Carleton Washburne

It is hard to believe that October is here. Washburne students have been engaged from the beginning and we are proud of the hard work our students put in each day. Our staff is excited to share more, and meet with, families next week as fall conferences begin. Last week, our students were able to hear from Megan Freeman, author of our “One Book, One Campus” novel Alone. Thank you to all the people involved at both Skokie and Washburne that helped to plan this event! We also want to thank the parents that were able to join us on Friday for our first principal coffee of the year. We look forward to continued collaboration throughout the year.

Washburne students and staff are also excited to host Autumnfest this Friday, October 6th. Autumnfest is our annual student-led carnival in which each advisory creates a fun booth or activity that raises funds for a cause chosen by our students. This is our biggest fundraising event of the year, and we couldn’t be more proud of our students and how they embrace service learning. There will be food served as part of this event. Please CLICK HERE to view the food items and the list of ingredients.

Take Care and Be Well,

Andrew Fenton & Ben Horwitz

Washburne Principal & Assistant Principal

Carleton Washburne School will be conducting our annual lockdown drill in conjunction with the Winnetka Police Department on Tuesday, October 17th. Illinois law requires that all schools conduct a drill with law enforcement within the first 90 school days of the year. Prior to the drill, Washburne teachers will be discussing it with students to ensure that they understand that it is a planned drill and to know what actions to take.

Illinois law allows for parents to opt out of the drill with written notice to their child’s school. If you would like to opt your child out of the drill, please indicate so by completing this Google Form. You do not need to take any action if your child will participate in the drill.

Parents can view our lunch menu by clicking on this LINK.

We are looking forward to fall conferences, which will take place on Thursday, October 12th and Friday, October 13th. If you have not scheduled your conference yet, please reach out to your child's advisor to schedule a conference. Conferences can be held online via Zoom or in person based on your family’s preference. Students should be in attendance for their conferences.

Welcome to Window to Washburne! Each week, we will be highlighting some of the learning taking place in our classrooms.

Over the last two years, 8th grade students at Washburne have entered into the Anti-Defamation League’s First Amendment Contest. The contest asks students to express what the first amendment means to them, either in a written essay or in an artistic representation. Several of our students have been winners in recent years, taking home college scholarships in the process. This year, students in Ms. Etter’s and Mr. Rice’s classes have been working on their entries. Students can choose to focus on any aspect of the first amendment, with some focusing on freedom of speech and others choosing freedom of religion. Regardless of any prizes, students are learning firsthand how our Constitution applies to their lives.

Kudos to Ms. Etter and Mr. Rice for helping our students learn more about civics and guiding our students in this contest.

Are you ready to take your broadcasting talents to a whole new level? Join our CW Broadcasting Club, where you'll write, record, and edit exciting broadcast segments for the Washburne School community. Whether you dream of being in the spotlight or prefer working behind the scenes, there's a spot just for you! No worries if you've never done this before – we welcome everyone who's eager to learn the ropes of broadcast and video production.

Come be part of our crew as we make use of top-notch studio equipment in the updated redesigned Washburne TV Studio. It's the perfect place to build your broadcasting skills!

Click here to sign up for CW Broadcasting Club Registration opens at 9am on Tuesday, October 3rd.

The CW Broadcast Club, Fall Session will meet Tuesdays, after school from 3:30pm - 4:30pm, beginning October 10th through February 13th for a total of 15 meetings. We will not meet the weeks of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring Breaks.

Debate club meets after school on Wednesdays from 3:30-4:30pm in Ms. Etter’s room (N106). This is a great opportunity for students to hone their research skills, become polished public speakers, and challenge themselves outside of the classroom. Students can compete in after-school tournaments with other New Trier feeder schools a few times throughout the year.

Please reach out to Ms. Etter (maureenetter@winnetka36.org) with any questions.

Parents can register their child for debate by clicking this LINK.

Dungeons and Dragons Club is a joint club between Skokie and Washburne that allows students to participate in the roleplaying game, Dungeons and Dragons. Students can be new to D&D or experienced. There is room for all!

• Registration opens at 9am on Tuesday, September 26th.

• To see this club, please click Washburne Non-Sports.
  

Washburne's Interscholastic Basketball Program is set to begin at the end of October. In order to try out for the team, students need to be registered and have a medical clearance form or current physical (within 13 months) on file at the school. Both items can be found here. Registration will open by October 17th. Fees for the season will be paid during registration, with refunds being issued after tryouts are completed.

Tryouts will be held during the week of October 23rd, with more details put on the website and shared through this memo shortly. Any questions can be directed to Andy Becker at AndyBecker@Winnetka36.org.

