Wescott Word

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome to the 2024-25 school year! We look forward to seeing the Wescott One Big Family back together in a few weeks!

This year is key for Wescott, as our school and all of District 30 will be guided by our new Strategic Plan in our mission to create an inclusive community that inspires learning, fosters resilience and cares deeply for every child. As part of this, we want to highlight the addition of a new social worker at Wescott, which will help us better serve the social-emotional needs of our learners. We also ask for your partnership this year in our ongoing RULER initiative, which is an evidence-based approach to social-emotional learning developed at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. This year, please watch the Wescott Word to learn how you can use RULER with your child(ren) at home to better support their emotions; we encourage you to learn more below in this newsletter.

Additionally, our school theme for 2024-25 is "HAPPY - Have a Positive, Productive Year." We look forward to seeing all in our Wescott community help make this a HAPPY year.

A couple important dates to put on your calendars...

• School supply drop-off for grades 1-5 will be held on Tuesday, August 20 from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
• Kindergarten students will meet their teachers and enjoy popsicles on our playground on Wednesday, August 21 at 10:00 a.m.

We also look forward to our Curriculum Night on August 27 at 6 p.m. where you can meet your child's teacher and hear about the upcoming school year. More details below!

We can't wait to see our students back to start our new school year!

Dr. Chris Brown

Principal

Ms. Alison Keller

Assistant Principal

Thursday, August 15

Classroom teacher assignments available in Parent Portal

Friday, August 16

PTO registration opens

Tuesday, August 20

School supply drop-off (grades 1-5) from 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, August 21

First day of school (grades 1-5) at 8:40 a.m.

Kindergarten Meet the Teacher, supply drop-off, and Popsicles at the Playground at 10:30 a.m.

Thursday, August 22

First day of school for pre-K and kindergarten at 8:40 a.m.

Monday, August 26

Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Testing window opens - Grades 1-8

Tuesday, August 27

Curriculum Night from 6-7:30 p.m.

Monday, September 2

District Holiday - NO SCHOOL

Wednesday, September 4

PTO general meeting

Thursday, September 5

Picture day

Wednesday, September 25

Dist. 30 Conversations with the Community - 12 p.m. or 6 p.m.

School hours: 8:40 a.m. - 3:20 p.m.

Half day dismissal time is 11:45 a.m.

Kindergarten through 5th-grade students should plan on arriving at school by 8:40 a.m. but no earlier than 8:30 a.m. because there is no supervision. The bell to line up will ring at 8:40 a.m.

All parents and guardians must report student absences, late arrivals or early departures through the Parent Portal. Please do not contact the Health Office, School Office, or classroom teacher via phone or email.

For a step-by-step guide on how to report an absence, click here. Please ensure to include as much detail as possible when entering the reason for the absence.

If no information is in the Parent Portal by 10 a.m. and a student is absent, the school will attempt to contact a parent or guardian.

If the absence is medically involved, please report the absence first in the Parent Portal. Following this, you are welcome to contact the school Health Office to communicate with the nurse about the condition.

Questions? Please contact the front desk.

Teacher Assignments will be available within PowerSchool's parent portal on Thursday, August 15. The staff spends a great deal of time developing class lists while also considering parent input that was submitted last spring.

It is important to have a mix of students in each room. We believe it is best for children to be in classes that have a balance of male and female students (as much as possible, given the number of each gender in each grade level), and learning and behavior characteristics such as ability level, social skills, etc. We try to match up students' learning styles with the teachers' teaching styles.

Our major goal is to create a balance that will make a productive learning environment in each classroom. Student placements are considered final since they represent a great deal of time and effort spent with teams of staff members to create them.

District 30 continuously strives to support our Strategic Plan values, which includes a student-centered education that nurtures intellectual, physical and social-emotional growth in a safe and supportive environment, as well as inclusivity and belonging; health & well-being for our students and community; and community collaboration that is rooted in empathy.

As part of this effort, we have committed to implementing RULER, an evidence-based approach to social-emotional learning developed at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. This year, we ask parents and guardians to be our RULER partners in an effort to best support our students:

What is RULER? RULER is an acronym for the skills of emotional intelligence: Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing and Regulating emotions.

