EQUITY & LEARNING UPDATES (CONT.)

● CCSD21 designs unique plan for incoming kindergarteners: To create a smooth transition for incoming 2023-2024 kindergarten students, Community Consolidated School District 21 has designed a unique plan for the first days of school, specifically tailored to meet the needs of our young learners This schedule enables kindergarten teachers to have dedicated time with students each day, fostering a deeper understanding of each individual and facilitating their smooth transition into school within a play-based environment Later this month, parents will receive a notification in ParentSquare with information regarding which day their kindergartner will attend their first day of school See the school schedule below

○ Wednesday, Aug. 23 – No school for kindergarteners

○ Thursday, Aug. 24 – Group A – Kindergarteners attend a full day of school from 9 a m to 3 p m (No school for Group B kindergarteners)

○ Friday, Aug. 25 – Group B – Kindergarteners attend a full day of school from 9 a m to 3 p m (No school for Group A kindergarteners)

○ Monday, Aug. 28 – All kindergarteners begin a regular full-day schedule

This schedule does not apply to students in specialized programs

For detailed information, please contact your student’s school office.

Jitter Juice for the First Day of School! As our elementary schools return to session later this month, Community Consolidated School District 21 and our food service partner OrganicLife intend to hold a “Jitter Juice” promotion during breakfast on the first day of school! Students will be able to grab a cup of the colorful water, which is paired with the fun back-to-school book “First Day Jitters” by Julie Danneberg.

The book tells the story of Sarah, who is “experiencing a jumble of feelings” in anticipation of her first day at a new school. The full series, other titles of which include “Big Test Jitters” and “Picture Day Jitters,” contains a number of fun topics that teachers could build on during the year, as well

OrganicLife also intends to donate a copy of the book to each of our elementary school libraries as the day ends

Did You Know… As a district, we are proud to celebrate the diversity of our learning community! During this month, many countries around the world celebrate their day of independence Many people in our community acknowledge their native country’s independence by displaying a flag, participating in festivals or parades Some communities celebrating in the month of August include India, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Uruguay and Kyrgyzstan If you’d like to learn more, click on the links! If there is a celebration that we missed, don’t hesitate to reach out and share it with our Language Services Department