The Skokie Home Scoop
March 21, 2022
Dear Skokie Community,
It is an exciting time of the school year as we prepare for a well-deserved Spring Break! This week, our 5th and 6th graders are engaged in a myriad of rich learning experiences. A sampling of what they are learning about includes: opinion writing, long division, equations and variables, the science behind weather, fantasy literature, decimals, the human impact on the environment, and various concepts about friendship.
We have a lot of learning ahead of us this coming week through the last week of school in early June. As we look to these final two months of your child’s 5th and 6th grade year, our goal is to continue to offer the students engaging learning experiences and focus on the present moment, while at the same time, begin to prepare the students for their transition to 6th and 7th grade. You can anticipate the following over the last two months of school:
Your 5th grader will have selected their exploratory/elective classes for 6th grade and be prepared for the idea that they will have their own schedule in 6th grade (rather than travel the building with their advisory for the entire day).
Your 6th grader will attend Shadow Day at Washburne in late April and learn about the Washburne related studies courses. During Shadow Day, the students will have an opportunity to visit Washburne during the school day to learn about the various courses. They will identify their preferences shortly thereafter (more information to come upon return from break).
Current 6th grade parents will be invited to Seventh Grade Orientation the evening of April 19th at 6 p.m.
Your children’s teachers will begin to talk a bit about the following grade level and allow the students to ask questions that are on their minds.
Students will have a variety of opportunities to make special memories at Skokie during end of the year activities and celebrations. Some to note include the 6th Grade Talent Show, an Earth Day Celebration, a Skokie Carnival (new tradition starting this year!), and Field Day.
We look forward to ending the year on a high note with your students. It is important that we answer their questions about the following year and begin to prepare them, while at the same time encouraging them to focus on the present. This will help them to stay focused on their studies and curb anxiety that can come with anticipating a change.
Take care,
Betty Weir and Larry Joynt
Skokie Principal and Assistant Principal
Contacting Home from School: Please Help Us Encourage Students in Using School Phones While At School
We have had an influx of students contacting parents via cell phone or watch during the school day. We are looking for your partnership in ensuring that students are using school phones to contact you if they are not feeling well or need to connect with you for any reason while at school. If a student needs to call home, the student should let their teacher know and we will arrange a way to communicate. If your child does contact you via their watch or phone during school hours, please call the school at 847-441-1750 so we can arrange for your child to talk with you on a school phone. Thank you for your support with this!
Exploring Skokie: Resource Center and Technology/Digital Literacy
Resource Center: March is Women’s history month and we have been celebrating in the Resource Center. We began the month learning about the role of pioneering suffragette Esther Morris and her role in helping women to vote in Wyoming. We read I Could Do That: Esther Morris Gets Women the Vote by Linda Arms White. We also explored women’s suffrage through a Brain Pop video and then tested our knowledge with a Kahoot quiz.
In April, we will be celebrating Poetry Month in the Resource Center. We will be writing, reading, and enjoying a wide variety of poetic forms together.
Our class culminated our Engineering Design Process unit with a variety of digital and physical building options for their futuristic structure
Students utilized these tools to build with:
3D pens
Minecraft Edu
Google Sketch Up
Reality Composer
Mecabricks
Geometry net patterns
Pixel Maker
6th Grade Elective Selection (for next year- for parents of current 5th graders)
Approximately 90% of our rising 6th Graders have selected their electives for the 2022-23 school year. If you have not yet done so, please take 5 minutes to complete this form with your rising 6th grader in order to register them for their electives next year. Please support us in completing this form as soon as possible, as this information supports our planning for the 2022-23 school year.
School Supplies for 2022-23 School Year
Upcoming Dates
- Wednesday, March 23: Reports cards go live on PowerSchool
- Wednesday and Thursday March 23 and 24: Illinois State Science Assessment for 5th Graders
- Friday, March 25: Spring Break begins after school
- Monday, April 4: Students return from Spring Break
- Wednesday, April 20: 5th Grade Orientation (for rising 5th graders and their parents)
6:00-7:00 p.m.- General Program
District News
Proposed 2022-2023 Calendar
Click here to review the 2022-2023 calendar, anticipated for Board approval at the March 22 meeting.
Downsized Capital Improvement Proposal Update
The Winnetka Public Schools went to referendum in April 2019 for capital expenditure, which likely failed due to the scope and total cost of the request. Since that date, the District has taken several steps to determine a new path forward and is considering a return to the ballot box in November 2022 with a downsized capital improvement proposal. Important improvements have been made to the 2019 request, including:
Reducing the size of the proposal
Decreasing the estimated annual tax impact
Keeping The Skokie School open
Eliminating $36 million from Carleton Washburne’s facility plan
A screencast of the Community Engagement Sessions presented by Board and Administration is here. For further details on the proposal, click here.
Winnetka Parents Institute
In Partnership with The Alliance for Early Childhood:
The Power of Play in Emotional Health and Well-Being
April 13 from 7-8 p.m.
This session is part of the ongoing series "Making Sense of Kids: What Kids Need Most from Adults," and features Dr. Deborah MacNamara, author of Rest, Play, Grow: Making Sense of Preschoolers (or anyone who acts like one). Click here to register and learn more.
Parent Education Sessions from District Partner Family Action Network (FAN):
Adventures in Learning Registration is Now Open
The Winnetka Public Schools is returning to its traditional Adventures in Learning summer program following a two year hiatus. Our General Program is designed for students entering 2nd grade through 8th grade. Our Primary Program provides activities for children Pre-K (4 years old by June 1st, 2022) and K-1st grade (5 years old by September 1st, 2021). Registration is open to both residents and non-residents of Winnetka via this link.
Early Entrance to Kindergarten & Acceleration
Spring Break Activities for Families from the District’s SEL Coaches:
With Spring Break approaching, our children are anticipating hours of free time on their hands during the day - and some parents may be wondering how to fill it. This is their time to have fun and unwind, but that doesn't mean social emotional learning has to stop. As social and emotional beings, every child, adolescent and adult can continuously choose to flex these important muscles. Avoid the dreaded "I'm bored" comments by trying out some of these engaging activities and tasks that promote social emotional development.
1. Go on a mindful walk. Ask your child to take account of what they sense as you walk around Winnetka, or a new town you're exploring during the break. Taking time to determine what you see, smell, feel and hear will help ground you in the moment. Have students focus on using one of their senses at a time in order to help them focus deeply.
2. Garden. Plant some flowers, vegetables, fruit or herbs and have them take ownership for taking care of it. Teach them to care for the plant and let them take the reins. This will help them build a sense of motivation and confidence as they solve the problems that may come along with gardening.
3. Visit museums. Chicago is home to an impressive collection of museums and landmarks. Learn why Chicago is called both the Second City and Windy City at the Chicago History Museum or book a walking tour of historic Old Town, the Gold Coast or Pilsen's murals. While the Museum Campus in the South Loop is best known as the center for museum activity (three of the city’s stalwarts consider the campus as home - Adler Planetarium, Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium), the unparalleled Art Institute of Chicago and Museum of Contemporary Art are easy to reach with a quick bus ride.
4. Make a scrapbook to save your family memories from spring break. Putting together a scrapbook is a great way for children to reflect on their favorite memories. Have them piece together keepsakes and photography (digital or analog) that represent the moments they are most proud of and add a caption or drawing that expresses how they felt.
5. Plan playdates at the local park. Getting a group of children together to play and spend time together is a simple but effective way to continue to develop social skills. Children will cultivate strong relationship skills as they listen, communicate and spend quality time together.