Wescott Word

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome to the 2023-24 school year! We look forward to seeing the Wescott One Big Family back together in a few weeks!

This year our theme is "Be a HERO: Help Everyone Respect Others." We will be on the lookout for HEROs this year and help everyone build a respectful learning community. And, we continue our Wescott Way "Be Safe, Be Caring, and Be Here and Ready!" in classrooms and throughout the building, helping remind our students of the expectations for all.

• School supply drop-off for grades 1-5 will be held on Tuesday, August 22 from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
• Kindergarten students will meet their teachers on Wednesday, August 23 at 10:00 a.m.

Please note the change in our school day arrival and dismissal; Starting this year, children will be in attendance from 8:40 a.m.- 3:20 p.m. each day.

We also look forward to our Curriculum Night on August 31 where you can meet your child's teacher and hear about the upcoming school year. More details below!

We look forward to seeing our students back to start our new school year!

Dr. Chris Brown

Principal

Mrs. Katie Compagno

Assistant Principal

Thursday, August 17

Classroom teacher assignments available in Parent Portal

Friday, August 18

PTO registration opens

Tuesday, August 22

School supply drop-off (grades 1-5) from 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, August 23

First day of school (grades 1-5) at 8:40 a.m.

Kindergarten Meet the Teacher, supply drop-off, and Popsicles at the Playground at 10:00 a.m.

Thursday, August 24

First day of school for preK and kindergarten at 8:40 a.m.

Monday, August 28

Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Testing window opens - Grades 1-8

Thursday, August 31

Curriculum Night from 6-7:30 p.m.

Monday, September 4

District Holiday - NO SCHOOL

Thursday, September 7

Picture day

Wednesday, September 27

Superintendent Dr. Emily Tammaru's "Conversation with the Community"

from 12:00-1:00 pm. & 6:00-7:00 p.m.

We have increased the length of the elementary school day from 8:40 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. This extra 10 minutes allows for the required 30 minutes of unstructured play during lunch and returns 10 minutes of instruction to the school day.

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

For the 2023-24 school year, all parents 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 ensure 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 involved, please report the absence first in the Parent Portal. Following this, you are welcome to contact the school Health Office to communicate with the nurse about the condition.

Questions? Please contact the front desk.

Teacher Assignments will be available within PowerSchool's parent portal on August 17. The staff spends a great deal of time developing class lists while also considering parent input that was submitted last spring.

It is important to have a mix of students in each room. We believe it is best for children to be in classes that have a balance of male and female students (as much as possible, given the number of each gender in each grade level), and learning and behavior characteristics such as ability level, social skills, etc. We try to match up students' learning styles with the teachers' teaching styles.

Our major goal is to create a balance that will make a productive learning environment in each classroom. Student placements are considered final since they represent a great deal of time and effort spent with teams of staff members to create them.

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 23, 2022, 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, 2024 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.

We are pleased to welcome the following new staff members to Wescott School!

• Mrs. Jessica Boraca - Inclusion Specialist
• Mr. Erik Brekke - Assistant Director of Student Services
• Mrs. Paulina Coletta - Administrative Assistant
• Mr. Ryan Hochman - Learning Specialist
• Ms. Anna Shabelman - Learning Specialist
• Ms. Jamie Solomon - Speech and Language Pathologist
• Dr. Emily Tammaru, Superintendent of Schools
• Ms. Emily Ticho - School Psychologist

Please mark your calendars for the school supply drop-off scheduled on Tuesday, August 22, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. for grades 1-5. This is a time for students to drop off supplies in their classroom and locker, meet their teacher, and view the class list.

Our teachers will be occupied with meetings and other preparations outside of this window. Therefore, if you are unable to visit within this window, you may simply send your student to school the following day with their supplies.

REMINDER: It's not too late to order your 2023-24 school supplies from School Tool Box. If you'd rather do the shopping, print a supply list before you go!

On Wednesday, August 23 incoming kindergarten students and parents are invited to Meet the Teacher and supply drop-off at 10 a.m. Right afterwards around 10:30 a.m., enjoy popsicles sponsored by our PTO and meet up with other kindergartners and their parents! See you then!

