The Skokie Home Scoop
November 28, 2022
November 28, 2022
Dear Skokie Families:
We hope you enjoyed your week with family. We are looking forward to our upcoming month together before we head out for winter break. We know this is a busy time of year for all!
Arrival
With the weather getting colder, we will be shifting our arrival process to have all students arrive through our front door, Glendale entrance. For the vast majority of our students, this will not be a change in routine. Please check in with your students and let them know that all students will be coming in through the front door. This will provide us with the ability to have additional adults in the front to welcome students in for their day!
Cold Weather Process
We plan to go outside whenever possible for recess. Our rule of thumb is “when in doubt, we go out.” That said, the weather is getting colder and we ask for families to partner with us to ensure students are prepared to go outside. Our ask is that you take a look at the weather in the morning and send students with the gear needed to head outside even in the colder weather.
Below are resources we use as guidance for our district to determine if we are outside or staying inside for recess.
When is it too cold to go outside for recess?
Only in the event of very cold days will we not be going outside for recess. In the morning, we will closely monitor the temperature and if the “feels like” temperature falls at 10 degrees or below we will plan for indoor recess. That said, if the day is sunny and students have winter gear we may head outside for a few minutes of fresh air. Please check with your administrator if you have questions.
How do we monitor the weather?
We will use the Weather Channel to monitor the weather.
We use the ISBE windchill guide for “feels like” temperature.
Washburne Schedule Update
As future Washburne families, we wanted to share some information with you regarding work we are currently doing around our master schedule.
Washburne staff have been researching and brainstorming ideas for a new Washburne schedule. Our goal is, “to design a sustainable schedule that is best for student needs and based on best practices in middle school instruction and progressive education.”
As we move through this process, there will be opportunities for Skokie families to receive information and provide feedback in the coming months.
Take Care,
Dr. Andrew Fenton, Principal
Carleton Washburne School
Exploring Skokie
Music: Sixth grade students wrapped up the music trimester before Thanksgiving by performing and presenting their final projects. Projects ranged everywhere from original electronic compositions to singing and playing pop and holiday tunes! Fifth graders chose between adding sound/music to short films or learning to play the ukulele. It was a great end to the first trimester!
Technology Communication Design: Students are developing a google site within their school account to host a variety of their digital projects. The focus of their projects includes topics such as, Digital Citizenship, Technology Tools for Creation, and a Research Proposal on a topic of their choice. Although the site is not published “live”, your student can login to their school google account and allow you to view their site.
Upcoming Clubs: Registration goes live at 9am on December 6th
Baking Club
Session 2 of the baking club will start up in January 2023. It will offer gluten free and dairy free recipes. We will work on techniques for making a variety of desserts, such as brownies, truffles, scones, hand held pies and cupcakes. Our first meeting will be more of an organizational meeting as we will organize our space, and select recipes.
Please Note: we would like to offer the club to those students who have not previously participated in this year’s club.
We will meet once a week, on Thursdays, after school from 3:30-5:00pm. The club will run from 1/12/2023-3/9/2023.
Art Club
One part social club and one part studio experience, Skokie's Art Club is a place for students to be creative in a small group setting. In order to make sure that everyone who is interested gets to participate, please only sign up for a single four-week session.
Several sessions available.
Online Registration Open for Incoming Kindergarteners & New Students for the 2023-2024 School Year
Registration for incoming kindergarteners and students new to The Winnetka Public Schools in 2023-2024 is now open on the District website and via https://registration.powerschool.com/family/gosnap.aspx?action=30658&culture=en. Children who will be five-years-old on or before September 1, 2023, are eligible to enroll.
The new student registration process is completed in three steps:
Complete new student pre-registration forms online beginning November 16, 2022.
Provide the original or certified copy of your child(ren)'s birth certificate and a parent photo ID. The certified copy can be submitted in person at the District Office. If you have the original birth certificate, you may bring it to the District Office to be photocopied. The District Office is at 1235 Oak St., Winnetka.
Provide proof of residency and paper registration forms. For your convenience, all required residency documents may be uploaded during online registration. Click here to view the list of documents that will meet these requirements as well as the other forms required for registration (Registration Forms & Information).
Children will not be considered enrolled until both the online and paper portion of registration has been completed and residency documentation is verified. If you have any questions, please contact the District Office at 847-446-9400.
Winnetka Voices Podcast Premieres!
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.
Premiere Episode:
Fostering Post-Pandemic Growth & Resilience for our Children
Dr. Kelly Tess, Superintendent, speaks with Ms. Carly Andrews, Executive Director of The Alliance for Early Childhood, on how we can best support our childrens’ social and emotional needs, academic growth, and socialization in the wake of the pandemic.
Listen here:
Click here for resources and events from The Alliance for Early Childhood.
The Winnetka Wire
Check out the November 2022 issue here.
Text-for-Help Available to Support Student Safety & Well-Being
Text-for-Help is is intended to provide confidential support to students at school. This resource is available 24/7, 365 days a year, completely anonymous, and staffed by fully-licensed counselors on the other end. Based on the students’ needs and preferences, a counselor will then direct the user to further assistance.
For further details about the tool, please review this recent Winnetka Parents Institute Session.
Winnetka Parents Institute
The District is offering an array of upcoming educational sessions for families and community members. Click here for a complete list of session dates and more information. Fall sessions include SEL-related topics and technology tips for parents regarding maneuvering the ever-changing landscape of technology, social media, and phones. Up next:
Developing a Family Charter- District Implementation of RULER
Danielle Klimak (SEL Coach)
In this presentation we will be taking a closer look at one of the 4 RULER anchor tools: The Charter. A Charter is a tool that can be used to help create a positive and supportive social-emotional environment at school or home. A Charter helps to explore how we want to feel and what we can do to ensure that everyone has those feelings more consistently. In this presentation you will learn about the benefits of a Charter and how to create a Charter in the home setting.
December 12, 2022
9:00-10:00 AM
Resource Center at Washburne School
Interested:
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
Sincerely,
Michelle Cooney and Larry Joynt
Principal and Assistant Principal
The Skokie School