planning for next school year
EARLY PLANS FOR 15-16
Kinder Registration has been open and is ongoing. Kindergarten Orientation will take place Thursday, March 5th, at 6:00 pm in the Copeland cafeteria. Families are encouraged to come together. Parents will hear general information from current teachers, Mrs. Poelking, Mrs. Beckman, and the CFA (Cougie spirit wear will be sold!). Students will be invited to visit with teachers and staff members to see a kindergarten room and enjoy a short story time. Parents will remain in the cafeteria.
All kindergarten classes will be full-day classes next year. Class sections are based on student enrollment. Many factors go into administrative decisions for class sections: number of students, needs of students, practical space issues, etc... Ideal class sizes in Kindergarten through third grade are 23 or less students. Ideal class sizes in fourth and fifth grade are 26 or less. In some instances, teacher assistants can be brought in to support larger class sizes.
Registration for students entering first through fifth grades will be open soon. Registration is an annual process – the sooner you register, the sooner we have information that allows us to plan for staffing, space needs, etc. Registration for families new to Libertyville is open now and can be accessed on the Copeland and D70 web pages under the "Home" and "New Student Registration" links.
SPACE ISSUES AT COPELAND
We are expanding our sections at Copeland to provide for full-day kindergarten. As a result, we need to make arrangements for additional learning spaces. Short-term plans include the utilization of mobile classrooms until such time that construction can be started (i.e. fall 2015). Classroom assignments to the mobiles will be determined and communicated before the end of the year. When it becomes time to make recommendations to the Board of Education, an advisory committee will be created to review proposals and make recommendations. I intend to include students, parents, teachers, and community members in this committee. Stay tuned .... updates will be provided in the days, weeks, months to follow.
TEACHER PLACEMENT
Student placement with teachers is a delicate process that involves dialogue with teachers with the goal of creating balanced classrooms. Teachers use academic, social/ emotional, and other factors to optimize student groupings. This is a complex process that involves a great deal of confidential information. Parent requests for teacher placement cannot be accepted and should not be submitted, as we would not be able to consistently grant numerous requests. If a parent believes he/she has information beyond what is known by teachers that would be important for us to consider for placement related to either academic or social/emotional factors, a form will be available in the school office. Parent input forms are available for pick up in the school office. Completed forms need to be returned to the school office by Friday, April 17th.
Kinder Registration has been open and is ongoing. Kindergarten Orientation will take place Thursday, March 5th, at 6:00 pm in the Copeland cafeteria. Families are encouraged to come together. Parents will hear general information from current teachers, Mrs. Poelking, Mrs. Beckman, and the CFA (Cougie spirit wear will be sold!). Students will be invited to visit with teachers and staff members to see a kindergarten room and enjoy a short story time. Parents will remain in the cafeteria.
All kindergarten classes will be full-day classes next year. Class sections are based on student enrollment. Many factors go into administrative decisions for class sections: number of students, needs of students, practical space issues, etc... Ideal class sizes in Kindergarten through third grade are 23 or less students. Ideal class sizes in fourth and fifth grade are 26 or less. In some instances, teacher assistants can be brought in to support larger class sizes.
Registration for students entering first through fifth grades will be open soon. Registration is an annual process – the sooner you register, the sooner we have information that allows us to plan for staffing, space needs, etc. Registration for families new to Libertyville is open now and can be accessed on the Copeland and D70 web pages under the "Home" and "New Student Registration" links.
SPACE ISSUES AT COPELAND
We are expanding our sections at Copeland to provide for full-day kindergarten. As a result, we need to make arrangements for additional learning spaces. Short-term plans include the utilization of mobile classrooms until such time that construction can be started (i.e. fall 2015). Classroom assignments to the mobiles will be determined and communicated before the end of the year. When it becomes time to make recommendations to the Board of Education, an advisory committee will be created to review proposals and make recommendations. I intend to include students, parents, teachers, and community members in this committee. Stay tuned .... updates will be provided in the days, weeks, months to follow.
TEACHER PLACEMENT
Student placement with teachers is a delicate process that involves dialogue with teachers with the goal of creating balanced classrooms. Teachers use academic, social/ emotional, and other factors to optimize student groupings. This is a complex process that involves a great deal of confidential information. Parent requests for teacher placement cannot be accepted and should not be submitted, as we would not be able to consistently grant numerous requests. If a parent believes he/she has information beyond what is known by teachers that would be important for us to consider for placement related to either academic or social/emotional factors, a form will be available in the school office. Parent input forms are available for pick up in the school office. Completed forms need to be returned to the school office by Friday, April 17th.
parcc testing march 9-16
The PARCC (Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Career) state-mandated assessments replace the previously administered ISAT for Grades 3-5. According to PARCC, the primary purpose of the new system "is to provide high quality assessments of students' progress toward secondary readiness and success." The assessments were created with a focus on the students' ability to apply a broad range of concepts rather than memorizing facts. In Math, students are asked to reason and apply mathematical principles. In English Language Arts (ELA), students are required to read multiple passages and write essay responses by answering prompts in literary analysis, research and narrative concepts. Both measure a student's higher level and critical thinking ability. The Performance Based Assessment (PBA) component of PARCC will be administered daily (one unit of the test per day) between March 9th and March 16th. Students will use Chrome Books in their classrooms to take the test. If a student is absent during the testing window, he/she will make up the test upon his/her return to school. A new component of PARCC is the addition of an End of Year (EOY) assessment. This will take place in late April/early May. As this assessment is new, a timeline for communicating results through reports is unknown.
