Cougar Clips

Happy Friday Kipling Families,

I hope everyone had a great week!

Thank you to all who attended our Anxious Generation Parent Night last week. The conversations were lively and engaging and there were many great ideas shared throughout the evening.

During the evening, we engaged in a thoughtful group discussion centered on the question: “How can we, as parents and community members, contribute to a healthier childhood experience for our children?” Linked here, you'll find the slides from my presentation as well as the ones Officer Maldonado shared.

Looking ahead, please mark your calendars for a special screening of Chasing Childhood on Tuesday, October 29, at 6:30 p.m. in the Caruso Middle School auditorium. This feature-length documentary delves into how free play and independence have diminished in children’s lives, replaced by a culture of perfectionism that has contributed to rising rates of anxiety and depression.

In addition, 28 parents have already expressed interest in joining a Community Action Group within the Kipling community. If you’d like to get involved, please add your information to our interest form by clicking here.

We are truly grateful for the overwhelming support and dedication to improving childhood experiences for our children. It will take all of us, working together, to make a lasting difference.

I hope to see many of you at Pumpkinfest tomorrow! All my best to you and your families over the weekend.

Respectfully,

Mr. Matthew O. Lombardo, NBCT

Principal

Kipling Elementary School

We’re going back to the Wolves Game!

Shout out to Ms. Allam for organizing these resources and this awareness for us! Unity Day is Wednesday, October 16. WEAR AND SHARE ORANGE!

Send a visible message of building commUNITY through kindness, acceptance, and inclusion to prevent bullying. If you would like to purchase a Unity Day T-shirt through PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, please click HERE.

Your purchase of the $15 signature orange Unity Day T-shirt helps the National Bullying Prevention Center (NBPC) continue to provide free bullying prevention resources to students, families, and educators. To guarantee delivery by October 16th, all orders must be placed by October 6th. Orders/money will NOT be collected at Ogden. Please note bulk orders shipped to the same address reduces postage price per shirt. Find a group and place one order!

We hope you’ll take this opportunity to talk to your children about bullying prevention and all the positive things we can do to make healthier communities. For more information on the history of Unity Day and its impact, please go to https://www.PACER.org/bullying/about/history.asp.

Mark your calendars! Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on Thursday, October 24th from 1:00-4:00 pm & 5:00-8:00 pm and on Friday, October 25th from 8:30-11:30 am. All DPS109 schools will hold in-person parent-teacher conferences this year with an option to attend virtually for parents/guardians who are not available for an in-person conference. Parents will sign up for a conference using Sign-Up Genius. I shared links for all teacher sign-up forms on Thursday, September 26th, at 12:00 pm.

It is best practice to hold one parent conference per child, to ensure that both parents receive the same information regarding their child’s strengths and needs. Therefore, I ask that parents sign up for one joint conference per student. Conferences are a discussion between parents and teachers. At this time elementary conferences do not include students and therefore we ask that children not attend the parent-teacher conference.

We look forward to seeing all of our parents during conferences.

Reminder: Health Information Due Soon!

It is very important that we have the most up-to-date health information for your child. There are some important deadlines coming up soon.

PHYSICALS: All new students, Early Learners, kindergarteners, and 6th graders must have an updated health form on file by October 15th, or they will be excluded from school.

EYE EXAMS: Kindergarteners and new students must have an updated eye exam on file by October 15th, or they will be excluded from school.

DENTAL EXAM: All new students, kindergarteners, 2nd graders, and 6th graders must have an updated dental exam on file by May 15th of this school year.

Get more information by clicking here.

Upcoming Safety Exercise

You received an email earlier this week notifying families about our upcoming safety exercise on October 15th. As a reminder:

• Students in grades K-3 will read the book I’m Not Scared, I’m Prepared, followed by a discussion with their teacher.

• Students in grades 4-8 will watch a short screencast reviewing the components of ALICE, followed by a discussion on how to respond in various situations.

If you have any questions about ALICE or safety procedures at your child’s school, please contact our Director of Safety and Security, Solveig Jurmu (sjurmu@dps109.org), or reach out to your building principal.

4th & 5th Grade Math Placement

District 109 offers all students exposure to a rigorous sequence of mathematical concepts. Teachers and teams consistently review trends in student achievement data, as well as educational research on best practices in math instruction. In fact, many 109 graduates complete Algebra 1 or Geometry before transitioning to Deerfield High School.

In grades K-4, the focus is on mastery of both procedural and conceptual skills in mathematics. Having a strong foundation is vital for all students. Extensions and remediation are available through differentiated instruction in the core classroom. At the conclusion of 4th grade, student data, skills, and learning behaviors are closely analyzed for placement into math pathways (see image here).

The most accelerated pathway, called the Geometry Pathway, prepares students to complete Geometry by the end of 8th grade. This will set them up to enter into Algebra II as a freshman with the potential of Multivariable Calculus as a senior. As you likely suspect, this pathway moves at a much quicker pace and involves both compacting and acceleration of standards. Entrance and retention into the Geometry Pathway is revisited at the conclusion of 5th and 6th grade.

It is most important that students are enrolled in a math course that supports their success. If not enrolled in the Geometry Pathway, all students still have the opportunity to take a sequence of courses that prepares them for Geometry as a freshman and Calculus as a senior.

Evaluation for the Geometry Pathway begins in the month of May. Criteria for entrance into Geometry Pathway has been established based on the profile of students who have seen long-term success in previous years. Criteria for placement is as follows:

• Consistent performance at or above the 95th percentile (nationally) on NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Math. Students will begin the spring MAP assessment the week of May 1st.

• If meeting the criteria above, 4th grade students will take a math assessment to show proficiency of 5th grade standards. 5th grade students will take an Algebra Readiness Assessment. This step in the process will occur the week of May 6th.

• Student performance on pre/post assessments, mastery of standards, and habits of success have been historically strong. Students in the Geometry Pathway have typically exceeded expectations on grade-level standards.

In late May or early June, families of students placed in the Geometry pathway will be notified. If you have additional questions about the process, please contact me. You can also reach out to Sarah Hogan (shogan@dps109.org), Math Curriculum Specialist, or Danielle Arnold (darnold@dps109.org), Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction.