The Skokie Home Scoop
February 6, 2023
February 6, 2023
Dear Families:
We look forward to seeing you this week during conferences. Thank you to our PTO for supporting our staff with lunch this week, and for leading Weekend Warm-Ups for our 5th and 6th graders in recent weeks!
We know that this is a short week for students. We would like to use this week as a time to encourage all of our students to adjust their morning routines a bit if they are finding that they are arriving after 8:25. On time arrival is extremely important as our educators begin Advisory at 8:25 each morning. On a different note, but related to morning arrival, we ask that cars avoid using the alleys. This can cause a challenge for neighbors accessing or leaving their garages. Thank you for your partnership on this!
Dance Marathon
We are counting down the days to the 2023 Dance Marathon on March 3, 2023 from 3:30-5:30pm. Our community is playing an important role in the advancement of care and treatment at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Through the Washburne/Skokie Dance Marathon program which will be hosted the students will come together to raise vital funds to support the nearly 223,000 patients that Lurie Children’s treats annually, as well as build awareness for health issues that affect children.
Generous support from the Washburne/Skokie Dance Marathon program contributes directly to this mission and to the care and comfort of the children. In 2020, our last in-person event raised over $ 42,000 dollars for the patients and families at Lurie Children’s.
Registration links will be sent in the upcoming weeks, but here are ways that you can help us help the kids:
· Volunteer with us. Join our Parent Committee to help volunteer at the event and get the community further involved in the dance marathon. For more information, email HERE.
· We invite your student to be involved. Register your student and “JOIN A TEAM” by their advisory class HERE
Fundraising is not required for students to participate in Dance Marathon. We are looking forward to engaging together as a community in support of Lurie Children’s Hospital!
Health and Wellness Day
On April 28th, 2023 Skokie School of The Winnetka Public Schools will be holding a Health and Wellness Day. Skokie School has a 5th/6th student population of over 400+ students. Our day is fully dedicated and focused on healthy habits and understanding.
We have four, forty minute sessions, two in the morning and two in the afternoon. We’d love for you to present for the entire day. The Kinetic Wellness team realizes that your time is valuable and presenting the whole day might not be possible. If you are unable to attend the whole day, we would also encourage you to share the day’s presentations with a colleague and split time between the two of you. Or you could choose to participate in the morning or afternoon.
We often get questions about the content of your presentation.
Talk about your speciality
How you became interested in your field
What systems/specialties you treat
Why these systems are important to your overall health
Tools of the trade
Pictures, x-rays , or any other visuals/hands on materials associated with your profession
General well-being
The more interactive your presentation, the more engaged your 5th and 6th grade audience will be.
During our last Health and Wellness Day in 2017 we had presentations from dermatologists, sleep specialists, asthma/allergist, pediatricians, optometrist, orthopedics, Red Cross, Winnetka Fire Department, Winnetka Park District, Chicago bears trainers, dietician/nutritionist, American Cancer Association, Bullying/Peer Pressure, Grand Foods/Whole Foods (healthy snacks), hematologists, cardiologists, yoga, and more.
If you are interested contact us at Skokie School. If you know of someone who would be willing to donate their time, expertise and knowledge for this day, please pass this on. If you have any questions don’t hesitate in contacting one of us regarding Health and Wellness day.
mikehynes@winnetka36.org, curtwilson@winnetka36.org, and andreastrening@winnetka36.org
You can call Skokie School (847-441-1750) to talk directly to Mike, Curt, and Andrea.
Health and Wellness Day Schedule:
Opening Assembly 8:35 – 9:45
1st Session: 9:50 – 10:30
2nd Session: 10:35 – 11:15
Lunch/Recess/Advisory: 11:20-11:45
Lunch/Recess/Advisory: 11:50-12:15
Lunch/Recess/Advisory: 12:20-12:45
3th Session: 12:50 - 1:30
4th Session: 1:35 - 2:15
Assembly: 2:20 – 3:10
Closure/Advisory: 3:15-3:30
Beverages with the Board
Beverages with the Board is an opportunity for community members to connect with Board Members on a regular basis. Drop in to chat with Emily Rose and Dawn Livingston on topics that impact our school community:
February 14 from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Peet's Coffee
817 Elm Street in Winnetka
Acceleration Policy Information
Thank you to the parents and community members that attended the WPI event about the acceleration policy on January 25. Click here to access a recording of the session. Attendees were provided a draft copy of the acceleration request form in order to provide feedback before the form goes live on March 6. If you would like to provide feedback, please review the draft of the form here. Feedback that is specific and aligned to a particular question would be most helpful. Consider which items need to be changed, looked at further, or improved. Please share your feedback with Dr. Becky Mathison at beckymathison@winnetka36.org by Friday, February 10.
