Wescott Word

Dear Wescott Families,

Since the Board of Education approved our Strategic Plan last May, we have been working hard to make sure it is more than just a piece of paper. Our students, staff and community put so much effort into establishing the values, goals and priorities for our district, and we want to ensure we are living them in our schools every day.

You have previously heard about important changes and new programs: the social workers we have added to each school for additional mental health support; our RULER school-home partnership (scroll below to see what your children are learning this month!); our school themes and events focused on belonging and inclusion, like Wescott's "One Big Family" wall – and so much more!

Even in our communications, you see art and icons from our Strategic Plan, providing a visual cue to connect what you are reading to our goals. Today, I am so pleased to show you how we are living our plan. I am especially proud of the students and parents in this video, who spoke off the cuff and from the heart when asked what they love and value about our schools. Thank you to them and to ALL District 30 families who partner with us to make sure we live and follow our Strategic Plan every day!

Sincerely,

Dr. Emily K. Tammaru

Superintendent of Schools

Monday, October 14

No school - District Holiday

October 14 - October 25

Bernie's Book Drive

Wednesday, October 16

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Picture Re-Take Day

🥕 PTO Special Lunch 🥕

Thursday, October 17

No school - Parent Teacher Conferences

📚 Bernie's Book Drive 📚

October 21 - 25

Food Drive (non perishables)

To help our students develop self and social awareness, the RULER program recognizes emotions and uses the Mood Meter to plot how we feel. The Mood Meter is used as needed to check in on how students are feeling. Developing self and social awareness is important because it helps us understand our feelings, get along better with others, and make good choices.

• How to recognize our feelings through the changes in our bodies.

• How our feelings affect our actions and our thoughts.

• How to use the Mood Meter as a tool to develop self and social awareness.

Learn what you can do with your child(ren) at home utilizing the Mood Meter to help navigate their emotions.

During Curriculum Night in August, teachers and presenters discussed our new K-5 English Language Arts Pilot, which is helping District 30 determine the optimal materials for teaching our students. This comprehensive evaluation is part of the District 30 Five-Year Curriculum Review Cycle, which examines existing standards, instructional strategies, and resources.

HOW THE PILOT WORKS:As part of this review, all K-5 teachers have been piloting new resources for potential adoption since the start of this school year. The curriculum review committee members have vetted each resource, and all teachers continue to receive professional development on how best to implement the program. To ensure that all teachers are knowledgeable about both programs, we created the schedule below:

Late Aug. - Mid Oct.

• Wescott - Into Reading
• Willowbrook - Being a Reader/Writer

Mid Oct. - Late Dec.

• Wescott -Being a Reader/Writer

Willowbrook - Into Reading

Second Semester

• Both schools use Bridge to Phonics

As you see, Wescott and Willowbrook teachers are nearing the time to change programs. The switch will take place from [Late Aug.-Mid Oct.] to [Mid Oct.-Late Dec.]. We will continue to support staff as they begin in the alternate program.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR MY CHILD(REN)?: Please note that although the resources and student work your child experiences moving forward may look different than what you were accustomed to seeing during the first part of the school year, both programs are aligned to Illinois State Standards, ensuring a high-quality education, and are comprehensive, meeting the needs of our students.

NEXT STEPS: This pilot will help us make an informed decision about which of the two programs is a better fit for our students. We look forward to sharing more about this process as we progress throughout the year.

Picture retake day is scheduled for Wednesday, October 16. If you missed your glam shot or simply need a retake, please let your classroom teacher know.

We are thrilled to be hosting this year’s Halloween Parade. The parade will kick off at 2:00 p.m. on October 31. More details to follow.

As you plan your child’s Halloween costume this year, please keep in mind that your child will be wearing their costume all day at school. Children will not be changing into their costumes during the day. Find a costume that your child can wear comfortably during the school day and one that is appropriate for school. If your child is going to wear makeup as part of his/her costume, please be sure it is put on at home. The children can wear their makeup to school but won’t be able to apply any makeup, hair color, spray, etc. at school.

