News

Dear Keller Families,

We had another successful week at Keller.  I can say with full confidence that our staff and students definitely WON THE WEEK.  My biggest take away from the week has been through the conversations I have had with students and staff regarding their approach to MAP testing and the daily work.  The resounding theme of those conversations have not only been positive, but focused on taking OWNERSHIP for continuous growth and improvement.  I couldn’t be prouder to hear from both staff and students how focused they are on the process of putting in the time, doing the work, and looking to improve daily.  Monday brings another opportunity for all of us to get better, and I am definitely looking forward to it. 

Lastly, I want express a moment of gratitude for the Keller families and community.  You are an integral part to the team and your daily support sets up our students and the staff for success each day.  Furthermore, your role on the team and the support you provide validates that we are better together, and together as a positive team we will strive for excellence and do amazing things!  THE BEST IS YET TO COME FOR KELLER JUNIOR HIGH!!!

As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our front office staff or me.  Thank you for your patience, flexibility, and support and we will work “TOGETHER AS ONE” to ensure the success of our students.

Regards,

Tom Barbini
Principal

[email protected]

Important Dates to Remember:  

• September 20:  Half-day Inservice; students released at 10:40 AM
• September 20:  Back to School Bash from 5-7:00 PM
• October 9:  Columbus Day – No School
• November 8:   Half-day Inservice; students released at 10:40 AM
• November 20:  Full-day Parent-Teacher Conferences – no school all day
• November 21:  Half-day Parent-Teacher Conferences – no school all day
• November 22-24:  Thanksgiving Break – no school
• December 21:  Winter break begins at the end of the day
• January 8:  School Resumes
• January 15:  Martin Luther King Jr. Day – no school

2023 – 2024 Keller Calendar

The 2023-2024 Keller Calendar can be viewed here:  https://keller.sd54.org/aboutkeller/calendar/.  This calendar contains upcoming events for Keller.

2023 – 2024 District Calendar
The 2023-2024 District Calendar can be viewed here: https://sd54.org/calendar/. Please click on the link for the Spanish version of the calendar. 

Keller Junior High Website

Click here to navigate to the Keller Junior High Website.

Infinite Campus Parent Portal
Infinite campus is District 54’s student information system that connects parents to information.  Through Infinite Campus, parents will have access to the Parent Portal.  The Parent Portal provides access for parents to information regarding their child including paying fees, viewing assignments, attendance, grades, academic schedule, and teacher comments. 

If you currently do not have a Parent Portal account, please email [email protected] or you can call our front office at 1-847-357-6500 and our secretaries can assist you.  If you need help logging on to the Infinite Campus portal click here, email [email protected], or call portal support at 847-357-5110.  If you have previously created a Parent Portal account and cannot recall your username or password, you can reset them yourself from the portal website by selecting forgot password. 

Keller Food Drive

On Tuesday, September 5th we started our Food Drive.  The 7th and 8th graders are competing to collect the most items.  Items are being collected before first period in the cafeteria. Students will be awarded two Cat Coin for each donation or can purchase a donation by spending two from their Cat Coin to contribute towards their grade level. The grade level that donates the most items will be participating in the Belong-athon on September 20th first and being dismissed from school first, while the other grade level will be joining the activity shortly after. 

Some of the items that were are hoping to collect are:

• Household items: paper towels, toilet paper, Kleenex, cleaners, sponges, etc.
• Hygiene items: deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner
• Baby items: diapers, baby food, baby wipes
• Non-perishable food that is not expired

FLEX

Every Thursday morning, students will begin the day in their Advisory classes for a 40-minute FLEX session. FLEX is program unique to Keller where the staff spends structured time with small groups of students to facilitate a variety of activities designed to raise student achievement.  To begin the year, our focus with FLEX has been to teach the students how to navigate Infinite Campus to check their grades, identify missing and incomplete assignments, and the routines needed to manage their work responsibilities.  Now that this training has concluded with FLEX, teachers will begin to use FLEX for pulling small groups while other students are working on homework or completing any work that is missing and/or incomplete. Sometimes, the staff member works with a targeted group(s) to reteach material that the students have yet to master after initial instruction. Other weeks, teachers pull small group(s) that have already met the learning objective to offer an enrichment activity that will challenge these students. Finally, some weeks staff will pull a group of students to prepare for an upcoming assessment or concert, etc. It truly is a FLEX period, as the staff has flexibility to work with and support their students.

MEDICATIONS AT SCHOOL

For the safety of students and staff, students are not allowed to carry or self-administer medication without written physician and parent authorization on file with the School Nurse.  If your child does need to take medication during the school day, the attached form must be completed by both your child’s physician and the parent.  Once completed, the Medication in School Form along with the medication should be brought into the nurse during school hours and medication labeled as indicated on the Medication Form.  The Nurse’s office nor School does not stock any medication for students.  If a student is carrying medication without written authorization on file with the School Nurse, the medication will be confiscated and parent will be notified.  If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to Mrs. Kowalewski, Keller School Nurse @ 847-357-6510.

Vision and Hearing Screening

Vision and hearing screening will be conducted in School District 54 as per the Illinois Department of Public Health rules and regulations. Vision screening is not a substitute for a complete eye and vision evaluation by an eye doctor.  

Dental Clinic

Dental examinations are required for students entering kindergarten, second (2nd) , sixth(6th) and ninth(9th) grades.  However, maintaining good dental care and oral hygiene is important at any age. It is recommended that dental exams/cleaning be conducted every six (6) months.  Keller will be partnering with Smile Illinois for a dental clinic in February 2024.  More information will be forthcoming.  However, if your student or family are in need of dental services here is a community resource for free or a nominal fee.  Please feel free to contact them directly to arrange an appointment.  If your student receives services at the Mobile Dental Clinic, please have the dentist complete the Dental Examination Form for submission to your child’s school Nurse.

News from Keller PTA

The new edition of the The Keller Wildcat is HERE

• In this issue:
  • Back to School Bash
  • Picture Day
  • Become a PTA member
  • Volunteering
  • Hot Lunch
  • Spirit Wear

No Food Deliveries Allowed

With a focus on student and staff safety, District 54 will not allow food delivery services (including, but not limited to, GrubHub, DoorDash, and local restaurants) to our schools. We will continue to have hot lunch days, which are planned events, organized and supervised by school or PTA volunteers. However, we will no longer accept other outside food deliveries to keep our schools secure.

Multicultural Parent Advisory Council Presentation – Sept. 19

You are invited to join us on September 19, 2023 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. as District 54’s Multicultural Parent Advisory Council presents a session for parents on “Collaboration: The Key to Success for English Learners in District 54”.  During the meeting we will review how English Learners are identified in District 54 and discuss the information that ACCESS scores provide regarding your student’s learning.  We will also share tips for preparing for your child’s conference and review the Evidence Based Funding in District 54. Translators will be available. To sign up for the session, please complete the registration form by Wednesday, September 12th. If you have any questions regarding the meeting, please feel free to contact the Department of Language and Culture at (847) 357-5074.