WJHS Highlights
01/26/24
A Message from the Administrative Team
Dear WJHS Families,
Last year the WJHS Student Council hosted its first ever student dance! This year they will again be hosting a Winter Dance and the theme is "Paris Glows by Night". The dance will take place on Friday, February 23rd at WJHS from 5:30PM to 7:30PM. Tickets will be available for purchase through RevTrak for $5 ahead of time. Tickets will not be sold at the door.
Different from last year (and per school administration), the school policy will apply in regards to cell phones. We noticed last year that students were not socializing and connecting with their peers because they were too preoccupied with their phones. In addition, they were using phones to photograph and video record classmates without their permission and posting photos and videos on social media. We want this to be a fun and safe social event for WJHS students and so administrators will collect phones at the entrance to the dance and have students put them in a labeled baggie. An administrator will be with the cell phones at all times. Parents, you are welcome (and encouraged) to go "old-school" and send your child to the dance without their phone, while sharing a story about your cellphone-less youth, "I had to tell Grandpa where and when to pick me up before I got out of the car...can you believe it?!". They will really enjoy this conversation! 😀. If you decide to go this route please make a plan with them for a time and place to pick them up.
You can also send your child with a pre-labeled baggie to save time and get them into the dance sooner. Students who are unwilling to follow this policy will not be allowed to participate and will wait in the office with an adult until a parent or guardian can pick them up from the school.
Please don't hesitate to reach out to us with questions. This was a very fun event last year and we are looking forward to it!
Sincerely,
WJHS Student Council in collaboration with Administration
A Message from the Student Council
We hope that many of your students are excited for our Winter Dance, "Paris Glows at Night"! Along with volunteer chaperones (you can sign up at this link if you are interested in chaperoning) we are asking parents and community members to donate snacks and refreshments to be sold at the dance. Snacks and refreshments will be sold in the cafeteria during the dance for $1 - please remind your students to bring cash to purchase items.
The money raised selling snacks and refreshments will be donated to the New Trier Township Food Pantry and the remaining snacks and refreshments will be donated to the food pantry as well.
Individually wrapped food items and drinks can be dropped off at the WJHS main office or can be sent to WJHS care of Student Council via Amazon delivery. Please note, we can only accept individually wrapped items and prefer items that are nut-free.
This is the student's list of preferred snacks:
- Soda
- Bottles of water
- Bags of chips
- Bags of popcorn
- Full size candy bars
- Small bags of cookies
- Fruit snacks
- Juice boxes
- Gatorade
Thank you for donating and volunteering! Au revoir!
- WJHS Student Council
2024 Spelling Bee Goes 38 Rounds!
Congratulations to our Spelling Bee winner Benji B.! It was an exciting Spelling Bee this year - the competition was fierce! Congratulations to all of our 5 - 8 participants!
Science Olympiad Wins Invitational!
On Saturday, January 20th, the Science Olympiad team competed in the Crown Point, Indiana Invitational. WJHS won the invitational by winning nine of the twenty-three events and taking second or third in eight other events. The top performers on the WJHS team were Michelle R. and Nate B. receiving 4 ribbons. Eric C., Sophie Z., Bohan C., Henry R. Aparna R., Elisha L., and Lexy G. received three ribbons. Congratulations to everyone on the team for their hard work.
8th Grade Families: Save the Date!
8th grade graduation will take place on Wednesday, June 5 at 5:30pm in the new Winnetka Main Gym, at the Winnetka Campus of New Trier High School on Wednesday, June 5, 2023. We are excited to offer one graduation ceremony this year for the entire 8th grade class, set to take place at 5:30 pm. Be sure to pay your graduation fees by February 2 in PowerSchool.
LEEP Registration Open!
☀️Exciting News! ☀️ Registration is now open for the Lechner Early Education Program at Romona Elementary! Give your child a fantastic start with our affordable half-day preschool program. Experience great student-to-teacher ratios and access to a team of highly qualified staff dedicated to nurturing your child's early learning journey. ✨📚
Secure your child's spot today! Contact Kristin Johnson at johnsonk@wilmette39.org or visit our website for more information. Don't miss out on this wonderful opportunity for your little one to thrive in a supportive and enriching environment!
