
October 2023
A Message from the Superintendent
Dear Families, Staff and Community Members,
I hope you’re enjoying these beautiful autumn days! Crow Island, Greeley, and Hubbard Woods Kindergarten students are all participating in their Butterfly Migrations this month. District middle school students enjoyed meeting the author of their “One Book One Campus” selection. Festive seasonal art adorns our hallways and students are preparing for fall sings. Washburne students planned an epic AutumnFest, raising over $3,000 for charitable organizations. We also welcomed families to our schools to learn more about student progress during Conferences. Our PTOs and Winnetka Public Schools Foundation have been incredible partners to us; most recently, our Crow Island PTO helped organize Runathon. As one student remarked, “Everyone cheers each other on here!” It truly makes me proud to foster an environment where we can echo this sentiment, recognizing the contributions of our entire school community: students, parents, educators, and neighbors.
That said, we are always committed to improvement to better serve you. In June 2022, I shared a survey with you all as a means to guide the development of an entry plan as I stepped into the role of Superintendent. In September of 2022, I shared the results from the survey with the Board, in tandem with findings from the Caucus survey. This data led to some initial recommendations made to the Board and additional guidance for the annual goals presented later that fall.
In the interest of gauging growth in these specific areas, I am re-submitting this survey to the community, in the hopes that you will take a few minutes to provide your feedback (the survey will be accepting responses through Friday, November 18). Last year’s findings led to numerous improvements we were able to make and targeted efforts in the areas of curriculum & instruction, communications and human resources. The addition of leading progressive tenets to our Portrait of a Graduate and Educator was incorporated based on some of your feedback. In addition, we are adding a parent component to the upcoming 5Essentials Survey, previously administered to staff and students in the winter. Parents will receive a link and invitation to participate in this annual survey in early 2024 as another means to collect feedback on the work in our schools and across the District. It is my hope that our responsiveness will continue to be witnessed in our efforts to provide the very best educational experience for the students of The Winnetka Public Schools and community-at-large.
Most Sincerely,
Dr. Kelly Tess
Superintendent of Schools
2023/2024 Calendar
Board Meeting Preview
The next School Board meeting will be held at Carleton Washburne School on October 24, 2023. The Regular Meeting is at 7:15 p.m.
The following presentation is on the agenda:
District and School Improvement Plan
In-person seating for the public is on a first-come, first-served basis.
To observe via Zoom:
https://winnetka36.zoom.us/j/88090707037?pwd=NG5odzg5ejhac3Frb05HK0lYQmZTUT09
Meeting ID: 880 9070 7037
Passcode: 353337
The meeting will include an opportunity for in-person public comment. Please note, the Board will be following policy 2:230 and limit public comment to three minutes - however, if there is a high volume of public comment, the Board may need to limit the amount of time dedicated to public comment in order to efficiently conduct business. Community members can send communications to board members at board@winnetka36.org which will be individually reviewed by each board member prior to the meeting.
The District offers regular sessions for families to learn more about a variety of topics. Please view the fall schedule here.
Coming Soon:
The Middle School Experience, AKA “Why is my child acting like this?” Please help.
November 3, 2023
9:30 A.M.
Washburne RC
Join Principal Cooney and Assistant Principal Joynt (The Skokie School) and Principal Fenton and Assistant Principal Horwitz (Carleton Washburne School) for an informational session focusing on the ins and outs of the growing middle school child. We will share the neuroscience behind the changes that occur in 5th-8th grade children, and offer suggestions on how to support children both academically and socially-emotionally as they navigate the middle grades.
Skokie and Washburne families are encouraged to join us for an engaging, encouraging and educational hour together.
Interested:
Recordings of previous sessions:
Follow us on Social Media!
Please follow the District via the following social media platforms in order to see day-to-day happenings and more.
Facebook and Twitter: @Winnetka36
Instagram: @WinnetkaPublicSchools
Winnetka Voices is a podcast hosted by The Winnetka Public Schools, featuring candid conversations on issues relevant to education and shared resources to support our students and families.
Listen to all seven episodes from our inaugural 2022/2023 season here!
Parent Education Sessions from District Partner Family Action Network (FAN):
For upcoming events (& videos of past events) with an array of highly-regarded authors, educators, and more, access FAN’s website here.