The criteria for the acceleration request process includes Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) scores two or more achievement scores at the 99th percentile one grade level above over the last two years. Students recently completed the winter MAP test. Winter student reports are not sent home. Student reports are sent home at the end of the school year with fall to spring growth measures. If you need further information on your child’s recent testing session please contact your building principal. To view a chart that depicts the achievement percentiles for MAP scores by grade level, click here.
Winnetka Voices Podcast Episodes
Winnetka Voices is a podcast hosted by The Winnetka Public Schools, featuring candid conversations on issues relevant to education and shared resources to support our students and families.
NEW! Episode #3:
Supporting Literacy Needs & Fostering a Love of Reading
Dr. Kelly Tess, Superintendent, is joined by Dr. Becky Mathison, the District’s Director of Innovation, Teaching and Learning, Ms. Missy Parks, second grade teacher at Crow Island School, and Anna Karwowska, Youth Services Manager of The Winnetka-Northfield Public Library. Topics addressed include how we've seen students' needs evolve following the result of the pandemic, how the District approaches supporting students in their reading skills, and tools that may help parents and caregivers support an interest in reading at home.
Listen here:
Winnetka Parents Institute
UP NEXT:
March 2023
From Washburne to New Trier: (Paul Waechtler, Principal)
A D36 Parent's Guide to the New Trier Transition
March 7, 2023 (confirmed)
9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
Carleton Washburne School, 515 Hibbard Rd.
Paul Waechtler, Principal at the New Trier High School Freshman
Campus, and Lori Worth, 8th Grade Transition Faculty, will discuss the New Trier freshman placement process and the efforts made to ensure a smooth transition to high school. A Q & A will provide an opportunity for parents to learn more about how to best support their child(ren) as they prepare for their New Trier experience.
Interested:
Learning the Mood Meter- District Implementation of RULER
(District 36 SEL Coaches)
March 14, 2023
Location: Washburne RC
Time: 10:00-11:00 AM
Interested:
D36 K-8 Math Programming: An Overview
(Dr. Becky Mathison, Director of ITL and District Math Teachers)
March 21, 2023
Location: Washburne RC
Time: 10:00-11:00 AM
Interested: RSVP here
If you missed it:
View the Acceleration in Winnetka 36 Presentation here.
Director of Innovation, Teaching, and Learning Dr. Becky Mathison hosted this information session about the acceleration policy. The acceleration policy provides the opportunity for parents, students, and licensed educational professionals to request that accelerated programming be examined for an individual student. The policy identifies acceleration as: early entrance in Kindergarten, early entrance into 1st grade, single-subject acceleration (any subject), and grade-level acceleration. The content included a review of the purpose of the acceleration policy and a preview of updated procedures this year. Please note that the New Trier Math program and Washburne accelerated math are not a part of this policy. Thank you to the parents and community members that attended the WPI event about the acceleration policy on January 25.
Attendees were provided a draft copy of the acceleration request form in order to provide feedback before the form goes live on March 6. If you would like to provide feedback, please review the draft of the form here. Feedback that is specific and aligned to a particular question would be most helpful. Consider which items need to be changed, looked at further, or improvements. Please share your feedback with Dr. Becky Mathison at beckymathison@winnetka36.org by Friday, February 10.
Adventures in Learning Summer 2023
The Winnetka Public Schools will offer its Adventures in Learning summer program from June 14th to July 19, 2023. There will be no classes on June 19th or July 4th. Our General Program is designed for students entering 2nd grade through 8th grade and will be held at Washburne School. Our Primary Program provides activities for children Pre-K (4 years old by June 1st, 2023) and K-1st grade (5 years old by September 1st, 2022) and will be held at Crow Island. Classes will be as varied as wilderness skills, archery, tennis, science, cooking, and many types of crafts...along with the annual favorite, Animal Care. Registration will go live in March.