Does my child know about RULER?: Yes! Throughout last school year in 2023-24, students were taught the principles of RULER and have been practicing them in class and beyond.

How can I help this year? As we continue on our RULER journey, we'd like to do that in partnership with you! Each month in the Wescott Word, we will share RULER themes and tips for applying these ideas at home to help families better understand, navigate and communicate their emotions. Please watch each edition of this newsletter to learn more each month, and click the link below to see the schedule of topics you and your child(ren) will learn about and can practice this year.

For all students new to District 30, state regulations require a State of Illinois Health Examination Form completed within the last 12 months. This must be on file in the health office prior to the first day of school. If your child does not have a Health Examination Form on file with all current immunizations, your child could be excluded from school.

Kindergarten students are also required to have a completed State of Illinois Eye Examination Form by October 15. The exam must have been performed on or after August 21, 2023, one year from the start of school.

Dental examinations are required for all kindergarten and grade 2 students. Examinations must be completed within 18 months of the May 15, 2025 deadline. These forms can be obtained from the health office and are also available on our website. If you have questions, please call the front office at 847-498-1090.

If your student requires medication or a health care plan, please click here to download all of the necessary forms. If forms are not completed by the opening of school, we will abide by the health care plan from the previous year for those students with life-threatening food allergies or medical conditions.

All forms can be dropped off at the front desk, to School Nurse Kelly Montesano or emailed to kmontesano@district30.org.

Wescott welcomes these new staff members to our Wolfpack!

• Molly Berendt - Social Worker
• Lauren Braverman - Learning Behavior Specialist
  
• Annie Edelheit - First-Grade Teacher
• Molly Hoisington, Occupational Therapist, Maple and Wescott
• Alison Keller - Assistant Principal
• Tyler LeGrand - Physical Education Teacher
• Anna Maratos - Instructional Assistant
  
• Melissa Piron - Fourth Grade Teacher
• Bianca Rog - Kindergarten Teacher

Please mark your calendars for the school supply drop-off scheduled on Tuesday, August 20, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. for grades 1-5. This is a time for students to drop off supplies in their classroom and locker, meet their teacher, and view the class list.

Our teachers will be occupied with meetings and other preparations outside of this window. Therefore, if you are unable to visit within this window, you may simply send your student to school the following day with their supplies.

REMINDER: It's not too late to order your 2024-25 school supplies from School Tool Box. If you'd rather do the shopping, print a supply list before you go!

The Wescott PTO is excited to host two playground "Popsicle Pals" playdates in August for incoming kindergarteners and their parents/caregivers.

Where: Wescott Playground

When: Thursday, August 8 at 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday, August 14 at 5:30 p.m.

Additional Details:

1. Join for one or both playdates.
2. Siblings welcome.
3. Allergy-friendly popsicles will be served.
4. No need to RSVP! If you have any questions, please reach out to Cheryl Rebacz at cherylannjacobs@gmail.com.

On Wednesday, August 21 incoming kindergarten students and parents are invited to Meet the Teacher and supply drop-off at 10 a.m. Right afterwards around 10:30 a.m., enjoy popsicles sponsored by our PTO and meet up with other kindergartners and their parents! See you then!

Each student has a locker or classroom space for their use. No locks may be put on lockers. Students are expected to keep lockers neat and free from items that may cause damage or attention to others. This includes stickers, stick-on mirrors, posters, etc. Lockers should be cleaned and organized regularly so books, materials, and clothing can be easily found.

Following the start of the 2024-25 school year, the district's online adaptive assessment, Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), will be administered to all students in grades 1-8. The MAP testing window will open on August 26 and run through September 16. Students in grades 2-8 will take two assessments: reading and mathematics. Grade 1 will take mathematics only.

Please check with your child's teacher about their testing schedule so there are no conflicts if appointments need to be scheduled during this time.

These assessment results will continue to be used (1) by teachers to assist them in differentiating lessons in reading/language arts and mathematics; as well as (2) to measure student academic growth. Students' fall assessment reports will be made available to parents later in the school year.

