We had a successful Safety Week at Grove, and our students did an amazing job practicing each of our drills throughout the week. We have one fire drill left to complete this year, as we are required to complete three each year. We will complete our final fire drill with the Barrington Police Department during Fire Prevention Week, which is the week of October 3rd. 

I encourage all families to extend the conversations from safety at school with children, to safety at home. It is beneficial to discuss escape routes, identify a relocation site to meet as a family in case of an emergency, identify a trusted neighbor whose door children can knock on to call for help,  and ensure all fire and smoke detectors have batteries, etc. Check out this complete  Home Safety and Security Checklist as a resource to think about safety in your own home.  

Student Masks

Please make sure that your child has extra masks in their backpack and that the masks are being replenished/replaced as they are used. There are a lot of instances where students have wet, broken, or lost masks. While we try to provide children with a mask if necessary, we only have a limited supply of child sized masks and most kids really like to have the masks that they are accustomed to wearing and feels most comfortable. Thank you for your continued support with this!

Shield Testing Results 

Shield Illinois has been experiencing problems with the portal for parents to log in to review test results. They are currently working on trying to resolve the issue. Please know that if your child tests positive, you will receive a phone call directly. 

In order to view your child’s test results, individuals should create an account on the SHIELD IL portal. Please use the URL and Agency Code below to create your portal. If you are the parent or guardian of a minor(s) and wish to see their results, please first create a portal for yourself then add your minor(s) as dependents to your account. Website: Portal.shieldillinois.com Agency Code: df5brbrj

Click on the link for directions in English or Spanish for setting up this account. 

NOTE: You do not need to set-up an account to login to the portal if you opted your child out of the shield testing program.  

Key Facts About the COVID Shield Testing

Shield Illinois FAQ 

Reminders

Map Assessment reports for students in grades 2nd-5th were sent home with students this week. Be sure to check your child’s backpack for the report in a white envelope. Please feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher directly with any questions regarding the report or your child’s score. Classroom teachers do often discuss these reports with parents during our October Parent/Teacher conferences that are coming up in a few weeks! 

Upcoming Dates

Tuesday, October 12th - Picture Retake Day 

Wednesday, October 13th - Parent/Teacher Conferences, 4-8 p.m. 

Thursday, October 14th - No School for Students, Parent/Teacher Conferences, 1-7 p.m. 

Friday, October 15th - No School 

Monday, October 18th - Elementary Fun Run for Grades 1-5 and 5th Grade Mile Run @ Beese Park, 4:00-5:30 p.m. 

Tuesday, October 19th - PTO Evening Meeting

Thank you to everyone who attended our Family Movie Night on Friday evening! We had a fabulous evening (the rain stopped just in time!) and it was so wonderful to see so many Grove families in person! We are looking forward to future opportunities to bring our community together for continued fun! A special THANK YOU goes out to our PTO Executive Board members who made the evening possible!! Also, thank you to all of the families who helped sponsor the evening and those who volunteered to help throughout the night! 

Safety Week 2021 - Monday, September 20th - Friday, September 24th  

This week is our annual Safety Week in district 220. The goal is to raise awareness about school safety among our students, parents, staff and community members.

Throughout the week, our students will participate in various activities and safety drills in order to ensure that everyone is prepared in the event of an emergency.  I have included the break-down of the week for your information below. Parents will receive a notification each evening from the district with a link to the video that will be shown as a part of our morning announcements each day. 

Please note, the lock-down video will not be included in our morning announcements on Wednesday, as this video is attended for students in 4th-12th grades only. Our classroom teachers will discuss the drill at an age appropriate level with students in kindergarten through 3rd grade in order to prepare them for the drill prior to it occurring on Wednesday morning. I have linked in a parent letter specific to this drill for parents to review. The letter provides you with a few more details regarding lockdowns if you would like to discuss with your child ahead of time.  

   

Monday, September 20th – Emphasis on Emotional Well-Being  

• Video of the day shown in classrooms - Introduction to Safety Week 

• Video shown of Mrs. Matthews reading the children’s book Finding Peace by Amy E. Ayers 

• Classroom discussion about finding inner peace, calm/serenity and what peace looks like for each individual and for our school (reading a good book, taking a walk, spending time with family, drawing, including everyone, using kind words, etc.) 

• Students create “Pinwheels for Peace” that include representations of what peace looks like for them. The students created pinwheels will be on display on the Grove Avenue lawn for International Day of Peace on Tuesday, September 21st. A pinwheel is a childhood symbol – it reminds us of a time when things were simple, joyful, peaceful. The idea is that the spinning of the pinwheels in the wind will spread thoughts and feelings about peace throughout the school and our community! 

