FAQ

If you are new to District 54, please visit our New Families website for all the information you need to register your child.

If you are a current family and wish to register your child for next year, log in in to the parent portal. If you have previously created a portal account and cannot recall your username or password, you can reset them yourself from the parent portal website. If you have never created a portal account, please email [email protected] to create one.

The first day for the 2023-24 school year is August 21 for first through sixth grade and August 28 for kindergarten.

This information is sent to each family. If you have not received your bus information or have questions, please contact Transportation Services at (847) 357-5104 or e-mail [email protected].

District 54 does not provide child care services. However, on school days, child care is available at Collins through a program called KASPER provided by the Schaumburg Park District. Child care is available from 7 a.m. until the start of school and from the close of the school day until 6 p.m. On school holidays, the child care program has special hours.

Space is limited. Parents may obtain program and cost information by contacting The Schaumburg Park District – (847) 252-2888.

Parent-teacher conferences are held once a year in the fall. However, should you desire a conference at any time during the school year, contact your child’s teacher to schedule a mutually acceptable time. Any concern you may have about your child’s education should first be discussed with the classroom teacher. If further discussion is needed, you may contact the principal who will answer your questions or put you in touch with the appropriate central office administrator. Report cards will be available the end of each trimester. 
District 54 does not provide insurance coverage for students. If a child is injured at school, the insurance claim must be handled through the child’s or family’s insurance policy.

A policy to cover accidents is offered for students through a third-party provider at a competitive rate. Information on this policy is given to parents at the beginning of the year or at registration. The insurance coverage is optional, and may be purchased at any time during the year.

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There are no cafeteria services in District 54 schools, so students must bring their lunches. However, many PTAs provide hot lunches for students weekly or monthly. Parents/guardians will receive upcoming hot lunch menus from the PTA and can determine whether to purchase something.

The elementary school lunch period is divided between eating and recess. Students should dress for the weather and outdoor play. A lunch supervisor is present at all times and students are expected to follow the school’s normal behavior guidelines.

For students who wish to buy milk, an annual milk fee will be collected in the school office at the elementary schools. Milk costs 25 cents per carton. Children entering school after the first full day will be charged a prorated fee. Refunds will not be made regardless of when students transfer out of the school. A payment schedule is provided at the time of registration.

Children from families whose total household income falls below a specific level are eligible for free milk and/or free meals. Application forms are given to all children during the first week of school. New students receive the forms when they first register for school. If you have questions about the free lunch program, call your principal. 

Response to Intervention is a framework that:
  • Provides high-quality, research-based instruction and intervention based on individual student need; and
  • Uses assessment data to monitor student progress frequently in order to make decisions about how and what to teach children who are not making sufficient progress academically, social-emotionally or behaviorally.

The key to RtI is simple: If we provide quality instruction, with ALL of our personnel supporting ALL children, and do this early, we will meet our goal of ALL students reading at grade level upon entering third grade. RtI creates an educational system that focuses on success for all learners. Teachers also accelerate students who are ready to advance their knowledge.

In School District 54, the RtI process is divided into three tiers of intervention.

Tier I
In Tier I, all students receive high-quality, scientifically based instruction, differentiated to meet their needs in the general education classroom. We use Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), a universal screening tool for reading and mathematics in kindergarten through eighth grade, to identify students who may be at-risk for academic difficulties.

Tier II
In Tier II, students not making adequate progress in the core curriculum are provided  small-group, supplemental instruction in addition to the time allotted for core instruction. Tier II instruction includes instruction, strategies, and programs designed to supplement, enhance and support Tier I. Teachers monitor student progress frequently using multiple assessments, such as common assessments, curriculum-based measurement, running records, fluency and behavioral data.

Tier III
In Tier III students receive intensive, strategic, supplemental instruction specifically designed and customized to meet the student’s needs. Typically, this instruction, which targets the student’s skill deficits, is delivered in a small-group or 1:1 that is extended beyond the time for Tier I and Tier II.  Progress is monitored even more frequently than in Tier II to determine the impact of the intervention on the student’s learning.

A triangle representing the three tiers of intervention with a large green section, smaller yellow section above and small red section at the top

 

What are the Benefits of Response to Intervention?
Using the RtI framework, teachers intervene at the earliest indication of student need. School staff collaborate and problem-solve around defining and analyzing the need, developing and implementing a plan, setting progress monitoring schedules and evaluating the response to the intervention. Everyone — including the principal, classroom teacher, special education teacher, reading specialist, psychologist, social worker and others — feels a shared responsibility for helping each child succeed.

What is the Role of the Parent?
Parents should participate in problem-solving discussions with their child’s teacher about the child’s specific strengths and areas of need. If your child is participating in a Tier II or Tier III intervention, ask school staff what academic, social-emotional or behavioral area is being worked on and how the child’s progress is being monitored.

Parents should also ask when the school will update them on the results of the intervention. When possible, parents should make suggestions about strategies and interventions based on what they know works at home. Finally, parents should praise their children for any improvement in the area of concern.

RtI is a framework which helps schools organize effective instruction for the benefit of all children. It encourages schools to provide early intervention services to help prevent academic, social-emotional, or behavioral difficulties. Most importantly, it is a positive, proactive approach to educating each and every child.

Phone Number & Email (847) 357-5110 [email protected]

Every Wednesday, school dismisses at 2:30 PM. 

First Lunch

11:15-11:35 – Eating (5th & 6th Graders)

11:35-11:55 – Recess (5th & 6th Graders)

 

11:15-11:35 – Recess (3rd & 4th Graders)

11:35-11:55 – Eating (3rd & 4th Graders)

 

Second Lunch

12:00-12:20 – Eating (Kindergarten)

12:20-12:40 – Recess (Kindergarten)

 

12:00-12:20 – Recess (1st & 2nd Graders)

12:20-12:40 – Eating (1st & 2nd Graders)

The U.S. McKinney-Vento Assistance Act defines homeless children as those who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime abode. In general, children or youth living in motels, transitional housing, shelters, the street, cars, parks, bus or train stations, abandoned buildings and other inadequate accommodations may be considered eligible for McKinney-Vento services. 

For more information, visit sd54.org/registration/mckinney-vento. If you think you might qualify for McKinney-Vento services please contact Jennifer DiGioia, District 54’s McKinney-Vento liaison, at (847) 357-5043 or Tom Bookler, McKinney-Vento School Districts Liaison for the North Cook Intermediate Service Center, at (630) 386-0883.