Lost & Found is Already Rebounding!
Is your child telling you they can't wear a coat outside because they lost it?! Have no fear - it might be in the WJHS Lost & Found! Please feel free to stop by any time after 2:00 PM to look through it and claim your child's items!
SEL News
When children set goals in their school or home life, it helps to foster self-awareness (knowing what they are good at doing, and identifying areas they want to improve) and self-management (setting plans to reach their goals). It can help build intrinsic motivation as they reach their goals, and offers opportunities to celebrate the many little “wins” along the way.
Here are a couple of great articles that offer tips on goal setting with your child:
PTO Highlights
7TH GRADE PARENTS: IMPORTANT REGISTRATION INFORMATION FOR NEXT YEAR
When you register your child in PowerSchool, you will be asked if your student/parent information can be included in the PTO family directory and class lists. Please select “YES.” The directory is not distributed to anyone other than student families and D39 staff and the only place a class list appears is through the PTO Directory. This will also opt you IN so you can get important email notifications about social events, after-school clubs, graduation activities and other student/family news throughout the 2024-2025 school year.
NEW FRENCH CUISINE CLUB OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS - PARLEZ-VOUS CUISINE?!?
SIGN UP TODAY for the NEW French Cuisine Club! This club is open to anyone (not just French students) afterschool on Thursdays from 3:30-4:30pm and taught by Madame Madden in room 203 (Cost $120). Would your student like to learn how to make a charcuterie board? Taste different French cheeses? Make crepes, Belgian waffles and mousse au chocolat??? Then this club is for them! They will learn additional recipes to try at home too. Runs during February through mid-March. Register HERE!
🇲🇫🧀🗼🍽️🥐
BEAUTY & THE BEAST JR THEATRE CLUB
Bring the timeless story of Beauty & The Beast to life with Skyline Children’s Theatre’s afterschool club on Thursdays from 3:45-5:45pm starting 2/7 (Cost: $365). Your student will receive a named role and memorize lines, sign catchy songs and learn dances while being guided by a professional teaching artist. Your star’s moment has arrived and their spotlight awaits! Register HERE! This club is run by an outside vendor (Skyline Children’s Theatre) and not the WJHS PTO. Questions? Email clubs@wjhspto.com
2023-2024 WJHS YEARBOOK NEWS…📔📸
The yearbook team is in need of some close-up SPORTS candid/action shots to round out their collection for this year's content! If you have photos of this type to share, please submit here: https://www.hjeshare.com/eShare/home?code=wjhs2024
*Please place your yearbook orders now, as online sales will close in Spring and extra copies will be very limited at year end: ORDER HERE
**If you're not sure if you have already purchased a yearbook, please search your email for a confirmation from: YEARBOOKORDERCENTER@HERFFJONES.COM
***If you have questions about the photo of your child being used for the yearbook, or desire changes to that photo, please reach out to the WJHS photography vendor Stuart-Rodgers.
****Lastly, if you'd like to purchase a TEAM SPORTS PHOTO from Fall or Winter, this is the vendor link to do so: https://shop.imagequix.com/g1001035002 We expect this will be the same link for Spring sports, so please bookmark the URL and revisit after team photos are taken in Spring if you have an athlete who participates in a Spring sport.
Is your student interested in helping put together the Yearbook? This club is school sponsored!
VOLUNTEERS TO SERVE LUNCH ALWAYS NEEDED & APPRECIATED
Spend an hour and a half of your day helping the school while viewing your child from a distance (they might not even know you’re there)! You do not need to cook, only assist in serving the food items to the students as they go through the lunch line. Plenty of availability through the end of February. Sign up HERE and thank you!
OPEN WJHS PTO POSITIONS✋
School Supplies Coordinator: Be the PTO’s liaison who coordinates ordering the Edukits boxes (school supplies) in Feb/Mar ‘24 and supervises their arrival/distribution using volunteers in mid-August (can be a 7th or incoming 6th grade parent). You don’t have to decide WHAT to order, that is provided by the teachers. You just have to keep track of how many boxes to order, work with the EduKits representative to pass along deadline dates to the PTO Exec Board and be around a couple of days before school starts next year to anticipate their arrival.
