Carleton Washburne

We wanted to kick off the newsletter this week with a big thank you to our hardworking staff as we begin teacher appreciation week. They take great pride in providing a safe, engaging environment for our students, and work tirelessly to make that happen. Ben and I continue to be amazed each week as we walk through our halls and in our classrooms and see all the amazing learning and collaboration that is happening each day at Washburne. A huge thank you in advance to our Washburne PTO that has organized a number of special ways to say thank you to our staff.

This past Friday we were excited to host our incoming 6th graders while our 7th and 8th graders participated in field trips or other special events. It was awesome to see the excitement of the 6th graders and to be able to answer a number of their questions about Washburne.

Take Care and Be Well,

Andrew Fenton & Ben Horwitz

Carleton Washburne Principal & Assistant Principal

MAP testing will take place at Washburne on Tuesday 5/7 and Wednesday 5/8 this week. Please make sure that your child brings their fully-charged iPad to school each day. We are proud of the growth that our students have made this year and appreciate your support encouraging them to demonstrate their best efforts on these assessments.

Attention 7th grade families, now is the time to submit elective requests for the 2024-2025 school year. All requests should be made in the PowerSchool Parent Portal.

Please use this course guide to aid you in choosing classes for next year.

All requests should be submitted by Friday, May 17th.

Welcome to Window to Washburne! Each week, we will be highlighting some of the learning taking place in our classrooms.

As supportive as we are about field trips and experiential learning, taking a day trip to Paris just isn’t in the cards right now (although students are encouraged to talk with Mrs. Ambrose about the French trip). Even though the streets of Paris are thousands of miles away, our students were able to walk them virtually last week in 8th grade French class. Using VR headsets, students navigated through the city and used their French vocabulary to communicate with their group mates about what they saw. Students took turns using the headsets so that all students got to be immersed in the city during class.

Kudos to Mrs. Ambrose for finding an innovative way to bring a new experience to her students.

In this section we will be shining the spotlight on our Related Studies program and all the wonderful opportunities available to our Washburne students.

Students in Furniture Making class recently embarked on a new assembly line project. To kickoff this five-week unit, students learned about the history of mass production. They are now in the process of creating their own production flow charts and factory maps. Once this work is complete, we will use it to mass produce over 350 individual pieces that will be used to assemble 35 individual tables for the kids to take home. Two separate sections of the class, a morning and an afternoon shift, are working together seamlessly to achieve their production goals. Pictured below are students engaged in mapping out their production flow charts.

Students are not allowed to use their cell phones during school hours (8:30am-2:30pm on Mondays, 8:30am-3:30pm Tuesday-Friday). We understand that it is challenging for students to avoid checking their phones throughout the day--the technology is literally addicting. However, we want school to be a break from this technology--7 hours a day where they do not need to think about their phones. Please help us with this policy by talking to your child and avoiding texting your child during school hours. If there is ever a need to contact your child during school hours, please reach out to our main office.

8th grade families should have received an informational packet from the Washburne Graduation Committee. This packet contains important information on all things graduation, including tickets, graduation party, and other upcoming events for our 8th graders. Click Here to view the packet.

Graduation tickets are available. Click Here for more information on graduation tickets.

The student designed Washburne 2023-24 Yearbooks are still available for purchase.

Order your Washburne Yearbooks via the district web store by clicking this link.

Online ordering will be available until June 3rd. Check and cash only after June 3rd.

Yearbooks will be delivered to students the final week of school.

Please reach out to Margie Karabas: margiekarabas@winnetka36.org with any questions.

All rising 6th , 7th and 8th grade families! The PTO and the KW teams at Skokie and Washburne are excited to continue our partnership with New Trier's One Stop Trev Shop! Like last year, we will be ordering KW uniforms through the One Stop Trev Shop, an innovative job training/life skills program for New Trier’s Transition Program students. Please click here for more information on how to order your KW uniform.

Please note:

• Putting in your order as soon as possible really helps our friends at One Stop Trev Shop! Orders will be fulfilled starting in May.

• The One Stop Trev Shop offers home delivery for $5. This is a very easy way to get your uniform in a timely manner and provides excellent job opportunities for Transition students.

