
November 2022
A Message from the Superintendent
November 2022
Dear Families, Staff, and Community Members,
As we prepare for the Thanksgiving season, I would like to express my gratitude for your partnership and support throughout the past several months of my Superintendency. The Referendum to support the 2022 Downsized Capital Improvement plan passed on November 8, providing us with an exciting opportunity to address crucial improvements in our schools. Please take a moment to review this letter and its accompanying video, if you have not already done so. I am honored to serve our school community; and take seriously the responsibility as a steward of this work. In addition to planning for next steps, I look forward to continuing to build upon the important work in our Strategic Plan and the impact it will have on the student experience in our K-8 system.
This month, I would like to highlight advances we have already made toward the four goals outlined in the plan (currently in its second year).
Fostering Intellectual Engagement & Motivation to Learn
Teachers in grades 5-8 continue to focus on alignment across these middle school grades, including amplifying Project-Based Learning experiences for students, which reflect the District’s progressive tenets including student voice and community. In addition to professional learning provided during the November and February Institute Days, a leadership team comprised of staff from Skokie and Washburne have been engaged in additional professional development to assist with continued implementation of this practice.
The Washburne staff have been hard at work redeveloping the master schedule, building off of the foundational work that the 5-8 Task Force completed last year.
To support efforts in literacy, the District has entered into a formal partnership with The Reading League to provide on-going professional learning while implementing the research behind the Science of Reading. A district committee will be selected to lead a curriculum cycle process.
Positive Culture & Well-Being
As a tool to support these efforts, the District has implemented RULER, a research-based approach to social and emotional learning (SEL) conceived at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. RULER is intended to foster the following values in school communities:
Understanding the importance of emotions
Increasing the skills of emotional intelligence
Developing and maintaining a positive school climate
Staff have been formally taught two of the four anchor strategies from RULER and will learn the remaining two by the end of the year.
Local & National Leader in Progressive Education & Talent Development
In the spring, the District will engage in a “Portrait of an Educator” process to determine key competencies for both existing as well as future staff members. Through a series of workshops with a team of stakeholders (including educators, current students, alumni and administration), the team will identify knowledge, skills and habits of mind for educators to design and implement 21st century learning experiences. The “Portrait of an Educator” will inform the District’s professional learning, educator support, hiring and recruitment efforts once completed by April of 2023.
The district continues to focus on professional development of our staff through learning taking place during this first half of the school year towards our major strategic goal areas. On November 1, staff attended Institute Day sessions on the following topics:
Science of Reading (development in early literacy research and strategies)
RULER/SEL (key social emotional skill development and anchor tools for all students in kindergarten-8th grades)
Functional Behavior Assessment (training for the recording of behavioral data and plan development)
Project Based Learning (furthering the middle school goal area of engaging our students in real world exploration and problem solving scenarios)
Financial Stewardship & Facility Improvements
With the successful passage of the referendum the District is moving forward with land conveyance of a portion of property at Crow Island to allow for the addition of the gym and classrooms in order to transition the current gym to a cafeteria space and remove the trailers from the premises.
The District is interested in partnering with other districts in the township to explore an enrollment trend study and potential cost savings of working together in this way.
At our January School Board Meeting, we will be sharing a mid-year update on our Annual Goals in connection with our Strategic Plan. We are committed to keeping our families apprised of our progress. Thank you for your dedication and support of our students and staff!
Finally, in order to provide additional tools to our families, we are launching “Winnetka Voices,” a podcast featuring candid conversations with educators and leaders in our community. More details are below!
Most Sincerely,
Dr. Kelly Tess
Winnetka Voices Premieres Today!
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.
Premiere Episode:
Fostering Post-Pandemic Growth & Resilience for our Children
Dr. Kelly Tess, Superintendent, speaks with Ms. Carly Andrews, Executive Director of The Alliance for Early Childhood, on how we can best support our childrens’ social and emotional needs, academic growth, and socialization in the wake of the pandemic.
