Carleton Washburne

The last school week of 2023 has arrived, and over the past couple weeks our Washburne students have been busy with a variety of service projects. On Friday, our students filled a truckful of toys and much needed supplies to be delivered to Northwestern Settlement House. For many years, Washburne has participated in the Adopt-a-Family program, providing holiday gifts and other essential supplies to families in need. We want to sincerely thank all of our students, families, and staff for all of their contributions.

If your child has lost anything, and we mean anything, at school this year, please have them visit our lost and found before break. The lost and found is located inside our main office. We have many sweatshirts, water bottles, and other items that we would love to return to their rightful owners.

A big thank you to our PTO and a number of parent volunteers who hosted over 100 7th graders on Friday for a “Weekend Warm-Up”. The weather cooperated and students enjoyed time to hang out with peers both inside and outside.

We wish all of our community a safe, healthy and relaxing winter break and look forward to 2024.

Take Care and Be Well,

Andrew Fenton & Ben Horwitz

Carleton Washburne Principal & Assistant Principal

Students are always in need of skates for the Washburne skating parties. This year those parties are on Friday, December 22nd. There are pairs to rent at the rink, but sometimes certain sizes are limited. We would love if families have extra or old skates that they are not using they could lend them to the RC for Friday, December 22. They can bring them in anytime the week before. Students who don't own skates can check them out, and I'll keep track of the pairs for both 7th and 8th grade skating parties.

We will send them home after school on the 22nd.

Families can access Trimester 1 report cards in the PowerSchool Parent Portal. You can see step-by-step directions for how to access report cards using this link.

If you have any questions, please reach out to parentportal@winnetka36.org.

Paper Report cards will also be mailed out to families this week.

Students at Washburne do not have to go outside for recess. However, if your child enjoys going outside each day, we ask for your partnership in ensuring that they have proper winter gear for the elements. When the temperature is extremely cold (a feels like temperature of 10 degrees or colder), we will keep all students indoors.

Below are resources we use as guidance for our district to determine if we are outside or staying inside for recess.

• We use the Weather Channel to monitor the weather.

• We use the ISBE windchill guide for “feels like” temperature.
  

DO YOU LOVE MATH???

Do you want to compete with other school and have fun while learning new concepts?

If this is you, join our District 36 MathCounts team!

OUR FIRST PRACTICE WILL BE THIS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14TH, 2023

3:45-4:45 PM

ROOM S204 @ CARLETON WASHBURNE SCHOOL

Registration opens at 9:00am this Tuesday, December 12th on the District Web Store.

This club is open to 6th - 8th graders and it is posted under Washburne Non-Sports on the Webstore.

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

With the calendar about to turn to 2024, 8th grade students in Mr. Barraca’s English class have had an eye toward the future. Working in groups, students have been exploring the following question: What are you excited or concerned about in the future? Students have researched topics ranging from virtual reality to space exploration to write an informational essay. In collaboration with their partners, they are documenting their findings and learning a lot about what the future holds for all of us.

Kudos to Mr. Barraca for helping our students explore the future in a fun, collaborative way.

Hello Washburne parents we’re 8th grade students on the Dream Team and are working on a project for Social Studies and Language Arts. This project is a charity where we are helping supply sporting equipment to kids without the money or power to obtain the equipment themselves. On December 22nd, during our skating party, many of you will probably find that you have hockey skates that no longer fit. If this is the case it would be great if you could donate them to our cause, and if you happen to find old hockey pads, socks, helmets, or jerseys, those would be greatly appreciated as well. There will be donation bins in the front lobby of Washburne main entrance and in the Winnetka ice rink. It would be amazing if you could donate to this cause.

Project Based Learning opportunities

Hello, Winnetka! One of our 7th grade teams is currently doing a big project on poverty, hunger, and clothing insecurity. We are collecting all kinds of items to help five organizations: PADS, the New Trier Food Pantry, One Warm Coat, Cradles to Crayons and Project Linus. (To find out more information about our project and these charities please visit our website)

Please bring any and all items to Washburne during school hours from November 28-December 21.

There will be bins set-up outside the main office for the following items:

• If you want to donate food: PADS and the New Trier food pantry need: cookies, crackers, granola bars, pasta, pasta sauce, salad dressing/salsa, cooking oil and condiments, individual breakfast foods, cups of fruit and any packaged foods, canned fruit (all kinds), canned chicken, tuna, salmon, brown and white rice/rice mixes, toothpaste and, Ziploc-style bags, cleaning supplies. There will be bins set-up outside the main office. Additionally, students will be posted out front of the Jewel Osco on Green Bay Road in Wilmette and the Jewel Osco on Waukegan in Glenview on Tuesday the week of November 28th.

• If you want to donate winter gear: One Warm Coat needs new or gently used coats, gloves, hats and scarves. Please bring clothing to Washburne school from November 28-December 21.

• If you want to donate supplies for children: Cradles to crayons needs clothes, books, shoes, toys, school supplies, winter gear and toiletries for children ages 0-12.