Civics & Safety Representative: make sure important announcements about special days (Bike to School day, Crossing Guard Appreciation Day, etc) get communicated to the PTO Exec Board from the Village Wide PTO Civics & Safety Representative. Very minimal time commitment.
For more information please email president-elect@wjhspto.com.
District News
Calendar for the 2024-25 Academic Year
This past Monday, the Board of Education approved the school calendar for the 2024-25 academic year, with the school year set to start with an early release day on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. The calendar is also available on the D39 website.
Registration for 2024-25 Academic Year
Registration for the 2024-25 academic year is now open. ALL students, including those already attending D39 schools, must register via PowerSchool for the 2024-25 academic year. For returning students, visit the PowerSchool Parent Portal, click on the registration link, and follow the instructions. For students who will be new to D39, visit wilmette39.org/enroll for instructions on the new student registration process. We encourage parents with new kindergarten students to enroll as soon as possible. D39 is also offering its optional KEEP39 afternoon enrichment program for kindergarten students. You can register your child for KEEP39 at the same time that you register for kindergarten. Additionally, you can also register your child(ren) in our Lechner Early Education Program (LEEP) for three- and four-year-old students at this time.
Board of Education Meeting
The Board of Education conducted its regular business meeting this past Monday. The Board approved a fee of $3,230 for 2024-25 for KEEP39, the District’s optional afternoon enrichment program for kindergarten students. The Board also approved the school calendar for the 2024-25 academic year and conducted first reading of several important Board policies. Agendas and materials for all Board of Education meetings are posted online the Friday prior to the meeting.
D39 Summer Enrichment Program
Looking for a fun and educational summer experience for your child(ren)? Learn more about our District 39 Summer Enrichment Program! This program runs from July 2-31 and provides a variety of both academic and hobby-based courses for students currently in grades K-7. Please visit our D39 Summer Enrichment Program website for more details. The list of offered courses will be available online this coming Monday (Jan. 29).
Join the Fun for the District 39 Educational Foundation Bingo Night!
Get your tickets now for the D39 Educational Foundation’s Annual Bingo Night on Friday, Feb. 8 from 6-8 pm at the Highcrest cafeteria! Excitement is in the air as the cards are covered and everyone is on the edge of their seats ready to yell “Bingo!” Winners select prizes from a table-full of games, toys, gift cards, etc. This fundraiser is fun for the whole family. Visit the D39 Ed Foundation website for more information and to purchase your tickets.
Parent Education Event
Please make plans to join us for our next Parent Ed event, “To Rainbow Infinity and Beyond: Cultivating and Celebrating a Positive Neurodivergent Identity,” scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 11 am. You may join us in-person at Harper for this event or participate virtually via Zoom. Please register online to reserve your spot and visit our Parent Education page for our full schedule of events, registration links, and archived recordings.
Additionally, the North Shore Coalition for Drug Free Communities is sponsoring a screening of the latest documentary in the “Screenagers” trilogy titled “Screenagers Under the Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Age.” This event will be held on Thursday, Feb. 1 at 6 pm at Youth Services of Glenview/Northbrook (3080 West Lake Ave., Glenview) and also features a Q&A session after the screening. Online registration is now open for this event.
Village of Wilmette’s Black History Month Contest
The Village of Wilmette’s Human Relations Commission is sponsoring its annual Black History Month contest. This year’s Black History Month theme, “African Americans the Arts,” encompasses the impact that African American artists have had on cultural movements and more. Students are invited to submit posters, essays, poetry, and/or art/multimedia/music entries for this contest. Entries are being accepted now until Feb. 15 and can be sent or delivered to Wilmette Village Hall (attn: Human Relations Commission, Village Manager’s Office), 1200 Wilmette Ave., Wilmette. Visit the Village of Wilmette website or click the link above for more information.
Wilmette Junior High School
Email: office-wjhs@wilmette39.org
Website: http://wjhs.wilmette39.org/
Location: 620 Locust Rd, Wilmette, IL, USA
Phone: 847-512-6600
Instagram: @hawkwolf39
Twitter: @hawkwolf39
Principal at Wilmette Junior High School; love being an educator and working with young people; value spending time with friends and family