Dear Parents/Guardians and Students,
As a school community, we all welcome you and your family to Keller Junior High
School! The Keller Information Guide will be a helpful tool in your child’s preparation
and transition into Keller.
Here, our belief is that we exist to provide an educational experience that will secure a
foundation of a brighter future for all of our students. To establish this expectation, our
work is continuously fueled by our commitment to each other, the students, and Keller
community to pursue excellence. One of our top priorities is to continuously look for
ways to learn, improve, and grow as a team.
TOGETHER AS ONE – this is the theme that drives all of us to work hard in all that we
do. We are one team, one family whose vision ensures the success of all students at
Keller. Our mentality and approach is to take ownership for and believe in the fact that
every child can learn, at the highest levels, without exception. Simply stated, when we
are TOGETHER AS ONE with our approach, it allows us to be WITHOUT EQUAL. This
means that we aim to prevail, no matter what the odds are or how difficult the
situation might be. We constantly strive to have an authentic will to win, and as a team,
school, and community, we are unmatched.
The Keller families and community are an integral part of our work. Your support sets
us all up for success each and every day. Furthermore, your role on the team validates
that we truly are better together, and as a positive team we will commit to excellence
and do amazing things. The success and happiness at Keller have been directly related
to how well we connect with, relate to, and learn from one another. More importantly,
our work has the biggest impact because we continue to partner with families. I look
forward to connecting and working with all of you in the coming years to help make
your experience here at Keller Junior High School the absolute best!
Sincerely,
Thomas Barbini
Principal
The Student Service Department at Keller is comprised of the principal, assistant dean students, behavior coach, guidance counselors, social workers, and school psychologist. As a team, we focus on supporting each student in multiple ways.
Ensuring the success of the whole child is our promise, all while supporting the unique academic and social emotional needs of each student here at Keller.
Our food pantry serves all of District 54 families who require assistance, not just those receiving free and reduced lunch. Families may place an order online and pick up at the Keller’s school pantry site once a month. Please allow two to three business days to process your order.
New families who do not have a portal account can begin registration through our Online Registration link (linked at the bottom of the page). Once your application is complete, please contact the school to schedule an appointment to present the documentation listed below and sign documents to complete your student’s registration.
New registrants will need to provide the following documents: Up-to-date physical examination and immunization requirements. All completed forms must be submitted to the school nurse’s office
Proof of residence
Birth Certificate, Visa or Passport (original with seal). Official birth certificates are issued by the county clerk in the county in which the child was born. Hospital certificates are not accepted.
For questions, please contact (847) 357-5103.
More information about Health Services is available at:
If you have a student currently enrolled in District 54, you can register through your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account. If you do not have your username or password, please contact [email protected]
More information about registration is available at:
District 54 utilizes Infinite Campus as our student information system. Through Infinite Campus, parents will have access to the Parent Portal which provides 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, you can:
If you need help logging on to the Infinite Campus portal you, can:
email [email protected], 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.
Access to the Infinite Campus parent portal is available at:
District 54 and school principals use a platform called ParentSquare to communicate with our families in a variety of ways, such as to email weekly newsletters and to send alerts through phone calls and text messages for priority communications. The district will use ParentSquare to call, text and email parents/guardians and staff for weather-related closings and emergency situations and to communicate informational updates.
All families and staff will receive calls, texts and emails whether or not you create a ParentSquare account. However, by creating an account you will be able to see all of the messages previously sent to you from the district or your child’s school, calendars, directories and other information. You will be able to change your preferences, interact with requests and more as we introduce additional tools.
To activate your ParentSquare account, go to parentsquare.com/signin:
For more information on ParentSquare, visit: https://sd54.org/contact-us/
District 54 provides free lunch and milk for those students unable to pay under the Illinois Free Lunch and Special Milk Programs. Children from households that meet federal guidelines are eligible for free lunch and milk. To receive free lunches and milk for your child, you must complete an application and return it to school. Incomplete applications cannot be processed or approved. Only one application per household is needed. Applications for free lunch must be renewed each year.
SNAP/TANF households that currently receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) for their children, but did not receive a letter from the school stating that their children are automatically approved, only have to list each child’s name and food stamp or TANF case number and sign the application. Link card numbers cannot be used.
To get a copy of the Free Reduced Lunch application: https://sd54.org/assistance-and-support/freelunch/
Students enroll in two electives each year at Keller. Our administration tries their best to accommodate the requests, but they are not guaranteed. Electives currently being offered are:
The purpose of an Acceleration Course is to provide additional support to students in math and/or reading in an effort to advance their learning to grade level and beyond. Students will be enrolled in Math or Reading Acceleration in place of one or both electives. Criteria is based on classroom performance, multiple MAP scores, and other data points.
Students must maintain academic eligibility to participate in interscholastic sports.
Students participating in interscholastic athletic programs, including intramural
sports, shall have an annual physical examination prior to tryouts and participation in
any scheduled practice or contest. Physicals are effective for one year from the date of the exam. The physical exam form for District 54 can be found at:
https://sd54.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Sports-Physical-Form.pdf
Lockers:
Seventh grade students share a locker with an assigned partner of the same gender. Eighth grade students get their own locker. Students only go to their locker in the morning and at the end of the day.
Schedules:
Schedules are created to best fit each student with their appropriate core classes. Electives are assigned as available according to student request. Electives are not guaranteed.
Bus Transportation:
Busing is provided for students who qualify. There is a morning bus, after school bus, and late bus that leaves Keller at 4:00 PM every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. In addition, District 54 offers parent-paid transportation for students living less than 1.5 miles and more than 0.5 miles from their school of attendance. For more information, please call transportation at (847) 357-5104.
Passing Periods:
Passing periods are each three minutes long. Students are expected to arrive at their next class before the bell rings.
Cafeteria:
Students eat lunch in the cafeteria daily. Pizza is sold on Mondays and Fridays. In addition, the PTA “Special Lunch” is offered once per week and must be preordered.
Gym Expenses:
Students have the option to purchase a gym uniform during the school year. Pricing for the gym uniform will be made available at the start of the school year.
Chromebooks:
Students must bring their fully charged Chromebook and charger to school daily. Students are responsible for proper care of their Chromebook, as it is district-issued. All use of Chromebooks and student Google accounts are monitored by District 54.
Click below to view all of the information above in a PDF format.
Keller Junior High