We hope everyone had a safe and restful spring break. We’re looking forward to an exciting Spring, full of learning and fun school events for students and families. As students return to Washburne today, we understand that safety is on the minds of many of our families. We wanted to share this letter that Superintendent Tess shared with all D36 families yesterday, and thank you again for your partnership in creating a safe and welcoming community at Washburne.

Next week, Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) testing will begin at Washburne. Students will be testing on Tuesday, April 11th, Friday, April 14th, and Monday, April 17th.

Take Care and Be Well,

Andrew Fenton & Ben Horwitz

Washburne Principal & Assistant Principal

All 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students are welcome to join us to train and compete in the various track and field events. Students can choose to run sprints, distance races, and/or different field events. Practices are Tuesdays through Fridays from 3:30-4:30. Attendance is not required all four days of the week. We will have a meet against other schools once a week. The first day of practice is set for Tuesday, April 4. We will plan to meet in the back field between Washburne and Skokie.

Registration is open, please click here to register.

If you have questions, please reach out to Andy Becker at andybecker@winnetka36.org.

As a reminder, Trimester 2 Report Cards are available for family access 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.

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

The 2024 election is over a year away, but it was campaign season at Washburne prior to break. No, the students were not advocating for any political candidates, but rather they were campaigning for their favorite scientists. All 7th graders researched scientists to determine whom we should name our science labs after. To answer this question, students developed criteria for naming a building, conducted research, and created campaigns to persuade their classmates in favor of a particular scientist. On Thursday, March 23rd, students gathered in the Little Theater to present their work to their classmates.

Kudos to our science teachers and our 7th graders for such an innovative project.

In Spanish class, 7th and 8th grade students are immersed in comprehensible novels. 7th grade students had the opportunity to act out scenes from “Esperanza” in front of their peers. In doing so, they practiced pronunciation, public speaking, and reading comprehension skills. Concurrently, 8th grade Spanish students are studying El Trujillato, Trujillo’s 20th century dictatorship in the Dominican Republic, as they read “Felipe Alou.” They have delved into conversations, in Spanish, about the Dominican Republic's history and culture. Students are excited to share their background knowledge of history and sports throughout the unit.

All Skokie 6th grade families are invited to join Dr. Fenton and Mr. Horwitz in the Washbune Little Theater on Wednesday, April 19th at 6:30pm to learn more about Carleton Washburne School and the transition to 7th grade. Parents will have the opportunity to hear about the structures and school experience for Washburne students and ask questions about the school.

Parents can see the monthly menus in our cafeteria by clicking HERE. Please feel free to use this menu to plan out your child’s meals.

All families of 8th grade students should keep an eye out for Washburne Class of 2023 graduation information later this week. As a reminder, the Washburne Graduation Ceremony and Party will be held on Tuesday, June 6, 2023.

8th Grade Families should also make note of this upcoming event (see flyer below) available to parents of incoming freshman:

Washburne has again partnered with 1st Day School Supplies so that families have the option of ordering a school supply kit for the next school year. The supplies included the kit have been chosen by Washburne teachers and administration for each grade and should provide your student with everything they need for the upcoming year. The final deadline for ordering school supplies through 1st Day is July 1st. Supply kits will be sent to your home and teachers will let students when to bring supplies into school at the start of the new school year. Please click here to order your school supplies through 1st Day.

Families are also welcome to purchase school supplies on their own, and can use the 2023-24 school supply list that will be posted on the Washburne Website in April.

In this section we will be shining the spotlight on our Related Studies program and all the wonderful opportunities available to our Washburne students.

Registration for the 2023-2024 school year is now open for all students (returning and pre-registered). Email notification was sent to the primary contact on record with the District March 17, 2023. Additionally, families will receive notification via regular mail. Contained within the notification is a unique “snapcode” that parents will need to login. Please contact District Registrar, Margie Karabas via email (Margiekarabas@winnetka36.org) or phone 847-446-9400, with any questions. Additional information and login to the portal can be found on the District Website - Parent Registration

For anyone visiting our school buildings during school hours, we will now be requiring a driver’s license or state ID to be left at the front desk until your guest lanyard is returned. This decision was made in accordance with other safety procedures we are enhancing for the security of our students and staff.