Our Curriculum Night will be on Tuesday, August 27. We invite all parents to attend this informative evening. The schedule will be:

• 6:00-6:25 p.m. Formal presentation for kindergarten, 1st-, and 2nd-grade classrooms
• 6:30 -7:00 p.m. General session for parents in the gym
• 7:05-7:30 p.m. Formal presentation for 3rd-, 4th-, and 5th-grade classrooms

Formal presentations will be made by each classroom teacher and will include an overview of the curriculum, teacher expectations, and projected activities for the year. Informal sessions will be held in classrooms, when the formal presentations are not occurring at 6 or 7 p.m. All other faculty will be available throughout the night informally. Stop in and say hello!

All who live in District 30 boundaries are invited to meet Superintendent Dr. Tammaru and a member of our Board of Education to ask questions and share what is important to you in our schools.

You can pick from either the 12 p.m. or 6 p.m. session on Wednesday, September 25 at our District 30 Offices, 2374 Shermer Road, Northbrook. RSVP is optional so we can plan for space and send a reminder to participants close to the event date.

Please share with neighbors, as this event is for everyone in our boundaries – even if they do not have children in our schools. Click below to join us!

First Student provides transportation for District 30 students. The types of services and fees approved by the Board of Education can be found on the District 30 Transportation Services web page.

All students in the Wescott attendance area, kindergarten through 5th-grade, who register for bus service are assigned to a route and are picked up at their designated corner or house. Each of the routes proceed to Wescott.

To register for bus service, contact the First Student Bus Company at 847-724-7200. The registration form can be downloaded here,

Many students are driven to and from school, thus causing some traffic congestion before and after school. Students may only be dropped off or picked up in front of the school building along the curb of the circular drive. If students are dropped off on a side street across from Wescott, they must cross with the crossing guard.

Other essential points regarding arrival and dismissal procedures:

• During the busy drop off/pick up times, all traffic must enter the circular drive from the north. No left turns, or traffic from the east is allowed into the circle drive during drop-off and pick-up times. Cars must wait in one line alongside Wescott Park to enter the circular drive.
• Cars may not be parked in the circle drive parking spaces parallel to the school right before, during or after drop-off or pick-up times: 8:00-9:00 a.m. and 3:00-3:40 p.m.
• Cars may not be parked in the circle drive parking spaces facing Western Avenue between 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
• No traffic is allowed in the south parking lot during drop-off and pickup times.
• All crosswalks must be open; cars should wait behind the intersection to enter the circle drive.
• The traffic flow to use to enter the line of cars waiting on Western Avenue is to take Fieldwood to Farnsworth to Western. PLEASE DO NOT CUT INTO THE TRAFFIC LINE FROM OTHER STREETS.
• Cars should not make U-turns in the middle of the street or turn around in residents’ driveways.

Students should arrive at school no earlier than 8:30 a.m. There is no playground supervision until that time. Students who walk to school should cross with the crossing guard at Techny and Western, Brentwood and Western, Dehne and Western, or Farnsworth and Western Avenues. There is to be no crossing in any other area on the east side of the school. Parents and students may use the striping on Fieldwood to access Wescott, but please know there is no crossing guard assigned to this area.

The first bell rings at 8:40 a.m. All students will enter the building supervised by staff at the following locations:

• Kindergarten and 1st-graders: main entrance
• 2nd- and 3rd-graders: Door Q on the north side of the building adjacent to the playground
• 4th- and 5th-graders: Door M on the north side of the building near the North Courtyard.

Please be patient as we continue refining this procedure as we move through the school year!

Students may ride their bicycles, scooters, and rollerblades to school. Bicycles should be walked on the sidewalks leading in or out of Wescott School and locked in the bike racks. At no time are students allowed to ride on the blacktop when children are present, or through the parking lot on the south side of the school. Children should wear bicycle helmets at all times when riding. Skateboards are not allowed on school grounds. They are not to be brought to school. Rollerblades may not be worn on the blacktop when other children are present.

The school doors are locked on the outside during the school day. The only unlocked door is the front door which leads into the vestibule. All visitors must identify themselves via the intercom system outside of the office and sign in and leave their driver's license in the office before they can enter the school or grounds. Visitors should not interrupt classes that are in session, including physical education classes that are held outside.

Northbrook/Glenview School District 30 continues its partnership with Quest Food Management Services to provide quality food services to your student. We are happy to offer a preorder system via myMealOrder!