Copeland teachers have been working to prepare students by shifting their instructional practices that provide more open responses, asking higher order questions, increasing student writing, increasing the use of technology as a learning tool, and increasing the complexity of text. Parents can help prepare students by making sure students come to school on time and ready for the day, having enjoyed a good night's sleep and healthy breakfast.
Copeland teachers have been working to prepare students by shifting their instructional practices that provide more open responses, asking higher order questions, increasing student writing, increasing the use of technology as a learning tool, and increasing the complexity of text. Parents can help prepare students by making sure students come to school on time and ready for the day, having enjoyed a good night's sleep and healthy breakfast.
special dates
2/27 -- Early Release (End of Trimester)
3/2 -- Casimir Pulaski Day -- No School
3/3 - 6 -- Student Council Spirit Week
3/3 -- Sports Team Jersey Day
3/4 -- Pajama Day
3/5 -- Crazy Hair Day
3/6 -- Cougie Spirit Wear Day -- School Spirit Day
3/3 -- CFA Meeting 7:00 Copeland Library
3/4 -- Art Effects celebration of student art 6:00 - 8:00 Cook Library
3/5 -- Kindergarten Orientation 6:00-7:00 Copeland Cafeteria
3/6 -- Character Counts Day -- WEAR BLUE for Trustworthiness
3/6 -- Junior Achievement Volunteer Training 8:30 - 9:30 cafeteria
3/6 -- Highland Choir performs for Grades 3-5
3/7 -- Fun Fair 10:00 - 2:00
3/9 -27 -- Student Council Pennies for Pasta fundraiser
3/10 -16 -- PARCC Testing Grades 3, 4 and 5
3/11 -- Report Cards go home
3/20 -- CFA Assembly, Literature Shows
3/23 -- Mrs. Poelking Reads at Cook Library 6:45 - 7:15
3/23 -- Board Meeting 7:30 @ERC
3/26 -- Spring Break
3/27 -- Junior Achievement in a Day 8:15 - 11:15 (and PM kdg)
3/30 - 4/3 -- Spring Break
3/2 -- Casimir Pulaski Day -- No School
3/3 - 6 -- Student Council Spirit Week
3/3 -- Sports Team Jersey Day
3/4 -- Pajama Day
3/5 -- Crazy Hair Day
3/6 -- Cougie Spirit Wear Day -- School Spirit Day
3/3 -- CFA Meeting 7:00 Copeland Library
3/4 -- Art Effects celebration of student art 6:00 - 8:00 Cook Library
3/5 -- Kindergarten Orientation 6:00-7:00 Copeland Cafeteria
3/6 -- Character Counts Day -- WEAR BLUE for Trustworthiness
3/6 -- Junior Achievement Volunteer Training 8:30 - 9:30 cafeteria
3/6 -- Highland Choir performs for Grades 3-5
3/7 -- Fun Fair 10:00 - 2:00
3/9 -27 -- Student Council Pennies for Pasta fundraiser
3/10 -16 -- PARCC Testing Grades 3, 4 and 5
3/11 -- Report Cards go home
3/20 -- CFA Assembly, Literature Shows
3/23 -- Mrs. Poelking Reads at Cook Library 6:45 - 7:15
3/23 -- Board Meeting 7:30 @ERC
3/26 -- Spring Break
3/27 -- Junior Achievement in a Day 8:15 - 11:15 (and PM kdg)
3/30 - 4/3 -- Spring Break
counseling connection
Written by Mrs. Travelstead, Copeland Manor School Social Worker
student council spirit week
Basketball is right around the corner
All games are played at Butterfield School
5th Grade Schedule -- Coaches Russell and Thomas
March 3rd
Boys vs. Butterfield Green at 4:45
Girls vs. Butterfield Green at 5:30
March 4th
Girls vs. Butterfield Gold at 3:15
Boys vs. Butterfield Gold at 4:00
March 5th
Boys vs. Rockland at 3:15
Girls vs. Rockland at 4:00
March 9th
Girls vs. Adler at 4:45
Boys vs. Adler at 5:30
4th Grade Schedule -- Coach Close
March 16th
Girls vs. Butterfield Gold at 3:15
Boys vs. Adler at 4:45
March 17th
Boys Blue vs. Butterfield Green at 3:15
Boys Yellow vs. Adler at 5:15
March 23rd
Boys Yellow vs. Butterfield Green at 3:15
Boys Blue vs. Butterfield Gold at 5:30
March 24th
Boys Yellow vs. Butterfield Gold at 3:15
Girls vs. Rockland at 4:00
Boys Blue vs. Adler at 6:15
March 25th
Girls vs. Adler at 3:15
Boys Blue vs. Rockland at 4:00
March 26th
Girls vs. Butterfield Green at 4:45
Boys Yellow vs. Boys Blue (Copeland vs. Copeland) at 5:30
5th Grade Schedule -- Coaches Russell and Thomas
March 3rd
Boys vs. Butterfield Green at 4:45
Girls vs. Butterfield Green at 5:30
March 4th
Girls vs. Butterfield Gold at 3:15
Boys vs. Butterfield Gold at 4:00
March 5th
Boys vs. Rockland at 3:15
Girls vs. Rockland at 4:00
March 9th
Girls vs. Adler at 4:45
Boys vs. Adler at 5:30
4th Grade Schedule -- Coach Close
March 16th
Girls vs. Butterfield Gold at 3:15
Boys vs. Adler at 4:45
March 17th
Boys Blue vs. Butterfield Green at 3:15
Boys Yellow vs. Adler at 5:15
March 23rd
Boys Yellow vs. Butterfield Green at 3:15
Boys Blue vs. Butterfield Gold at 5:30
March 24th
Boys Yellow vs. Butterfield Gold at 3:15
Girls vs. Rockland at 4:00
Boys Blue vs. Adler at 6:15
March 25th
Girls vs. Adler at 3:15
Boys Blue vs. Rockland at 4:00
March 26th
Girls vs. Butterfield Green at 4:45
