WJHS Highlights
01/24/2025
8th grade graduation will take place on Thursday, June 5 at 5:30pm in the new Winnetka Main Gym, at the Winnetka Campus of New Trier High School. We are excited to return to New Trier for our 8th grade graduation ceremony this year! More information on graduation will come out in the next few weeks.
January is often a time when we, as adults, make resolutions for the coming year. We often hear our friends and relatives (even ourselves!) making resolutions such as exercising more, losing a few pounds, or spending time being more mindful, and we work hard to (hopefully) reach them by the end of the new year.
Just as it is a good practice for adults to set goals or resolutions, it is a great practice to get into with your child individually or as a family at home. During the school day students set academic goals as well as social-emotional and behavioral goals, but this month is a great opportunity to transfer that practice to the home setting. Goal setting and the conversations around it help support children as they develop self-management skills and self-awareness skills. If that goal involves helping out the family or community, it might also tap into social-awareness. Make sure the goals you set at home are realistic, measurable, and attainable with in a short period of time. Once your child reaches their goal, take that opportunity to celebrate and set another one!
Some examples of goals include:
Have a “spring cleaning” day at the end of the month, where the whole family contributes, and donate at least one bag of items to a local charity.
Have a no screens night at least once a week in January, and learn a new board game to play together.
(For a child) Choose a new recipe and make it once this month for dinner for the family (with help if needed).
HERE and HERE are a couple of resources to help you as you engage in goal setting at home!
International Holocaust Remembrance Day – Monday, Jan. 27
In 2005, the United Nations passed a resolution designating January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This is an important day of observance, set aside to remember the victims, honor the survivors and to reflect on the lessons that we can carry forward in our lives today, including speaking out against all forms of hate, discrimination and intolerance, choosing kindness in our relationships, and working toward making a positive impact in the world for all people.
Below are some resources that you may find helpful in discussing the Holocaust with children:
“Resources for Educators, Parents and Families,” from the Anti-Defamation League
“Discussing the Holocaust with Children,” by Ann Moline
"Essential Lessons for Teaching the Holocaust," by Jessica McFadden
“Five Ways to Talk to Children about the Holocaust,” by Keyonna Summers
“How to Talk about the Holocaust,” by Rabbi Sarah Reines
“Teaching about the Holocaust” and “Age Appropriateness" by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Register Now for the 2025-26 Academic Year
Registration is now open for the 2025-26 academic year. ALL students, including those already attending D39 schools, must register. A draft of the 2025-26 academic year calendar is available here and will be officially approved at the Board’s January 27th Board of Education Meeting. District 39 is excited to offer full-day kindergarten beginning in Fall 2025, and we encourage parents with new kindergarten students to enroll as soon as possible to take advantage of this new program. Registration for our Lechner Early Education Program (LEEP) for three- and four-year-old students is also open.
For returning students, visit the PowerSchool Parent Portal, click on the registration link, and follow the instructions.
For students new to D39, visit wilmette39.org/enroll for instructions on the new student registration process.
Update on PowerSchool Security Incident
In response to the recent security incident that affected thousands of its customers worldwide, PowerSchool will be communicating to families to share information regarding the services that they are making available to clients. However, PowerSchool has not provided a timetable for this communication, so please monitor your email in the days and weeks ahead. We will continue to provide updates and information as we receive them.
D39 Summer Enrichment Program
Looking for a fun and educational summer experience for your child(ren)? Learn more about our District 39 Summer Enrichment Program! This program runs from July 2-31 and provides a variety of both academic and hobby-based courses for students currently in grades K-7. Please visit our D39 Summer Enrichment Program website for more details. The list of offered courses will be available online this coming Monday (Jan. 27) and registration will open on Feb. 18.
Importance of Winter Weather Clothing
Our school principals regularly monitor weather throughout each school day in order to make decisions regarding outdoor exposure of our students during the school day. We value the learning opportunities and play that our students experience when they are outdoors for recess, and plan for outdoor recess whenever it is safe for our students. Students go outside for recess daily and are also outside during arrival and dismissal, unless extreme weather events prevent this. To help keep our students safe and able to fully enjoy their outdoor time, students are encouraged to dress warmly and prepared for play. Hats, gloves, face coverings, winter coats, snow pants and boots are strongly encouraged.
Parent Education Events
Join us on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 11 am for our next Parent Education event titled “All Brains Are Wired for the Library: How School and Public Libraries Are Building Better Spaces for Neurodivergent Kids.” Registration for this event is now open.
Additionally, District 39 is proud to co-sponsor a Family Action Network Parent Education event on Thursday, Jan. 30 titled “The Way of Play: Using Little Moments of Big Connection to Raise Calm and Confident Kids.” This presentation, featuring Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D., bestselling author and co-founder of The Play Strong Institute, will be held virtually via Zoom at 7 pm. Attendees are asked to register online.
Please visit our Parent Education webpage for our full schedule of events as well as archived recordings of past events.
Board of Education Meeting
The Board of Education will gather on Monday, Jan. 27 at 7 pm at the Mikaelian Education Center for its monthly meeting. During this meeting, the Board is expected to approve both the school calendar and student fees for the 2025-26 academic year, in addition to hearing committee reports and conducting a first reading of several Board policies. Agendas and materials for Board of Education meetings are posted online the Friday prior to the meeting.
Wilmette Junior High School
Email: office-wjhs@wilmette39.org
Website: http://wjhs.wilmette39.org/
Location: 620 Locust Rd, Wilmette, IL, USA
Phone: 847-512-6600
Instagram: @wjhswolves39
Twitter: @hawkwolf39