Each student has a locker or classroom space for their use. No locks may be put on lockers. Students are expected to keep lockers neat and free from items that may cause damage or attention to others. This includes stickers, stick-on mirrors, posters, etc. Lockers should be cleaned and organized regularly so books, materials, and clothing can be easily found.

Following the start of the 2023-24 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 will open on August 28 and run through September 18. 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.

Our Curriculum Night will be on Thursday, August 31. We invite all parents to attend this informative evening. The schedule will be:

• 6:00-6:25 p.m. Formal presentation for 3rd-, 4th-, and 5th-grade classrooms
• 6:30 -7:00 p.m. General session for parents in the gym
• 7:05-7:30 p.m. Formal presentation for kindergarten, 1st-, and 2nd-grade classrooms

Formal presentations will be made by each classroom teacher and will include an overview of the curriculum, teacher expectations, and projected activities for the year. Informal sessions will be held in classrooms, when the formal presentations are not occurring at 6 or 7 p.m. All other faculty will be available throughout the night informally. Stop in and say hello!

District 30's new Superintendent, Dr. Emily Tammaru, invites all who live within Northbrook/Glenview School District 30 boundaries to join her and a member of the Board of Education for "Conversations with the Community" at on Wednesday, September 27 at 12:00 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. at our district offices, 2374 Shermer Road in Northbrook.

You are welcome to ask questions and share more with her about what matters to you in our schools. Registration is not required, but you may RSVP to either time below to help us plan to accommodate attendance.

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you September 27!

All students in the Wescott attendance area, kindergarten through 5th-grade, who register for bus service are assigned to a route and are picked up at their designated corner or house. Each of the routes proceed to Wescott. To register for bus service, contact the First Student Bus Company at 847-724-7200.

Many students are driven to and from school, thus causing some traffic congestion before and after school. Students may only be dropped off or picked up in front of the school building along the curb of the circular drive. If students are dropped off on a side street across from Wescott, they must cross with the crossing guard.

Students should arrive at school no earlier than 8:30 a.m. There is no playground supervision until that time. Students who walk to school should cross with the crossing guard at Techny and Western, Brentwood and Western, Dehne and Western, or Farnsworth and Western Avenues.

Please do not cross at any other intersection during pick up and drop off.

Cars may not be parked in the circle drive or parking spaces before, during or after drop off or pick up times: 8:00-9:00 a.m. and 3:00-3:40 p.m.

• During the busy drop off/pick up times, all traffic must enter the drive from the north. No left turns or traffic from the east is allowed into the circle drive during the drop off and pick up times. Cars must wait in one line alongside Wescott Park to enter the drive.
• The crosswalk must be left open at all times; cars should wait behind the intersection to enter the circle drive.
• The traffic flow to use to enter the line of cars waiting on Western Avenue is to take Fieldwood to Farnsworth to Western. PLEASE DO NOT CUT INTO THE TRAFFIC LINE FROM OTHER STREETS.
• Cars should not make U-turns in the middle of the street or turn around in resident's driveways.
• No traffic is allowed in the parking lot during drop off and pick up times.

Thank you for your patience during these busy times!

Students may ride their bicycles, scooters, and rollerblades to school. Bicycles should be walked on the sidewalks leading in or out of Wescott School and locked in the bike racks. At no time are students allowed to ride on the blacktop when children are present, or through the parking lot on the south side of the school. Children should wear bicycle helmets at all times when riding. Skateboards are not allowed on school grounds. They are not to be brought to school. Rollerblades may not be worn on the blacktop when other children are present.

The school doors are locked on the outside during the school day. The only unlocked door is the front door which leads into the vestibule. All visitors must identify themselves via the intercom system outside of the office and sign in and leave their driver's license in the office before they can enter the school or grounds. Visitors should not interrupt classes that are in session, including physical education classes that are held outside.

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 3 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 Wescott 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.