Online Registration Open for Incoming Kindergarteners & New Students for the 2023-2024 School Year
Registration for incoming kindergarteners and students new to The Winnetka Public Schools in 2023-2024 is now open on the District website and via https://registration.powerschool.com/family/gosnap.aspx?action=30658&culture=en. Children who will be five-years-old on or before September 1, 2023, are eligible to enroll.
The new student registration process is completed in three steps:
Complete new student pre-registration forms online.
Provide the original or certified copy of your child(ren)'s birth certificate and a parent photo ID. The certified copy can be submitted in person at the District Office. If you have the original birth certificate, you may bring it to the District Office to be photocopied. The District Office is at 1235 Oak St., Winnetka.
Provide proof of residency and paper registration forms. For your convenience, all required residency documents may be uploaded during online registration. Click here to view the list of documents that will meet these requirements as well as the other forms required for registration (Registration Forms & Information).
Children will not be considered enrolled until both the online and paper portion of registration has been completed and residency documentation is verified. If you have any questions, please contact the District Office at 847-446-9400.
Painting our Portrait
We recently launched a new series called “Painting our Portrait,” highlighting each of these areas along with examples of how the Portrait of a Graduate is coming to life in our schools. Follow along on our website, in the Winnetka Wire, and on social media to learn more about how our educators infuse these competencies into our students’ learning experiences.
Composting in District 36
Composting is in full swing at Greeley, Hubbard Woods and Washburne Schools. A plan is underway to eventually introduce composting at Crow Island and The Skokie School.
Please note that items that are not on the lists below are not eligible for composting. This includes dog waste, scrap wood, and yard waste. While leaves and other organics are compostable, this service is not intended to take the place of the current Winnetka community systems and home composting solutions. If you notice composting bins are full, the District is unable to accept the materials and kindly requests that you do not place items outside of the bins for health and safety reasons. We also ask that residents abide by the hours designated for our schools. Further information on hours and bin locations is available on the Village website.
Food Products:
• Baked goods
• Bones
• Breads
• Candy
• Cereal
• Coffee grounds
• Dairy products
• Egg shells
• Fish/seafood
• Flower/plant cuttings
• Fried food
• Fruits
• Grains and grain products
• Meats
• Vegetables
• Spices/herbs
• Sugars/syrups
Paper Products:
• Blue painters tape (it’s paper!)
• Cardboard (pizza boxes!)
• Coffee filters
• Sugar/salt/pepper packets
• Egg cartons (paper only)
• Microwave popcorn bags
• Napkins
• Newspaper
• Paper food packaging
• Paper towels and wrap
• Tea/tea bags (no staples)
• Untreated wood products/sawdust
From our Partners at New Trier:
New Trier High School Wants to Hear from Elementary School Families!
New Trier High School is always seeking to improve its communication with community members. The District is asking all community members to take the time to fill out a
brief online survey about communications preferences: https://bit.ly/newtriersurvey
The survey includes questions specific to parents with children in New Trier Township elementary schools. It should take only a few minutes to complete. The survey link will close on Friday, Feb. 10.
New Trier encourages all sender school families to take the time to complete this very brief survey. Thank you!
FROM OUR PARTNERS AT THE ALLIANCE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD:
READ: Alliance’s Fall/Winter Newsletter
READ: Alliance’s Let’s Play Guide 2022-2023 and NEW Let’s Play! Information
REGISTER: Virtual Parent Series: Using Connection, Compassion, and Co-Regulation to Address Challenging Behavior in Young Children with Cari Ebert, February 9, 7-8:30pm
REGISTER: Let’s Play! Let’s Play! Winter Woods Exploration Saturday, February 11, 10:00am-12:00pm, Crow Island Woods, 1140 Willow Rd, Winnetka
REGISTER: Virtual Parent Series: Attachment and Your Young Child’s Mental Health: How You Can Make a Difference with Kate Blaker and Sarah Eastburg in Conversation with Carly Andrews, February 23, 7pm
Parent Education Sessions from District Partner Family Action Network (FAN):
For upcoming events, access FAN’s website here.
Follow us on Social Media!
Please follow the District via the following social media platforms in order to see day-to-day happenings and more.
Facebook and Twitter: @Winnetka36
Instagram: @WinnetkaPublicSchools
Sincerely,
Michelle Cooney and Larry Joynt
Principal and Assistant Principal
The Skokie School