Carleton Washburne
Monday Memo (on a Wednesday) - September 8, 2021
Washburne Families,
It was so wonderful to see so many Washburne families in our building last Thursday evening for Go to School Night. We hope you found the evening informative and we can’t wait to continue to partner with you as we move through the 2021-22 school year committed to re-establishing belonging and connection.
Our students have been doing an excellent job navigating the return to a full day of school with classroom changes, locker usage and lunch in the cafeteria. It feels so good to hear the hallways and classrooms alive with student learning and interaction.
One request for students and families is to remember to bring 2 or 3 masks each day to school. Often students want to change their mask after lunch or KW, or they need a replacement if a mask breaks. Thank you to everyone for your support.
On Friday, our students participated in a virtual assembly with the author and illustrator of The One Thing You’d Save. This was part of our “One Book, One Campus” collaboration with Skokie School. Students and staff also completed an activity in their advisories last week, and we encourage you to ask them about this project.
We hope you all enjoyed the long weekend.
Take Care and Be Well,
Andrew Fenton & Ben Horwitz
Washburne Principal/Assistant Principal
Window to Washburne
Welcome to Window to Washburne! Each week, we will be highlighting some of the learning taking place in our classrooms.
This past two weeks, we have welcomed many new students to be part of the Washburne family. In several of our social studies classes, our 7th graders have been reflecting upon how their family has been shaped by history. In the photo below, Mr. Hovis’s students are sharing their projects with their classmates and discussing how key historical events impacted their families. This project highlights two key attributes from our Portrait of a Graduate: being an effective communicator and a global citizen. Kudos to Mr. Hovis and our social studies department for bringing our students’ lives outside of the classroom and directly connecting it to history.
Fall MAP Testing
District 36 has established a robust suite of assessments utilizing multiple measures to provide information on student performance. One of those tools is the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) test. Fall testing will occur between September 13 - 24 with all students in Grades 3 - 8 taking one Reading Test and one Math test. Your child’s building or teacher will inform you of his or her specific testing dates.
The MAP Assessment is designed to measure a student’s achievement level at different times of the school year and compute growth over time. MAP is a computer-adaptive test, which means every student receives a unique set of test questions based on responses to previous questions. This provides a personalized assessment experience by adapting to each student’s learning level. Fall MAP results will be sent to families on October 8th. Additional information on the MAP Assessment may be found on our district website at www.winnetka36.org/Page/334.
At Washburne, we will conduct MAP testing on Tuesday, September 14th and Wednesday, September 15th. Students will be testing in the morning, and we will run a modified schedule the rest of the day. Since lunch periods will be later than usual, please have your student bring a snack to school on these dates. Teacher will be providing time for a snack break both days.
New Trier Placement Testing
Washburne 8th graders are scheduled to take the New Trier Placement Test on Saturday, December 4. New Trier will be sending out further details to families in mid October, but we wanted you to have this date in advance for planning purposes.
If a family has a conflict with this testing date, they should contact the new testing coordinator Alan Pavlik directly at pavlika@nths.net.
District News
Important Information Regarding District 36 COVID-19 Testing Program
There have been a number of recent updates to the State’s testing program plans since the District last communicated to staff and families about an opportunity to “opt in” to on-site testing earlier in August.
The District is planning to roll out an on-site screening program for all unvaccinated students and staff. Please refer to the District's Return-to-School Guide 2021-2022 for all details on both BinaxNOW and SHIELD testing. The Guide includes further information on both tests and clarification on anticipated questions.
On-site testing will be in place for two primary reasons:
Provide a “Test-to-Stay” option for asymptomatic school-related close contacts (BinaxNOW) - currently in place
Provide a screening program to identify asymptomatic positives amongst our unvaccinated population (SHIELD Illinois) - in place by early October
Opting into on-site testing means you are opting into BOTH the “test to stay” program AND screening. **NEW** The Illinois Department of Public Health does not allow for an either/or option - a student MUST be enrolled in the screening testing in order to access “test to stay.”
Depending on your preference for your family, please follow instructions below accordingly:
YES - I PERMIT MY CHILD(REN) TO BE IN THE TESTING PROGRAM
Option 1: If you have already filled out this form to provide consent to have your child(ren) tested at school, you do not need to do anything further at this time.
Option 2: If you have not yet completed a form, please complete this form NO LATER than Wednesday, September 15. This is a hard deadline to ensure SHIELD can properly set up our account.
NO - I DO NOT PERMIT MY CHILD(REN) TO BE IN THE TESTING PROGRAM
There is nothing you need to complete. If your child is a close contact, they will adhere to relevant quarantine protocols for children not enrolled in testing protocols (in quarantine for at least seven calendar days).
If you are unsure of whether you previously completed the form, please send a message to this email address: carolinhuh@winnetka36.org.
If you have further questions, please submit your inquiries via this form. Questions will be evaluated by theme and addressed as thoroughly as possible via a published FAQ document and a District 36 COVID-19 Testing Program Webinar on Monday, September 13 from 6:00-6:30 p.m.:
https://winnetka36.zoom.us/j/83027041725?pwd=Z2VWRlY0azk0RC9Ib2lscTdUai9Odz09
Passcode: Winnetka36
For those unable to participate, the Zoom recording of the webinar will be shared with families and staff on Tuesday, September 14.
Thank you for taking the time to review this information.
Revised Communication Plan for Positive COVID-19 Cases
Regular School Hours
As a reminder, here are the District’s school hours. Please note the early dismissal times for Grades 1-8 on Mondays.
Extended Day Kindergarten: 8:37 a.m. - 2:10 p.m. Mon.-Fri.
Grades 1 - 4: 8:37 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. (Mon.);
8:37 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. (Tues. - Fri.)
Grades 5 - 6: 8:25 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. (Mon.);
8:25 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (Tues. - Fri.)
Grades 7 - 8: 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. (Mon.);
8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (Tue. - Fri.)
Introducing the District’s Portrait of a Graduate
Parent Education Session with District Partner The Alliance for Early Childhood
Helping Kids Flourish: What Kids Need From Adults
Tuesday, September 14, 7-8 p.m.
Event Flyer: Virtual Program via Zoom- a link will be shared once registration is confirmed.
Young children are some of the most misunderstood people around. Their unique personality can baffle adults with tantrums that come out of nowhere to resistance that locks in and leaves you at a standstill. While preschoolers possess both beauty and beast-like behavior, they really wish you wouldn’t take it so personal nor view them as a problem to be fixed. What are the developmental milestones we should look for in considering if they are on track? This presentation will focus on what young kids would like you to know about them and to assure you that nature has a plan for their development. Facilitated by Deborah MacNamara, PhD. Dr. Deborah MacNamara is on Faculty at the Neufeld Institute, author of the best-selling book Rest, Play, Grow: Making Sense of Preschoolers (or anyone who acts like one), and the Director of Kid’s Best Bet Counseling and Family Resource Center.
Parent Education Session from District Partner Family Action Network (FAN)
“We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation,” featuring Eric Garcia and Steve Silberman
Monday, September 20, 2021, 7:00 p.m.
Zoom registration link: www.bit.ly/GarciaFANSponsor
For additional details, click here.
Upcoming Dates
Tuesday, September 14: MAP Testing
Wednesday, September 15: MAP Testing
Wednesday, September 15: Coffee and Conversation with the Washburne Principals (9:00-10:00AM)
Thursday, September 16: No School, Religious Holiday