Wescott has a “no food or drink” birthday celebration practice. We want our students to know other ways to celebrate birthdays besides treats.

If you want your child to bring something in for their birthday, we encourage you to donate a book to our library through the PTO Birthday Book Club. You can also send school supplies such as pencils, erasers, stickers, bookmarks, etc.

Please do not send paper birthday invitations to school. The use of electronic invitations through our PTO directory is suggested.

The school has several ways of communicating with parents:

• At the beginning of the school year, parents are invited to participate in Curriculum Night which focuses on the sharing of curricular information.
  
• There are also conferences twice a year, in October and February.
• Report cards are sent home in December, March, and June.

It is equally important that parents communicate with the school. Anything that would affect the student's progress, emotionally or academically, should be discussed with the teacher. Teachers can be emailed or reached by phone between 8:00 a.m.-3:40 p.m. daily, but please keep in mind that when they are teaching, the phone in their room is turned off. Feel free to leave a message on staff members' voicemails. Open communication will benefit everyone.

We recognize that some students will carry communication devices to school, including smart watches. If a student brings a communication device to school, it should be silenced and remain in the student’s locker throughout the day. We reserve the right to confiscate student communication devices and hold them at the front desk if they are misused.

The new PTO Board is looking forward to serving the Wescott community in the new year. Please do not hesitate to reach out to any of the board members at any time to provide feedback, suggestions or to offer your time/support.

• President: Lisa Fishbain (wescottpto@district30.org)
• Vice President of Fundraising: Jessy Aaron (jessicaaaron524@gmail.com)
  
• Vice President of Technology: Lisha Xiang (lishaxiang12@gmail.com)
• Co-Vice Presidents Communications: Sophia Sun (ying.sophiasun@gmail.com) and Soyang Kwon (ksy7997@gmail.com)
• Secretary: Puja Ajmani (puja.ajmani@gmail.com, wescottsecretary@gmail.com)
  
• Treasurer: Adan Galvan (agalvan@gmail.com, wescotttreasurer@gmail.com)

• PTO lunch volunteer signup and spirit wear order begins August 1. Look out for emails from Wescott PTO.

• PTO registration runs August 18-September 1. There will be a $20 late fee. When you register, you can gain access to order yearbooks, monthly ice cream, special lunch and birthday signs.

• October 31 is the deadline to order yearbooks, monthly ice cream and birthday signs.

We welcome all parents to our first PTO meeting of the year on Wednesday, September 6 from 6 to 7 p.m. The PTO board will be there for a meet-and-greet at 5:30 p.m. to answer any questions. Come join us for important updates, share your ideas for school activities and have a first look at what we have planned for the school year.

Wescott School offers a variety of staff-sponsored clubs during the school year. These clubs are inspired by staff interest/passion and are free to students. However, space is limited. Clubs run for a period of 8 to 16 sessions. Look for registration information throughout the year in the Wescott Word.

The Wescott Word is a communication that the school sends our weekly to families and staff on Fridays. All copies will be sent electronically to the email addresses that families previously provided us using the online registration system. By now, you should have completed the online registration process so that you can receive all of our school's communications. The next issue will be emailed on Friday, August 25. Please contact the office if you do not receive this edition by Saturday, August 26. The Wescott Word is also posted on the school's website.

Important information is sent home throughout the year in the Wescott Word so please make sure to take the time to read each week's issue. We don't want anyone to miss out on seeing notices about current or upcoming events at the school.

Other ways to stay connected with what's happening in our schools include:

• Wescott School PTO Facebook
• District 30 Facebook
• District 30 Instagram
• District 30 Twitter (now called X)
• District 30 LinkedIn
• Watch for e-blasts from the PTO about upcoming events
  
• Email the PTO Board with questions or suggestions (see 'From the PTO' for contact info)
• Check out the Wescott PTO website for all PTO events and forms

Main office: 847-272-4660

Health/Attendance Office: 847-400-8760

Location: 1820 Western Avenue, Northbrook, IL 60062, USA

Website: district30.org/wescott
Facebook: facebook.com/ngsd30
Twitter: @district30