Souper-Bowl

We are seeking donations for our

Souper-bowl food drive!  

If you are willing to participate to help a 

Cub Community meet the goal of 1,000 items, 

please send donations to school with your child.  

January Paw Winners - The word of the month was PEACEFUL!

Grade 1:

Blake Duvall

Kassandra Gomez

Kate Herlihy

Jeremiah Hernandez

Hannah Ohel

Grade 2: 

Taylor Chambers

Joshua Choi

Alex Galaviz

David Hernandez

Kennedy Pitts

Olivia Qian

Noah Valencia

Grade 3: 

Zac Carlborg

Sammy Maya

Lucy McCormack

Bradley Park

Alana Schwartz

Lalo Segovia

Anthony Skordillis

Maia Stephen

Grade 4:

Courtney Fox

Logan Knapp

Bilal Malik

Mia Nimmagadda

Aditya Perswal

Ethan Riber

Pablo Valdez

Grade 5: 

Denna Baniasad

Sam Farber

Sanjana Jain

Andrew Johnson

Kyle Koppe

Courtney Mueting

New Food Service Options

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS – 2^nd Entrée and Limited A la Carte Items

2^nd Entrée

As of February 1^st, students will have the opportunity to purchase a 2^nd entrée (i.e., the main course only) at a price of $1.25.  This option is available only after first purchasing or obtaining a complete Type A Meal (Full price = $2.60).  Students previously had only the option to purchase an entire 2^nd meal (i.e., entrée, sides and beverage) for $2.60.  Just as with the purchase of an entire 2^nd meal, the student will need to return to the serving line to purchase the 2^nd entrée.  The cashier will have the student complete a logbook entry in which he or she will check off the additional item purchased and sign off on the entry.

Limited A la Carte Offerings

Elementary students will also now have a limited a la carte menu available to them for an additional charge starting in February.  Aramark will display a la carte menu signage and work to educate the children, emphasizing that the items on the snack table are considered “extra” and should be purchased only if the child has obtained parent permission to do so.  The items to be offered are shown below.  Students may purchase them through the normal serving line.  If a child who brought lunch from home wishes to supplement his or her meal with an a la carte item, the child may go through the serving line to do so.  As students who bring their own lunch may not have their lunch ID cards available to them once in the cafeteria, those purchasing an a la carte item will also be asked to complete a logbook entry, checking off the extra item(s) purchased and signing off on the entry.

Please discuss these new options with your child and feel free to contact the Food Service Department at 847-325-2592 if you have any questions or concerns.

Mark Your Calendar for Upcoming Events!

We cannot wait to see you at all of these events!  


Are you curious to know what  

21st Century Learning 

is and how this applies to your child?  

Join District 96 

on February 2, 2012

at Twin Groves Middle School

for a 7:00pm presentation. 


Are you looking for ideas to
Support Your Child's Learning at Home?
Join our team of specialists at Country Meadows
on February 27th at 9am or 6:45pm
for great ideas!  


Country Meadows is honored to be hosting
the Board of Education Meeting
on March 6, 2012!
We will begin at 6:40pm with a facilities tour.
The regular meeting will start at 7pm.

Thank you in advance for coming!  
We cannot wait to see you there!  

MAP Testing - Starts Next Week!

MAP testing:  Fall, Winter, and Spring for all!  What exactly does that mean? 

Specific dates and testing times are available through your classroom teacher.  The assessing will begin on January 23, 2012.  There will be a short make-up window if your child is absent during the assessment.

We are in the midst of using NWEA’s Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) to gauge each student’s current level of performance in the areas of reading and math.  This is a multifaceted, computer-based assessment that pinpoints each child’s ability.  The assessment becomes increasingly more challenging as students respond correctly and simplifies when students respond incorrectly.  The exactness of this assessment gives the educators at Country Meadows valuable information about each student.

We look at each student’s overall RIT score in reading and math to measure progress.  This fall score was a benchmark to which we measure your student’s growth.  The MAP assessment will give us a projected score for each student to achieve by spring.  The goal is for each student to make at least one year’s worth of growth by hitting the projected target that the assessment provides.  Our winter assessment will provide us with valuable information about the academic growth that each student is making so teachers can continue to challenge all students. 

We will meet or exceed each student’s targeted growth by analyzing strengths and weaknesses that are identified by the assessment.  Score reports will detail categories in which students are excelling and need more support, in both reading and math.  

The most exciting part of the assessment is watching students challenge themselves.  Since each student receives a growth target that is unique to his or her academic achievement, each student is working to his or her own goal.  Students are thrilled when they work hard and as a result, see the RIT score soar!  Yet, the assessment will give us comparative information as well.  A national percentile is provided in both reading and math for each child.  This percentile tells us our students’ performance relative to other students in the nation. 

As this assessment is completed and score reports are analyzed, you will be provided with information about your student.  In the meantime, if you have any questions about the assessment, how it is administered, and how the information is used, please do not hesitate to contact me. 

Student Drop-off and Pick-up Reminder

Hopefully, to eliminate the frustration we’ve noticed at the parent pick up line, below is the expected procedure if you need to drop off/pick up your student before or after school.  Thank you in advance for working with us to make sure all students are safe and that everyone gets picked up in a calm and orderly manner.  We really appreciate your kindness and cooperation in helping us to make sure that everyone gets home safely.  