• Once you place your order, you will receive an email letting you know that your items are ready for delivery or pick up. If you have chosen to pick up, please pick up your order from the Glencoe shop promptly once you've received the email. Pick up will only be available at the Glencoe shop this year!

If you have any questions, please reach out to beckysanderson@hotmail.com

Washburne has again partnered with 1st Day School Supplies so that families have the option of ordering a school supply kit for the next school year. The supplies included the kit have been chosen by Washburne teachers and administration for each grade and should provide your student with everything they need for the upcoming year. The final deadline for ordering school supplies through 1st Day is July 1st. Supply kits will be sent to your home and teachers will let students when to bring supplies into school at the start of the new school year.

Please click here to order your school supplies through 1st Day.

Tuesday, May 7th & Wednesday May 8th: Spring MAP Testing at Washburne

Tuesday, May 7th: Spring Orchestra Concert 7:00pm at Skokie Auditorium

Thursday, May 9th: Spring Band Concert 7:30pm at Washburne Gymnasium

Tuesday, May 21st: Board of Education Meeting 7:15pm at Washburne

The District offers regular sessions for families to learn more about a variety of topics.

Click here for the Spring 2024 schedule.

Up next:

What Do These Reports Mean? (Greeley Staff Members and Principal Joshua Swanner)

May 15, 2024

9:30 A.M.

Location: Washburne Cafeteria

Families receive important information regarding their child’s growth and achievement at three distinct times in the school year. This includes progress reports, benchmarking reports, MAP assessment reports, and IEP trimester updates. This informational session is available to families of elementary students enrolled in the Winnetka Public Schools and will provide an overview of how to read and interpret the triannual data provided to families. Join staff members from Greeley School as they detail the purpose of these reports and how they are used to inform instruction.

Interested:

RSVP for this event here

Feedback Link

If you missed our spring sessions, watch the videos here:

From Washburne to New Trier: (with Paul Waechtler, Principal)

A D36 Parent's Guide to the New Trier Transition

Not Quite Little Kid, Not Quite Teenager: The Developmental Progression of the Middle School Child

Digital Citizenship in Winnetka (with SEL Coaches and Technology Integration Specialists)

Benchmark assessments are valuable tools that provide a snapshot of student progress at a point in time. These assessments help teachers to identify areas where students are excelling and where they may need additional support. They can also inform instructional decisions by providing data that can be used to tailor teaching to meet each student's unique needs and strengths. Benchmark assessments are an important component of progressive education, which recognizes that students learn in different ways and at different rates. By using benchmark assessments to inform instruction, teachers can provide a more individualized approach to learning that supports each student's academic growth and personal development.

Academic benchmark assessments for literacy and math will occur three times this year for students in grades K-8. The Spring Benchmark Assessments start on April 29th and conclude on May 17th. There are three platforms the district utilizes to gather student learning information; aimswebPlus, mCLASS, and NWEA MAP. Benchmarking reports will be mailed home on Wednesday, May 29th.

Assessment may be found on our district website in the Benchmark Assessment Section of ITL under Parent Communication on Student Learning. If you need further information on your child’s testing session, please contact your building principal.

This is a friendly reminder that all medical forms required by the State of Illinois are due before the first day of school. You can find additional copies of the forms on the district website here.

Please see the information below:

State of Illinois Health Examination:

Kindergarten & Grade 6

Eye Examination:

Kindergarten

Dental Examination:

Kindergarten, Grade 2 & Grade 6

Please use the links on the district’s health page to upload your child’s completed forms.

It’s time for Teacher Tributes!

For over 20 years the Alliance for Early Childhood has honored teachers of young children and the work they do supporting their healthy growth and development. To honor The Winnetka Public Schools teachers, support staff, and leaders, please follow this link.

Let's Play! Sandcastles and Seagulls

Saturday, May 11, 10am - noon

Gillson Park and Beach, Wilmette, IL

Pre-Registration link

Build sandcastles, explore the bird sanctuary, and play in nature with The Alliance for Early Childhood in partnership with Wilmette Park District and BackYard Nature Center. Bring your sandcastle building tools and sense of adventure and enjoy a morning of play and exploration at The Beach!