Skokie Home Scoop

Dear Families:

Upcoming Events:

October 25th: 6th grade Skokie Social; 3:30-4:30 pm (sign up and event details came from the PTO)

October 31st: Halloween Parties in Advisories; 2:30-3:30 pm

November 1st: Staff Institute Day; No Student Attendance

November 5th: No School; Election Day

Our 5th graders had a blast at Friday’s Skokie Social! Our 6th grade social will be on Friday, October 25th.

5th Grade Music:

Over the past weeks 5th graders explored music, art, and mood. Students created visual "roadmaps" illustrating their interpretation of the sounds of famous classical pieces. Over the next week students will work on telling Halloween inspired stories through music.

6th Grade Music:

Sixth grade students have been hard at work in our piano unit. They learned about melody and harmony, and performed solos and duet. This week they will work on composing their own piano pieces and use music technology to record and remix them.

In Creative Movement and Dramatics, students have been learning how to build imaginative spaces on stage and immerse themselves in the world of the play. Students are learning to ignore the audience (or put up the "fourth wall") to bring about greater commitment and focus to character and performance. Through exercises such as miming a task students observed themselves doing at home, particular emphasis has been placed on attention to detail and making specific and believable choices.

Visual Arts students are currently exploring 3D drawing techniques including linear perspective and atmospheric perspective. After a few weeks of practice, we are excited to now be diving into our final projects!

October Dimension of Belonging: Invited

Definition: The way people are invited signals their value and fosters a sense of belonging.

Essential Question: How are we pursuing all staff and students’ presence and actively extending new invitations?

Parent Resources:

winnetka36.schoology.com

Monthly Observances and Celebrations - October 2024

Click here to find October’s edition of the newsletter Belonging Means…

Safety Month in The Winnetka Public Schools

Thanks to our First Responders who have been working with Director of Safety & Security, Ray Finnerty, and our schools to practice drills and join us for “High Five Fridays” this October. Please review the Fall 2024 Safety Bulletin, produced in collaboration with the Village, for important safety-related information.

Winnetka Parents Institute

The District offers regular sessions for families to learn more about a variety of topics. View the entire 2024/2025 schedule here.

Up Next:

AI Literacy Lessons for Grades 5-8

November 13, 2024

9:30 A.M.

Location: Carleton Washburne School RC

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

From Winnetka’s Volunteer Center

Celebrate Make a Difference Day on October 26th by donating new and gently used baby and toddler items to Share Our Spare. Drop off items at the Indian Hill Train Station in Winnetka on 10/26 from 9am-12pm. Check out www.shareourspare.org/donate-items/ for more details. Please contact laurenswift10@gmail.com with any questions.

From the Village: E-Bikes and E-Scooters in Winnetka

As electronic or gas bicycles (E-Bikes) and electronic scooters (E-Scooters) gain popularity, the following are the legal parameters for their use in the State of Illinois and the Village of Winnetka. As safety is our priority, we ask that you review these guidelines with any electronic bike or scooter riders in your home.

The existing state statues for electric or gas bicycles necessitate that they have a motor of less than 1 horsepower and be operated by a person who is at least 16 years of age, and must follow all rules applicable to bicyclists, though electric or gas bicycles may only be driven on streets (not sidewalks). E-Bikes that exceed 20 MPH or have motors more powerful than 750 watts may fall under a different classification than standard E-Bikes and could be considered motor vehicles, requiring registration, insurance, and a license to operate.

E-Scooters are considered similar to bicycles if they have a maximum speed of 20 MPH and motor power that is less than 750 watts. Per Illinois statute, E-Scooter riders generally should be at least 16 years of age, and E-Scooters should carry only one rider. E-Scooters may be ridden on sidewalks (outside of business districts: riders should walk their E-Scooters in the business districts) if they do not exceed the speed of 8 MPH: if they do, they must be used on streets which have a speed limit of 35 MPH or lower. Scooters exceeding the 20 MPH/maximum 750 watt limit are considered similar to motor vehicles. E-Scooters used on streets are expected to follow the same rules of the road as motorists, and helmets are recommended for both cyclists and E-Scooter riders.

Sincerely,

Michelle Cooney and Larry Joynt

Principal and Assistant Principal

The Skokie School