• Important December dates
• Social and emotional learning (SEL) resources
  
• Safety and security update
• Board of Education news
  
• Curriculum Corner

12/05: BOE Policy Committee Meeting

12/12: BOE Finance Committee Meeting

12/12: BOE Regular Meeting

12/19: BOE Facilities Committee Meeeting

12/21: Early Release (All Schools)

12/22-1/5: Winter Break*

*There is no school on Friday, December 22

There will also be Policy Committee meeting on December 5 and a Finance Committee meeting on December 12, prior to the regular meeting.

Meeting agendas can be found on our website.

(Posted at least 48 hours prior to a meeting)

Livestream feeds for regular meetings can also be found at nssd112.org.

Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about our school board.

At the November 14 meeting, the Board of Education approved bids for the Ravinia Elementary School modernization project. The district will hold a groundbreaking event this month, making Ravinia the second referendum-funded project to begin construction, following Indian Trail Elementary School.

In this section, you will find several events and programs for parents/guardians and students. You can also find more information about these and other social and emotional learning (SEL) resources on our website.

Throughout the year, our district is partnering with ParentGuidance.org and the Cook Center for Human Connection to deliver presentations developed by licensed therapists. These events are virtual, interactive and designed to help parents and guardians support students. Registration, attendance and interactions are kept completely anonymous from other viewers. Recordings of these events will be shared with out parent/guardian community, as well.

The next event is on December 14. You can register by clicking the image below or by scanning the QR codes. If you have any questions about these events, please contact Dr. Holly Colin at hcolin@nssd112.org.

• Supporting Your Child's Mental Health (Spanish)
  
• Supporting Your Child's Mental Health (Spanish)
• Bullying - Stop the Cycle (English)
• Bullying - Stop the Cycle (Spanish Subtitles)
• ABCs of Substance Abuse and Vaping (English)
• ABCs of Substance Abuse and Vaping (Spanish)
• School Avoidance (English)
• School Avoidance (Spanish Subtitles)
• Emotional Regulation: Recognizing What's Wrong (English)
• Emotional Regulation: Recognizing What's Wrong (Spanish)

ReferralGPS is a web-based service focused on assisting our students, staff and community in finding local mental-health and substance use related treatment. The service complements the district's existing systems of support as a tool for student service teams and families to connect with treatment. Along with a searchable database of treatment options, ReferralGPS provides Care Navigation to assist families in triage, appointment setting, and follow up care.

School families may access ReferralGPS in two ways:

• Contact Student Services (social workers, psychologists, counselors) to seek out treatment options.
• Visit this link at https://referralgps.com/find-help/NSSD112 to search for treatment resources or connect with a Care Navigator anonymously.

The State of Illinois has developed a school safety program called Safe2Help Illinois in an effort to raise awareness of 21st-century threats facing schoolchildren in Illinois. It is available 24/7 and offers students a safe outlet to share information on school safety issues in a confidential environment. It can be accessed via a free app, text/phone, and website (Safe2HelpIllinois.com).

The purpose of the NSSD112 BPAC is to advocate for academic excellence in all programs serving English learners. BPAC strives to provide family support, communication and information regarding the district’s Dual Language and ESL programs. BPAC is a multilingual space where members can access information, voice priorities and take steps to strengthen our schools and community.

Upcoming BPAC Events:

• 02/20: Language First and Literacy Night
  
• 04/23: Multilingual Learner Month Celebrate

All families are welcome to attend. An interpreter, childcare and food will be provided.

Email bpac.d112@gmail.com for more information or to sign up for our mailing list. Learn more about BPAC on our website.

It's the season of friendship and celebrations. While alcohol is often associated with holiday meals and New Year's Eve, there are ways to make it festive for those who can't or choose not to drink alcohol - like our young ones, as well as people who are pregnant, take certain medications, are driving or in recovery. Check out CTAD's December newsletter for festive, fun drink (non-alcoholic) drink ideas as well as ways to support and guide your child if their friend uses drugs or drinks alcohol.

CTAD December Newsletter (Spanish)

The renovation at Indian Trail Elementary School is making a lot of progress! The interior of the building has been completely gutted to make room for all of the changes. There's still a long way to go, but the project is on time and on budget. Soon enough, these spaces will be transformed into a modern, state-of-the-art learning environment!

District 112 partners with Paper, a company that offers virtual tutoring services to all of our students in grades 6 through 8, at no cost to families.

Paper provides unlimited, 24/7 high-impact tutoring. Whether students are stuck on homework, studying for a test, or need someone to read and make suggestions to their essays, there will always be experts available online to assist students via a secure, chat-based platform. Paper tutors have been specially trained to conduct expert, academic support with a commitment to helping students learn. They will never give students answers, but rather interact with them in an encouraging tone to lead them forward.

All student-tutor interactions are recorded and accessible to teachers, and Paper provides data analytics that will provide District 112 educators with insight into learning gaps and give district administrators a better understanding of where support is needed. All tutors are Paper employees and not freelancers or sub-contractors.

