Week at Windsor 4.19.20
Looking back and ahead at Windsor news and happenings...
Dear Windsor Families,
We hope this message finds you and your family well.
We wanted to take more time with this week's message following Friday's announcement that "in person" schooling would be closed for the remainder of the year. Though we knew this was a real possibility, hearing the decision still elicited a myriad of emotions, the main ones being disappointment and sadness that we will not all be in person to resume and close the school year together. We are so very sorry.
As part of this week’s message, we wanted to revisit the importance of everyone continuing to be and feel safe and secure and to keep remote learning into perspective.
Just due to the nature of the COVID-19 scare and stay at home order, we know everyone is feeling an overall degree of stress right now. In different communications, we have also reinforced that our entire school community is home under some varying conditions. Several feel fortunate to still be working but are challenged with working from home along with supporting their children being at home. Many are still leaving home for work because they are serving in “essential” fields. They are dealing with the daily stress of their work along with keeping themselves and their loved ones safe. We have families experiencing the loss of work/income, worrying about particularly vulnerable loved ones-young and old, supporting extended family members, etc. Still, we are all together in understanding the need to support our children during these unprecedented times.
While we are not trying to recreate a traditional school day through our remote learning plans, we continue to strive for balance in providing new learning opportunities and meaningful connections we can all sustain and support under these circumstances. We are very supportive of everyone accomplishing remote learning in a way that works best for your family.
We have marveled at the Windsor team’s ability to quickly adjust, learn, create, and meet this sudden on demand need for remote working and learning. We also appreciate your ongoing support and communication as we all navigate this new landscape.
As a school, we are even more committed to re-envisioning our time and moments together via remote learning, especially now that it will be for the remainder of the school year. We are also dedicated to your children in this multi-year endeavor, where we are not only planning for the days/weeks ahead but for next year’s transition. There will be much more to come. Your children continue to be in wonderful hands.
As we keep moving forward, we anticipate the ongoing need for grace, patience, flexibility, and understanding on behalf of all. Please keep reaching out, letting us know how you and your children are doing, asking questions, etc. Supporting all through this journey is our most important work.
Warmest regards,
Piper Boston, Principal @PrincipalBoston
Lindsay Anastacio, Assistant Principal @lindzana
P.S. We will send your children a personalized message from us as well to begin this week.
Check out our Windsor Twitter page for different insights into our school days!
Our Twitter page provides lots of great highlights into each school day and week at Windsor!
Our Specials Team
You can follow all our specials teachers via some combination of Twitter, Windsor web pages, Google Classroom, etc. Just look at where they are pointing you and their students for different resources, challenges, etc. on our daily remote learning pages.
Announcements and Birthdays
Our Twitter feed continues to feature Birthdays and Announcements.
Here is the link we included on our weekly remote learning page. Click "present" mode.
District 25 COVID-19 Resources Page
https://www.sd25.org/Page/1478
As the Illinois stay at home and school closing order came through on Friday, we just want to highlight the above page once more for families. It contains a number of different local and state resources.
Additionally, the Illinois Department of Human Services launched a free emotional support text line for Illinoisans experiencing stress related to COVID-19: Call4Calm. This isn’t a crisis hotline, but a source of support. If you want to speak to a counselor, text TALK to 552020, or HABLAR for Spanish speakers.
You can also access a wider array of supports using the same number on your mobile phone. Text 552020 with keywords such as “unemployment” or “food” or “shelter” to receive information to help you navigate getting assistance.
Remote Learning Pages
Here is an overview of our Remote Learning Plans for the week ahead. You will also always find this link on our main website under Families and Windsor Remote Learning. We are hoping all mobile view issues are resolved. As a reminder from last week, you can try the following should you be having difficulties accessing any of the pages from a mobile device.
- You can request "desktop site/view" when in a browser like Safari-tapping the three dots in the upper right hand corner.
- You can download Google Drive/Google Doc apps and run/open links through the apps.
This will be our first Monday Social Emotional Learning (SEL) focused day, per the new District25 Remote Learning Plan.
School Event Cancelations
Keep Calm and Go Outside T-Shirts
D25 families are invited to support the Arlington Heights Council of PTAs Scholarship Fund by purchasing a Keep Calm and Go Outside T-shirt (Winning Design by Sofia Fraser-2nd grader at Dryden Elementary). Now more than ever we can all use the reminder to Keep Calm and Go Outside! Profits from t-shirt sales will go toward the 2021 D25 Scholarship Fund that benefits current D25 students as well as graduating high school seniors. T-shirts will be shipped to Scholarship Coordinator and distributed in May. May is Mental Healthy Awareness Month. Watch for future notifications on sharing how you Keep Calm and Go Outside!
BUY NOW: https://ah25keepcalm.itemorder.com/sale
Arlington Heights School District 25 Food Service Program
MEAL DISTRIBUTION DETAILS
Day: Every Wednesday
Time: 1:30 pm and 3:30 pm
Where: South Middle School (400 S. Highland Avenue)
Thomas Middle School (1430 N. Belmont Avenue)
Who: Any family with a student 18 years or younger is eligible to come pick up meals.
COVI19 Communications
Extraordinary Staff Recognition
If there is a staff member you feel deserves some extraordinary recognition for something he or she has done for our school to make a difference for others, please fill out this form to have this staff member more formally recognized for her or his extraordinary accomplishment.
District 25 Parent-Student Handbook
Wildcat Way and Mission
We value our Windsor community that is strengthened by diversity, inclusion, and a growth mindset.
- We believe in a kind, safe and responsible community because our students are important.
- We believe in designing lessons that promote inquiry, academic risk taking, and flexible thinking.
- We believe in supporting cultural, emotional, social, and academic diversity.
- We believe in working collaboratively as a school community for continuous improvement in a trusting environment.