Daniel Wright

DW students were recently challenged to build a crate for their pet. First, however, they had to decide on the pet they wanted to crate. Students chose everything from a gorilla to a hamster.

“We’re trying to find the dimensions we need to build a cage for a donkey,” explained Batu Oksan, sixth-grader.

Students designed and modeled a pet crate using one-inch and half-inch cubes, made a net for that prism using one-inch grid paper, then found the volume and surface area of their rectangular prism. Students enjoyed using their creativity to collaborate in selecting a pet and finding crate dimensions that were appropriate for their pet and met the constraints of the project.

In sixth-grade math, teachers guide students to meet the standards by helping them find the volume and surface area of a right rectangular prism with fractional side lengths; discover how to create a model and net for a prism; and demonstrate their understanding of these concepts by recording a whiteboard-style tutorial with integrated visual displays and explanations.

Math Teacher Kirsten Frantom challenges her students with this pet crate project to help them grasp the standards. “I find that the creativity and element of student choice inherent in this project elicit high levels of student engagement. Also, collaborating with peers and working with the physical models lead to a deeper understanding of the concepts involved,” she said.

Please visit the school's Google Doc folder for pictures of the activity.

The Learning Fund Foundation is pleased to announce that submissions for the eighth-grade 2023 Dawn Anderson scholarship are now being accepted. The submission deadline is Sunday, April 16, for this $2,500 scholarship.

Each spring, our students at Half Day School and Daniel Wright Junior High School are required by the State of Illinois to take the Illinois Assessment of Readiness and the Illinois Science Assessment. The Illinois Science Assessment is being taken by eighth-graders on Thursday, March 16.

To help prevent the spread of illness, we would like to give you some guidelines to help with your decision on whether or not to send your child to school. We ask that you keep your child home if they:

• Have a fever of 100.4 (oral) degrees or higher.

• Have cramps and or vomiting.

• Have a sore throat with fever.

• Have a persistent cough (dry or productive).

• Have diarrhea (three or more episodes in 24 hrs).

• Have a rash or open and draining sores.

• Have symptoms that prevent them from participating in school, such as:

• Excessive tiredness or lack of appetite.

• Headaches, body aches, earaches.

• Severe sore throat (could be strep-throat even without fever. Other symptoms of strep throat in children are headache and stomach upset. Contact your pediatrician to assess or diagnosis strep throat).

• Please review the sick day guidelines for more detail.

Sixth-grade students will be attending Outdoor Education at the YMCA Camp MacLean in Burlington, Wisconsin, on Monday, May 8, and Tuesday, May 9. We are seeking parents to chaperone this amazing outdoor experience!

Chaperone responsibilities include riding the bus to and from camp, as well as general support and supervision during meals, classes, games, and overnight in the cabins. If you are interested in being a chaperone, please complete this google form. All lottery submissions should be made no later than NOON on Friday, March 31. A lottery to select chaperones will be held in early April and all parents will be notified of selection by Friday, April 7.

Registration for Spring After School Activity courses closes Tuesday, March 14. Please use the RevTrak Web Store platform to register. Classes do fill up and are offered on a first-come-first-serve basis. Classes begin after school the week of April 3 and run for about six weeks. Please visit the After School Activities website for detailed information about these clubs.

• Thursday, March 16: Late Arrival Day
  
• March 27-30: No School (Spring Break)

Late Arrival Time for Daniel Wright Junior High School

• School starts at 10:00 a.m.
• Please do not drop students off at school before 9:35 a.m.

Late arrival days allow our teachers and staff extended time to collaborate on instructional planning and professional development to improve student learning. For other calendar updates, please visit the calendar on the website.

We are gathering feedback from families regarding their experience with remote conferences. Please take a moment to complete this short survey prior to Friday, March 24. Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Summer school registration is now open. Please review the preliminary D103 Summer School offerings and D103 Summer School Schedule in preparation for registration. Visit the summer school website for more details.

Parents, please participate in this state survey by giving feedback on school climate and learning conditions in District 103 through the state-administered, Illinois 5Essentials Survey.

This 20-minute survey is a great way for D103 parents to provide input into the five indicators from the survey that affect and predict school success:

• Effective Leaders

• Collaborative Teachers

• Involved Families

• Supportive Environments

• Ambitious Instruction

For more about the survey, please visit the D103 website.

The eighth-grade graduation committee is hard at work planning for this special day. Be on the lookout after spring break for additional opportunities to purchase class T-shirts, Stevenson hoodies, yard signs and tickets to both the dance and celebratory pool party. We want to make sure everyone has what they need to celebrate in style!

Come join us Saturday, May 20, for the Run for D103 5k! This family-friendly annual fundraising event enables the PTO to provide D103 with programs and equipment for the benefit of our students. Now through Tuesday, March 14, don't miss your chance to lock in your registration at the early bird rate of just $30 per runner! Learn more and register at runford103.org.

Come join the PTO for an opportunity to meet the dedicated individuals running for the D103 School Board in this virtual venue. We encourage you to submit questions for the candidates. Due to time limitations, not all questions may be presented to the candidates. Our goal of hosting this forum is to allow parents and constituents to get to know the candidates better and discover which individuals best represent their needs & ideals on the D103 school board.

• Reserve your spot today for the 7:00 p.m. Monday, March 13, virtual event.

Do you have a park you enjoy walking through on sunny weekends? A public sculpture you find particularly interesting? A museum you love to visit or take your kids to? We want to hear about it! Senator Adriane Johnson's office is putting together a list of amazing locations in the 30th District. We invite you to tell us about your favorite places to visit.

Learn more about the Chicago Rush summer soccer camps and clinics.

• Daniel Wright Calendar of Events
• Daily School Announcements
• Archived Newsletters

Principals

• Principal Michelle Blackley, Ed.D.
• Assistant Principal Nina Nusbaum, Ed.D.
• Assistant Principal Melody Littlefair

• 847-604-5280
• Dw_attendance@d103.org