Tuesday, September 21st – Weather Emergencies

• Video of the day shown in classrooms

• Classroom discussions about weather emergencies

• Shelter-In-Place (tornado) Drill completed by class in the basement 

Wednesday, September 22nd – Law Enforcement Drill - Parent Letter 

• Video of the day shown in classrooms (4th & 5th grades only) 

• Class discussions about Lock-Down procedures 

• Lock-Down Drill with Barrington Police Department  

Thursday, September 23rd – Transportation Safety 

• Video of the day shown in classrooms

• Bus Evacuations Drills

• Class discussion about Bus, Bike, and Train Safety  

Friday, September 28th – School Evacuations 

• Video of the day shown in classrooms

• Class discussion about evacuation procedures

• All school Evacuation (Fire) Drill

Shield Testing Results 

We began shield testing with students at Grove on Friday. In order to view your child’s test results, individuals should create an account on the SHIELD IL portal. Please use the URL and Agency Code below to create your portal. If you are the parent or guardian of a minor(s) and wish to see their results, please first create a portal for yourself then add your minor(s) as dependents to your account. Website: Portal.shieldillinois.com Agency Code: df5brbrj

Click on the link for directions in English or Spanish for setting up this account. 

NOTE: You do not need to set-up an account to login to the portal if you opted your child out of the shield testing program.  

Key Facts About the COVID Shield Testing

Shield Illinois FAQ 

Reminders

• View our Walker and Car Rider procedure video in order to help ensure our arrival and dismissal times go smoothly on Grove Avenue!! 

• Links for iPad Information for Parents 

• General iPad Information 

• Setting Screen Time & App. Limits 

• iPad Maintenance 

Upcoming Dates

September 20th - September 24th - Barrington 220 Safety Week 

Monday, September 20th - Pinwheels for Peace - Emphasis on Emotional Well-Being 

Tuesday, September 21st - PTO Meeting, 9:15 a.m., outside under the tent 

Tuesday, September 21st - Tornado Drill 

Tuesday, September 21st - 5th Grade Challenger Field Trip (2 classes) 

Wednesday, September 22nd - 2nd Grade Prairie Walk Field Trip 

Wednesday, September 22nd - Law Enforcement Drill - Parent Letter

Thursday, September 23rd - 5th Grade Challenger Field Trip (2 classes)

Thursday, September 23rd - Barrington Council for the Gifted and Talented (BCGT) Monthly Wisdom Program, “Study Smarter, Better, and Learn it All” at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom - all parents are invited to attend! 

Thursday, September 23rd - Bus Evacuation Drill 

Friday, September 24th - 5th Grade Challenger Field Trip (2 classes)

Friday, September 24th - Fire Drill 

Friday, October 1st - Picture Retake Day

Family Movie Night

We are looking forward to our Family Movie Night that is being held this coming Friday, September 17th!! Concession sales will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the movie will start at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are now on sale for the event and volunteers are still needed to help with ticket sales, concessions, and clean-up on Friday evening. Click on the TinyURL links in the movie night flyer below to purchase tickets or sign-up to volunteer! 

If you are unable to attend the event on Friday, but would like to support the PTO and our school, you can purchase a ready-made “At-Home Movie Night Kit” and enjoy a fun evening at home! Use the ticket sales TinyURL link in the flyer to purchase the at home kits. 

Walker and Car-Rider Arrival and Dismissal Procedures 

If your child is a car rider or walker, please be sure to watch this 5 min. video with our arrival and dismissal procedures. These guidelines truly help us ensure that our arrival and dismissal is safe and smooth for both parents and students. I have included some key bullet points below for your reference as well: 

• Parents and students should always use the crosswalk to cross Grove Avenue 

• Cars should not block the crosswalk while waiting in line on Grove Avenue 

• Cars should pull as far up as possible in the circle drive to allow a maximum number of vehicles to enter for pick-up and drop-off 

• Go to the end of the car line to wait in line heading south on Grove for arrival and dismissal, rather than trying to turn left in front of other cars into the circle drive 

• Drop off and pick-up students in the circle drive only, please do not let students exit the car outside of the circle or encourage students to go to the street to enter a car 

• Adults should remain in their vehicles in the car line and circle drive. School staff will assist students with getting in and out of vehicles

• Students should have all of their materials ready to go and next to them in the car so they can get out quickly and on their own or with the help of school staff at arrival 

• Be courteous of our neighbors and be sure not to block driveways when waiting in the car line or parking to pick up students

• Refrain from parking on Grove Avenue to pick-up students. Parents parking to pick-up students should park on Illinois or Summit. Please park in a way that maximizes the number of cars able to fit and does not block driveways in the neighborhood

iPad Information for All Parents

Our Library Technology Assistant, Miss Clarke, has put together some information and resources for parents regarding student iPads. Please click on the links below to access information regarding each topic. There are multiple links to different sites and resources on the iPad Maintenance document, so be sure to click on the links within the document to check things out!! 

General iPad Information 

Setting Screen Time & App. Limits 

iPad Maintenance 

Shield Testing 

We will begin our shield testing with students at Grove on Friday, September 17th. Parents will be sent directions for accessing the Shield Testing results via IC this week. School staff will review the procedures with students prior to testing and will support students with the testing throughout. If a parent has opted a student out of the testing, they will hear the directions for the testing in class, but will not participate in the testing in the MPR. I have included links to information regarding the Shield Testing below for your reference. Any student who has not already been opted out of the testing will be included in the testing next Friday. If you wish to update your child’s testing status, it must be done one week prior to the testing. Students at Grove will participate in the testing each Friday. 

