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WJHS Highlights

08/30/2024

WJHSHighlights08/30/2024

A Message from the Administrative Team

Hi WJHS Families,


At WJHS we have four social workers and two psychologists who support students with their social emotional needs. The student services staff at WJHS is outstanding and they work closely with many students and families. Our social workers at WJHS are assigned to teams every year and although there is some crossover, especially in 8th grade, please consider your team’s social worker as the point-of-contact within the student services department for your child. If you know your child has been working with another social worker and continues to do so, please continue reaching out to this person.


Continuing this year, our school psychologists loop grades in order to provide continuous support for students as they move through WJHS. Julie Nesheim is working with 8th grade students this year, and Abby Hart is working with 7th grade students.


Our social workers & psychologists are available to support students daily. We will continue with our on-call process which has one social worker or psychologist on-call on any given day to support immediate student needs (see the on-call schedule in the visual below).


For your reference:


Natalia Panico works with teams 7A and 8C. She can be reached at panicon@wilmette39.org

Nicola Kiela works with teams 7B and 8B. She can be reached at kielan@wilmette39.org

Cathy Marlas works with teams 7C and 8A. She can be reached at marlasc@wilmette39.org

Elise Higgins works with our students throughout WJHS as-needed and is at WJHS Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday afternoons. She can be reached at higginse@wilmette39.org.


The week of September 16 our social workers and psychologists will send out our first "Student Check-In Survey" of the year. This survey is just as it sounds - it provides an opportunity for students to share feedback on how their year is going. If a student indicates they are struggling and would like support, a social worker or psychologist will reach out to talk with the student and learn more about how they or the school can be supportive to their current needs. If you would like to opt out your child from this survey, please email your social worker directly.


We hope you have a restful 3-day weekend!


Sincerely,

Kate Dominique, Principal

Rob Miller, 7th grade level administrator

Jeff Batt, 8th grade level administrator

HIGH FIVE CHOIR REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

HIGH FIVE CHOIR 2024-25 Fall


The Wilmette High Five Junior Choir strives to provide a safe, affirming learning environment in which students of all abilities come together to create and experience music, build friendships, and raise awareness against stereotypes of differently abled people. This club was designed after the High-5 Choir that is offered at New Trier High School. The Wilmette High Five Junior Choir aims to share the love of music with peers regardless of abilities, share our voices through music, and have a lot of fun! If you want to better understand what High Five Junior Choir is, please watch this video.


Club days and times: Thursdays, 3:45 – 4:45, Sep 19, 2024 – Jan 16, 2025


Club meeting location: HMS Music Room 134


Winter concert dates and times: Jan 23, 2025, 4:15 – 4:45 pm, HMS Auditorium

Instructor: HMS Music Director, Mrs. Martin


Club fee: $125

Registration Link: https://www.highcrestpto.org/afterschoolclubs

Hi Parents! There is a lot of great information this week so please take your time to go through it all! Any questions…. please email president@wjhspto.com. Have a great weekend!

Kimberly Newman, WJHS PTO President 2024-2025


DEBATE CLUB REGISTRATION OPENS 9AM SEPTEMBER 4TH

Learn how to think fast and speak well! Study research, writing and oral arguments.

Aces Debate Club is offering an 8-week ADVANCED DEBATE class at WJHS beginning Mondays at 3:30-4:30pm starting 10/7. This class is for WJHS students who have taken debate before, either at Highcrest or WJHS. Cost is $280. Program concludes with a 2-hour session to give students an opportunity to demonstrate their new skills in full debates.


Aces Debate Club is also offering an 8-week INTRO TO DEBATE class, being held at Highcrest Middle School Fridays 3:45-4:45pm starting 9/20. This class is for WJHS and HMS students who have not participated in debate before. Cost is $280.


For more information and to register beginning at 9am on September 4th, click HERE. Please note that while it looks “sold out” now, that is because registration is not open until September 4th. Questions? Email instructor Aaron Vinson at acesdebateclub@gmail.com.

WJHS DIRECTORY

Didn’t get the email from THE WJHS PTO to sign up to get the Directory?? Perhaps you didn’t “opt in” to get PTO emails. There was an extra form that was needed to complete with student registration that shares your information with the PTO. (It’s optional, so a lot of families miss it.) That’s ok- just provide the following information and we can create a household account for you so you won’t miss out on important announcements and information throughout the school year. Send an email to directory@wjhspto.com with the following information: parent name/email address, address (optional)/phone number (optional) AND student name/grade/homeroom teacher.

