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WJHS Highlights

10/13/2023

WJHS Highlights 10/13/2023

September Leader of the Pack!

Leader of the Pack includes students who are recognized by their teachers for exemplifying the following traits: Compassion, Integrity, Leadership, Responsibility, Self-Awareness and Service. Thank you September LoP students for helping make WJHS the amazing community that it is!

A Message from the Administrative Team

Dear WJHS Families,

As shared in the calendar above, rotation one concludes today and the end of our first quarter is rapidly approaching at the end of October. Our 7th grade students change their elective/creative arts class on a 5-time rotation while our 8th grade students change electives/creative arts classes each quarter (4 times per year). Health class also operates on a 5-time rotation so that we can get all of our students into health at some point during the school year.


As we near the end of the first quarter, you may begin having questions about your child's academic progress. Parent/teacher conferences are approaching in mid-November, and this will be an opportunity to connect with your child's teacher on their progress. If you have more immediate questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher to schedule a phone call or appointment. Your child's teachers are in the classroom with them daily: planning lessons and using assessments to determine student growth, progress, and areas that need further exploration or individual student needs. Teachers can give you the best feedback on where your child is excelling and where they might be struggling. Please remember that productive struggle is good for students - it helps build grit and resilience. I've included an article here that you can read if this topic is of interest to you.


As a reminder, you can check your child's grades at any time. Below, I am copying the information we sent out in early September, with instructions on creating a PowerSchool account and using it to check your child's grades.


We hope you stay dry this weekend and enjoy some down-time.


Sincerely,

Kate, Eric and Nicole

PowerSchool Instructions for Parents

Powerschool - Our Student Information System where students and parents can look for attendance, grades and report cards. This is where final grades can be found. As a reminder, this is a method of communication that our teachers use to keep you informed of your child’s progress in each class. Please contact your child’s teacher with questions about any grade or reported assignment in the Parent Portal. Students at WJHS will receive final grades at the semester mark, not every quarter. Staying informed of your child’s progress throughout the year will help you support your child and partner with your child’s teachers to reach their academic goals.

  • Click HERE for a quick start guide on how to login/create an account.

  • Click HERE for a video tutorial on using PowerSchool for parents.

  • If you still have problems, call the building secretaries for assistance at 847-512-6600.

Students can access Powerschool:

  1. Use this link: ps.wilmette39.org - Also located under Students on our WJHS website.

  2. Student username is the beginning of their school email address before @wps39.org (ex. 21josephs)

  3. Their password is their school email password (ex. 12345pop)

OR students may use PowerSchool Mobile App (Tutorial Video)

  1. Download the App from Self-Service

  2. Use District Code HMKF

  3. Student username is the beginning of the student’s email address before @wps39.org (ex. 22josephs)

  4. Student password is student email password (ex. 12345pop)


If you have questions, please email:

7th grade - Jill Forti - fortij@wilmette39.org
8th grade - Michael Donhost - donhostm@wilmette39.org


Technician - Andrew Radakovitz - support@wilmette39.org

Thank you!

🍁 Our PTO/Staff Appreciation Committee showered us with "fall" love this week! We are so grateful for the treats - walking into a beautiful spread and delicious donuts and cider, truly makes a Wednesday feel more special! 😀

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SEL News

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. From research, we know that a reduction in bullying behaviors comes from strong, connected, classroom communities where all students feel that they belong.


The District 39 Social-Emotional Learning objectives for students at the junior high level directly address how to prevent bullying, and support students as they develop the skills to be Upstanders when faced with situations involving conflict.


As they experience the social-emotional lessons from our Responsive Advisory curriculum, students at WJHS learn and practice recognizing mistreatment and exclusion and use strategies to act as upstanders for oneself and others, exhibit respectful confidence in their own beliefs, especially when challenged, and develop strategies to help them respond to difficult situations in a positive way. You can see your child’s grade level specific objectives for learning HERE. Through the use of these lessons at Highcrest, our District 39 students are developing the essential skills they need to prevent bullying at school and in the community.
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Eighth Grade Families Only! Save the Date: New Trier Level Placement Test will be on November 11!

It feels much too early to be thinking about transitioning to high school, but we wanted to share the date of the New Trier Placement Test with our eighth grade families so that they can plan ahead. For WJHS, the placement test date is Saturday, November 11. New Trier shared with us that they will not accept any test date changes until early October when their testing letter goes out to families.

