WJHS Highlights

Dear WJHS families,

The last few weeks of school are filled with fun and celebrations - we have included some photos for you to check out below.

We hope that you have a restful 3-day weekend as we unofficially kick off summer. Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Kate, Jeff and Eric

We had a lot of fun this month celebrating our musicians! From our band concert in early May, to our choir concert last week, and our orchestra concert last night, we've had the privilege of hearing the wonderful music our students and staff have created. Congratulations on a great year and congratulations to our band students who had a great performance in Ohio last week!

Tech:

Please mark your calendars. iPad Collection Day is coming up.

• Tuesday, June 6 for all 8th-graders (during Homeroom)

• Thursday, June 8th for all 7th-graders (during Homeroom)

7th-graders will be turning in their iPad with the case only. They should come to school ready to return their device during homeroom on June 8th.

8th-graders will return their iPad w/case, charging adapter, and cable. Students should come prepared to return their devices and accessories on June 6th. Click here for information on how to prepare the device for return.

If you have any questions, email Support@wilmette39.org

Library

• May 19 - Last day that students may check out a book
• May 26 – All students books are due

Check out this quarter's issue including:

• 2023 Award Winning Books
  
• SEL Book Recommendations
• Making Mistakes
• Creating a Sense of Belonging
• From the Glenview Public Library
• Kindness Rock Garden
• From the Wilmette Public Library
• One Book, Everyone Reads Selection

June 8 is our graduation ceremony, held inside the New Trier East Campus Gaffney Auditorium: Save the date! Click HERE for the most recent update from Eric Resis.

We are looking forward to celebrating our eighth graders! We will hold two ceremonies due to the number of graduates. Team 8A will graduate first and teams 8B and 8C will graduate at the second ceremony. Each family will receive four tickets per student to attend the graduation and the tickets will be distributed to students on the last day of school.

The New Trier incoming/new student web page is something to bookmark! Important information is now posted regarding registration and upcoming events. Click HERE to access.

A HUGE THANK YOU FROM WJHS TEACHERS & STAFF

The teachers and staff sent us this photo, along with their sincerest gratitude for everything we did for them during Teacher Appreciation Week. They wanted to thank all of the parents and volunteers of the PTO for making them feel very appreciated.

8TH GRADE GRADUATION SIGN PICK-UP DATES & TIMES

Thank you to the WJHS PTO for making the graduation signs FREE for all 8th graders. Pick up a sign for your graduate:

• Sat 5/20 8am-10am 1921 Schiller Ave and WJHS

• Mon 5/22 6pm-8pm 1921 Schiller Ave

We will coordinate porch drop offs to recycle ♻️ for next year's graduates soon.

If you can't make either time, email graduationparty@wjhspto.com to arrange a pickup.

GRADUATION PARTY

Wednesday, June 7 • 1:00-3:10pm.

DJ, photo booth, games, inflatables, and snacks. Students should bring a water bottle to help them stay cool.

Check next week's Highlights for the SignUpGenius to volunteer and support our graduates.

YEARBOOK DISTRIBUTION

Yearbooks will be handed out on the last day of school for each grade. 8th graders will receive Yearbooks on Thursday, June 8th. 7th graders will receive theirs on Friday, June 9th.

If you want to double check that you ordered a yearbook, search your inbox for an email from

yearbookordercenter@herffjones.com, or a subject of Yearbook Order Center Confirmation.

If you haven’t yet ordered, extra copies will be sold for $30 while supplies last. Have your child bring $30 in cash, or a check made out to WJHS PTO (on their last day of school) to the office to purchase a yearbook.

THANK YOU TO OUR AMAZING STAFF APPRECIATION COMMITTEE!

Thank you to the amazing Staff Appreciation committee who organized a great week for all the teachers and staff at the WJHS! This team let the teachers and staff know how much we value what they do for our kids everyday. The staff loved the meals, coffee, massages and gift cards so kindly donated by WJHS parents and the PTO. Thank you to the committee of Allyson Paflas, Lyndy Davenport, Carolyn Cornwell, Lisa Lang, Emily Paris and Stephanie Crocker!! And on our District Wide PTO call, Dr Cremascoli noted how impressed she was, and how delighted the teacher were with their efforts.

NOW OPEN: SCHOOL SUPPLY KIT SALE FOR THE 2023/2024 SCHOOL YEAR

It’s time to order your school supplies for next year! Online ordering of school supply kits from EduKit is NOW OPEN and will end on Friday, June 30, 2023. Don't miss out! Order your 2023/2024 school supplies now by clicking WJHS SCHOOL SUPPLY KIT SALE.

All D39 schools (K-8) use EduKits for school supply kits, and all D39 school kits can be purchased in a single transaction by searching your other D39 school before checking out! Your EduKit purchase also helps support the activities and initiatives of the WJHS PTO. Thank you for your support! Also, please note school supply kits are separate from the instructional materials fee paid during registration.