BACK TO SCHOOL CHECKLIST

✅Update your contact information in Membership Toolkit so you can get email notifications about after school clubs, graduation and/or other social events. Membership Toolkit You must verify your family’s information using a URL and not through the app.

✅Purchase your $25 PTO Membership which gives you access to the Directory and provides student support throughout the year.

✅Make a contribution to the iGNITE Fund (Enrichment) on behalf of your student. Remember that parents, not the district, pay for field trips, traveling exhibits and guest speakers. ANY amount is appreciated!

✅Donate to the Teacher/Staff Holiday Gift Fund (one-time yearly gift). Thank you!

https://wjhspto.membershiptoolkit.com/

✅Sign up to be a Lunch Volunteer Our lunchroom staff could really use some extra hands serving food to students. Sign up HERE and thank you!

✅Check out the WJHS Spirit Wear that is being offered through our partner and fellow Wilmette moms’ business HumanKind. Click HERE to view all the great options that can be personalized!


LAST YEAR’S YEARBOOKS

If there is anyone interested in purchasing last year’s 2023-2024 WJHS Yearbook please contact president@wjhspto.com, as we have a few extra copies ($40 each). There are a few remaining 2023-2024 WJHS Yearbooks from the “Re-order” over the summer that have not been picked up- if you haven’t picked up your PAID yearbook yet, please do so at 2201 Sandy Lane.


WJHS PARENTS FACEBOOK PAGE

Although not run by the WJHS PTO, many announcements are shared on the WJHS Parents Facebook page. If you haven’t joined, it’s worthwhile to be able to ask questions from fellow current parents or just to see what other parents say. You will need to answer a few questions to make sure you have a current student at WJHS.


OPEN POSITIONS ON THE PTO EXEC & GENERAL BOARD

Hospitality Committee: members can be assigned to sub committees that help with orientation/curriculum nights set up, teacher/staff monthly treats, teacher/staff appreciation week during the first week of May, holiday gift card assembly/distribution, etc. Multiple time level commitments available.

Email community@wjhspto.com

8th Grade Graduation Party Committee: The PTO sponsors an end-of-year celebration in honor of our graduating 8th graders. There is already a chairperson for this committee so come be a part of the planning process and help bring the vision to life! Party held close to the last week of school.

Email graduationparty@wjhspto.com

President-Elect: 2 year commitment begins with shadowing the current President and ends with being the President during 2025-2026. Help manage a great team of volunteers in a completely rewarding capacity.

Email president@wjhspto.com


SHOUT-OUTS

Many thanks to the PTO members who have been working so hard recently to make the new school year run smoothly:

Ruth Chieng: makes sure our online Directory is up-to-date and runs smoothly!

Amy Pawaserat and Mandy Breaker: welcomed families new-to-D39 at the New Families Orientation!

Jenn Mullman: beautifully designed and made the welcome planters out in front of WJHS!

Beth Karnes: organized and distributed all of the EduKits school supplies boxes!

Casey Brown: set up the 7th Grade Orientation PTO tables for the parent reception!

Patrick Parmentier: our Treasurer who manages our finances for all of our programming!

If you know any of these parents, please be sure to thank them for working FOR YOU!

The WJHS PTO has been asked to pass along some relevant community information:


NEW TRIER BOOSTER CLUB

Did you know that by becoming a New Trier Booster Club Member you get TWO FREE TICKETS TO EACH REGULAR SEASON FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL GAMES FOR THE 2024-2025 SEASON?! There are several levels to join with great NT gear to help you support your favorite teams. Many in our parent community look forward to attending athletic games at New Trier Township High School! Come out to watch Varsity/JV home football games on 8/30, 9/6, 9/13, 9/20, 10/4 & 10/18. Click HERE for more information. Email ntbooster@gmail.com with any questions.


THE COMMUNITY REVIEW COMMITTEE (CRC)

The CRC is seeking to fill their committee with two representatives from WJHS. Each year, the CRC advises the D39 Board of Education by researching a relevant topic that will lead to improvements in the district. This year’s topic will be voted upon at the first meeting in September. Meet once a month (on the first or second Tuesday of each month) October-June to develop a topic and recommendations to present to the district. Meetings are scheduled from 7:00-9:00pm. If interested and/or have questions, please contact CRC President Amy Peters at amelia2431@gmail.com


8TH GRADE *PARENT-LED* WASHINGTON D.C. TRIP

Parent-Led Washington D.C. trip is an option for current 8th Graders! This trip is NOT sponsored by the WJHS PTO but is being coordinated by a WJHS parent. Trip will take place February 14-17, 2025 and no school will be missed. For more information click HERE or contact Stephanie Crocker at crocker.l.stephanie@gmail.com.