• The meal will consist of an entree, side, fresh fruit, and vegetable, including milk or water.
• All orders must be placed at least three days in advance.

Visit mymealorder.com to open an account, learn more about our preorder system, and view the menu.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Ashley Jenkins, Food Service Director for Quest at ajenkins@questfms.com.

District 30 has an Intergovernmental Agreement with Northbrook Park District that allows before- and after-school care to students in K-5th grade at Wescott School. District 30 provides the facility while the park district provides the program and staff management with all revenues going to the park district.

This Adventure Campus Program offers the ability to participate in before- and/or after-school care on days when school is in session and on select teacher institute days, conference days, and holidays.

Contact the Northbrook Park District at 847-291-2995 or visit their webpage nbparks.org for more information.

Wescott fully embraces our motto that we are a part of one big family and we are proud of every person who is a part of it. Help us show school pride and support our District 30 Strategic Plan values of inclusivity & belonging and community collaboration by sharing your culture!

With over 30 world languages spoken in our students' homes, we seek your help in translating our motto – "One big family" – into your native language for display on our blank entryway wall.

Throughout the school year, you will find updates on the project here in the Wescott Word, featuring images of students with their language submissions, as well as a list of languages already added to the wall and remaining languages needed.

We imagine this to be a lasting, visual celebration of our amazing Wescott community and can't wait for you to be a part of it!

How you can contribute:

• Please, submit your translation of our motto – "One big family" by clicking the button below. We ask that you follow the same format: first word is uppercase, followed by lowercase words (unless your language has a different set of grammatical rules for this statement).
  
• The translations will be added to the wall once they are processed by the printer. We aim for adding them once a month, unless no additional translations have been submitted. if you have questions regarding your submission, please contact pcoletta@district30.org.

Languages already featured:

• English
• Spanish
• Korean
• Polish
• Greek

Wescott has a “no food or drink” birthday celebration practice. We want our students to know other ways to celebrate birthdays besides treats.

If you want your child to bring something in for their birthday, we encourage you to donate a book to our library through the PTO Birthday Book Club. You can also send school supplies such as pencils, erasers, stickers, bookmarks, etc.

Please do not send paper birthday invitations to school. The use of electronic invitations through our PTO directory is suggested.

Wescott School offers a variety of staff-sponsored clubs during the school year. These clubs are inspired by staff interest/passion and are free to students. However, space is limited. Clubs run for a period of 8 to 16 sessions. Look for registration information throughout the year in the Wescott Word.

Wescott School has several ways of communicating with parents about their child's learning and progress:

• At the beginning of the school year, parents are invited to participate in Curriculum Night which focuses on the sharing of curricular information.
  
• There are also conferences twice a year, in October and February.
• Report cards are sent home in December, March, and June.

It is equally important that parents communicate with the school. Anything that would affect the student's progress, emotionally or academically, should be discussed with the teacher. Teachers can be emailed or reached by phone between 8:00 a.m.-3:40 p.m. daily, but please keep in mind that when they are teaching, the phone in their room is turned off. Feel free to leave a message on staff members' voicemails. Open communication will benefit everyone.

We recognize that some students will carry communication devices to school, including smart watches. If a student brings a communication device to school, it should be silenced and remain in the student’s locker throughout the day. We reserve the right to confiscate student communication devices and hold them at the front desk if they are misused.

The new PTO Board is looking forward to serving the Wescott community for the upcoming school year. Please email us at wescottpto@district30.org to volunteer, provide feedback, or share suggestions.

Meet your new board!

Co-Presidents: Maria Milicevic and Soyang Kwon
Co-Vice Presidents of Communications: Cheryl Rebacz and Katie Voss
Co-Vice Presidents of Fundraising: Vacant
Co-Vice Presidents of Technology: Taylor Maggi and Ping Yu
Co-Secretaries: Jen Hayley and Halley Winer
Co-Treasurers: Sarah Yoo and Jenna Min

• PTO lunch volunteer signup and spirit wear order begins August 1. Look out for emails from District 30 PTO.
  

• PTO registration runs August 16-30. After August 30 there will be a $20 late fee.

• October 31 is the deadline to order birthday signs.