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StuCo Corner

StuCo (Student Council for those of you not in-the-know) :)


The WJHS Student Council is supporting SKATE for Girls' school supply drive. SKATE for Girls was developed by students (Some of which are WJHS alumni) to teach math through figure skating to increase excitement about math and improve confidence. Donations from the school supply drive will benefit Imagine Englewood, a non-profit dedicated to providing safe and inclusive spaces for youth in the Englewood community.

PTO Highlights

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LAST CALL FOR STOCK-THE-SHELVES WEEK OF 10/16🥨

We are asking families to help us stock the teacher’s lounge with snacks and refreshments to brighten their days. Drop off your treat in the front vestibule anytime during 10/16-10/20 or order from Amazon. For more information on what’s needed click HERE. Thank you!


THANK YOU TO OUR CAFETERIA VOLUNTEERS🍕

We really appreciate those who have lent a helping hand to serve food during lunch to students. If you would like to sign up, it’s fun, it’s easy and it’s a great way to catch a glimpse of the kids during the day! SignUp today. If serving food isn’t your thing, consider hanging out for an hour in the WJHS Courtyard, where students go during lunch recess to get away from it all and enjoy some quiet time. More information can be found HERE or email volunteers@wjhspto.com.


OPEN WJHS PTO POSITIONS✋

Each of these positions is vital to making sure our school year goes smoothly. Might any of these appeal to your talents?

  • School Supplies Coordinator: Plan/coordinate next year’s Edukit order in Feb/Mar ‘24 and manage distribution of supplies using volunteers in Aug ‘24 (can be a 7th or 8th grade parent if interested)

  • Yearbook Coordinator: work with our supplier to coordinate/distribute student orders in Apr/May ‘24

  • For 7th Grade Parents: Graduation Committee. Observe what the current 8th Grade Graduation Committee does so that you can do it for your student the following year! This two year commitment Involves planning for an end-of-year 8th grade party in 2025.

  • Civics & Safety Representative: be the liaison to the D39 Civics & Safety committee by reporting back to the PTO about current happenings (very minimal time commitment)

For more information about any of the above openings, please email president-elect@wjhspto.com.


ATTN: CURRENT 8TH GRADE PARENTS

The registration link is now live for the 8th Grade Parent-Led Washington DC Trip February 17-20, 2024. This trip is not sponsored by the school or the PTO, but we’re happy to share the message from WJHS Parent, Kara Fleming:


If you have a current 8th grade student who is interested in participating in the parent-led trip to Washington DC, please use the registration link below to reserve your spot! This trip is scheduled for February 2024 and is intended to be another option for current 8th graders who are unable to take the teacher-led trip in November due to lack of availability or scheduling conflicts. Please email karafleming312@gmail.com for the itinerary details and other information about the trip and the travel company.


Website Registration Instructions for 8th Grade Parent-Led Washington DC Trip

  1. https://etadventures.com/

  2. Click on the green text that says “Login” along the top

Trip Code: wilmette24

Password: wastrip24

  1. Click on the red button that says “Make a new reservation”

  2. Complete the information and continue to follow the instructions to complete your registration

  3. Once you have completed your reservation, you will come to a page with tabs at the top, click on the “Passengers” tab.

  4. On the Passengers tab, click on the “Waiver Incomplete View/Edit” button.

  5. Complete all required information in the Waiver. You can log out and log back in to finish the waiver at a later date using the reservation information emailed to you.

District News

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Parent Education Events

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Parent Education event this week titled “Parenting in the Digital Age.” A recording of this presentation is now available for viewing. Our next Parent Education event, titled “How Identities are Impacting Students,” is an evening event and in-person only at Romona Elementary (no virtual option via Zoom). Please register online to reserve your spot and visit our Parent Education page for our full schedule of events, registration links, and archived recordings.


Parent-Teacher Conferences: Save the Date

Our fall parent-teacher conferences will take place on Nov. 15-17, immediately preceding Fall Break (Thanksgiving week). Conferences will be held virtually through the Meet the Teacher platform, with in-person appointments available by request. More details, including sign-up information, will be provided in the coming weeks.
Kate Dominique
Kate is using Smore to create beautiful newsletters

Principal at Wilmette Junior High School; love being an educator and working with young people; value spending time with friends and family