Hubbard Woods Family Newsletter

Dear Hubbard Woods Families,

It was wonderful to see so many of you on Thursday! Each week, I gain a deeper understanding of our school community through cherished traditions like the Ghost Walk and watching our fourth graders perform the Thriller Dance.

On Friday, our district participated in various professional learning opportunities aimed at enhancing our skills as educators and demonstrating our commitment to being lifelong learners. A key session that everyone attended focused on the theme of belonging. Our presenter shared four valuable ideas for fostering a stronger sense of belonging within our school community and district. These tangible ideas for increasing belonging allowed each of us to identify how we can help foster a greater sense of belonging for all students.

I am excited about the ongoing work we are doing as a district to create profound positive impacts on our students’ experiences. Thank you for your continued support as we strive to nurture a sense of belonging for every child.

All the best,

Ivory Ajavon

Principal

November 14th and 15th is an opportunity for families to partner with teachers and better support our students. We look forward to collaborative conversations. Here is some basic information regarding the structures around conferences:

• Conferences are scheduled for at least 25 minutes.

• We ask that you prioritize conferencing on the days of:

• Thursday, November 14th from 8:30am - 11:30am and 12:30pm - 5:30pm . If you can not meet in person during those days, then the teacher will set up a virtual conference on those days.

• Friday, November 15th from 8:30am-12:30pm

• Teachers may prefer an in-person conference so that work samples and a face to face conversation can take place.

• All teachers are available for a conference. If you wish to speak to a non-homeroom teacher for any reason you will want to email that staff member.

*These conferences are focused on general education topics. Special education teachers and clinicians (such as speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and social workers) are welcome to attend in order to listen to the general education teacher share information about the child's performance in the general education classroom. We ask that no discussions regarding Individual Education Plans (IEPs) take place during this time. If you would like to have an IEP-related meeting, please email your child’s case manager, who will arrange a meeting for you. Parents of students with an IEP will receive official IEP benchmarks at the end of November. The end of the trimester is on November 22nd.

Donate your left over candy for a great cause! Drop off candy donations today and Wednesday in the front entrance of Hubbard Woods. If District 36 has the largest candy donation, then Shoreview will donate $600 to Lurie Children's Hospital!

The Dimension of Belonging featured in November is “welcomed” and monthly observances include Native American Heritage Month, Diwali, Veteran’s Day, and Thanksgiving. Learn more by reading the Belonging Means… Newsletter which features contributions from Hubbard Woods and the Department of Human Resources/Professional Development.

To ensure our students are prepared for any potential shift to remote learning due to multiple days of inclement weather, we have planned a proactive practice activity. This practice session is an important step in ensuring that our students remain connected and ready for learning should inclement weather occur.

• Date for Device Take-Home: On Thursday, November 7, all students will bring their school-issued iPads home.

• Objective: The goal is for each student to connect their device to their home Wi-Fi network and ensure they have access to the necessary tools and platforms.

• Return of Devices: Please ensure that the devices are returned to school with your child on Friday, November 8.

• Communication: Additional communication and reminders, as well as a form to record any issues your student experiences, will be sent closer to this practice event.

As we approach the winter months, it is important to review our district's inclement weather policy. Our top priority is always the safety of our students and staff. We take a comprehensive and thoughtful approach when faced with weather-related decisions such as heavy snow or extreme cold, and work closely with our township and Village partners to plan accordingly.

Please join us to see our new playground and multipurpose room on Friday, November 8, 2024 from 3:45-5:00pm.

November 13, 2024

9:30 A.M.

Location: Carleton Washburne School Cafeteria

UNESCO, in their 2021 report entitled AI and education: Guidance for policy-makers stated that:

“AI is said to be a key enabler of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0)…A recent global estimate suggests that 30% of work activities could be automated by 2030. Up to 375 million workers worldwide could be affected...Meanwhile, however, AI and other frontier technologies are increasing the range of high-skill jobs that require unique creative and analytical abilities and human interactions. In short, many workers’ jobs might disappear, and they will need to develop new skill sets – upskilling or reskilling – to enable them to enter the new occupations made possible by AI. Education ministries and training providers need to anticipate these changes, equipping today’s workers and preparing new generations with the necessary technical and social job skills, to smooth the transition to a world dominated by AI, while ensuring social sustainability.”

Artificial Intelligence is “out of the toothpaste tube” and is not going back in. In response, we’ll share with parents the steps we’re taking to increase the literacy of our students of Artificial Intelligence and how we’re preparing them to be responsible users of this tool.

Interested:

RSVP here

If you missed it, view videos from past sessions:

Insights on K-8 Literacy Programming in The Winnetka Public Schools

What to Know About the Otus Parent Portal

• Tuesday, November 5th - Election Day (No School)

• Friday, November 8th - Spirit Day (Wear Hubbard Woods Apparel)

• Thursday, November 14th - Fall Teacher/ Parent Conference Day 1 (8:30am-5:30pm)

• Friday, November 15th - Fall Teacher/ Parent Conference Day 2 (8:30am-12:30pm)

• Tuesday, November 19th - School Board Meeting (7:15pm) at Washburne

• Week of November 25th - No School