Skokie Home Scoop
February 19, 2024
February 19, 2024
Dear Families:
We are excited to share information about an event that all students will be participating in! The organization Educating Outside the Lines (EOTL) from last year's Health and Wellness Day (Wheelchair Sports and Hidden Disabilities sessions as well as opening speaker, Mac Nong), will be facilitating sessions for each advisory team.
5th grade will be participating in a session about Hidden Disabilities with an Anti-Bullying component on Friday, March 1st. 6th grade will engage in an Inclusive Playground Design project on Friday, February 23rd. To find out more, click here and scroll down the page to find a brief description of each session.
Here are some of the goals of the EOTL program:
Remove barriers of difference and fear
Shift perceptions of what it means to live with a disability
Build bridges to children's everyday lives
Instill a spirit of interest and acceptance that welcomes people of all diverse backgrounds
We hope this will be an enriching experience for the Skokie community.
Exploring Skokie
Literacy Integrated with Technology (LIT): In the Resource Center students have been exploring a variety of book genres and comparing their own personality traits to those genres. Students are utilizing the genre collections in our digital platform to learn about books that would match their interests. In the technology MakerLab, students are utilizing apps and graphic design skills to create visual descriptions of literature genres as well as book recommendations for their peers.
Technology Communication Design (TCD): Students are discussing copyright, plagiarism, and ethical concepts embedded within the use of technology tools. Students are also learning about “machine learning” through Google Autodraw, a drawing tool from Google Creative Lab.
Clubs: The Baking Club is live on the District Web Store. Registration opens at 9am on Tuesday, February 27th.
Coffee with Kelly
Dr. Kelly Tess, Superintendent of Schools, invites you to the first “Coffee with Kelly,” a community conversation that will be hosted at our schools over the remaining months of the school year. Staff, families and community members are welcome to join Dr. Tess and a special guest for co-facilitated discussions on topics of interest, providing an opportunity to gather together, listen to each other’s perspectives and enhance our partnership to educate the students of Winnetka.
The first “Coffee with Kelly” will center on the topic of Gathering. Dr. Tess will be joined by Ms. Carly Andrews, Executive Director of The Alliance for Early Childhood for a conversation on:
fostering social connections for our students,
supporting community members craving connection,
learning about how staff and families feel linked or out of synch with each other,
and reflecting on how caring for others can be both nourishing and depleting.
This is an opportunity to converse, connect, learn, and grow together!
Guests are invited to:
Read an excerpt from Nourished: Connection, Food, and Caring for Our Kids (And Everyone Else We Love) by Deborah MacNamara PhD
and/or watch this interview with the author
and/or come as you are, excited to engage with your childrens’ teachers, your neighbors, and your school leaders!
Wednesday, February 28 from 12 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
Greeley School Resource Center,
275 Fairview Ave., Winnetka
Please RSVP by February 25, 2024.
All staff and parents (including grandparents and caregivers!) are welcome. You do not need to be a Greeley family or staff member to attend. Coffee will be served!
Winnetka Voices
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:
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.
Winnetka Parents Institute
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
2024/2025 Calendar Now Available
Families may now access the calendar for the upcoming school year, also available on our District website.
End-of-School Date Change
Note that the last day of our school year will now fall on Friday, June 14, 2024. This is due to the emergency day taken when we experienced a winter storm in January 2024.
I could add something like "Per the Illinois State Board of Education, the District is obligated to have a certain number of instructional days in a year. If it is necessary to take any additional emergency days, they will be remote learning days and not result in any additional days added to the end of the school year."
Single-Subject and Grade Level Acceleration
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.
WPSF Phone-A-Thon Fundraiser Is Here!
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.
From our Partners at New Trier:
The tradition continues – fun for the whole family at Winter Carnival!
On Friday, February 23 from 5-8:30 p.m., the New Trier Senior Class is hosting its annual Winter Carnival, during which the entire Class of 2024 will work with their adviser rooms to transform the Winnetka Campus into various carnival attractions for children. Carnival-goers can expect everything from the classics, like Pop-A-Shot and Putt Putt Golf, to more unique activity booths, such as Glitter World Salon and Human Bowling. Admission at the North main entrance (along Trevian Way) is free and activity tickets are $1 each. Parking is free, and is available in the lots on the east side of the school as well as in any space marked "New Trier High School" in the Indian Hill lot adjacent to the Metra lot at Winnetka Avenue and Green Bay Road.
This year’s carnival will also feature an optional Magic Show, raffle, and more! Purchase tickets for the Liam the Magic Man Magic Show from 5-5:30 ($10 per family) here: https://newtrier.revtr
ak.net/fundraising/fundraising-senior-class/liam-the-magic-man-s-magic-show/
All proceeds benefit the 2024 Senior Class Service Project, Embarc Chicago, which provides “real-world experiential learning accompanied by a state of the art in-class curriculum to change the trajectories of students’ lives.”
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