Whoot There It Is

Note from Principal McCoy

It is hard to believe that we are already in November & fall is flying by.

This time of the year is full of holidays, traditions, and various festivities. After receiving many questions regarding Halloween, I wanted to pause & provide some context for our school community on why we do what we do.

Our families come from diverse backgrounds with many different religious and personal beliefs. Traditionally this has led to many students not being able to participate in school-wide events & celebrations. These students were pulled out, didn't come to school on those days, etc. due to not being able to participate in these celebrations.

Since equity & cultural diversity are pillars of our community and our district, in 2019 there was a district wide expectation set for all schools to no longer host holiday themed celebrations.

As we continue to create an equitable school environment that believes in celebration and inclusivity, we at Willard are fully dedicated to hosting events & celebrations that center learning and our other school-wide initiatives. We value all of our families and everyone's culture and beliefs therefore we are striving to create an atmosphere of excellence that our students can all be a part of.

We look forward to partnering with each & every one of you as we continue to recreate & reimagine celebration and community at Willard.

Principal McCoy

Sports

Elementary Athletics

District 65 is starting elementary athletics.

Winter sports will consist of cheerleading and basketball.

The district offers sports for all 4th and 5th grades, and there is no fee. District 65 and the city of Evanston have agreed that the city will provide basketball for the 1st-3rd graders, and the district will do so for the 4th and 5th graders. There are also coaching opportunities for parents and people in the community.

Basketball and cheerleading will start on Monday, December 5th, 2022 and registration will close on Monday, November 28th, 2022.

PLEASE CREATE AN EVENTLINK ACCOUNT TO SIGN YOUR CHILD(REN) UP. HERE ARE THE STEPS TO CREATE YOUR LINK

COACHING DETAILS ARE HERE

We are searching for coaches, and that it's a paid position.

Please contact Branden Lane for coaching details. (laneb@district65.net)

Looking For Ways to Begin Your Cultural Awareness Journey?

District 65 Beyond Diversity Seminar December 1st & 2nd

District 65 is excited to host a community-based Beyond Diversity Seminar grounded in the ideals of anti-oppression and compassion. This two-day training will offer participants the opportunity to learn how their own values, beliefs, and assumptions influence their worldviews and behaviors, and they can go beyond mere tolerance of others to true respect for cultural differences.

District 65 is deeply committed to racial and educational equity. As part of this commitment, all District 65 team members are asked to complete this transformative training experience. We are also inviting parents and caregivers from the District 65 community to participate in this community-based session!

The session is at no cost to D65 community members. Participants must be able to attend the entirety of both session dates to be fully registered for the session.

District 65 Beyond Diversity Training
Thursday, December 1, and Friday, December 2

7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Joseph E. Hill Education Center (Boardroom)
1500 McDaniel Avenue, Evanston

Click here to register. Space is limited.
Registration will close on Friday, November 18, at 5 p.m.

El Distrito 65 está emocionado de organizar un seminario ‘Más allá de la diversidad’ para toda la comunidad el cual estará basado en los ideales de compasión y anti-opresión. Esta capacitación de dos días ofrecerá a los participantes la oportunidad de aprender cómo sus propios valores creencias y suposiciones influyen su manera de ver el mundo al igual que su comportamiento, además pueden ampliarse más allá e ir de la tolerancia hacia otros al respeto verdadero de las diferencias culturales.

El Distrito 65 está profundamente comprometido con la equidad racial y educativa. Como parte de este compromiso, se pide a todos los miembros del equipo del Distrito 65 que completen esta experiencia transformadora de capacitación. ¡También estamos invitando a padres de familia y a cuidadores de la comunidad del Distrito 65 para que particiopen en esta sesión comiunitaria!

Esta sesión es gratuita para los miembros de la comunidad del D65. Los participantes deben poder asistir a ambas fechas de las sesiones para que estén debidamente registrados para la sesión.

Capacitación del Distrito 65 ‘Más allá de la diversidad’
Jueves, 1ro de diciembre y viernes 2 de diciembre

7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Centro Educativo Joseph E. Hill (salón de juntas)
1500 McDaniel Avenue. Evanston

Presiona aquí para inscribirse. El espacio es limitado.
La inscripción se cerrará el viernes 18 de noviembre las 5 p.m.

Student Advisory Project Phase II

For the first time in almost 30 years, our district is working towards a comprehensive, equitable plan to help ensure that nearly all students have access to a neighborhood school in proximity to their home, inclusive of programming and services that best meet their individual needs.

Please note that the new Student Assignment Plan, including boundary changes, will not go into effect until the 2025-2026 school year.

Join us in Phase II of our Student Assignment Planning (SAP) effort to learn more and discuss the impact of the plan on our community. In this phase, community feedback is needed to help determine programming options and locations across the District.

All in-person and virtual sessions will have slides in English and Spanish and verbal interpretation.

Visit our SAP Resource Hub for more information.

In-Person Engagement Opportunities

*Session will be in Spanish with English interpretation.

Topic:

Boundary Changes
TWI Activity
Historical Data
Locations and Improvements

Upcoming Sessions & Locations:

TWI Program Families

IN-PERSON

November 15th. 7:00 PM

Washington Elementary Auditorium

914 Ashland Ave

November 29th 7:00pm

IN-PERSON
Bessie Rhodes Auditorium

3701 Davis St., Skokie

VIRTUAL:

November 29th 5:30 pm

Zoom Link
Passcode: 517389

December 6th. 6:30-8:30 pm

IN-PERSON

Fleetwood Jourdain Community Center

1655 Foster St., Evanston

COVID Shield Testing

SHIELD Testing is now available on Tuesday mornings in the JEH Board Room from 7:30-9:30am. If you have students or staff who did not receive a QR code, your health office staff can print and/or register the individual to provide the QR Code. QR codes are needed to test at JEH.

We have seen a slight rise in cases as the weather has begun to shift. Please utilize this testing opportunity if your child is ill.