Carleton Washburne
Monday Memo - April 17, 2023
Washburne Families,
This Friday is Earth Day, and the students at Washburne will be participating in a variety of activities this week (daily activities listed in the graphic below) to help raise awareness of the ways that the Winnetka community can positively impact the environment and Earth with some small intentional acts. Thank you to the District 36 Green Team for planning these activities.
The warmer weather last week brought an increase in bike traffic to and from school. We have shared the following safety reminders with our students and appreciate your support in helping us reinforce the following practices:
walking a motorized scooter or bike on school grounds
being respectful to pedestrians while riding on the sidewalk
wearing a helmet while riding a bike, skateboard or scooter
understanding the importance of following all traffic signals, and
walking bikes through crosswalks.
We are grateful for your partnership on this important issue. Please ensure that your student follows safety guidelines when biking to school.
On April 21st, Skokie 6th grade students will visit Washburne to learn more about our school and elective offerings. 7th and 8th grade students will be on field trips or participating in other special activities throughout the day. Please note that the cafeteria will be closed to 7th and 8th graders on this date. Any students who are in the building on this date will need to bring a lunch.
Take Care and Be Well,
Andrew Fenton & Ben Horwitz
Washburne Principal & Assistant Principal
Window to Washburne
The creative writing students have been practicing using figurative language in free verse poems. For their third poem, the students were “flies on the wall,” visiting different locations in the school, such as a KW class, to hone their powers of observation. They also popped into the lunchroom and the library to describe different environments using the five senses. Now the students are in the midst of “Whatever Week,” when they get to choose their genre and topics for five days of writing. Many of the students have chosen to work with a partner and are having a blast writing collaboratively. During Whatever Week, the sky's the limit!
What’s Happening in Related Studies
We're off to an exciting start in trimester 3 in our Computer Science, InnoTech, and CW Broadcasting classes! The students have been actively engaged in taking charge of their learning, discussing and setting classroom norms, and diving into some exciting projects. In Computer Science, our students have been busy writing code and working on some pretty cool capstone projects by coding their own games. In InnoTech, all students participated in a mini-design challenge using their creative problem-solving to brainstorm ideas for robots that solve a real-world problem and then brought their creations to life in TinkerCAD. Finally, in CW Broadcasting and Video Production, our students are currently working on creating an About Me video while learning to use editing software WeVideo. It's an exciting time in our STE(A)M classes and with our students stepping up and taking ownership of their learning.
Save the Date: Incoming 7th Grade Parent Night - April 19th - 6:30 PM
8th Grade Graduation Information
Please Click Here to view the message sent out from the graduation committee on April 10th regarding ordering tickets.
For any questions regarding ticketing or troubleshooting, please email washburnegraduation2023@gmail.com.
2023-24 School Supply Kits
Washburne has again partnered with 1st Day School Supplies so that families have the option of ordering a school supply kit for the next school year. The supplies included the kit have been chosen by Washburne teachers and administration for each grade and should provide your student with everything they need for the upcoming year. The final deadline for ordering school supplies through 1st Day is July 1st. Supply kits will be sent to your home and teachers will let students when to bring supplies into school at the start of the new school year. Please click here to order your school supplies through 1st Day.
Families are also welcome to purchase school supplies on their own, and can use the 2023-24 school supply list that will be posted on the Washburne Website in April.
District 36 News
Winnetka Parent Communication Survey: Closes April 28
Spring 2023 Superintendent Parent Sessions
Learn about the results of the Winnetka Parent Communication Survey and how the District plans to be responsive to the feedback.
Crow Island: May 17, 9:15-10:15 a.m.
Greeley: May 8, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
Hubbard Woods: May 3, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
Skokie/Washburne (Hosted at Washburne): May 17, 11:00 - 12:00 p.m.
Safety Procedure for Building Visitors
Online Registration has opened for Returning & New Students for the 2023-2024 School Year - Updated information for all families
Safety Procedure for Building Visitors
Earth Week Activities
Winnetka Parents Institute
Differentiation: What is it? What does it look like in D36?
Dr. Becky Mathison (Director of Innovation, Teaching and Learning)
April 19, 2023
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: SK Community Room
During this session Dr. Becky Mathison, Director of Innovation, Teaching and Learning, alongside a team of educators from the District will provide an overview of what differentiation is, how it is implemented in D36 classrooms, explain how the approach aligns to progressive education and the portrait of a graduate, and ways to support your student at home. This session will feature a panel of D36 educators.
Interested: RSVP here
For Incoming Kindergarten Families
Please save the dates listed below and review this communication for further details . We look forward to welcoming you and your children to our school community!
Kindergarten Open House
Thursday, May 25, 2023
6:15 p.m.- 7:15 pm
This presentation is intended for adults only.
District Office staff will be present to collect any remaining paperwork, proof of residency, original/certified copy of child’s birth certificate and parent drivers license (copied and returned to you).
Kindergarten Connection
Monday, August 21, 2023
Tuesday, August 22, 2023
Times will vary by signup
Kindergarten Bus Roundup
Friday, August 25, 2023
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Kindergarten Meet & Greet:
Thursday, August 31st, 2023
10:45a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
First Day of School:
Tuesday, September 5th, 2023 (11:20 a.m. dismissal)
If you did not receive this information from the District, please call our office at 847-446-9400.
Winnetka Voices Podcast Episodes
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.
NEW! Episode #5
Progressive Education: 100+ Years Strong in Winnetka
Dr. Kelly Tess speaks to School Board President Emily Rose, Crow Island Kindergarten teacher Melissa Brody (both of whom are alumni of The Winnetka Public Schools) and Tom Flemma, Head of School at North Shore Country Day, a private school in Winnetka with a unique shared history in progressive education. Throughout the episode, learn about the unique legacy of Progressive Education in Winnetka, and how our public and private institutions uphold our commitment to experiential learning. “I hope we continue to push ourselves to be a lighthouse of a District….the future is bright,” says Ms. Rose.
Listen here:
Adventures in Learning Summer 2023
Adventures in Learning 2023 runs from June 14th-July 19th, 2023.
No camp on June 19th or July 4th.
A decades-long tradition, this summer program includes classes as varied as Athlete's Club, Razzle Dazzle Science Magic, Recyclable Art,Basket Weaving, Camping Adventures, Make Your Own Music Video, Adventures in STEAM, Archery, Computer Animation, Greek Mythology Drama, Coding, Yoga for Kids, AIL Action News (New for 2023), Animal Care,and Spa-Liscious to name a few!
Students in grades 2-8 may choose up to four classes from over 60 options. Younger children (pre-Kindergarten through grade 1) will explore our progressive educational concepts through guided play and outdoor activities.
This year's program will again be held at Washburne for the 2nd-8th graders and Crow Island for the Pre-K (4 years old by June 1st, 2023)and K Primary program (5 years old by September 1st, 2023).
2023 Fees
General (base cost*) and Primary Program
$675 Winnetka residents
$725 Non-residents
*Some General Program classes have an additional supply fee (will be noted in the catalog).
Registration is now open for Winnetka residents.
Adventures in Learning: Animal Care Opportunity
Parent Education Sessions from District Partner Family Action Network (FAN):
For upcoming events, access FAN’s website here.
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
Upcoming Dates
Monday, April 17th: IAR Testing
Wednesday, April 19th: Incoming 7th Grade Parent Presentation @ 6:30pm
Friday, April 21st: 6th Grade Shadow Day
Tuesday, April 25th: Board of Education Meeting 7:15pm @ Washburne School