This is a free service that we’re providing, so students are encouraged to use it as much as they need, whenever they need it. Paper is now available as an app in your student's Clever Learning Management System. Our teachers also have accounts and will be able to review all student activity to see what they’re working on and provide more targeted instruction as needed.

So far this year, there have been more than 100 tutoring sessions for NSSD112 students and 155 essay reviews. The most requested support topics are:

• Essay Writing
• Basic Arithmetic
• Spanish Language Arts
• Basic Algebra

Our staff works hard to create schools where students want to learn and teachers want to teach. High-quality materials and technology give our staff and students the tools needed to be innovative and highly engaged. As a member of District 112, you’ll be working to advance yourself as well as fulfill a long legacy of District 112 being the home of pioneering educators, dedicated staff, and innovative instructional practices. Visit careers.nssd112.org to learn more!

You'll play a pivotal role in shaping the educational experience at Northwood. This position involves assisting the principal in various administrative and leadership aspects of the school. You'll be instrumental in developing programs that encourage lifelong learning, maintaining a positive educational environment and ensuring effective school-community relations.

Lear more or apply

We are actively seeking a qualified individual for the position of Director of Operations, Facilities, and Transportation, which will become available on July 1, 2024. Our current director plans to retire in December 2024, allowing for a transitional overlap of directors to facilitate a smooth handover. The responsibilities of this role involve overseeing the day-to-day operations of the school district, including managing facilities, contracted services, maintenance, security, construction, transportation, and more. This position is particularly significant due to the recent success of a $114.4 million dollar referendum.

Learn more or apply

Play a crucial role in fostering a world-class education for 3,800 Pre-K to 8th-grade students. In this role, you'll assist and coordinate support services, ensuring the well-being and success of students across our seven elementary and two middle schools. This position is ideal for those with a passion for special education and student advocacy. Your commitment and expertise will contribute significantly to our long-range plans for educational innovation and excellence.

Learn more or apply

Do you want to choose your own hours and make a difference in our students' lives? Consider becoming a guest teacher (substitute) for North Shore School District 112. Rates were recently increased to $150 a day for guest teachers. Please feel free to reach out to Patty Samuelian (psamuelian@nssd112.org) with any questions or apply to be a guest teacher today!

It is hard to believe the Holiday Season is almost here! Join us for the 13th Annual Day of Giving 2023 on Saturday, December 9. Let's keep the tradition alive, supporting 200+ families in Highland Park and Highwood.

Day of Giving 2023 will be co-facilitated by Northwood Gives Back (NW), SaLT, D112 Parent-Teacher Organizations, along with support from the 112 Education Foundation and the Rotary Club of Highland Park/Highwood. The Day of Giving 2023 goal is to serve approximately 800 people in 200 families.

Each family will receive:

• 2 grocery bags of Food Items

• 1 grocery bag of Toiletries, Personal and Household Items

• 1 laundry basket filled with customized Winter Clothing Items and Toys

• Baby Items if appropriate

Families and staff members can donate to Day of Giving 2023 in the following ways:

• Contact your PTO Presidents to contribute to the item(s) your school selected.

• Sign up on the Day of Giving list for Food, Toiletries, Personal, and/or Household Items.

• In addition, Winter Clothing Items or Baby Items may also be purchased from the Amazon Day of Giving Wishlist. All donations purchased on the Amazon Wish List will be shipped to Northwood Middle School - 945 North Ave. Please make sure orders are in by December 7.

Thank you, in advance, for your generosity and collaboration as we try to provide support for our local community this Holiday Season. Your Kindness matters!

Please contact Jamie Cohn (jcohn@nssd112.org) with any questions or concerns and THANK YOU in advance for your support!

Throughout the year, we are highlighting some of our incredible teachers and staff in a series called Meet 112! In November, we learned about Ravinia kindergarten teacher Rebekah Hopkins.

If you are unable to view the video here, you can find it on our Vimeo page.

Having an issue with your student's device? Need assistance with district software, such as Infinite Campus? Submit a support ticket and a member of our tech team will reach out as soon as possible.

Now that we're into cold and snow season, please be aware of our guidelines for emergency closings. The decision to close school or to change start or dismissal times because of inclement weather or other unanticipated emergencies will be based upon available information from local law enforcement agencies, weather forecast services, and neighboring school district administrators.

If school will be closed, every effort will be made to finalize the school closing decision by 5 a.m. of that school day. Roadway conditions and the possibility of dangerously unsafe temperatures are the main factors that drive the decision.

In these situations, you will be notified via email, text and phone. A message will also be posted on our website at nssd112.org.

ParentSquare is North Shore School District 112’s primary communication tool. It is used by the district office and schools to send emails, text messages and phone calls to parents/guardians, staff members and the community.

Visit the ParentSquare page on our website to learn more or access your account.

Address: 445 Sheridan Road, Highwood, IL 60040

Phone: 224-765-3000

Website: nssd112.org

Facebook: facebook.com/nssd112

Instagram: instagram.com/nssd112

Twitter: @nssd112

If you have any questions about the newsletter, please contact Ben Finfer at bfinfer@nssd112.org