Avoca West has been designated as an EXEMPLARY school for the 2024 Illinois Report Card! Each year, schools and districts across Illinois receive an annual summative designation (federally required) to help give big-picture feedback about student achievement/proficiency, progress, climate, and attendance. Based on many factors (see visual below), Avoca West is in the TOP 10% of schools statewide with no underperforming student groups.

We certainly want to celebrate all of the hard work that goes into this designation, which includes:

• Maintaining high levels of ELA (English Language Arts), Math, and Science Proficiency
• Increasing the overall growth of our students to even higher levels -- especially in the area of Math growth
• Targeting and support language growth for our Multilingual Learners as measured by the ACCESS test
• Increasing student attendance (decreasing chronic absenteeism)

The State of Illinois emphasizes the importance of the different measures by weighing each of the measures accordingly. You'll notice that the State aligns closely with our Avoca values, placing a high weight/value on whether or not students meet or exceed their personal growth -- calling on our staff and school community to continue stretching even beyond the benchmark. Additionally, the State agrees that getting our students to school is one of the most important factors in helping our students realize their success.

What does that mean for our work in the year ahead? We will:

• Continue to dive into data at the school, grade, and individual level to make instructional decisions that engage and push our students forward in their learning journey. This includes providing additional support and/or extension for all students academically.
• Review data to identify and minimize achievement gaps between different student groups (ex: non-low income vs. low-income, males vs. females, race/ethnicity)
• Address and support student attendance through regular communication with caregivers and support for our students (and caregivers) if there are barriers we can remove
• Engage in ongoing collaboration among staff across the building to learn alongside and from one another

Tune into this Thursday's Board of Education Meeting to hear more about the District and school designations!

In case you couldn't make it to last week's first ever Screen Sanity Caregiver Night at MM, rest assured that we will bring the opportunity back to Avoca West again soon! The event was intended to foster a supportive community and spark meaningful conversations among attendees about screen time challenges and solutions.

Those in attendance shared the following as highlights:

• Community and Conversation: Parents appreciated meeting new people, discussing shared challenges, and learning from others’ strategies.
• Practical Strategies: Attendees praised the actionable tips, such as leaving phones downstairs or modeling healthy screen behaviors. Many felt empowered with a clearer action plan to safeguard their families’ digital habits.
• Format and Resources: The combination of videos, discussions, and accountability tools (e.g., filters and routers) resonated well. Participants expressed interest in printed resources to take home. These were provided as a follow up to all participants via email.
• Empowerment and Optimism: The event validated parents’ efforts, encouraged gradual growth in digital habits (e.g., treating screen use like a “digital driver’s license”), and left them feeling hopeful about building stronger families.

It's safe to say that we're all eager for continued opportunities to exchange ideas and gain more resources, reinforcing the importance of hosting events like this regularly. Our next event (December, if possible) will be at Avoca West for those caregivers/parents with students at Avoca West.

Calling all gift givers! Each year Marie Murphy's Roots and Shoots Club (now combined with Student Council) matches local families in need with sponsors to provide gifts for the holiday season. If you would like to sponsor a child in need please refer to the following steps...

1. Sign up to sponsor a child - Use this link

2. Receive a wishlist of what they want

3. Go shopping for the items on your person’s wishlist (we recommend spending between $75-$100)

4. Marie Murphy students can wrap your gifts for you if drop off at Marie Murphy by Dec. 13

5. Or, wrap the presents yourself and drop off at Marie Murphy by December 16!

Any questions, contact Jenn Rachmiel (rachmielj@avoca37.org) or Rachel Hernandez (hernandezr@avoca37.org)

Thanks to one of our community members who shared this resource with me. Building a more socially grounded graduates is a benefit to our community and I love it when our interconnections and influences are a global effort by all!

*One of my ultimate goals is to tap into our Senior community population to build a "Grandparents Corp." The opportunity to build cross-generational relationships is an untapped resource and chance for all to learn from one another -- including the intangible lesson of caring for one another. If you think this might be your calling, I'd love to partner!

November 21st -- 6pm @ Marie Murphy - Board of Education Meeting

November 25th-November 29th -- No School ALL WEEK! Happy Thanksgiving!

December 2nd -- Classes Resume

December 5th -- 6pm @ Marie Murphy - Board of Education Meeting

December 9th-13th -- Benchmarking at Avoca West (aimsweb and Panorama)

December 13th -- Intercultural Dinner and Talent Show

December 19th -- 6pm @ Marie Murphy - Board of Education Meeting

December 20th -- 1:30-2:30pm -- AW Classroom Winter Celebrations

Thanks to your support, the PTC treated our amazing staff to appreciation lunches during October conferences! Avoca West enjoyed flavorful Fajita Pete’s, while Marie Murphy savored Potbelly and Portillo’s. A big thank-you to everyone who contributed desserts and dishes to create such a delicious spread. Your generosity makes a difference—thank you!

Please feel free to reach out to ask any of our office staff for help!

Website: https://www.avoca37.org/schools/avoca_west
Location: 235 Beech Drive, Glenview, IL, United States
Phone: 847-724-6800
Twitter: @AvocaWest37