WJHS Highlights

Dear WJHS Families,

Whether you traveled or had a staycation, we hope that your spring break was restful and relaxing!

The final (fourth) quarter of the school year begins today! This is always a bit terrifying (where did the year go?!) and exciting! Please encourage your child to check in with their teachers if they have any uncertainty about a missing assignment or grade. This is the time to begin asking questions around how to grow and improve in a class, and many of our students find that Homework Club is a great space to complete class work with a teacher present for support as needed. Don't hesitate to reach out to Mr. Batt (8th grade level administrator) or Mr. Miller (7th grade level administrator) with questions.

We begin IAR (Illinois Assessment of Readiness) testing this week and, while one standardized test is not the end-all, be-all, the information and data we gather from this assessment is critical in providing feedback on what our students learned and where we can focus more attention. It allows us as educators to consider areas where students showed less mastery of learning, and reflect on our approach to the standards and the tasks we used to assess learning of those standards. We have provided the following tips for you, to help your child be in a place where they can show us what they have learned this year through the IAR:

• Get plenty of rest on nights before testing
• Eat a healthy breakfast on test days
• Be at the bus stop and/or arrive at school on time
• Provide an opportunity for movement and activity once home from school

We appreciate your partnership in preparing students to demonstrate their learning on the IAR next week.

Have a great weekend!

Kate, Jeff and Rob

Hello 8th Grade Families! It is hard to believe we are already in the final quarter of the 2024-2025 school year! This also means we are just under two months until graduation! Please find below important information regarding this year's graduation ceremony.

Graduation will take place on Thursday, June 5th starting at 5:30 pm, at New Trier's Winnetka campus. Families will be provided with four tickets per student for family members to attend. Graduates are requested to be at New Trier no later than 5:00 pm to start lining up for the ceremony.

Due to limited parking availability at New Trier's campus, it is strongly encouraged that families use our free shuttle service from WJHS to New Trier. Specific information regarding parking and shuttle travel times will be provided as we get closer to graduation. Shuttles will be continuously circulating between WJHS and New Trier until close to the start of graduation. If your family does choose to drive, please consider leaving enough time to park and walk to New Trier.

Graduates will wear graduation gowns for the ceremony. The hem of the graduation gowns will be approximately six inches from the floor. Students are encouraged to wear respectful attire that could include dress shirts and ties with dress pants. Dresses are allowed, but not a requirement. Shoes should be comfortable dress shoes and students should refrain from waring heels for ease of going up and down the stairs.

This year's graduation party will take place on Friday, May 30th, and is sponsored by the WJHS PTO. More information will be provided as the date draws closer.

Each year our PTO iGNITE sponsors a visit for our eighth graders to the Holocaust Museum. It is a moving and important experience for our students and we were privileged to attend with each of our eighth grade teams.

Beginning April 28 and running through May 9, students in grades 5-8 will be participating in the Panorama MESH (Mindsets, Essential Skills and Habits) assessment of social-emotional competencies and school environment. The MESH is comprised of a series of questions that cover the areas of Self-Management, Social Awareness, and Emotional Regulation. It also looks at Supportive Relationships at school, School Safety, Sense of Belonging, and Valuing of School.

This assessment aligns with the SEL competencies taught using our Responsive Classroom curricular materials, and results from the assessments are used to help us as we continue to gauge the effectiveness of our social-emotional supports and programming in the district. For more information about the social-emotional objectives at your child’s grade level, and other general information about SEL in District 39, please visit the D39 Social Emotional Learning Website.

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