We welcome all parents and caregivers to our first PTO meeting of the year in the school library on Wednesday, September 4 from 6 to 7 p.m. Come join us to learn about the PTO, hear about school events and updates, and have a chance to share your ideas for school activities. You’ll get a first look at what we have planned for the school year.

Wescott is excited to announce the first-ever Fall Fest, a fundraiser to support our school, and taking place on September 29. This will be a fun-filled day of carnival games and attractions for families. To make this event a success, we need your help! We're forming a committee to start planning and would love for you to join us. With only two months to go, we need to get started as soon as possible.

Volunteering to serve lunch at school is a unique opportunity to get a peek into the school day and meet other parents. Two volunteers will be needed per day to help with setting up lunch line, serving lunch to students and doing some minimal cleaning up.

Time slots are approximately from 11:00 a.m. to 1:10 p.m. Please click on the link below to sign up.

You can sign up for one slot or several slots depending on your availability. Please sign up only for yourself, and please limit your signups to three (3) days total so as many parents as possible have the opportunity to participate! Thank you for your support.

The 2024-25 school year is already upon us. Show your school spirit in style with some cool Wescott gear! Order by August 12 to have delivery on the first day of school (August 21).

Any time a student feels unsafe, any adult in their school can help!

But sometimes, students or parents wish to reach out for help in a different way or after school hours. Safe2Help Illinois offers students a safe way to share information 24/7 that might help prevent any threat to school safety, including bullying, self-harm or other serious concerns.

The goal of this program is to get students to “seek help before harm;" it is not intended to suspend, expel, or punish. Safe2Help Illinois also offers a Mental Health Toolkit that provides resources for parents and educators reinforce the components of this program.

Safe2Help Illinois offers around-the-clock help via:

• Hotline: 844-4-SAFEIL
• Text line: 72332
• Email HELP@Safe2HelpIL.com
• Plus a website full of resources for young people seeking help for themselves or a friend. Its Ways To Get Help page is a directory of specialized hotlines, and other sections of its website provide practical steps for dealing with depression or helping a distraught friend. The checklist called "20 Questions To Ask Yourself If You Feel Like Giving Up" can help older children overcome a bout of anxiety or depression.

• The Wescott Word is a communication that the school sends our weekly to families and staff on Fridays. All copies will be sent electronically to the email addresses that families previously provided us using the online registration system. By now, you should have completed the online registration process so that you can receive all of our school's communications. The next issue will be emailed on Friday, August 23. Please contact the office if you do not receive this edition by Saturday, August 24. The Wescott Word is also posted on the school's website.

  
  

  Important information is sent home throughout the year in the Wescott Word so please make sure to take the time to read each week's issue. We don't want anyone to miss out on seeing notices about current or upcoming events at the school.

  
  

  Other ways to stay connected with what's happening in our schools include:

  • Wescott School PTO Facebook
  • District 30 Facebook
  • District 30 Instagram
  • District 30 X (formerly Twitter)
  • District 30 LinkedIn
  • District 30 YouTube
  • Watch for e-blasts from the PTO about upcoming events
    
  • Email the PTO Board with questions or suggestions (see 'From the PTO' for contact info)
  • Check out the Wescott PTO website for all PTO events and forms

Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 17, 2025. Please join us for the 24th Annual Lew Blond Memorial 5K Run/Walk. Registration for our May race opens in the winter. Please click here to explore all of the excitement from this meaningful community event.

We will need volunteers for committees to coordinate this event. If you can volunteer please email Maple Assistant Principal Angela Jaeger at blondrun@district30.org.

Be a helper. Be a runner. Be a sponsor! Do them all!!

Wescott School is part of Northbrook/Glenview District 30, which exists to create an inclusive community that inspires learning, fosters resiliency, and cares deeply for every child. We honor childhood and foster intellectual, physical and social-emotional growth. District 30 serves more than 1,200 students in pre-K through 8th grade across Willowbrook, Wescott and Maple Schools.

We prohibit harassment and discrimination of all forms within our district and follows all policies and procedures to ensure a safe environment for all.

Main office: 847-272-4660

Health/Attendance Office: 847-400-8760

Location: 1820 Western Avenue, Northbrook, IL 60062, USA

Website: district30.org/wescott
Facebook: facebook.com/ngsd30
Twitter: @district30