Key Facts About the COVID Shield Testing

Shield Illinois FAQ  

Parent University

New Family Orientation to the One to World iPad Program
When: September 15, 2021 at 7 p.m.
What: This virtual event is for families new to Barrington 220 with students attending our schools for the first time. This informative Zoom session will:

• Introduce families to the One to World iPad program.

• Provide an Introduction to our Learning Management Systems.

• Provide a brief overview of Infinite Campus, our Student Information
  System.

• Discuss strategies for promoting digital health and safety at home.
  
  

This session will run approximately one hour and will focus on the key components of our 1:1 iPad program. The session will be recorded and posted on the Digital Learning Resources for Families website.

Registration: Click here to register!

Upcoming Dates

Monday, September 13th - 4th Grade Flint Creek Field Trip  

Wednesday, September 15th - Parent University for New Family Orientation to the One to World iPad Program, 7 p.m. via Zoom 

Thursday, September 16th - 5th Grade Camp Duncan Field Trip 

Friday, September 17th - Student Shield Testing begins at Grove 

Friday, September 17th - Family Movie Night 

Tuesday, September 21st - PTO Meeting, 9:15 a.m., outside under the tent 

Wednesday, September 22nd - 2nd Grade Prairie Walk Field Trip 

Thursday, September 23rd - Barrington Council for the Gifted and Talented (BCGT) Monthly Wisdom Program, “Study Smarter, Better, and Learn it All” at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom - all parents are invited to attend! 

September 20th - 24th - Safety Week

   

Thank you to all of our parents who attended our Parent Curriculum Night this week! We appreciate your collaboration and look forward to continuing to work with you throughout the year! Also, thank you to all of our parents who attended our PTO meeting this past week. Our first PTO sponsored event of the year will be our Family Movie Night on Friday, September 17th! Be sure to check out the flyers regarding the evening below and be on the lookout for additional details coming soon!!  

Shift in Lunch Set-up

Starting on Tuesday of next week, the students will be distanced at 6ft. apart from one another during lunch. This is a shift from the 3ft. distance we have been maintaining up until this point. This shift is meant to be a proactive approach to minimize the need for students to quarantine as a result of being considered close contacts during lunch when masks are off and students are closer than 6ft. 

Parent Emails Going to Spam

Throughout the past several weeks, our email provider (Google) has been classifying a high volume of messages as spam from yahoo.com email addresses. This affects many of our parents who use their Yahoo email accounts to communicate with Barrington 220 staff. As a result, if you have sent an email to school staff and have not received a response, please follow-up with a phone call, as it is likely that your message has not been seen by our staff. We are hoping that Google resolves this issue in the near future as it is affecting all school districts, businesses, and other organizations that use Google Workspace. School staff will be periodically checking their spam folder, however, our communication with you is important, so please don’t hesitate to call the school to reach a staff member if you suspect your messages are not going through. 

Family Pictures

We are offering the opportunity for Grove families to come in on two different evenings to take family pictures to be added to our collage of Grove Families that we will be putting back up in the main hallway of the school. The pictures will be taken on Tuesday, September 7th and Wednesday, September 8th from 4:00 p.m. -8:00 p.m. Click on the link to choose a time slot to have your family picture taken on the Sign-Up Genius.

School Pictures for Students 

Picture Day is Wednesday, September 8th - Picture day flyers went home in your child's backpack. For online prepay ordering information go to: https://inter-state.com/order  

Online Order Code: 60461B

Parent University

New Family Orientation to the One to World iPad Program
When: September 15, 2021 at 7 p.m.
What: This virtual event is for families new to Barrington 220 with students attending our schools for the first time. This informative Zoom session will:

• Introduce families to the One to World iPad program.

• Provide an Introduction to our Learning Management Systems.

• Provide a brief overview of Infinite Campus, our Student Information
  System.

• Discuss strategies for promoting digital health and safety at home.
  
  

This session will run approximately one hour and will focus on the key components of our 1:1 iPad program. The session will be recorded and posted on the Digital Learning Resources for Families website.

Registration: Click here to register!

Upcoming Dates

Monday, September 6th - Labor Day, NO SCHOOL 

Tuesday, September 7th - Family Pictures, 4-8 p.m.  

Wednesday, September 8th - School Pictures for Students 

Wednesday, September 8th - Family Pictures, 4-8 p.m. 

Thursday, September 9th - Kindergarten CrabTree Field Trip

Friday, September 10th - 1st Grade Stillman Field Trip

Friday, September 10th - Deadline to place orders for Movie Night Blankets!! 

Monday, September 13th - 4th Grade Flint Creek Field Trip  

Wednesday, September 15th - Parent University for New Family Orientation to the One to World iPad Program, 7 p.m. via Zoom 

Thursday, September 16th - 5th Grade Camp Duncan Field Trip 

Friday, September 17th - Family Movie Night 

Tuesday, September 21st - PTO Meeting, 9:15 a.m., Outside under the tent 

Wednesday, September 22nd - 2nd Grade Prairie Walk Field Trip 

September 20th - 24th - Safety Week