to the patient/caregiver. However, there may be a nominal charge for vaccinations for those ineligible for the federally funded Vaccines for Children program.

Each handbook serves as a comprehensive guide for students, parents, and staff, outlining the policies, procedures, and expectations that ensure a safe and productive learning environment. It contains important information on academic standards, attendance, dress code, behavior guidelines, and extracurricular activities. Find your school's handbook here.

Activate your ParentSquare account to be able to send messages to your child's teacher, receive updates from your school and the district, and sign up for events such as parent/teacher conferences and workshops. Follow this link to enroll today.

• For the Parent 101 tutorial in English, click this link (estimated time: 20 minutes)
• For the Parent 101 tutorial in Spanish, click this link (Tiempo estimado: 20 minutos)
  

• CCSD21: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

• CCSD21 Info Services: Instagram

• Cooper: Facebook | Instagram | Cooper MS Music Instagram

• Field: Facebook | Instagram

• Frost: Facebook | Instagram

• Hawthorne: Facebook | Instagram

• Holmes: Facebook | Instagram

• Kilmer: Facebook | Instagram

• Longfellow: Facebook | Instagram

• London: Facebook | Instagram

• Poe: Facebook | Instagram

• Riley: Facebook | Instagram

• Tarkington: Facebook | Instagram

• Twain: Facebook | Instagram

• Whitman: Facebook | Instagram

CCSD21, in conjunction with OrganicLife, offers a daily breakfast and lunch in each of its 13 schools, and your student is encouraged to participate. Our programs are operated under the federally-funded National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs.

The Community Eligibility Provision program is a federal initiative that allows schools in low-income areas to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students at no charge to your household, ensuring that each and every child has the fuel they need to succeed in their studies.

This year, we will have 11 schools qualifying for the program, including:

• Cooper Middle School

• Holmes Middle School

• London Middle School

• Field Elementary School

• Frost Elementary School

• Hawthorne Early Childhood School

• Kilmer Elementary School

• Poe Elementary School

• Tarkington Elementary School

• Twain Elementary School

• Whitman Elementary School

If your child attends Riley or Longfellow, neither breakfast nor lunch is free. However, as the district participates in the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs, your child may qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Visit this website for more information, including instructions on how to apply for free and reduced price meals and fee waivers.

Make school lunch deposits, pay fees, and manage cafeteria accounts from anywhere on any device.

CCSD21 uses MealViewer, a digital menu solution for parents and students of all CCSD21 schools. This mobile app and web-viewer has the capacity to display our menus along with nutritional and allergen information for items served for breakfast and lunch in an effort to aid communication between students and parents in and out of the cafeteria.

Share bins in our schools are designated containers where students can place unopened and uneaten food items from their lunches. These bins promote sustainability by reducing food waste and provide an opportunity for students to share surplus food with their peers. By implementing share bins, schools can help ensure that more children have access to nutritious food, foster a sense of community, and teach students valuable lessons about environmental stewardship and empathy.

Our language services program is designed to support our diverse student community in mastering new languages and enhancing their communication skills. Our dedicated team is committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment where every student can thrive. Below are our four models of instruction.

If you would like to receive this information in Spanish, Polish or Russian, or for more information about the program, please call (847) 465-7298.

Students qualify for this service model based on state and district criteria. Students receive instruction in English within a general education classroom. Language acquisition strategies are maximized to address the diverse academic and linguistic needs of students. Students are supported by classroom teachers and ESL resource teachers.

Locations: All Schools

Students qualify for this service model based on state and district criteria. Students receive instruction in L1 (Russian/Spanish) with the goal of transferring learning to transition to instruction in English and solidifying foundational literacy skills in L1. Language of instruction progresses from 80% L1 in Kindergarten to 80% English by 5th grade. Language acquisition strategies are maximized to address the diverse academic and linguistic needs of students.

Spanish locations: Field (K-5), Kilmer (K-3), Tarkington (2-3), Frost (K-2), Twain (K-3), Whitman (K-2)

Russian locations: Kilmer (K-5), Poe (K-5)

Students within this service model receive instruction that progresses from 50% Spanish/English in 3rd grade to 70/30% English/Spanish by 5th grade with the goal of preparing students with abilities to listen, speak, read, and write in both English and Spanish. Language acquisition strategies are maximized to address the diverse academic and linguistic needs of students.

Locations: Frost (3-5), Whitman (3-5)

Students qualify for this service model based on state criteria. Students within this service model receive instruction that is designed and delivered in English within general education. This classroom includes students who qualify for language services. Language acquisition instructional strategies are maximized to address the diverse academic and linguistic needs of all students.

Locations: Cooper, Field, Frost, Holmes, Kilmer, London, Poe, Tarkington, Twain, Whitman

School District 21 has developed a core curriculum based on the Illinois Learning Standards, which are intended to serve as the basis for student learning and assessment in Illinois. The district’s curriculum is based on the understanding that, due to the pace of technological change and the development of an interdependent international economy and workforce, we cannot predict the full range of specific knowledge and skills that our students will require for success.

Advanced Learners are those students who fall into the categories of high achieving, gifted or talented. The CCSD21 Advanced Learner Committee (previously Gifted & Talented Task Force) is currently reviewing and updating the programming for students.

The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program in CCSD21 provides students with hands-on learning with real-world opportunities. It helps students develop skills such as media and technology literacy, social skills, communication, flexibility, initiative, problem-solving, critical thinking, curiosity, decision making, as well as the acceptance of failure.

Ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient transportation for our students is our top priority. Our dedicated team of drivers and support staff is committed to providing a smooth and enjoyable journey to and from school every day.

The district offers a free bus-tracking service for parents and guardians. The tool provides you with direct access to the status of your child’s bus.

Students who attended a CCSD21 school last year are expected to bring their fully-charged Chromebook to school on the first day of attendance, ready to learn!

Students new to CCSD21 and incoming kindergarten students will be issued a Chromebook in the first days of school. All students in grades K-8 will take their Chromebook home each night and then back to school the following day fully charged.

PowerSchool is School District 21’s Student Information System. This web-based platform supports all electronic student record-keeping in School District 21. Teachers utilize PowerSchool for collecting and analyzing classroom-based student assessment data.

We prioritize the safety and confidentiality of our students' information, adhering to stringent data privacy practices to ensure their personal and academic data remains secure.

CCSD21 offers competitive rates for short-term and long-term teacher substitutes, teacher assistant substitutes, and other support staff roles.

School District 21 offers a full continuum of services for students with special needs. The range of services includes individualized accommodations and modifications in curriculum and instructional strategies within the general education classroom, consultation or therapy from specialized experts or therapists, resource classes where students focus on specific skills-development, district-wide instructional programs, and specialized programs in alternative settings.

School Resource Officers (SROs) were reintroduced to our schools for the 2023-2024 school year. They provide a visual presence at the buildings and encourage positive relationships while addressing safety concerns, acting as a liaison between schools, families, and law enforcement and working collaboratively with all stakeholders to encourage and support students in making positive choices and good behavior both in and outside of school.

Read more about Officer Czapla, SRO for the London strand

Read more about Officer Ladesic, SRO for the Holmes strand

Read more about Officer Essig, SRO for the Cooper strand

CCSD21 has implemented Standard Response Protocols prioritize the safety and well-being of our school community. Our SRP is built on the foundation of clear communication, proactive planning, and continuous training, empowering students, staff, and visitors to act confidently and cohesively in the face of potential threats. By familiarizing yourself with these protocols, you contribute to a secure and prepared environment, fostering peace of mind for everyone on campus.