WJHS Highlights

Dear WJHS Families,

Like we do almost every month, we had our "Leader of the Pack" breakfast this morning and recognized students for compassion, integrity, leadership, responsibility, self awareness and service (photo above). As I've shared with some of you, I am currently taking classes towards completing my doctorate, and last week we spent a lot of time talking about the importance of student voice throughout school(s).

The articles read by the class, and the documentary we watched as part of our learning, (Nicks, P. (2021). Homeroom. [Hulu].) were a good reminder of the importance of student leadership and voice in our communities. This morning I reminded students to use their voice to advocate for each other and themselves, and when we (adults) make them feel like we are too busy to listen, I told them to stop us, and reinforce, "I just need you to listen." I am going to try harder to make space for this, to hear their voices, and truly listen, and hope you will too. Even if we don't agree, sometimes it's about hearing each other and finding some common ground.

On the note of student voice and leadership, we are excited about the upcoming Student Council Winter Dance on February 23 and will share more in our newsletter next week. In addition, we have updated our WJHS Winter Clubs. We have linked the lists below:

7th grade clubs (period 5)

8th grade clubs (period 6)

*After school clubs are open to students in both grades.

We hope you have a nice weekend and are able to enjoy this beautiful weather while it lasts!

Sincerely,

Kate, Eric and Nicole

FEBRUARY:

The month of February is Black History Month. While learning about and honoring the contributions of Black Americans to the history of our country and their impact on our world today, is something we do year-round at school, this month is a great time for families also to set aside time to recognize these trailblazers and engage in learning about the contributions of African-Americans...especially in our area. Did you know that the Bronzeville neighborhood in Chicago is considered the birthplace of Black History Month?

A couple of family-friendly opportunities include the Chicago History Museum Family Event for Black History Month or the Multiple Events, both musical and historical at the Field Musuem. In Wilmette, children are offered the opportunity to participate in the Village's annual Black History Month contest or visit the Wilmette Public Library for one of their events.

Engaging in these activities as a family supports your child in developing their social-emotional skills as they learn about identity, engage in perspective-taking, and celebrate many various traditions and experiences.

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR 2024!

May the Year of the Dragon fill you and your family with prosperity and joy, confidence and courage!

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM YOUR WJHS PTO

We are proud of our volunteers who work tirelessly, often behind the scenes, to provide and coordinate PTO sponsored programming such as field trips, afterschool clubs, lunchroom support, directory management and teacher appreciation activities to name just a few! One of our programs (EduKits) is in need of a Coordinator or WE CAN’T OFFER EDUKITS FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.

“EduKits” are the box(es) of school supplies that parents purchase so they don’t have to run all over town to get everything before the first day of school. The planning starts NOW so that parents can purchase an EduKit by the end of THIS school year. The coordinator gets the teachers’ lists from our principal and forwards them to our contact at EduKits, confirming amounts and pricing. In August the coordinator will get the date of delivery and coordinate volunteers (a non-profit youth group is already in place to provide volunteers) to accept and deliver the boxes to students’ homerooms during the week before school starts (8/21/24).

This position’s time commitment is really only minimal in the spring (emails), a couple of heavy commitment days in August and then pretty much nothing else until the following spring if you decide to do it again for the next school year. If you think this could be a good fit for you, please email president-elect@wjhspto.com. Thank you for considering it!

TEACHER/STAFF SOUP LUNCH 2/21🥣

During February each year the PTO plans a “Soup Lunch” for teachers and staff as a winter treat! Please help us by providing some delicious homemade soup or chili on Wednesday, 2/21. Not a soup person? That’s ok- we need donations of bread/crackers, toppings, etc. too! Please visit the SignUp Genius HERE to see what’s available and for more information. This is one of our teachers’ favorite days - we know because they tell us! ❤️

LUNCH VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Can you spare an hour and a half of your day helping to serve lunch at school? You do not need to cook, only assist in serving the food items to the students as they go through the lunch line. Our lunchroom staff members are true gems and your help is so appreciated! Plenty of availability through the end of February. Sign up HERE and thank you in advance!

