Carleton Washburne

It was great to see so many families in the building last week for our student-led fall conferences. We are proud of the progress our students have made this year, and are happy to continue to collaborate and partner with our families to support our students.

Carleton Washburne School will be conducting our annual lockdown drill in conjunction with the Winnetka Police Department this Tuesday, October 17th. Illinois law requires that all schools conduct a drill with law enforcement within the first 90 school days of the year. Prior to the drill, Washburne teachers will be discussing it with students to ensure that they understand that it is a planned drill and to know what actions to take.

Illinois law allows for parents to opt out of the drill with written notice to their child’s school. If you would like to opt your child out of the drill, please indicate so by completing this Google Form. You do not need to take any action if your child will participate in the drill.

Take Care and Be Well,

Andrew Fenton & Ben Horwitz

Washburne Principal & Assistant Principal

Washburne Students now have their photo ID's that they will be using to order lunch in the cafeteria. Please help us encourage our students to remember to bring and wear their ID's each day.

Parents can view our lunch menu by clicking on this LINK.

Students who were absent or need to retake their school photo can do so on Friday, October, October 27th. Picture retakes will occur during students’ lunch periods. Here are general dress guidelines for photos:

8th Grade: This is a formal, graduation picture. Students are recommended to wear a dark sports jacket, a white or pastel shirt, and a tie –or-- a dark top and a simple piece of jewelry.

7th Grade: More casual attire is permitted. In general, darker clothing shows well, and shirts with collars are better than those without.

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

Exciting Developments in the Washburne STE(A)M Program!

Our Washburne STE(A)M program is abuzz with activity! InnoTech students are putting the finishing touches on their multimedia reflections for their second STE(A)M challenge of the trimester. Meanwhile, our CW Broadcasting students finished their All About Me videos, and they are now preparing for their first news report. And remember our Computer Science enthusiasts, who are navigating the challenges of Ozria and creating captivating in-program games. It's a whirlwind of innovation and creativity!

Calling all you talented vocalists. Washburne chorus will meet on Wednesdays after school this year. Please keep an eye out in our upcoming newsletters for more information about the first meeting date and location.

Debate club meets after school on Wednesdays from 3:30-4:30pm in Ms. Etter’s room (N106). This is a great opportunity for students to hone their research skills, become polished public speakers, and challenge themselves outside of the classroom. Students can compete in after-school tournaments with other New Trier feeder schools a few times throughout the year.

Please reach out to Ms. Etter (maureenetter@winnetka36.org) with any questions.

Parents can register their child for debate by clicking this LINK.

Washburne Basketball Tryouts are set. In order to participate in basketball, students must be registered online and have a medical clearance form or copy of a recent physical (within 13 months) on file at school. The form can be found on this page.

Students need to attend both days of tryouts

• 7th Grade Girls - Monday, October 23 from 2:30-4:00 and Wednesday, October 25 from 5:00-6:30

• 7th Grade Boys - Tuesday, October 24 from 5:00-6:30 and Thursday, October 26 from 3:30-5:00

• 8th Grade Girls - Monday, October 23 from 4:00-5:30 and Wednesday, October 25 from 3:30-5:00

• 8th Grade Boys - Tuesday, October 24 from 3:30-5:00 and Thursday, October 26 from 5:00-6:30

• *Friday, October 27 will be used as a 3rd tryout date for any team that may need it.

We will meet in the Washburne gyms at the designated time. Students should bring basketball shoes, but do not need to bring their own ball. Tryout results will either be emailed home to the address used during registration, or shared with the students in a different format. Tryouts are not open to any spectators. Any questions can be directed to Andy Becker at AndyBecker@Winnetka36.org.

For planning purposes, please note that Washburne 8th graders will take the New Trier placement test on Saturday, December 2nd. If for any reason your child needs to test on a different day, please reach out directly to New Trier in early October after they send information to families about testing.

New Trier holds scheduling conferences each February for 8th grade families to discuss their child’s schedule for next year. For planning purposes, please note that these conferences will take place on Wednesday, February 7th. We will provide further details this winter.

Tuesday, October 24th: School Board Meeting - 7:15pm @ Carleton Washburne School

Friday, October 27th: Picture Retakes

Wednesday, November 1st: Teacher Institute Day - No Student Attendance

Click here to view a message from Carleton Washburne students.

Bullying affects everyone: those exhibiting bullying behaviors, the bullied, and the bystanders. The District's Bullying Response and Prevention Plan creates awareness of what bullying is with “child-friendly” language that illustrates the difference between mean, rude or bullying behavior; establishes and communicates to students, parents and staff methods for reporting incidents related to bullying behavior; develops communication protocols for investigating, notifying and resolving incidents reported; and, builds an ongoing dialog with students on bullying awareness and prevention.

