WJHS Highlights

Kate, Jeff and Rob

👏TEACHER & STAFF HOLIDAY GIFT FUND 👏

As the holidays approach, the WJHS PTO organizes a one-time gift during the school year from WJHS families to all teachers, admins, building staff, and crossing guards, to be given before winter break. The suggested amount is $30/student. Contributions are completely voluntary and every amount is greatly appreciated.

The deadline for contributions to our annual fund is Friday, December 6th.

Thank you to the families who have already contributed to the WJHS Teacher & Staff Gift Fund through Membership Toolkit! If you’re not sure if you’ve already donated, check your sent emails from notify@membershiptoolkit.com or log into your Membership Toolkit account and view your Previous Orders under My Account. Any questions? Email community@wjhspto.com

🎤🌟NEW THIS YEAR: THE WJHS TALENT & VARIETY SHOW 🌟🎶

Get ready to shine! WJHS is hosting a Talent & Variety Show 3/6/25, where kids will have the opportunity to showcase their unique skills and creativity. Whether you love to sing, dance, do stand-up comedy, play an instrument or perform with a band, solo, or in a group, this is your time to take the stage and impress the crowd! Click HERE for more information and to sign up for your audition on 12/12, 12/16 or 12/19. Questions? Email Vandita Pateriya at vandita9@gmail.com. Don’t miss the chance to show off your talent- every performance matters! Let your star shine bright!

🦃GIVE BACK OPPORTUNITIES 🦃

✅Help plan the 8th Grade Graduation Party Please consider volunteering to help implement a great set of party plans for our graduating 8th graders! Email student programs@wjhspto.com to be added to our list.

✅Volunteer to help serve lunch. December can be hard for the cafeteria. With people being busy with the holidays, they tend to get short-staffed. Please consider spreading the holiday cheer by volunteering once this December. It would mean so much to the school! It’s rewarding and very much appreciated. For more information click HERE and thank you!

📣8TH GRADE PARENTS: “CLASS OF 2029” SWEATSHIRT NOW ON SALE 📣

Our SpiritWear partner HumanKind is again offering sweatshirts for purchase for this year’s 8th graders- the “Class of 2029” (if graduating from New Trier high school) HERE. Makes a great holiday present!

Board of Education Meeting

The Board of Education gathered this past Monday for a public hearing on the 2024 Tax Levy and its monthly business meeting. During the business meeting, the Board adopted the 2024 Tax Levy, received a presentation on long-term enrollment projections, and shared committee reports. Agendas and materials for all Board of Education meetings are posted online the Friday prior to the meeting.

Parent Education Event

Make plans to join us on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 11 am for our next Parent Education event titled “Youth Substance Use Trends Parents Should Know About.” This presentation explores the latest substance use trends among youth (including alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis), using visual aids, to help parents know what to look out for when it comes to vaping devices, misleading packaging, and stash compartment items. The presenters will include prevention strategies and tips that parents and caregivers can implement at home. This is presented by PEER Services and the Knowledge Empowers Youth (KEY) Coalition.

Families are encouraged to join us in-person at the Mikaelian Education Center, but can also participate virtually via Zoom. Registration for this event is now open. Please visit our Parent Education webpage for our full schedule of events as well as archived recordings of past events.

Friendships through Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)

There is an emerging technological trend that we want to share and encourage conversations with your child(ren) regarding safe technology use. Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) chatbots have been on the rise and some children may be using them as companions or, in rare circumstances particularly among older children, entering into relationships with them. Below are a few tools to keep an eye on that child(ren) may be using:

• My AI in Snapchat

• Character.ai

• Replika - replika.com

• Kindroid - kindroid.ai

• Nomi - nomi.ai

Designed with human-like characteristics, these A.I. chatbots can enter into conversations and seem like real people to children. The attraction to an A.I. chatbots can be non-judgmental listening, emotional support, escape from real world stressors, and a readily accessible friend. One major concern is that if a child is having symptoms of sadness or depression, these interactions with chatbots do not provide the appropriate direction and support that may be needed. In fact, these interactions could lead to a much more serious situation. Another concern is spending an excessive amount of time developing a relationship that is not real at the expense of interacting with real-life peers.

As you have conversations with your child about healthy technology use, please include asking about A.I. chatbots. Here are some discussion starters:

• Have you talked to an A.I. character?

• How do you think it’s different from talking to a real friend?

• What does it look like if someone is spending too much time using one?

• Who could you go to if you needed help?

If concerning behavior exists, please seek support from a mental health professional. If you have additional questions regarding A.I. chatbots, please reach out to Tony DeMonte, Assistant Superintendent for Technology and Safety.

Save the Date – Registration for the 2025-26 Academic Year

As we approach fall break, we wanted to share that registration for the 2025-26 school year will open on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. District 39 is excited that it will be offering full-day kindergarten for all families beginning in Fall 2025! Additionally, our school calendar committee is currently busy building next year’s school calendar. The committee expects to present a draft of the 2025-26 School Year Calendar to the Board on December 16 and to receive final approval of the calendar at the January 27th Board of Education Meeting. More details to follow in the coming weeks.