Due to shipment delay concerns, there will NOT be a Last Chance sale during the summer. June 30th will be the last day to order school supply kits.

Questions? Contact schoolsupplies@wjhspto.com.

Here’s a link to the school supply list for 2023–2024, if you’d like to buy your own.

LUNCHTIME VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR CAFETERIA & COURTYARD

The cafeteria staff, and students in the quiet zone courtyard would love your help during the lunch hours.

Use this link to help in the CAFETERIA.

Use this link to help in the COURTYARD.

SEEKING CRC REPRESENTATIVE FOR WJHS NEXT YEAR

The District 39 Community Review Committee is seeking to fill their committee with one representative from WJHS. The CRC advises the District 39 Board of Education by researching a relevant topic that will lead to improvements in the district. The position would involve meeting once a month from October through June to develop a topic and recommendations to present to the district. Meetings are scheduled from 7:00 pm to 8:30 p.m. on the first or second Tuesday of each month. You can learn more about the CRC by clicking this link:

https://wilmette39.ss9.sharpschool.com/about_d39/community_review_committee

New members are welcome to attend the final meeting of the year on June 6 at 7pm at the Mikaelian Education Center where potential topic ideas will be discussed.

If you are interested in the position, please contact president@wjhspto.com.

Important Dates

As the school year begins to wind down, here are a couple of important dates to note:

• Monday, May 29 – Memorial Day (NO SCHOOL)

• Thursday, June 8 – 8th Grade Graduation

• Friday, June 9 – Last Day of School (Grades 1-7, Early Release)

Board of Education Meeting

This past Monday, the Board of Education held its regular monthly meeting. In addition to liaison reports and administrative updates, the Community Review Committee presented its report titled “A Culture of Connectedness: An Empathic and Inclusive Community for Neurodivergent Students'' to the Board. The Board also heard a report on 2023-24 student/staff planning, a presentation of the FY24 draft budget, and conducted a first reading of several Board policies. Click here for access to the complete meeting agenda and materials.

District Strategic Advisory Team Meeting

Our District Strategic Advisory Team (DSAT) will hold its penultimate meeting of the year next week. This group does some amazing and important work in regards to our strategic plan and this meeting will focus on a review of our key performance indicators (KPIs) from the 2022-23 year as well as progress toward accomplishing our Action Steps. Please check out our strategic plan webpage for more information on our strategic plan and the work of our DSAT.

Parent Education Recordings

Many thanks to everyone who participated in our virtual and in-person Parent Education events this year. Recordings of all of our virtual Parent Education events are available on our D39 Parent Education webpage for easy access. We are looking forward to bringing you more valuable and relevant Parent Ed programming during the 2023-24 school year.

Join Us in Welcoming Melissa Feinberg!

We are pleased to welcome Melissa Feinberg to our District 39 family as the new Assistant Principal at Harper Elementary. Melissa spent the last five years as the Assistant Principal of the Chicago International Charter School Irving Park campus and she also has experience as an elementary school classroom teacher as well as an instructional coach, where she worked closely with K-2 teachers to strengthen instructional practices via coaching cycles. Melissa will begin her work at Harper on July 1.

LINK: http://www.wilmette39.org/news/community_events

SKATE FOR GIRLS! Learn math through skating for FREE! A free weekend program for middle school girls will be held Saturdays, May 20 - June 10, 9:15 am - 12:15 pm at Centennial Ice Rink.

Glide to Growth is a non profit organization that aims to provide one-on-one free figure skating lessons to children with disabilities. Ice skating is an excellent therapeutic activity that promotes physical, emotional, and social growth. Contact www.glidetogrowth.com

Sensory Friendly Programs at Wilmette Public Library - all summer long!

Oakton College offers STEAM Youth Summer Camp with in-person and virtual options. Virtual courses: June 6 - August 26 and In-Person Courses: June 12 - August 3

Northwestern presents Wildcat Science Camp! Session 1: Insect and Pollinator Behavior July 10-14. Session 2: Engineering Rockets July 24-28. Scholarships available for families with need.

New Trier Township offers a Food Pantry 10am - 4pm weekdays for families that live/work in the township. NT Township also offers Emergency Financial Assistance, Legal Aid Clinic, property tax assistance, social service referrals and other available resources. Go to www.newtriertownship.com for more information.

Wilmette Food Pantry is open every Tuesday 10:00-11:00 am at Trinity United Methodist Church.

Email: office-wjhs@wilmette39.org
Website: http://wjhs.wilmette39.org/
Location: 620 Locust Rd, Wilmette, IL, USA
Phone: 847-512-6600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Highcrest-MSWilmette-JH-516430278443448
Twitter: @hawkwolf39