The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.
-George Bernard Shaw

Communicating is of vital importance in any school. Often times we think of school communication only in how the school is providing information. However, true communication is a two-way street that involves listening as much as it does speaking. For a school to have effective communication both must take place. That said, here are some of the ways we will be communicating with you and the opportunities for you to communicate with the school. My goal in communication with you is to provide you with multiple ways of getting information from the school and maximizing our opportunities to listen. The more ways you have to access information/communication the better. My responsibility is to provide you with options of communication that meet your needs.

Communication From School:

Blogging: Weekly update of the Principal’s Blog. You can subscribe to receive notification of the updates at https://anthonymcconnell.edublogs.org/

Facebook: Utilize school Facebook page to communicate the great things happening at Kipling and updates on news and events.

Twitter: Utilize Kipling’s official twitter handle @KipElem to communicate the great things happening at Kipling and updates on news and events. If you are on Twitter please follow us @KipElem If you are not on Twitter but still want to receive updates you can get the “tweets” as a text message by texting Follow @KipElem to 40404. Your carriers’ text message rates may apply. Kipling also has an official hashtag #kip109 where staff and parents can communicate great things that are happening.

E-mail: Weekly email to all families on Friday sharing news and information as well as recapping the week at Kipling.

Your Communication to School:

Phone: Please know that you can call whenever you would like. For good measure our school phone number is 847-948-5151 and my extension is 1102. Mrs. Sutic’s extension is 1139. If we are not available please feel free to leave us a message and we will return your call as soon as we can.

E-mail: We are also available by e-mail. You can reach us at amcconnell@dps109.org or ssutic@dps109.org. We will return your email as soon as possible.

Let’s Talk: Is a new tool that allows you to express your opinions, provide input on topics that are important to you, and ask questions about District 109 or Kipling Elementary School. Let’s Talk! is not meant to replace emails, phone calls or meetings. It is an additional (and very easy) way for parents, staff and community members to communicate with the District. Each submission to Let’s Talk! is sent to the appropriate school, department and/or staff members. If you request a response, you will receive it within two business days. If you don’t ask for a response, but simply want to let us know what’s on your mind, please be assured that we are listening! District 109 will track the submissions to Let’s Talk to determine where we need to communicate better, or areas we need to focus our work to engage, inspire, and empower our students and each other. If you have questions about student progress or about other issues pertinent to your specific child please email your teacher, Mrs. Sutic, or myself directly. You can access Let’s Talk at this link http://www.k12insight.com/Lets-Talk/embed.aspx?k=WY6R5BlT

Communication with Students:

It is very easy to overlook the importance of communicating with our students. I hope to communicate with our students daily. I am anxious to get started learning more about our students and their interests. Here are some things I will be doing to ensure that our students, your children, know their Principal.

· I plan to greet students daily as they enter the school.

· I want to visit all classrooms to introduce myself to our students.

· I plan to eat lunch with every class in the lunch room at least once before the end of the first trimester.

· I will also be visible in our school and classrooms.

· And the best part of my job: RECESS – I can’t wait for the kids to teach me about this Gaga Pit I’ve been hearing so much about.