As a general rule, costumes that are gory, bloody, violent in nature or overly frightening are not permitted at school. Be cognizant of any group costumes to be inclusive of students. Additionally, weapons, even toy ones, are not allowed at school. Please also avoid masks that limit vision or costumes that interfere with ease of movement, since the students will be wearing their costume during the school day and parading outside. Take this opportunity to be creative and have fun with your child as you think about costume ideas.

The Wescott Veterans Day Assembly will soon be here!

The assembly is a tribute to veterans, and will take place on Friday, November 8 at 9:00 a.m. The length of the show will be approximately 30 minutes. Our assembly will take place at Wescott School in the gym.

If you have a veteran in your family, we would love to have them be honored at the November 8 assembly. If your veteran is able to attend, please fill out the requested information in the google form by clicking the button below.

Our students have been working very hard, we are excited for you to see and hear what they have prepared!

In our Wescott and District 30 community, we value open communication and community collaboration. We have best success when partnering with parents on student concerns.

We are noticing a concerning trend of inappropriate language use among our students. Much of this language appears to be influenced by content on social media platforms, particularly TikTok. We know that our community, parents and faculty, believe that maintaining a respectful and positive school environment is crucial for all children's well-being and academic success.

While we understand the popularity of these platforms among young people, it's important to guide our children in using appropriate language, regardless of what they may encounter online. We kindly ask for your support in reinforcing appropriate language use at home. Please:

1. Discuss with your child the importance of using respectful words and the potential impact of inappropriate language on others.

2. Monitor your child's social media use, particularly on platforms like TikTok.

3. Encourage critical thinking about the content they consume online and how it might influence their behavior.

Our staff will continue to address this issue at school. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter and continued partnership with Wescott.

WHEN ARE CONFERENCES? This fall, we will offer parents live, online interactions with our teachers during Parent-Teacher Conferences on Wednesday, October 16 from 4:30-8:00 p.m. and Thursday, October 17 from 12:00- 8:00 p.m. Conferences are one of the most valuable tools we have to foster our strong partnerships between home and school. Beginning with fall’s conferences, we will be using Google Meet as our video conference and we will create a Conference Link Directory that will be shared with you closer to the start of conferences. If, for any reason, you require an in-person conference please get in touch with the teacher and they will work with you to find a meeting time.

WHEN DOES REGISTRATION OPEN? Conference registration is open through Friday, October 11 at 3:00 p.m. Conference scheduler login information will be sent to the primary contact email for your student, along with step-by-step instructions for registering. Please keep an eye open for this information. Registration codes and directions will also be available in Parent Portal on form 2024-25 School Year Information.

WHAT TO EXPECT: During conferences, your classroom teacher will discuss academic and social-emotional goals, discuss how the learning experience is progressing at school and at home, and share details about the classroom community with you. This is a collaborative meeting between families and teachers when we can answer your questions. We are so proud of our students and their strong start. Thank you so much for your ongoing support and partnership.

Bob Shea, author of "Chez Bob" visited our K-3rd grade students.

From Monday, October 21 through Friday, October 25, the students of District 30 and District 34 will come together to collect food items for the Northfield Township Food Pantry. Collection boxes will be located at Wescott, Willowbrook and Maple Schools. This food drive benefits the Northfield Township Food Pantry. Thank you for your help.

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.

Author Bob Shae, as the new tradition would have it, posed with the "One big family" wall after his visit to Wescott.

On Wednesday, October 9, Wescott students participated in the annual Walk for Wescott! Students wore their new Wescott bracelets and Wescott spirit wear, as they walked and ran around the Wescott fields.

We would like to thank all students, families, and neighbors that have generously donated to our annual fundraiser. We raised over $22,800 that will go directly to the school PTO and to support the local charity: Fear? Not! Nation.

