WJHS Highlights
02/25/22
A Message from the Administrative Team
After being on hiatus since February of 2020, this morning we welcomed back our "Student of the Month" celebration and breakfast (photos below). While we chose to start with kindness because February 17 was "Random Acts of Kindness Day", it aligned well with our move to a mask-optional environment this week.
We have observed thoughtfulness and understanding since the mask-optional began on Wednesday. We have seen masked and unmasked students assessing other's comfort and adapting so that there is space for everyone to make their own decision. We are hopeful that this level of respect will continue, and teachers will nominate students for the month of March who are respectful to their peers and adults. We look forward to celebrating more students on April 8 at our next "Student of the Month" breakfast.
We hope you are able to some find some peace and rest this weekend.
Sincerely,
Kate, Jeff and Eric
8th Grade Graduation
District 39 will be hosting an outdoor graduation ceremony for all 8th grade students. The event will be held at the Northfield campus parking lot of New Trier High School on Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Ceremony times will range between 4:00PM-7:00PM, depending on your child’s teacher team. View our save the date flyer HERE.
Further details regarding gown ordering and other end-of-the-year events for 8th graders will be sent out in the weeks ahead.
Tech Tidbit
What’s all the hype behind video camera doorbells?
By now, you have heard of a Ring doorbell. But what may not have been realized is there are several video camera doorbells on the market. Two doorbell cameras this year caught our eye and are worth looking at as alternatives to Ring and its police-friendly policies.
Video Doorbell Dual- Anker sub-brand Eufy’s newest camera, the Video Doorbell Dual, features two cameras as the name suggests. The first is a standard front-facing camera to see who is at the door, and the second camera faces downward to specifically keep an eye on packages.
Wemo Smart Video Doorbell- For those of you in the HomeKit ecosystem, the Wemo Smart Video Doorbell is a compelling option, too.
If you are still considering if a video camera doorbell is right for your home, check out this pro-con list.
5 Essentials
The Illinois 5Essentials Student and Parent/Family Survey
The 5Essentials Survey provides school districts with detailed data on school culture and climate.
Students in grades 4 - 8 will participate in the Illinois 5Essentials Survey between 1/24/22 and 2/28/22.
Students’ identities will be completely confidential.
If you do not want your 4th grade child to participate, please email your child’s classroom teacher.
If you do not want your 5th-8th grade child to participate, please email your child’s Grade Level Administrator.
As a parent/family, you have an opportunity to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness about your child’s school. Your identity and survey responses will also be completely confidential. The Parent Survey Supplement will be open from January 24, 2022 through February 28, 2022.
To take the parent survey please visit http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/.
Select the appropriate survey to begin.
Questions? Please contact 5Essentials Client Services at 1-866-440-1874.
More detailed information can be found on the Illinois 5Essentials website. If you have questions or concerns, please contact 5Essentials Client Services at 1-866-440-1874.
PTO Highlights
THANK YOU!
A SOUP-ER big thank you to all the families that contributed homemade soup and fixings for our teachers this week! This long standing annual tradition is a staff favorite and they were very appreciative.
A huge shout out to everyone who helped Stock the Shelves of the Teacher’s Lounge last week! The goodies went far and were a wonderful way to let our staff know how much we support everything they do for our children!
Don’t forget to order your WJHS yearbook, on sale now for $25. School yearbooks capture treasured memories that your kids will cherish for years to come!
We have a limited number for sale this year, please use the link below to place the order now.
https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/general/homepage?portal=true
WINTER SPIRIT WEAR SALE IS ON! Check out our cozy and warm apparel to wear to school and at home! A percentage of each sale goes right back to the WJHS PTO. Place your custom designed order today and order directly to your home OR take advantage of free (very) local porch pick up! (option available at check out)
https://humankind.shop/collections/wilmette-junior-high
Class of 2026 – New Trier Hoodies for 8th Graders
The orders are rolling in for the new Class of 2026 Hoodies! Consider gifting one to your 8th grader and get them ready for New Trier! These are great for showing your NT pride along with being ready for the “white out night” sporting events beginning this Fall! Www.humankind.shop/collections/spiritwear-new-trier
February 26th Virtual Family Bingo Night…Purchase tickets now!
Need something different to do at home on a winter Saturday night? Join the D39 Educational Foundation from 6 - 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, for a virtual Family Bingo Night! We’ll recreate this popular event over Zoom, but the fun — and the prizes — will be REAL! Register at https://d39foundation.org/family-bingo-night-order-form/ . A $10 registration gets you the Zoom link, and each bingo card is $10. We look forward to seeing you there!
Pass39 - Spring Event
Please join us for our next event to bring everyone together. It will be at the Valley Lodge on March 5th at 4pm.
The Trinity dancers will be performing .
Bring your children to watch the dancers or leave them at home! Your choice!