Registration for 2024-25 Academic Year

Registration for the 2024-25 academic year is now open. ALL students, including those already attending D39 schools, must register via PowerSchool for the 2024-25 academic year. For returning students, visit the PowerSchool Parent Portal, click on the registration link, and follow the instructions. For students who will be new to D39, visit wilmette39.org/enroll for instructions on the new student registration process. We encourage parents with new kindergarten students to enroll as soon as possible. D39 is also offering its optional KEEP39 afternoon enrichment program for kindergarten students. You can register your child for KEEP39 at the same time that you register for kindergarten. For those families with younger children, you can also register your child(ren) in our Lechner Early Education Program (LEEP) for three- and four-year-old students at this time.

Winter NWEA MAP Reports

We are proud to share that, for the first time, District 39 will be making student NWEA MAP reports available online to our families via the PowerSchool Parent Portal. This is a change from our previous practice of mailing reports home or sending them home with students. All families will receive an email on Monday (Feb. 12) with detailed information on how to access your child(ren)’s reports.

Parent Education Event

Thank you to all of our families who attended Wednesday’s Parent Ed event, “To Rainbow Infinity and Beyond: Cultivating and Celebrating a Positive Neurodivergent Identity.” If you missed the live presentation and would like to view a recording, it is now available. Please note that, at the request of the presenter, this recording will only be available through Sunday (Feb. 11). Additionally, please enjoy these resources provided by the presenter that we think you might find helpful.

Our next event, “School Refusal and Encouraging Positive Attendance,” will take place on Wednesday, March 13 at 11 am. Families can participate in-person at Highcrest or virtually via Zoom. Registration is currently open for that event. Please visit our D39 Parent Education website for our full schedule of events, registration links, and archived recordings.

D39 Summer Enrichment Program Courses Now Available!

Looking for a fun and educational summer experience for your child(ren)? Our District 39 Summer Enrichment Program runs from July 2 - 31 and provides a variety of academic and hobby-based courses for students currently in grades K-7. This year, K-3 courses will be held at Romona Elementary School with grades 4-7 being offered at Highcrest Middle School. Online registration opens February 19 and our most popular courses will fill fast. Visit our D39 Summer Enrichment Program website for more details on this wonderful summer option.

Last Chance to Submit Entry for Village of Wilmette’s Black History Month Contest

The Village of Wilmette’s Human Relations Commission is sponsoring its annual Black History Month contest. This year’s Black History Month theme, “African Americans the Arts,” encompasses the impact that African American artists have had on cultural movements and more. Students are invited to submit posters, essays, poetry, and/or art/multimedia/music entries for this contest. The deadline for entries is next Wednesday (Feb. 15) and they can be sent or delivered to Wilmette Village Hall (attn: Human Relations Commission, Village Manager’s Office), 1200 Wilmette Ave., Wilmette. Visit the Village of Wilmette website or click the link above for more information.

New Trier Winter Carnival is Coming

On Friday, February 23 from 5-8:30 pm, the New Trier Senior Class is hosting its annual Winter Carnival, during which the entire Class of 2024 will transform the Winnetka Campus into various carnival attractions for children. Carnival-goers can expect everything from classic games, like Pop-A-Shot and Putt-Putt Golf, to more unique activity booths, such as Glitter World Salon and Human Bowling. Admission at the North main entrance (along Trevian Way) is free and activity tickets are $1 each. This year’s carnival will also feature an optional Magic Show, raffle, and more! Tickets for the Liam the Magic Man Magic Show from 5-5:30 ($10 per family) can be purchased online now. Parking is free, and is available in the lots on the east side of the school as well as in any space marked "New Trier High School" in the Indian Hill lot adjacent to the Metra lot at Winnetka Avenue and Green Bay Road.

All proceeds from Winter Carnival benefit the 2024 Senior Class Service Project, Embarc Chicago, which provides “real-world experiential learning accompanied by a state of the art in-class curriculum to change the trajectories of students’ lives.”

District 39 On FOX-32!

We were very grateful to welcome a crew from FOX-32 Chicago to Central Elementary School this week for World Read Aloud Day! Our faculty and staff, particularly our library educators, across the district did an amazing job of celebrating World Read Aloud Day with our students. Please enjoy this segment from Good Day Chicago as a showcase of their collective work.