This month’s “Coffee with Kelly” will center on the topic of Reading Aloud with Your Child at Any Age. Dr. Tess will be joined by Crow Island second grade teacher Missy Parks and Washburne Special Education teacher, Chris Joob for a conversation on:
The value of listening to a story out loud and the neural connections this helps to build,
The opportunities that are opened up for conversation and connection by sharing a story together,
learning about how staff and families feel linked or out of synch with each other and their schools through literature,
and reflecting on how developing a love for reading doesn't have to happen independently.
This is an opportunity to converse, connect, learn, and grow together!
Guests are invited to:
Read either of these two articles on the benefits of reading aloud:
and/or come as you are, excited to engage with your childrens’ teachers, your neighbors, and your school leaders!
Wednesday, March 20 from 4:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m.
The Skokie School Community Room,
520 Glendale Ave., Winnetka
Please RSVP by Monday, March 18.
All staff, caregivers, and parents (including grandparents!) are welcome. You do not need to be a Skokie family or staff member to attend. Coffee will be served!
Winnetka Parents Institute
The District offers regular sessions for families to learn more about a variety of topics.
Click here for the Winter/Spring 2024 schedule.
Up next:
Not Quite Little Kid, Not Quite Teenager: The Developmental Progression of the Middle School Child
March 21, 2024
10:00 AM
SK Community Room
Join Principal Cooney and Assistant Principal Joynt (The Skokie School) and Principal Fenton and Assistant Principal Horwitz (Carleton Washburne School) for an informational session focusing on the ins and outs of the growing middle school child. We will spend time exploring both the academic and social-emotional needs appropriate to 5th-8th grade children, how they change over that four year span, as well as the neurological changes that contribute to these needs. Parents with current middle schoolers, or soon-to-be middle schoolers, are encouraged to join us for an engaging, encouraging and educational hour together.
Interested:
RSVP here
Parents: Please Complete the 5Essentials Survey
You are invited to complete the Illinois 5Essentials Parent Survey. On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey is administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago. The survey gathers data related to five indicators that can inform school improvement efforts. We do not receive results from the survey unless at least 20 percent of parents/guardians respond by March 29. The more responses parents/guardians provide, the more we will know how to focus our efforts. Please help us to improve by completing the survey.
Go to: the 5Essentials Survey website to take the survey
Select “Parent Survey.”
You may enter your email address if you would like to receive confirmation of your submission, but it is not required.
Then enter “COOK” into the county field and type in your student’s school.
New Episode!
WINNETKA VOICES Season 2, Episode #5: Women in Leadership
March is Women’s History Month! Dr. Kelly Tess, Superintendent, is joined by three impactful women in our school community: Denise Dubravec, Winnetka Campus Principal/Assistant Superintendent at New Trier High School; Winnetka Public Schools alum Norah; and Marena Rudy, a Winnetka Public Schools Board Member. The women reflect on how they have been inspired and encouraged in order to lead with confidence. As Norah recognizes, “We have a lot of forward momentum.” We hope this episode serves as a glimpse into how we can support women and girls in their leadership ventures by modeling self-advocacy, curiosity and empathy.
Listen here:
Apple Podcast
Amazon
Spotify
iHeart Radio
Google
Single-Subject and Grade Level Acceleration
The Accelerated Placement Act requires Illinois public school districts to adopt and implement policies on acceleration that provide opportunities for single subject and grade level acceleration. To learn more about District 36’s acceleration policy implementation, click here to view an infographic and click here to visit our updated webpage. The request form is now open; the window is February 26-March 22. If you have questions about the policy, please contact the Asst Supt of Innovation, Teaching and Learning, Dr. Becky Mathison, at beckymathison@winnetka36.org.
Homework and Executive Functioning Parent Survey
The Homework and Executive Functioning Network, composed of teachers, interventionists, and administrators, is currently working to develop District Guidelines for Homework (grades 5-8) and Executive Functioning (grades K-8).
In order to make an informed decision, the Network would greatly appreciate your honest response to this brief, ANONYMOUS survey so that we can better understand our current practice and perceptions around these two topics. Responses are due by March 13. The information we collect from teachers, students, and parents, paired with research, will guide the Network in developing:
A qualitative, single-point rubric for Executive Functioning that details descriptors in the following areas: Organizing & Planning, Initiating Tasks and Staying Focused, and Managing Emotions.
Executive functioning impacts each student’s growth, development, and achievement. These are essential skills for students in school and life, and are often strong indicators of future success.
Guidelines for grades 5-8 Homework Practices to aid in establishing consistent classroom-to-classroom expectations for students, increasing vertical alignment within our system and between levels, and identifying supports in preparing students for “what’s next”.
We understand that experiences may vary by grade level so please complete one survey per grade level and school that your student(s) are in.
Survey link: https://forms.gle/huKAKKvtR4kSv1bV9
A Message from the Winnetka Public Schools Foundation
Winnetka Public Schools Foundation reached 80% of the fundraising goal during the annual Phone-A-Thon! Thank you to the loyal donors and the new donors. We're looking to close the gap and want to fund the amazing grant requests coming in from teachers across District 36. The grants in the pipeline affect each and every student at all five schools. They involve funding for robotics, audio/visual equipment, small group learning resources, SEL, targeted literacy and math resources and so much more. Every dollar donated makes a difference to bring these grants to life! Help us meet the goal here.