Boys Yellow vs. Boys Blue (Copeland vs. Copeland) at 5:30
summer school information -- NEW DATES
2015 Summer School registration will be here before you know it. The course catalogs will be available February 27th on the summer school website. Registration for In-District families will begin March 8th and end May 22nd. Due to the three days of weather related school closure, Summer School will now run from Wednesday, June 10th - Thursday, July 9th. As information becomes available it will be posted at d70schools.org/summerschool! This year we are again excited to be offering a variety of classes for every grade level. Be sure to check out all the new classes as well as the favorites we have to offer students from Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade. All students need to register according to the grade they will be in Fall 2015. Hope to see you there!
Lorenzo Cervantes
Assistant Principal
Highland Middle School
Ph: 847-362-9020
Lorenzo Cervantes
Assistant Principal
Highland Middle School
Ph: 847-362-9020
a note from mrs. wolan
Hints for Memorizing Information
On the surface, memorizing information seems like such a simple task that is often taken for granted. This complex skill is often a major problem for many students who have learning and attention problems. Rote memorization of isolated facts, dates, numbers or “boring” information is especially difficult. Here are some strategies that might help your students with memorizing tasks at home:
Acronyms – use first letters of the information and make it into a word. One of the best-known acronyms is HOMES which stands for the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.
Acrostics – group first letters of key words and make a new word or sentence. The order of planets in our universe is remembered as “My very educated mother just sent us nine pizzas” (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto).
Categorizing/Chunking – divide information into smaller categories. If twenty vocabulary or spelling words are given, group them by three or four common categories. Then study the information that way.
Choral/Response/Chanting – use rhyme or a beat to help remember information. Students may find “math rap tapes” or singing math fact tables helpful.
Color Cues – use color to highlight errors. For example, if a student consistently spells “girl” as “gril”, the highlight the “ir” in the word girl. Use color to highlight key facts or unique aspects of spelling or vocabulary words. You can also color code materials and test review information.
Contextual Clues – use vocabulary words in a sentence. A student is more likely to recall words that are used in a sentence, especially if it is funny or unusual.
Susan Wolan
Special Education Teacher
On the surface, memorizing information seems like such a simple task that is often taken for granted. This complex skill is often a major problem for many students who have learning and attention problems. Rote memorization of isolated facts, dates, numbers or “boring” information is especially difficult. Here are some strategies that might help your students with memorizing tasks at home:
Acronyms – use first letters of the information and make it into a word. One of the best-known acronyms is HOMES which stands for the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.
Acrostics – group first letters of key words and make a new word or sentence. The order of planets in our universe is remembered as “My very educated mother just sent us nine pizzas” (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto).
Categorizing/Chunking – divide information into smaller categories. If twenty vocabulary or spelling words are given, group them by three or four common categories. Then study the information that way.
Choral/Response/Chanting – use rhyme or a beat to help remember information. Students may find “math rap tapes” or singing math fact tables helpful.
Color Cues – use color to highlight errors. For example, if a student consistently spells “girl” as “gril”, the highlight the “ir” in the word girl. Use color to highlight key facts or unique aspects of spelling or vocabulary words. You can also color code materials and test review information.
Contextual Clues – use vocabulary words in a sentence. A student is more likely to recall words that are used in a sentence, especially if it is funny or unusual.
Susan Wolan
Special Education Teacher
cougars recognized for great character
Update on parent communication in district 70
A note from Robin Kollman, District 70 Public Relations Facilitator
parents: have you completed the 5essentials survey yet?
A quick link is available on the Copeland Manor school site -- look for: