What's Up Willowbrook

Be dressed and ready for photos! Pictures will be taken outside and all students will be photographed.

There is nothing to hand in before picture day. You will receive a proof order form or an email from Stuart-Rodgers Photography with a link to your online gallery about 2-3 weeks after picture day.

Please note: Rain Date will be September 19

Across District 30, we are building our students' and staff members' capacity for emotional intelligence by using RULER, an evidence-based approach to social-emotional learning. As outlined in the previous edition of this newsletter, this year we want to share what we've learned to support our families at home. Check out this spot in your newsletter for monthly RULER themes and tips for applying these ideas at home.

• Explore the family resource page.

• Ask your child about RULER: How does RULER help you at school?

The RULER Acronym

• Recognizing emotions in oneself and others through facial expressions, body language, voice, behavior

• Understanding the causes and consequences of emotions in oneself and others

• Labeling emotions with accurate words from a nuanced vocabulary

• Expressing emotions differently depending on context, situational expectations, and culture

• Regulating emotions with effective strategies and supporting others in their regulation of emotions

• District holiday - NO SCHOOL

Tuesday, September 3

• PTO Ice Cream Social - 5:30-7:00 p.m. (Willowbrook Courtyard)

• Picture day 🙂

Tuesday, September 10

• PTO Room Parent Meeting
• PTO General Meeting

Wednesday, September 11

• Patriot Day Ceremony - 9:15 a.m. (please see details below)
• PTO Ice cream day

Wednesday, September 25

• District 30 Conversations with the Community - 12 p.m. or 6 p.m.

**Parents are welcome to join us each Friday at 8:45 a.m. for our Flag Raising Ceremony**

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Thank you so much to those who could attend Curriculum Night and for your active participation. It was a pleasure to share our plans and goals for the upcoming school year with you. The significant presence from all of you reiterates our strong partnership with our families, and we are excited to work together to support and inspire your children.

If you were unable to attend last night, you can always contact us with any questions, and please note the additional opportunities on the calendar to connect with us:

• Parent-Teacher Conferences - October 16 & 17

• Principals' Second Cup of Coffee - November 15

• Parent-Teacher Conferences - February 26 & 27

• Lighted Schoolhouse - April 23

If you have any questions or need further information, please feel free to contact us. We are here to support your family every step of the way.

Once again, thank you for your commitment and involvement. We look forward to a fantastic year ahead!

Best regards,

Katie Compagno

Principal, Willowbrook School

If you missed our open house/registration night from the spring or are new to District 30, you can still sign your child up for orchestra lessons for this school year! Orchestra is open to current 4th- and 5th-grade students.

If you have questions or would like to know more about the program, please contact Mrs. Barrett, Orchestra Director, at abarrett@district30.org. We look forward to hearing from you!

If your student is interested in learning to play a band instrument, there is still time to join the 5th-grade band!

• Sign up for band by filling out the Contact Information Form
• Click here to rent the instrument

If you do not know what instrument you would like to play, please email Mr. Pittman at rpittman@district30.orgto set up a time to try instruments during recess or after school!

As we embark on another exciting school year, we want to recognize and celebrate our staff members' incredible dedication and hard work throughout the school year.

We are launching a "Staff Shout-Out" initiative to acknowledge and appreciate their efforts. This is an opportunity for you, our valued parents and guardians, to highlight the exceptional work of any staff member who has positively impacted your child or family weekly throughout the school year.

Click the button below to submit your "Staff Shout-Out"

We will have a special Patriot Day Flag Raising ceremony in the gym at 9:15 a.m. and we would like any parents, friends, or family members that are First Responders of our students to serve as flag raisers. Please fill out the form below if you plan on being an Honored guest at our ceremony.

Following the start of the 2024-25 school year, the district's online adaptive assessment, Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), will be administered to all students in grades 1-8. The MAP testing window runs through September 16. Students in grades 2-8 will take two assessments: reading and mathematics. Grade 1 will take mathematics only. Please check with your child's teacher about their testing schedule so there are no conflicts if appointments need to be scheduled during this time.

These assessment results will continue to be used (1) by teachers to assist them in differentiating lessons in reading/language arts and mathematics; as well as (2) to measure student academic growth. Students' fall assessment reports will be made available to parents later in the school year.

Speech screenings will be conducted on the following schedule:

• Kindergarten speech screenings - August

• 1st-grade speech screenings - November

• 2nd-grade speech screenings - November

Parents will be notified if their child does not pass the screening (based on District 30 criteria) or if developmentally appropriate errors are noted. If the screening results indicate additional assessment and/or speech therapy support, you will be contacted by one of the Speech-Language Pathologists.

District 30’s preschool screenings are also held at Willowbrook School. These screenings, designed to identify preschool-age children who may benefit from special education support prior to Kindergarten, are conducted throughout the school year. If you would like to schedule a screening for your preschool child, please contact Tiffani Cuneo at 847-498-8964.

The Willowbrook yearbook committee would like to see those first day photos. Please click the button below to upload any pics you would like to share.

Due to a change to the State of Illinois School Code, Willowbrook Health Office will only be able to distribute over-the-counter (OTC) medications (such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen) to students with a completed Medication Authorization Form (for OTC). The new requirements include a physician’s signature along with a parent/guardian's signature.

Please return the completed form to the school’s health office if you would like your child will be able to receive over-the-counter medications at school. Thank you

Please fill out our parents are partners form if you haven't already by clicking here.

Northbrook/Glenview School District 30 will have three school board seats to be filled at the Consolidated Election on April 1, 2025. Candidates who are elected will fill four-year terms expiring in April 2029.

Candidates for the office of the school board can now circulate nominating petitions for signatures. The period for filing nominating petitions concludes November 18, with November 12 being the first day permitted to file a petition.

A candidate for the school board is required to file the nominating petitions, Statement of Candidacy, and receipt for filing their Statement of Economic Interests with the applicable county election clerk and not with the school board secretary or the administrative offices of the school district. The county clerk may have petition forms available, or blank petitions may be downloaded from the State Board of Elections website, elections.il.gov.

Candidates who are interested in seeking endorsement from the District 30 School Board Caucus should contact Caucus Chair Marci Goldgar at marci257@aol.com by Friday, October 18. The School Board Caucus is a committee of District 30 residents that includes families both with and without children enrolled in Willowbrook, Wescott and Maple schools. The Caucus' role is to source, screen and endorse potential school board candidates. To be considered by the Caucus, candidates will need to complete a detailed application as well as an interview.

All who live in District 30 boundaries are invited to meet Superintendent Dr. Tammaru and a member of our Board of Education to ask questions and share what is important to you in our schools.

You can pick from either the 12 p.m. or 6 p.m. session on Wednesday, September 25 at our District 30 Offices, 2374 Shermer Road, Northbrook. RSVP is optional so we can plan for space and send a reminder to participants close to the event date.

Please share with neighbors, as this event is for everyone in our boundaries – even if they do not have children in our schools. Click below to join us!

School hours: 8:40 a.m. - 3:20 p.m.

Half day dismissal time is 11:45 a.m.

Kindergarten through 5th-grade students should plan on arriving at school by 8:40 a.m. but no earlier than 8:30 a.m. because there is no supervision. The bell to line up will ring at 8:40 a.m.

All parents and guardians must report student absences, late arrivals, or early departures through the Parent Portal. Please do not contact the Health Office, School Office, or classroom teacher via phone or email.

For a step-by-step guide on how to report an absence, click here. Please be sure to include as much detail as possible when entering the reason for the absence.

If no information is in the Parent Portal by 10 a.m. and a student is absent, the school will attempt to contact a parent or guardian.

If the absence is medically related, please report it first in the Parent Portal. Then, you are welcome to contact the school Health Office to speak with the nurse about the condition.

Questions? Please contact the front desk.

For all students new to District 30, state regulations require a State of Illinois Health Examination Form completed within the last 12 months. This must be on file in the health office prior to the first day of school. If your child does not have a Health Examination Form on file with all current immunizations, your child could be excluded from school.

Kindergarten students are also required to have a completed State of Illinois Eye Examination Form by October 15. The exam must have been performed on or after August 21, 2023, one year from the start of school.

Dental examinations are required for all kindergarten and grade 2 students. Examinations must be completed within 18 months of the May 15, 2025 deadline. These forms can be obtained from the health office and are also available on our website. If you have questions, please call the front office at 847-498-1090.

If your student requires medication or a health care plan, please click here to download all of the necessary forms. If forms are not completed by the opening of school, we will abide by the health care plan from the previous year for those students with life-threatening food allergies or medical conditions.

All forms can be dropped off at the front desk with Mrs. Heather Peraino (hperaino@district30.org), with School Nurse Mrs. Lisa Mullen (lmullen@district30.org) or sent to them by email.

Crossing guards

The Glenview Police Department will continue to post a crossing guard from 8:00-8:45 a.m. and 3:00-4:00 p.m. at Pfingsten Road and Keenan Lane. We strongly encourage students to cross at Keenan if they walk or ride a bike from/to the west of Pfingsten. There will also be a crossing guard at the intersection of Greenwood and Happy Hollow Road from 8:20-8:45 a.m. and 3:00-3:45 p.m and Pfingsten and Miller from 8:20-9:05 a.m. and 3:00-4:00 p.m.

First Student provides transportation for District 30 students. The types of services and fees approved by the Board of Education can be found at Transportation Services/Parents. For all transportation needs, please contact First Student at 847-724-7200.

For the safety and consideration of all students and staff, please do not bring dogs on to school grounds.

Car drop-off and pick-up for kindergarten through 5th grade is in the front of the school (not on Happy Hollow Road). Preschool drop-off and pick-up, and the loading of school buses are in the back of the school. Please follow the guidance of our staff at drop-off and pick-up. They are there to ensure student safety and to facilitate a smooth flow of traffic.

• No left turns are allowed into the circular drive at any time. Enter the drive from the east.

• For your child’s safety, students should ONLY exit on the passenger side of the car. Parents should remain in the driver’s seat.

• Drop-off and pickup on the inner circle only. Do not double park.

• Children should remain in their seats until the car comes to a complete stop.

• There is no parking in the circular drive from 8:30-9:00 a.m. and 3:10-3:40 p.m.

• Parents should not park in the staff parking lot when dropping off or picking up their children.

• Drivers should turn off engines when they arrive at school and when they expect to be parked.

• Cell phone usage is not permitted within the school zone.

Northbrook/Glenview School District 30 continues its partnership with Quest Food Management Services to provide quality food services to your student. We are happy to offer a preorder system via myMealOrder!

• The meal will consist of an entree, side, fresh fruit, and vegetable, including milk or water.
• All orders must be placed at least three days in advance.

Visit mymealorder.com to open an account, learn more about our preorder system, and view the menu.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Ashley Jenkins, Food Service Director for Quest at ajenkins@questfms.com.

District 30 has an Intergovernmental Agreement with Northbrook Park District that allows before- and after-school care to students in K-5th grade at Willowbrook School. District 30 provides the facility while the park district provides the program and staff management with all revenues going to the park district.

This Adventure Campus Program offers the ability to participate in before- and/or after-school care on days when school is in session and on select teacher institute days, conference days, and holidays.

Contact the Northbrook Park District at 847-291-2995 or visit their webpage nbparks.org for more information.

Want to know what's going on around the community? District 30 uses a "Virtual Backpack" to share community information while saving paper, costs, and lightening the loads our students bring home. Please click the button below to view upcoming Community Events.

Any time a student feels unsafe, any adult in their school can help!

But sometimes, students or parents wish to reach out for help in a different way or after school hours. Safe2Help Illinois offers students a safe way to share information 24/7 that might help prevent any threat to school safety, including bullying, self-harm or other serious concerns.

The goal of this program is to get students to “seek help before harm;" it is not intended to suspend, expel, or punish. Safe2Help Illinois also offers a Mental Health Toolkit that provides resources for parents and educators reinforce the components of this program.

Safe2Help Illinois offers around-the-clock help via:

• Hotline: 844-4-SAFEIL
• Text line: 72332
• Email HELP@Safe2HelpIL.com
• Plus a website full of resources for young people seeking help for themselves or a friend. Its Ways To Get Help page is a directory of specialized hotlines, and other sections of its website provide practical steps for dealing with depression or helping a distraught friend. The checklist called "20 Questions To Ask Yourself If You Feel Like Giving Up" can help older children overcome a bout of anxiety or depression.

Willowbrook School is part of Northbrook/Glenview District 30, which exists to create an inclusive community that inspires learning, fosters resiliency, and cares deeply for every child. We honor childhood and foster intellectual, physical and social-emotional growth. District 30 serves more than 1,200 students in pre-K through 8th grade across Willowbrook, Wescott and Maple Schools.

We prohibit harassment and discrimination of all forms within our district and follows all policies and procedures to ensure a safe environment for all.

Main Office: 847-498-1090

Health Office: 847-400-8860

Location: 2500 Happy Hollow Road, Glenview, IL, USA

Website: district.30.org/willowbrook

Facebook: facebook.com/ngsd

Twitter: @district30