In addition to the many raffle prizes won by students, the Top Class for each grade earned a Pajama Party! The Top Class for each grade are:

• Kindergarten: Gloria
• 1st: Latek
• 2nd: Stamoudis
• 3rd: Lamberti
• 4th: Piron
• 5th: Murnick

Thanks to our community for making this fundraiser a huge success! We’d also like to thank our co-chairs along with all of our volunteers, for all of their hard work and efforts organizing such a successful event. We hope everyone had fun participating in the walk!

It was great seeing so many parents come out to cheer on their kids from this week's Walk for Wescott. The Yearbook Committee would love any moments you captured so we can try and feature them in this year's yearbook. Here are the links for the appropriate grades to upload your photos.

W4W - Kindergarten

W4W - 1st Grade

W4W - 2nd Grade

W4W - 3rd Grade

W4W - 4th Grade

W4W - 5th Grade

If you’ve got two minutes to spare and attended Fall Fest, please fill out this survey. A big thank you to the Fall Fest co-chairs and everyone who volunteered to make the event a success!

Special Lunch is a PTO-sponsored program to offer SPECIAL lunch to Wescott students once a month (the third Wednesday of the month) from local restaurants. In 2024-25, District 30 schools are partnering with Lunch Solutions to offer exciting lunches from local restaurants. You can order for the whole year or once a month. Hot lunch service is unavailable on PTO special lunch days. The deadline for orders/edits is Thursday 10 a.m. of the week prior.

Next special lunch date is October 16. If you chose not to order a lunch, please be sure to send one from home.

Make your child's birthday extra special with Wescott Happy Birthday Lawn Signs! Deadline to order is October 31!

We are excited to announce that this year's yearbook will be hardcover! Yearbooks are $22 per copy and $30 per copy with personalization. The deadline to order is October 31. Please note, at checkout, if you do not want personalization, you must deselect the personalization option, as this is automatically selected.

Attention all Wescott parents! We’re looking for parent volunteers to capture fun moments at recess for the yearbook! It's a great chance to see your kids in action while helping create lasting memories for our school. Sign up here.

Our Lost & Found bins are starting to overflow and we hope you can help us reunite some of the items with their rightful owners. The bins are located in the front vestibule. All of the unclaimed articles of clothing will be donated on Friday, November 1.

Due to a change to the State of Illinois School Code, Wescott School Health Office will only be able to distribute over-the-counter (OTC) medications (such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen) to students with a completed Medication Authorization Form (for OTC). The new requirements include a physician’s signature along with a parent/guardian's signature.

Please return the completed form to the school’s health office if you would like your child will be able to receive over-the-counter medications at school. Thank you!

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.

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! Click the button below to order lunch for your student.

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

Northbrook/Glenview School District 30 will have three school board seats to be filled at the Consolidated Election on April 1, 2025. Candidates who are elected will fill four-year terms expiring in April 2029.

Candidates for the office of the school board can now circulate nominating petitions for signatures. The period for filing nominating petitions concludes November 18, with November 12 being the first day permitted to file a petition.

A candidate for the school board is required to file the nominating petitions, Statement of Candidacy, and receipt for filing their Statement of Economic Interests with the applicable county election clerk and not with the school board secretary or the administrative offices of the school district. The county clerk may have petition forms available, or blank petitions may be downloaded from the State Board of Elections website, elections.il.gov.

Details on seeking caucus endorsement: Candidates who are interested in seeking endorsement from the District 30 School Board Caucus should contact Caucus Chair Marci Goldgar at marci257@aol.com by Friday, October 18. The School Board Caucus is a committee of District 30 residents that includes families both with and without children enrolled in Willowbrook, Wescott and Maple schools. The Caucus' role is to source, screen and endorse potential school board candidates. To be considered by the Caucus, candidates will need to complete a detailed application as well as an interview.

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.

Please call the front office to let us know of any changes in pick up practices for your student. As a reminder the tot lot is not a part of Wescott grounds and is not supervised during arrival and dismissal times.

Want to know what's going on around the community? District 30 uses a "Virtual Backpack" to share community information while saving paper, costs, and lightening the loads our students bring home. Please click the button below to view upcoming Community Events.

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.

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