Morning Drop Off - Door opens at 8:10am and closes at the ringing of first bell at 8:20 am.  Parents need to follow sidewalk around to drop off door #11,  single file and children are to exit vehicle on right side of car.  Parents must remain in the vehicle.  If you need to exit your vehicle, you need to park your car in our visitor lot and escort your child to the office.  Children are expected to be in their classroom, ready to work when final bell rings at 8:25 or they are considered tardy and will need to be signed in the office by parent.

Afternoon Pick Up - Children are released at 3pm when the final bell rings.  Parents are to follow the sidewalk around past door #11 and past the playground.  Children wait along the fence at the end of the sidewalk.  Please pull all the way up to where the sidewalk ends, at the end of the fence, to pick up your child. The children are lined up single file and children will be released accordingly.  Children should enter vehicle on right side of car and parent should remain in vehicle.   Please do not pull ahead of other cars waiting their turn as the process proceeds quickly.  The safety of our students is our primary concern.  Parents, please proceed through the line with extreme caution.  

If you have any questions while dropping off or picking up your child, any CM staff member is happy to help you!  Also, feel free to call the office at any time.  

Parent-to-Parent

Is improving what your family eats one of your New Year’s Resolutions? Nutrition for children is the topic of the daytime Parent-To-Parent Network program next Wed., Jan. 18 (9:00 a.m. at Sunset Foods in Long Grove, 2nd floor). If you want more information about this free program featuring dietician Dave Grotto, please call the public info coordinator at 847.459.4260, ext. 7722.

Kids can earn Foundation Grants!

Our students are invited by the District 96 Foundation to be creative and suggest their ideas for making their classrooms and our school a better place to learn. The Foundation is again accepting nominations online for KIDS mini-grants (KidsInitiating a Difference in School). Please encourage your child to apply. Find the KIDS MINI-GRANT LINK on the front page of the District website. The last day KIDS mini-grant proposals will be accepted is Mon., Jan. 31. Questions? Contact Foundation President Wright Chase wwc11@aol.com

Kindergarten Registration!

Kindergarten registration for the 2012-2013  school year begins on January 3, 2012.  Students must be 5 years old  on or before September 1, 2012.  Registration will be accepted at Willow Grove Kindergarten and Early Childhood Center between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm when school is in session.  Please bring an original birth certificate (not a copy), travel visa, or passport for the enrolling student.  Additionally please bring two proofs of residency:  tax bill or monthly mortgage statement or current lease agreement AND utility bill or home insurance bill or driver's license.  Any questions please call Sue Winston at 847-541-3660.

Celebrate

On January 20th, the District 96 Foundation will be honoring the 2012 Crystal Apple Award Winners!  We are so proud of all of the award recipients this year yet will will clap just a little louder for three individuals that work very hard to make a difference for our children each day.  


Jesse Rathgeber, our talented music teacher, will be honored with the Red School House Award.  Mr. Rathgeber is such a passionate educators, goes above and beyond with all that he does with children, and is an incredible mentor to many.  


Penny Silich and the Peppermint Stick of Long Grove will be honored with the Friend of the District Award.  This family owned business has given so much to District 96 over a number of years.  The family truly believes in giving back to their community and models compassion.  Our students continue to benefit from their generosity and care for all. 


Staci Kupsak is our School Resource Office and will be honored as our Champion for Children.  Mrs. Kupsak works with all District 96 schools and families.  She goes above and beyond the call of duty insuring that our children are her first priority.  Mrs. Kupsak helps to keep our students safe and work as a liaison to the Buffalo Grove Police Department.  


Join Country Meadows to honor these individuals and all of the award winners this year!  Click Here for more information.

Supporting Your Child's Learning at Home!

Thank you for your feedback on the recent parent survey!  

As a result of your input, we would love to host you for an evening of 

gaining ideas on how to support your child's learning at home.  

Join the staff at Country Meadows on...

February 27, 2012 

at 9am or 6:45pm*

*We plan to share the same presentation twice to accomodate as many schedules as we can.

November and December PAW Winners!

We would like to celebrate the following kids for being awesome PROs!  

GRADE 1: GRADE 2:

TAMER DALLOUL JOSH BERSTEIN

OLIVIA GANCARZ ASHYTON COHEN

MACEY KRULL PHIL EDAT

KIMBERLY MENDOZA CHASE PARNES

SARA SAGERMAN CHARLIZE RIOS
JESSICA SALGADO

KHULAN URANTSETSEG

NOAH VALENCIA

GRADE 3:  GRADE 4:

ALEX EISEN ROBERT AUSTIN

SARA CHAVEZ ELLIE CHESTLER

SYDNEY HINZ VISCARIA LIU

OTAE KWON SEAN OROZCO

LIANA McGHEE BRETT RICHARDSON

ISABELLE SMART SPENCER SANG

AKASH VARGHESE

GRADE 5:

AEDYN GORENBERG

MADDIE KADENS

KYLE KOPPE

BENO MAYA

SHRIYA RANGANTHAN

BELLA SCHNEIDER

NATE SPINA

JOSHUA ZHU

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to Country Meadow's Families!  


It was so exciting to see the kids today!  Everyone came back to school ready to learn, happy to see each other, and working hard.  


We know 2012 is going to be the best year at Country Meadows!  

Just a reminder about Head Lice...

In case you need information, you can find it here on our district website.  


Also, headlice.org has valuable information as well.