Carleton Washburne

March is here and with the warm weather, it sure feels like spring is in the air. At Washburne, we are heading into the end of the second trimester this week, and students will be starting their trimester three electives next Monday.

This Wednesday, March 6th from 10:00-11:00am, we will be joined by New Trier Freshman Campus Principal Paul Waechtler, for our next coffee and conversation with the principal. Mr. Waechtler will share, "A D36 Parent’s Guide to the New Trier Transition," followed by time for questions and discussion.

You can also mark your calendars for Thursday, March 21st at 10:00am, as the Skokie and Washburne principals will be presenting on, “The Developmental Progression of the Middle School Child”. Please RSVP here and join us in the Skokie Community Room.

Take Care and Be Well,

Andrew Fenton & Ben Horwitz

Carleton Washburne Principal & Assistant Principal

In the coming weeks, building social workers will implement state-mandated sexual abuse prevention education during one 20-30 minute session in each classroom. Parents have the option to opt their children out of the program as they deem appropriate, and must do so by March 4th.

For more detailed information about Erin’s Law and curriculum content, or to find the opt-out form, please refer to the Erin’s Law page of the District Website or contact our Washburne social workers; Rachael Hutson, Naira Ejupovic, and Ellie Hotchkiss.

The Homework and Executive Functioning Network, composed of teachers, interventionists, and administrators, is currently working to develop District Guidelines for Homework (grades 5-8) and Executive Functioning (grades K-8).

In order to make an informed decision, the Network would greatly appreciate your honest response to this brief, ANONYMOUS survey so that we can better understand our current practice and perceptions around these two topics. Responses are due by March 13. The information we collect from teachers, students, and parents, paired with research, will guide the Network in developing:

1. A qualitative, single-point rubric for Executive Functioning that details descriptors in the following areas: Organizing & Planning, Initiating Tasks and Staying Focused, and Managing Emotions.
   Executive functioning impacts each student’s growth, development, and achievement. These are essential skills for students in school and life, and are often strong indicators of future success.

2. Guidelines for grades 5-8 Homework Practices to aid in establishing consistent classroom-to-classroom expectations for students, increasing vertical alignment within our system and between levels, and identifying supports in preparing students for “what’s next”.

We understand that experiences may vary by grade level so please complete one survey per grade level and school that your student(s) are in.

Survey link: https://forms.gle/huKAKKvtR4kSv1bV9

Welcome to Window to Washburne! Each week, we will be highlighting some of the learning taking place in our classrooms.

Washburne School welcomed Congressman Brad Schneider to our building last week. Students were able to ask the congressman a wide variety of questions. Some of the questions focused on the technical aspects of government - Should there be term limits? How does Congress decide who is on which committee? Other questions were more personal - Have you ever met the President? What’s your favorite place in Washington D.C.? Overall, students were able to get an inside glimpse into politics and learn about our government. Kudos to Ms. Zuehl and the entire social studies department for organizing such a great experience for our students.

On March 10, Winnetka Public Schools Foundation board members will be reaching out to D36 parents and community members by phone, text and email to secure donations for the coming year. The goal is to raise $85,000 during Phone-A-Thon so that WPSF can continue to fund grants to promote teaching innovation. Every donation makes a difference in our schools! Donate online by March 9, to “Beat the Call.” With your support, WPSF can continue to invest in our students, teachers, schools and community and fund grants to enhance the learning experience for every Winnetka D36 student.

Carleton Washburne students are hosting a dance marathon benefiting Lurie Children's Hospital on Friday, March 15th from 3:30-5:30pm.

If you haven't received a fundraising link from your child or his/her/their advisor yet, you can find your link here. We are still looking for volunteers to help with this event, please reach out to the Skokie/Washburne PTO if you are interested in volunteering.

Where does the money go? Children's Miracle Network

Friday, March 8th: Last Day of Trimester 2

Friday, March 15th 3:30-5:30pm: Skokie/Washburne Dance Marathon

Tuesday, March 19th: D36 School Board Meeting - 7:15pm @ Washburne School

Monday, March 25th - Friday March 29th: Spring Break - No School

The District offers regular sessions for families to learn more about a variety of topics.

Click here for the Winter/Spring 2024 schedule.

Up next:

From Washburne to New Trier: (Paul Waechtler, Principal)

A D36 Parent's Guide to the New Trier Transition

March 6, 2024

10:00-11:00 A.M.

Washburne RC

Carleton Washburne School

RSVP here.

Not Quite Little Kid, Not Quite Teenager: The Developmental Progression of the Middle School Child

March 21, 2024

10:00 AM

Skokie Community Room

Join Principal Cooney and Assistant Principal Joynt (The Skokie School) and Principal Fenton and Assistant Principal Horwitz (Carleton Washburne School) for an informational session focusing on the ins and outs of the growing middle school child. We will spend time exploring both the academic and social-emotional needs appropriate to 5th-8th grade children, how they change over that four year span, as well as the neurological changes that contribute to these needs. Parents with current middle schoolers, or soon-to-be middle schoolers, are encouraged to join us for an engaging, encouraging and educational hour together.

Interested:

RSVP here

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

Feedback Link

You are invited to complete the Illinois 5Essentials Parent Survey. On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey is administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago. The survey gathers data related to five indicators that can inform school improvement efforts. The five indicators that affect and predict school success are:

• Effective Leaders

• Collaborative Teachers

• Involved Families

• Supportive Environments

• Ambitious Instruction

Your participation in this survey is voluntary, but important to our schools and the District. We do not receive results from the survey unless at least 20 percent of parents/guardians respond. The more responses parents/guardians provide, the more we will know how to focus our efforts. Please help us to improve by completing the survey.

• Go to: the 5Essentials Survey website to take the survey

• Select “Parent Survey.”

• You may enter your email address if you would like to receive confirmation of your submission, but it is not required.

• Then enter “COOK” into the county field and type in your student’s school.

You will then be asked a series of questions to provide input regarding your family’s experience at your student’s school. Please remember to click “submit” once you are done so your responses can be counted.

Please know that your identity and responses will be kept confidential and will not be connected with your child. If you have multiple children who attend our schools, you may complete one survey for each child. However, only one parent per household may submit a survey for a given child. The parent survey closes on March 29, so please submit your responses soon.

Season 2, Episode #4: What is Project Based Learning?

Think back to a favorite project you experienced when you were a student. Was there something about it that was highly engaging, unique, and allowed you freedom to discover and explore your own interests? Dr. Kelly Tess, Superintendent, has a conversation with Carleton Washburne School students, Ms. Tip Walker (The Skokie School), and Ms. Jennifer Bertacchi (Carleton Washburne School) reflecting on the profound impact of Project Based Learning on education. This episode provides a window into how Project Based Learning is designed by teachers, experienced by students and connects to learning standards. As stated by a student interviewed about a recent Project Based Learning activity, “This really prepared me for what I may be able to do in the future.” To see the website built by these students as one of their public products visit this link.

Listen here:

Apple Podcast

Amazon

Spotify

iHeart Radio

Google

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.

The Accelerated Placement Act requires Illinois public school districts to adopt and implement policies on acceleration that provide opportunities for single subject and grade level acceleration. To learn more about District 36’s acceleration policy implementation, click here to view an infographic and click here to visit our updated webpage. Note that the acceleration request form will be open February 26-March 22.

If you have questions about the policy, please contact the Asst Supt of Innovation, Teaching and Learning, Dr. Becky Mathison, at beckymathison@winnetka36.org.

Families may now access the calendar for the upcoming school year, also available on our District website.