• If you want to donate blankets: Project Linus needs blankets that are new, handmade and washable.

Thank you for helping us address some of the needs in our community.

Tuesday, December 19th: School Board Meeting - 7:15pm @ Carleton Washburne School

Friday, December 22nd: Washburne Skating Parties

Monday, December 25th - Friday, January 5th: No School - Winter Holiday

Monday, January 8th: Classes Resume

We are conducting a test of our emergency notification system on Monday, December 18. This system is used to alert our school community of weather-related school closures and emergency situations that require immediate notification. If you would like to update your emergency contact information and you are a parent or caregiver, please contact your child's school secretary. If you are a staff member and need to update your contact information, please login to your Skyward account.

Dr. Kelly Tess, Superintendent, has a conversation with Resource Center Directors Ms. Liz Delzell (Hubbard Woods) and Ms. Katie Nelson (Carleton Washburne School) about how connection is inspired through literature and the dynamic environments in which we learn. “We try to make students feel welcome no matter what,” says Ms. Nelson. “The library is the heart of the school,” affirms Ms. Delzell. As you listen to this episode, you’ll hear references to stories and books that have a special meaning to the individuals or connected others across a storyline or character. Despite advances in technology, the written word remains a critical avenue to express emotion and link readers to each other. Wishing you and your loved ones time to find cozy nooks with good books this winter!

Listen here:

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Winnetka Voices is a podcast hosted by The Winnetka Public Schools, featuring candid conversations on issues relevant to education and shared resources to support our students and families.

Benchmark assessments are valuable tools that provide a snapshot of student progress at a point in time. These assessments help teachers to identify areas where students are excelling and where they may need additional support. They can also inform instructional decisions by providing data that can be used to tailor teaching to meet each student's unique needs and strengths. Benchmark assessments are an important component of progressive education, which recognizes that students learn in different ways and at different rates. By using benchmark assessments to inform instruction, teachers can provide a more individualized approach to learning that supports each student's academic growth and personal development.

Academic benchmark assessments for literacy and math will occur three times this year for students in grades K-8. The Winter Benchmark Assessments start on January 8th and conclude on January 19th. There are three platforms the district utilizes to gather student learning information; aimswebPlus, mCLASS, and NWEA MAP. Benchmarking reports will be mailed home on Wednesday, January 31st.

Grades K-8 trimester 1 progress reports will be mailed home in addition to Grades 1-8 being posted online via PowerSchool. Click here for more information including how to access the information online.

Tuesday, January 10 at 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Greeley School

275 Fairview Avenue

Winnetka

This informational session is intended for Winnetka parents of preschool students who will be attending The Winnetka Public Schools. Parents will learn more about the support and services that the District provides to current preschool students attending local preschool programming as well as what is available within our schools once a student enters kindergarten. Families will receive a preview of:

• The transition-to-Kindergarten process by Crow Island, Greeley and Hubbard Woods Principals,

• The resources available to families of current preschool students from the Department of Student Services, Equity and Inclusion

• Details on “Kindergarten Connection” which will take place in Summer 2024

• Highlights of a typical kindergarten day in The Winnetka Public Schools

We look forward to meeting new families at this event!

Registration for incoming kindergarteners and students new to The Winnetka Public Schools in 2024/2025 is now open. Children who will be five-years-old on or before September 1, 2024, are eligible to enroll. Questions related to School Admissions and age requirements are addressed in School Board Policy 7:50 School Admissions and student Transfers to and from Non-District Schools.

Please note: There are two steps to completing new student registration. We ask that parent(s)/guardian(s) complete BOTH steps of pre-registration BEFORE January 12, 2024. As an added incentive new students that have completed the two step pre-registration process by January 12, 2024, will receive a credit of $40.00 toward student fees for the 2024/2025 school year.

Step 1: Complete the online pre-registration form; Step 2: Visit the District Office (1235 Oak Street) to provide the following:

1. Proof of residency. Click here to view the list of documents that will meet these requirements. For your convenience residency documents may be uploaded during online registration.

2. Original or certified copy of your child(ren)'s birth certificate and a parent photo ID.

Completing both steps (online and in-person) is required for your child(ren) to be enrolled as new students. Click here to begin the online segment.

The District offers regular sessions for families to learn more about a variety of topics. The Winter/Spring schedule will be shared soon. In the meantime, videos of the Fall 2023 sessions are available here:

• The Winnetka Experience: Portrait of a Graduate, Portrait of an Educator, and Progressive Education

• District 36: Benchmark Assessments
  

• The Middle School Experience

• Literacy Pilot: How District 36 Educators are Testing Literacy Programs and Practices

Save-the-Date for the Winnetka Public Schools Foundation Carlson Event

January 30, 2024

6:30-8:30 P.M.

Location: Skokie School

Join WPSF at their free annual event to learn about findings from the literacy pilot and to see a showcase of recently funded grants in D36. Teachers will be participating in a panel discussion on reading education. Don't miss this opportunity to learn firsthand from faculty and district leaders and to see #grantsinaction.