The District 36 approach to bullying is “pro” solution rather than “anti” problem to foster a change of culture through kindness, compassion, respect, reaching out, and helping others. Every October, students discuss bullying prevention in their classrooms/advisories where they are reminded of methods available to them to speak with an adult about their concerns. Students in grades 5-8 are able to report an incident or indicate that they want to talk to an adult from a form on their ipad. Students K-4 are able to report an incident to any adult in whatever form is most comfortable for them. A reporting form is also accessible from the District’s website, along with information on text4help. Click here for additional information.

The District offers regular sessions for families to learn more about a variety of topics. Please view the fall schedule here. If you were unable to attend “The Winnetka Experience: Portrait of a Graduate, Portrait of an Educator, and Progressive Education” view the session here.

Coming Soon:

District 36: Benchmark Assessments

October 19 2023 @ 9:30 A.M.

Location: Skokie Community Room

Join Dr. Becky Mathison, Assistant Superintendent of Innovation, Teaching and Learning, to hear about the standardized academic assessments administered in the areas of reading and math. Learn about what skills are assessed at each grade level, how staff use this information, and when parents can expect to receive assessment results following each of the three benchmarking periods (fall, winter, and spring)

Interested:

RSVP for this event here

Following the event a link will be provided to the recorded presentation on the website.

Feedback Link

Fall benchmark assessment results have been mailed home. Information to help parents understand the assessment reports are available on the District website. As a community of learners, we are navigating the way through how to best use this information along with the valuable insight gathered on a day-to-day basis in our schools. Thank you for being our partner in this growth process.

Last year the District strategic plan goal to realign the K-1 literacy program was updated to entail a full curriculum review of literacy programming K-8. The goal of the curriculum review is to ensure there is a guaranteed and viable literacy curriculum based upon current research that builds from Kindergarten through Grade 8. In the spring a group of educators that comprised the District’s Literacy Leadership Committee identified literacy programs to pilot this year and 60 classroom teachers volunteered to participate in the pilot. Participating in the pilot means that the teacher has been trained in the program and will select one existing unit in the literacy curriculum to replace with the pilot curriculum. Your child’s classroom teacher may have shared this information during the recent Go To School Night events, as well as through their classroom newsletters. While the student learning outcomes in literacy may remain the same this year, the programming, materials and sequence used may be different in classrooms where the pilot is taking place. More information about the pilot will continue to be shared through District communications and regular updates during School Board meetings.

A special thank you to the Winnetka Public Schools Foundation Board for approving funding that was used for a large majority of the pilot training that occurred during September.

Per the Illinois Department of Public Health, it is recommended that a person isolates for at least 5 days from symptom onset if symptoms are present or 5 days from positive test date if no symptoms. Day 1 starts the day after symptom onset/positive test date. They can return on day 6 if fever, vomiting, and diarrhea cease for 24 hours and have improvement of symptoms. It is recommended to mask day 6-10.

To view the calendar for the 2023/2024 school year, please click here.

The Winnetka Public Schools, Village, Police, and Fire Departments work to proactively refine safety practices on an ongoing basis. We are grateful for our collaborative partnership, and have worked together to compile a Fall Edition of our Safety Bulletin as we begin the 23/24 school year. You’ll find general information on a variety of safety-related topics and resources to support the safety of our entire community.

As part of Winnetka School District 36’s ongoing commitment to equity by fostering connection and belonging, the District will take time each month to recognize the contributions of people of diverse backgrounds. The goal of these monthly observances is to provide resources and support for teachers in order to bring awareness and appreciation to the diverse population of students in our community. Observances will look different at all schools and even at different grade levels. Some activities might include art, music, book studies, research projects, sharing cultural holidays and celebrations, and other school activities. As materials are developed for these observances, we will make them accessible.

September 15- October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month

October: Disability Awareness

November: Native American Heritage

December: Human Rights

January: MLK Jr. Day

February: Black History

March - April 15: Women’s History Month

April 15-May 15: Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage

May 15 - June 13: Jewish American Heritage

Download the District’s app by searching “The Winnetka Public Schools” on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. The app will serve as a convenient way to report absences, view and manage your school calendars, and see at-a-glance District news.

This is your opportunity to “upcycle” your new or gently used goods to16 nonprofits who will gratefully receive your donations at the Indian Hill Metra Train Station Parking Lot in Winnetka (111 Green Bay Road, Winnetka) from 9am-noon.

This annual Volunteer Center (VC) donation drop-off collects nearly 30,000 items each year! See the detailed list on the VC website of the 16 nonprofits and the goods they have requested and start sorting, tagging and bagging them for drop off! Please share with your service groups, businesses, and friends.

Thank you to everyone for all the work you are doing to support the Volunteer Center and this year's Make A Difference Day!

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