The Skokie Home Scoop
October 23, 2023
October 23, 2023
Dear Families:
We hope you had a nice weekend and are enjoying the beautiful fall weather. We are looking forward to next week’s Halloween celebrations. Please see below for updates on clubs, parties and parent coffees.
Halloween Parties
Thank you so much to the room parents for taking on the planning and organizing of the parties, and thank you to the PTO for coordinating and aligning these efforts!
Just a couple reminders for our Halloween parties:
The parties are on October 31st from 2:30-3:30pm
We are running a Monday schedule so all classes will take place
Room parents, if you have not yet done so, please reach out to your child’s advisor to let them know your party plans by October 27th
We can not have food at the parties, so please do not bring/send food to share
Students do not wear their costume to school, but will have time to put them on over their clothes at 2:30 pm
Costumes can not include anything that resembles a weapon
Thank you!
Clubs
The next two sessions of Climbing Club are posted on the District Web Store. Registration opens at 9am on Tuesday, October 24th.
Wednesday sessions: October 25th, November 8th, and November 15th
Thursday sessions: November 2nd, 9th, and 16th
Climbing Club is very popular and often fills up quickly. To allow as many students as possible to participate throughout the year, if your child has already participated in Climbing Club this year, please do not register them until Wednesday to allow other students an opportunity to get registered. Additionally, please only register your child for one session at a time, either Wednesday or Thursday instead of both.
Lucky Lions Board Gamers Club
Hello board game enthusiasts!
Are you ready to roll the dice and have a blast?
Look no further than Lucky Lions Board Gamers Club! This drop-in at your leisure YEAR LONG after-school club is calling out to all students who love socializing and playing good old-fashioned board games.
Every Wednesday from 3:30 to 4:30 we will gather together for some serious fun! Whether you fancy classic board games - Topple, Pictionary, Scrabble, Checkers, or prefer diving into intense card battles with Uno, love exploring the intricate world of mouse traps in the Mouse Trap, YUP, we got it all covered. Pokemon players, this one's for you too! As long as your parents are OK with it, trading is absolutely welcome here.
Just remember folks; we're going old school with our gaming choices - sorry computer games, just not today! The best part it can be - BYOG - Bring Your Own Game of choice, to share and perhaps teach us all a trick or two!
Get ready for laughter-filled afternoons of epic quests at our Lucky Lions Board Gamers Club held in The Skokie DEN – where friends meet friends, to socialize and unleash our joint passion for some good old fashioned board game action!
So mark your calendars and do not miss the chance to sign up! Can't wait to see you all in the DEN on Wednesdays!
Registration opens Tuesday, October 31st at 9am, and the club starts on November 8th.
Exploring Skokie: Instrumental Music
The Skokie 6th Grade Concert Orchestra and Skokie 5th Grade Strings are off to a great start this year! Rehearsals and lessons are in full swing for both groups and we are enjoying playing together!!
The focus of both groups is, of course, to learn orchestral repertoire and the basic skills of playing together in an ensemble. For many 5th graders, this is their first orchestral experience. So, learning to hear other parts being played at the same time is a new listening and playing experience for them!! We have played Simple Square Dance and Metallurgy and last week also began learning the Finale from Serenade for Strings by Tchaikovsky!
6th Grade Orchestra has enjoyed a fast start to the year! They are playing fun songs including A Call of Heroes, Pieces of Eight and Turbulence! The concert orchestra is also learning Tchaikovsky as this will be the Finale piece on the Dec. Concert.
5th Grade Cadet Band has started well, and all students are beginning to organize their "beginner sounds" into more refined musical melodies. Just a friendly reminder that students are expected to bring their instruments home on non-lesson days so that they can practice materials assigned to them for the next week's lesson. Please aim for at least 5 minutes each night reviewing material covered in class. Before-school Cadet Band rehearsals will continue on Tuesdays/Thursdays starting at 7:30 AM. Cadet Band students are only required to attend one before-school session per week.
6th Grade Concert Band members have completed two rotations of scale challenges focusing on the Concert Bb major scale and the Bb chromatic scales, while also working on music for our upcoming concert in December. Students are beginning to work together as an ensemble, rather than as individuals or small sections of instruments. So far, selections for our concert include "Prehistoric Suite", "Festive March", "Mechanical Monsters", and the "Star Spangled Banner." In the upcoming weeks, students will begin learning this year's 6/7/8th grade combined piece.