For planning purposes, please note that Washburne 8th graders will take the New Trier placement test on Saturday, December 2nd. If for any reason your child needs to test on a different day, please reach out directly to New Trier in early October after they send information to families about testing.

Thursday & Friday, October 12th-13th: Fall Conferences, No School

Tuesday, October 24th: School Board Meeting - 7:15pm @ Carleton Washburne School

Friday, October 27th: Picture Retakes

Last year the District strategic plan goal to realign the K-1 literacy program was updated to entail a full curriculum review of literacy programming K-8. The goal of the curriculum review is to ensure there is a guaranteed and viable literacy curriculum based upon current research that builds from Kindergarten through Grade 8. In the spring a group of educators that comprised the District’s Literacy Leadership Committee identified literacy programs to pilot this year and 60 classroom teachers volunteered to participate in the pilot. Participating in the pilot means that the teacher has been trained in the program and will select one existing unit in the literacy curriculum to replace with the pilot curriculum. Your child’s classroom teacher may have shared this information during the recent Go To School Night events, as well as through their classroom newsletters. While the student learning outcomes in literacy may remain the same this year, the programming, materials and sequence used may be different in classrooms where the pilot is taking place. More information about the pilot will continue to be shared through District communications and regular updates during School Board meetings.

A special thank you to the Winnetka Public Schools Foundation Board for approving funding that was used for a large majority of the pilot training that occurred during September.

Per the Illinois Department of Public Health, it is recommended that a person isolates for at least 5 days from symptom onset if symptoms are present or 5 days from positive test date if no symptoms. Day 1 starts the day after symptom onset/positive test date. They can return on day 6 if fever, vomiting, and diarrhea cease for 24 hours and have improvement of symptoms. It is recommended to mask day 6-10.

The D36 Green Team is ready to kick off the school year but we need help from each school to make a tangible difference. Here are some ways that you can be involved:

• Attend our monthly meetings! Our first meeting is scheduled for October 6, 8:45-9:30 a.m. over Zoom. Meetings will take place the first Friday of each month at 8:45 a.m. over Zoom. Email Patrick Dawson if you're interested in attending, even if you can't make every month!

• Sign up to empty out our plastic bags collection boxes! Can't make our meetings? Prefer to take more of a behind-the-scenes roll? Sign up HERE for a month or two at your building to empty out the plastic bags collection. We ask that you complete it at the end of the month unless the box is full before that. You're only responsible for emptying it that one time in a month! If the end of the month comes and it's still not full, please do still empty it.

• Interested in helping with a project? Contact Liz Kunkle and we'll keep you in mind as projects arise!
  

To view the calendar for the 2023/2024 school year, please click here.

The Winnetka Public Schools, Village, Police, and Fire Departments work to proactively refine safety practices on an ongoing basis. We are grateful for our collaborative partnership, and have worked together to compile a Fall Edition of our Safety Bulletin as we begin the 23/24 school year. You’ll find general information on a variety of safety-related topics and resources to support the safety of our entire community.

The District offers regular sessions for families to learn more about a variety of topics. Please view the fall schedule here. If you were unable to attend “The Winnetka Experience: Portrait of a Graduate, Portrait of an Educator, and Progressive Education” view the session here.

Coming Soon:

District 36: Benchmark Assessments

October 19 2023 @ 9:30 A.M.

Location: Skokie Community Room

Join Dr. Becky Mathison, Assistant Superintendent of Innovation, Teaching and Learning, to hear about the standardized academic assessments administered in the areas of reading and math. Learn about what skills are assessed at each grade level, how staff use this information, and when parents can expect to receive assessment results following each of the three benchmarking periods (fall, winter, and spring)

Interested:

RSVP for this event here

Following the event a link will be provided to the recorded presentation on the website.

Feedback Link

As part of Winnetka School District 36’s ongoing commitment to equity by fostering connection and belonging, the District will take time each month to recognize the contributions of people of diverse backgrounds. The goal of these monthly observances is to provide resources and support for teachers in order to bring awareness and appreciation to the diverse population of students in our community. Observances will look different at all schools and even at different grade levels. Some activities might include art, music, book studies, research projects, sharing cultural holidays and celebrations, and other school activities. As materials are developed for these observances, we will make them accessible.

September 15- October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month

October: Disability Awareness

November: Native American Heritage

December: Human Rights

January: MLK Jr. Day

February: Black History

March - April 15: Women’s History Month

April 15-May 15: Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage

May 15 - June 13: Jewish American Heritage

Download the District’s app by searching “The Winnetka Public Schools” on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. The app will serve as a convenient way to report absences, view and manage your school calendars, and see at-a-glance District news.

Please follow the District via the following social media platforms in order to see day-to-day happenings and more.

Facebook and Twitter: @Winnetka36

Instagram: @WinnetkaPublicSchools