The Skokie Home Scoop
December 6, 2021
Dear Skokie Community,
We are writing today regarding a topic that is at the forefront of the mind of our middle school students, and therefore frequently a topic of conversation for us: social media. While social media is something that students use outside of school, it infiltrates the work we do in schools on a daily basis. Students are heavily impacted by social dynamics taking place on these sites. While we recognize it is each family’s choice as to how they handle social media, we do want to point out that currently, the age to have an account on these sites is 13 years or older. We know many families struggle to adhere to this guideline given social pressures at play.
An article was recently published in The Atlantic about the danger of social media to adolescent girls (“The Dangerous Experiment on Teen Girls”). It discusses the undeniable evidence that social media is negatively impacting girls’ mental health. After reading this article, we felt it was important we follow the call to action it made to school principals:
“Right now, families are trapped. I have heard many parents say that they don’t want their children on Instagram, but they allow them to lie about their age and open accounts because, well, that’s what everyone else has done. Dismantling such traps takes coordinated action, and the principals of local elementary and middle schools are well placed to initiate that coordination.”
This is our first step to initiate a larger conversation with the community surrounding this topic. We have already begun a partnership with the Skokie/Washburne PTO. We want to encourage parents to consider taking the time to read the aforementioned article. Together with the PTO, we are also planning to bring a series of three documentaries about the impact of social media and digital communication on adolescents to families. The first film in the series is called Like, and it will be available to view in the comfort of your own home the week of January 9th. We will be showing the film to all students in grades 5-8 at school on January 13th. Students will participate in discussions and reflection about the film during advisory that week, as well.
We will offer viewings of two more documentaries, as well as opportunities for conversations with educators about the films, in February and May. We look forward to embarking on this important opportunity for learning and reflection as a community.
This a serious topic, but not meant to be a scary one. We want to collaborate together to support our students and ensure they have the skills to navigate the online community. We believe our partnership together between home and school can make a difference in our children’s lives surrounding this topic.
Take care,
Andrew Fenton, Betty Weir, Ben Horwitz, Larry Joynt
Skokie and Washburne Principals and Assistant Principals
Upcoming Dates
- Thursday, December 9: Report Cards Become Available on PowerSchool
- Friday, December 17: Winter Break Begins after school
District News
Technology Department Announcement
Change in District COVID-19 Testing Program Partner
Online Registration Open for Incoming Kindergarteners & New Students for the 2022-2023 School Year
Registration for incoming kindergarteners and students new to The Winnetka Public Schools in 2022-2023 is now open on the District website and via https://registration.powerschool.com/family/gosnap.aspx?action=30658&culture=en.
Children who will be five-years-old on or before September 1, 2022, are eligible to enroll.
The new student registration process is completed in three steps:
Complete new student pre-registration forms online beginning November 18, 2021.
Provide the original or certified copy of your child(ren)'s birth certificate and a parent photo ID. Scanned copies or snapshots of these documents may be uploaded during online registration or can be submitted in-person at the District Office, by appointment.
Provide proof of residency and paper registration forms. Click here to view the list of documents that will meet these requirements. For your convenience, all required documents may be uploaded during online registration.
Children will not be considered enrolled until both the online and paper portion of registration has been completed and residency documentation is verified.
If you have any questions, please contact the District Office at 847-446-9400.
Parent Education Sessions from District Partner Family Action Network (FAN):
From our Partners at The Alliance for Early Childhood
We are excited to share with you The Alliance's Fall/Winter 2021 Newsletter to learn more about the organization’s offerings to families.