Listen here:
Click here for resources and events from The Alliance for Early Childhood.
Board Meeting Preview
The next School Board meeting will be held at Crow Island School on November 15, 2022 at 7:00 p.m.
The following presentation is on the agenda:
- Tentative 2022 Tax Levy
In-person seating for the public is on a first-come, first-served basis.
To observe via Zoom:
https://winnetka36.zoom.us/j/88090707037?pwd=NG5odzg5ejhac3Frb05HK0lYQmZTUT09
Meeting ID: 880 9070 7037
Passcode: 353337
The meeting will include an opportunity for in-person public comment. Please note, the Board will be following policy 2:230 and limit public comment to three minutes - however, if there is a high volume of public comment, the Board may need to limit the amount of time dedicated to public comment in order to efficiently conduct business. Community members can send communications to board members at board@winnetka36.org which will be individually reviewed by each board member prior to the meeting.
Text-for-Help Available to Support Student Safety & Well-Being
Text-for-Help is is intended to provide confidential support to students at school. This resource is available 24/7, 365 days a year, completely anonymous, and staffed by fully-licensed counselors on the other end. Based on the students’ needs and preferences, a counselor will then direct the user to further assistance.
For further details about the tool, please review this recent Winnetka Parents Institute Session.
Winnetka Parents Institute
The District is offering an array of upcoming educational sessions for families and community members. Click here for a complete list of session dates and more information. Fall sessions include SEL-related topics and technology tips for parents regarding maneuvering the ever-changing landscape of technology, social media, and phones.
Up next:
Technology Survival Skills for Parents
Patrick Dawson, Instructional Technology Coordinator
Maneuvering the ever-changing landscape of technology, social media, and phones for students is a daunting task for any parents. This session will increase parent awareness and provide basic skills of how to maneuver through platforms, identify warning signs to look for, and hopefully reduce the stress of parenting students online in addition to in-person.
November 14, 2022
1:00 PM-2:00 PM
Resource Center at Washburne School
Interested:
Online Registration Opens November 16 for Incoming Kindergarteners & New Students for the 2023-2024 School Year
Registration for incoming Kindergarteners and students new to The Winnetka Public Schools in 2023-2024 opens on November 16, 2022. Children who will be five-years-old on or before September 1, 2023, are eligible to enroll. More information will be shared in the coming weeks.
A Skokie student focuses on an assignment.
Washburne students enjoy a party sponsored by the PTO.
Hubbard Woods students immersed in a geography project.
Follow us on Social Media!
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
A Greeley student shares fall-themed artwork.
A Hubbard Woods student engaged in reading.
Skokie students enjoy time outside.
Parent Education Sessions from District Partner Family Action Network (FAN):
For upcoming events, access FAN’s website here.
Chief Hornstein, Chief Ripka, & Dr. Tess during the District's annual safety meeting with police & fire officials
Choosing "just right" books at Greeley.
All smiles in Kindergarten at Crow Island.
TREX Plastic Film Challenge Begins!
Time to Gather Up Your Plastic Bags...
The TREX Plastic Film Challenge Starts November 15th! Each year Go Green Winnetka and all District 36 schools participate in this program, which enlists schools to collect plastic bags and wrap, which are then recycled and made into alternate wood products. The Challenge runs from November 15 - April 15, with winners announced on Earth Day. During this time, bins are placed at D36 schools to collect the *plastics listed below.
●Grocery bags
●Bread bags
●Case overwrap (e.g. water, soda and juice bottles)
●Dry cleaning bags
●Newspaper sleeves
●Ice bags
●Wood pellet bags
●Ziplock and other reclosable bags
●Produce bags
●Bubble wrap
●Salt bags
●Cereal bags
*Please note, all plastics must be clean, dry, and free of food residue.
https://www.trex.com/our-company/news/trex-launches-16th-annual-plastic-film-recycling-challenge/