Carleton Washburne
Monday Memo - March 7, 2022
Washburne Families,
March is National Middle School Month, and with that we wanted to highlight some of the social/emotional areas of learning we focus on at Washburne. Your child's safety and well-being at school is of utmost importance to us. Creating a safe learning environment for all students is a key tenant of The Winnetka Public Schools. Throughout the school year, your student is involved in many school activities that support this commitment through activities that foster being a good citizen and friend as well as being aware of who they can turn to for help when an issue may arise.
As we head into spring, we have noticed that some of the pre-pandemic behaviors of our middle schoolers have returned. Part of navigating middle school is learning appropriate behaviors and navigating numerous social situations. We couldn’t be happier that we have been able to provide a “more normal” environment for our students this year, and we acknowledge that part of this environment includes redirecting and re-teaching appropriate behaviors.
Our advisors and social workers have partnered together to remind and reteach students about appropriate behaviors and empower our students to make healthy choices.
We are meeting with our 7th grade students in teams to address unkind behaviors and the challenges of navigating friendships and social groups both in-person and on social media. Please click HERE for resources on setting expectations for social media us.
Our 8th graders have noted anxieties they are feeling about the world around them. In response, advisors and social workers have led discussions on managing anxiety. On March 22, all Washburne students will be viewing the movie Angst with their advisories, and we will be conducting follow up conversations regarding anxiety. (Parents will also have access to view this film, we will share more details in next week's Memo)
The return to a more typical environment is presenting our students with new social challenges. Our teachers and advisors have been responsive to teaching our students effective strategies to handle these interactions: specifically discussing self-advocacy, problem solving and peer relationships.
In the next two weeks, our social workers will be meeting with all students as they implement state-madated sexual abuse prevention education as part of Erin’s Law.
It is important that students are aware of who they can talk to at school if they need to problem-solve or are feeling uncomfortable. We are reminding students of the adults they can turn to for support, and are committed to collaborating together to support our students and ensure they have the skills to navigate our ever-changing world. We believe our partnership together between home and school can make a difference in our children’s lives.
Parents, please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions and concerns. We welcome strong two-way communication and are here to partner with you to support our students.
Take Care and Be Well,
Andrew Fenton and Ben Horwitz
Washburne Principal / Assistant Principal
Principal Coffee and Conversation with New Trier Principal
Save the Date: 8th Grade Graduation
Washburne’s 8th grade graduation will be held on Tuesday, June 7th in the evening. Our plan is to hold an in-person graduation ceremony at the Gaffney auditorium located on the Winnetka campus at New Trier High School.
We will have much more information in the weeks to come, so please save the date and keep an eye out for more information both from me and the 8th grade graduation committee.
Save the Date: 7th Grade Orientation
Window to Washburne
One of the best parts about this school year has been a return to events that could not be scheduled during the past two years. This past Tuesday, our Orchestra students were finally able to perform for a live audience after not having done so since their Winter 2019 concert. After having to temporarily delay this year’s performance, students played an excellent concert Tuesday evening. After listening to their counterparts at Skokie perform, our 7th and 8th grade students played three songs, led by our Orchestra Director Mrs. Nussbaum. Even though the songs were primarily chosen for their connections to winter, they were still appropriate on a frosty March night.
Kudos to Mrs. Nussbaum and our orchestra students for an amazing performance.
What's Happening in Related Studies
In our Innovation Technology class, students complete various STEAM-related challenges. As you can see here, our learners are designing and building a custom flight controller; creating touchpads using Makey Makey; programming a Mini-Jumbotron on an Arduino; creating an animation using Blender. All these challenges help in building new technology skills, while also continuing to develop creativity, problem-solving, and resilience; all characteristics found in our portrait of a graduate.
District News
Adventures in Learning Registration Opens March 9
The Adventures in Learning 2022 program will run from June 16th-July 20th. Registration will be live on the District Webstore at 12:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 9, 2022. For more information, please visit https://www.winnetka36.org/adventures.
Resources for Families: Responding to Questions about War
We recognize that children and families may be grappling with how to discuss and answer questions about the events in Ukraine. Additionally, we recognize that some families may have personal connections to the situation. Please reach out to your child’s principal and teacher if there is a specific need to support your child. Additionally, the following resources may help parents who are looking for some guidance in discussions at home:
How to Talk to Kids About Violence, Crime, and War: Common Sense Media gathers tips and conversation starters to help you talk to kids of different ages about these topics.
Talking to Your Kids About War: VeryWell Family explores ways families can speak with young people about war, including tips on sharing information and restricting media coverage.
From The Winnetka-Northfield Public Library:
Mandarin Bilingual Storytime Event
Introduce your family to Mandarin through simple stories, music, and hands-on activities with local educator Emma Forquer. For ages 3-8. Siblings are welcome.
Saturday, March 12, 2022
2:00pm - 2:30pm
Winnetka Lloyd Room, Winnetka Public Library
Our next Mandarin Bilingual Storytime will be Saturday, April 9 at 2pm. For details as well as information on other family events, click here.
Parent Education Sessions from District Partner Family Action Network (FAN):
For upcoming events, access FAN’s website here.
Early Entrance to Kindergarten & Acceleration
Upcoming Dates
Monday, March 14: Trimester Three Begins
Tuesday, March 22: Board of Education Meeting @ 7:15pm
Thursday, March 24: Trimester Two Report Cards available in Powerschool