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.

NEW! Episode #5

Progressive Education: 100+ Years Strong in Winnetka

Dr. Kelly Tess speaks to School Board President Emily Rose, Crow Island Kindergarten teacher Melissa Brody (both of whom are alumni of The Winnetka Public Schools) and Tom Flemma, Head of School at North Shore Country Day, a private school in Winnetka with a unique shared history in progressive education. Throughout the episode, learn about the unique legacy of Progressive Education in Winnetka, and how our public and private institutions uphold our commitment to experiential learning. “I hope we continue to push ourselves to be a lighthouse of a District….the future is bright,” says Ms. Rose.

Listen here:

Apple Podcast

Amazon

Spotify

Google

In recognition of Earth Day, the District’s Green Team has planned themed days the week of April 17-21 to help raise awareness of the ways that the Winnetka community can positively impact the environment and Earth with some small intentional acts. To view more information on each themed day, click here.

The District is offering an array of upcoming educational sessions for families and community members. Click here for session dates and more information.

UP NEXT:

APRIL 2023:

Differentiation: What is it? What does it look like in D36?

Dr. Becky Mathison (Director of Innovation, Teaching and Learning)

April 19, 2023

Time: 10:00 AM

Location: SK Community Room
During this session Dr. Becky Mathison, Director of Innovation, Teaching and Learning, alongside a team of educators from the District will provide an overview of what differentiation is, how it is implemented in D36 classrooms, explain how the approach aligns to progressive education and the portrait of a graduate, and ways to support your student at home. This session will feature a panel of D36 educators.

Interested: RSVP here

Adventures in Learning 2023 runs from June 14th-July 19th, 2023.

No camp on June 19th or July 4th.

A decades-long tradition, this summer program includes classes as varied as Athlete's Club, Razzle Dazzle Science Magic, Recyclable Art,Basket Weaving, Camping Adventures, Make Your Own Music Video, Adventures in STEAM, Archery, Computer Animation, Greek Mythology Drama, Coding, Yoga for Kids, AIL Action News (New for 2023), Animal Care,and Spa-Liscious to name a few!

Students in grades 2-8 may choose up to four classes from over 60 options. Younger children (pre-Kindergarten through grade 1) will explore our progressive educational concepts through guided play and outdoor activities.

This year's program will again be held at Washburne for the 2nd-8th graders and Crow Island for the Pre-K (4 years old by June 1st, 2023)and K Primary program (5 years old by September 1st, 2023).

2023 Fees

General (base cost*) and Primary Program

$675 Winnetka residents

$725 Non-residents

*Some General Program classes have an additional supply fee (will be noted in the catalog).

Registration is now open for Winnetka residents.

www.winnetka36.org/adventures

This spring, a traffic study will be conducted on and around Crow Island Elementary School’s campus in order to determine the most efficient traffic flow when both stormwater abatement and construction related to the referendum commence in spring 2024. The traffic study will utilize pole cameras set up at these Crow Island-area locations (between Glendale and Locust; and Mt. Pleasant and Cherry Streets) during March 2023. Further information on recommended traffic pattern changes, possible road closures and other relevant information will be shared with residents prior to the launch of these projects.

Winnetka 36 is always looking for great candidates when there are openings and we appreciate referrals encouraging them to apply.

Here’s a link to our current openings: https://www.applitrack.com/winnetka36/onlineapp/default.aspx

We also get questions about the necessary steps on how to become a substitute teacher and thought we would share how to do that on the bottom of the document: https://www.isbe.net/Documents/how-become-sub-teacher.pdf

For upcoming events, access FAN’s website here.

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

The Accelerated Placement Act requires Illinois public school districts to adopt and implement policies on acceleration that provide opportunities for single subject and grade level acceleration. To learn more about District 36’s acceleration policy implementation visit the following links: acceleration infographic and updated webpage which includes a link to the application form. The request window closed on Friday, March 31.

Friday, April 7th: No School - Good Friday

Wednesday, April 19th: Incoming 7th Grade Parent Presentation @ 6:30pm

Tuesday, April 25th: Board of Education Meeting 7:15pm @ Washburne School