We also have a private room secured for adults to meet and chat afterwards.
Community Review Committee Survey
The District 39 Community Review Committee (CRC), comprised of parents, teaching staff, and administrators from the district, chooses a focus area to research each year and provide recommendations to the School Board for future work. This year’s topic, which is a component of Goal 2 of the District Strategic Plan, is “Building Responsive Social-Emotional Learning through Strengthening Parent-Teacher Communication and Increasing Parent Understanding of and Engagement in SEL Instruction.”
The CRC is hoping to gather parent input to help inform our recommendations in this area, and has developed THIS SURVEY to help inform us in that effort. We will be looking to learn more about parent understanding of social-emotional learning, how SEL is integrated into the academic school day, and how teachers and staff can best partner with families as the SEL framework is implemented across the grade levels. The survey will remain open until 2/26/22.
District Update
Tuesday’s Special Meeting of the Board
On Tuesday evening, our Board of Education hosted a special meeting to finalize and approve the District 39 Reduced Mitigations Plan. This plan was implemented the next day, Wednesday, Feb. 23, and we are happy to report that we have experienced a relatively smooth transition to a mask-optional environment within our schools. We would like to thank our entire community for their engagement and support throughout this transition, and for continuing to promote kindness and respect for one another. We have, once again, witnessed our community coming together in support of one another and this has been a truly wonderful thing. Thank you for partnering with us in support of students and staff through this next step. More information on our reduced mitigation plan and our D39 off ramp can be found here.
Summer Enrichment Registration
That mid-week warm-up has us all ready for D39’s Summer Enrichment Programs 2022! This year, we are very excited to welcome back some of our summer camp options along with our academic programs for our kindergarten through 7th grade students and we intend to open our online registration process on Tuesday, March 1. Be sure to browse our Summer Enrichment Programs website and our new online Summer Enrichment Programs brochure. We hope to see you with us for some summer fun!
Register Your Child(ren) for 2022-23 Academic Year
Registration remains open for the 2022-23 academic year. For returning students, visit the PowerSchool parent portal, click on the registration link and follow the instructions. For new students to D39, visit www.wilmette39.org/enroll for instructions on the four-part registration process. We encourage parents with new kindergarten students to enroll before March 1. Additionally, D39 is offering its KEEP39 afternoon enrichment program for kindergarten students. Click here for more information. You can register your child for KEEP39 at the same time that you register for kindergarten.
Submit Your Child(ren)’s Vaccination Information
If you have not done so already, please upload your child(ren)’s vaccination information through the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Current vaccination rates of our schools are available on our D39 Metrics page.
Community News
LINK: http://www.wilmette39.org/news/community_events
In honor of Black History Month, the Village of Wilmette is sponsoring a Black History Month Student Contest. Submit posters, essay, poems and multimedia items relating to the prompt, "Why do we celebrate Black History Month?” Submissions are due Friday, March 4th. See contest rules for details.
PASS39 is hosting a community event for D39 families on March 5th at 4:00 pm at Wilmette’s Valley Lodge. The Trinity Dancers will perform. A private room has been reserved to meet and chat following the performance.
The Village of Wilmette’s Sesquicentennial Celebration includes many fun activities and projects. Donations of $25 and up will receive recognition in the Commemorative 150th Edition of the Wilmette Communicator. See flyer for details or go to http://www.wilmette150.org
The Village of Wilmette & 'Ready Set Wilmette' Comprehensive Planning Team want to hear from Wilmette residents. ReadySetWilmette.com Help ensure Wilmette is welcoming, thriving and vibrant for years to come. A series of polls focused on plan themes, an online comment map, and ideas wall. Provide input at your leisure and as ideas come up: feedback shared to date is highlighted in this recent online post.Check out the Facebook Page
The Volunteer Center is offering many volunteer service opportunities. Kids Against Hunger Event will be held on March 19th. Help pack nutritious meals for over 100,000 starving Nicaraguans.
Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association (NSSRA) is hosting Campyardigan Summer Camp options for students ages 5-13 with disabilities. The Spring Guide lists summer recreation programs.
Loyola Academy offers Junior High Enrichment Summer Programs. For more information contact summerschool@loy.org or www.goramblers.org/summerschool
The Trevian Girls Softball Association is adding 8-10 year olds to their spring and summer teams. Contact Kelsey Farmer for more information.
Wilmette Food Pantry is open every Tuesday 10:00-11:00 am at Trinity United Methodist Church.
"Best Step Tutoring” offers free online tutoring for PreK-12 grades.
Wilmette Junior High School
Email: dominiqk@wilmette39.org
Website: http://wjhs.wilmette39.org/
Location: 620 Locust Rd, Wilmette, IL, USA
Phone: 847-512-6600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Highcrest-MSWilmette-JH-516430278443448
Twitter: @hawkwolf39