Trip Code: wilmette25

Password: wastrip25

District Update

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District 39 Safety Reminders

District 39 partners with students, staff and families to provide a safe environment at school. As always, the safety of our students and staff remains our top priority. Our schools have comprehensive safety plans in place that are reviewed and updated annually in partnership with the Wilmette Police and Wilmette Fire Departments. We are extremely proud of the strong, collaborative relationship that we have with both the Village of Wilmette and our Wilmette Police and Fire Departments.


As part of these plans, please know that all exterior doors are locked at all times and visitors can only enter our school buildings by being buzzed in through the main entrance. In addition, review and training of our plans and protocol is an ongoing and critical part of our annual work. For more information and valuable resources on school safety and security measures, please visit our School Safety and Security page. You may also watch the recording of our first parent education event of the year, “Feeling Safe in District 39 Schools.” In this presentation, our District administrative team, in partnership with the Wilmette Police Department and other local community partners, provided an overview of our safety measures and shared responsibility for safety.


We also ask for your support in promoting school safety at home. This can be done by:

  • Having a conversation with your child(ren) about the importance of keeping their school community safe, which includes watching out for dangers, caring for our friends, and seeking help or making a report when needed

  • Downloading our Safety Starts with Me information sheet

  • Contacting a trusted adult when help is needed or something seems suspicious

  • Reminding our students in grades 5-8 that they can use our HAWKS (Highcrest) and WOLVES (WJHS) reporting forms to report conflict and harassment incidents in addition to suspicious people/incidents around the school

  • Encouraging them to use Safe2Help Illinois to seek help if they see someone in need or something that doesn’t feel right within the schools

  • Educating them to call 988 in cases of suicidal thoughts or someone in emotional distress or 911 in case of an emergency


Additionally, it is impermissible for a student to bring a weapon or a lookalike weapon onto school grounds (including buses and after-hours school activities) or to make a threatening statement, even in a joking manner, either online or in-person.


Our commitment to supporting a safe and supportive school community in which every student and staff member feels a sense of belonging calls for us each to take responsibility and care for one another. School safety is a collective responsibility. We sincerely appreciate your support and partnership in helping to ensure our schools and communities are safe, welcoming, and inclusive environments for all.


Parent Education Event - Safety in D39 Schools

As referenced above, District 39 held its first Parent Education event of the new school year, “Feeling Safe in District 39 Schools,” this past Wednesday. We encourage all families to watch the recording of this presentation to learn more about how we work together to maintain a high level of building security and work with community partners to create a feeling of safety for all.


Student Lunch Account Information

Adding money to your child(ren)’s lunch accounts is done through the PowerSchool ParentPortal. After logging into the portal, click “Balance” and then “Make a Payment.” You will be directed to RevTrak, where you will see the names of the students linked to your account. You can make a one-time deposit to a child’s account, or you can login to your RevTrak account and set up auto-replenish. Keep in mind that each child has their own balance which must be maintained separately. Please visit our Food Services webpage for more information.


Board of Education Meeting

The Board of Education came together on Monday for a public meeting on budgets before transition into its monthly business meeting. During this meeting, The Board approved FY25 budgets for both District 39 and the Wilmette Community Special Education Agreement (WCSEA) and was presented with D39’s response to the Community Review Committee’s (CRC) final report titled “Harnessing the Power of Free Play to Advance Educational Outcomes.” The Board also heard committee reports and conducted a first reading of several Board policies. The agenda and accompanying materials for this meeting are available online.


Looking For Fulfilling Work? Join Our District 39 Team!

As we continue to make our final preparations ahead of the 2024-25 academic year, we are looking for caring and qualified individuals to join our D39 team. We are accepting applications for paraprofessionals, substitute teachers, a substitute nurse, and maintenance/custodial associates! If you are interested, or know of someone who may be interested in working as part of a dynamic team in a vibrant and welcoming setting, please visit our D39 employment webpage.


Mark Your Calendars for TrevFest!

New Trier High School and the New Trier Parents Association are proud to announce that the 2nd Annual Trev Fest will take place on Saturday, Sept. 28 at Clarkson Park in Northfield. Trev Fest is a special parent-only event featuring live music by local favorites Along the Drive, Chris Karabas, Silver Age, and Steely Dad—comprising New Trier parents and alumni. It's a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow parents, enjoy great music. Please visit the New Trier Parents Association webpage for more details.
Kate Dominique
Kate is using Smore to create beautiful newsletters

Principal at Wilmette Junior High School; love being an educator and working with young people; value spending time with friends and family