From the Superintendent: SURVEY OPEN THROUGH NOVEMBER 18
Please take approximately five minutes to provide your feedback by Friday, November 18. Last year’s survey findings led to numerous improvements in the areas of curriculum & instruction, communications and human resources. 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 excellence for the community-at-large.
October is National Bullying Prevention Month
Click here to view a message from Carleton Washburne students.
Bullying affects everyone: those exhibiting bullying behaviors, the bullied, and the bystanders. The District's Bullying Response and Prevention Plan creates awareness of what bullying is with “child-friendly” language that illustrates the difference between mean, rude or bullying behavior; establishes and communicates to students, parents and staff methods for reporting incidents related to bullying behavior; develops communication protocols for investigating, notifying and resolving incidents reported; and, builds an ongoing dialog with students on bullying awareness and prevention.
The District 36 approach to bullying is “pro” solution rather than “anti” problem to foster a change of culture through kindness, compassion, respect, reaching out, and helping others. Every October, students discuss bullying prevention in their classrooms/advisories where they are reminded of methods available to them to speak with an adult about their concerns. Students in grades 5-8 are able to report an incident or indicate that they want to talk to an adult from a form on their ipad. Students K-4 are able to report an incident to any adult in whatever form is most comfortable for them. A reporting form is also accessible from the District’s website, along with information on text4help. Click here for additional information.
Winnetka Parents Institute
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 - 10:30 A.M.
Washburne Resource Center
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:
Understanding Assessment Results
Fall benchmark assessment results have been mailed home. Information to help parents understand the assessment reports are available on the District website. As a community of learners, we are navigating the way through how to best use this information along with the valuable insight gathered on a day-to-day basis in our schools. Thank you for being our partner in this growth process.
Literacy Pilot Underway
Last year the District strategic plan goal to realign the K-1 literacy program was updated to entail a full curriculum review of literacy programming K-8. The goal of the curriculum review is to ensure there is a guaranteed and viable literacy curriculum based upon current research that builds from Kindergarten through Grade 8. In the spring a group of educators that comprised the District’s Literacy Leadership Committee identified literacy programs to pilot this year and 60 classroom teachers volunteered to participate in the pilot. Participating in the pilot means that the teacher has been trained in the program and will select one existing unit in the literacy curriculum to replace with the pilot curriculum. Your child’s classroom teacher may have shared this information during the recent Go To School Night events, as well as through their classroom newsletters. While the student learning outcomes in literacy may remain the same this year, the programming, materials and sequence used may be different in classrooms where the pilot is taking place. More information about the pilot will continue to be shared through District communications and regular updates during School Board meetings. A special thank you to the Winnetka Public Schools Foundation Board for approving funding that was used for a large majority of the pilot training that occurred during September.
Reminder of Covid-19 Guidance for Students/Staff:
Per the Illinois Department of Public Health, it is recommended that a person isolates for at least 5 days from symptom onset if symptoms are present or 5 days from positive test date if no symptoms. Day 1 starts the day after symptom onset/positive test date. They can return on day 6 if fever, vomiting, and diarrhea cease for 24 hours and have improvement of symptoms. It is recommended to mask day 6-10.
2023/2024 Calendar
To view the calendar for the 2023/2024 school year, please click here.
Monthly Observances
As part of Winnetka School District 36’s ongoing commitment to equity by fostering connection and belonging, the District will take time each month to recognize the contributions of people of diverse backgrounds. The goal of these monthly observances is to provide resources and support for teachers in order to bring awareness and appreciation to the diverse population of students in our community. Observances will look different at all schools and even at different grade levels. Some activities might include art, music, book studies, research projects, sharing cultural holidays and celebrations, and other school activities. As materials are developed for these observances, we will make them accessible.
September 15- October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month
October: Disability Awareness
November: Native American Heritage
December: Human Rights
January: MLK Jr. Day
February: Black History
March - April 15: Women’s History Month
April 15-May 15: Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage
May 15 - June 13: Jewish American Heritage
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
Sincerely,
Michelle Cooney and Larry Joynt
Principal and Assistant Principal
The Skokie School