Wright-ings
Daniel Wright Junior High School Newsletter - April 9, 2021
Color Wars: Students Become Leaders and Work Together
Color War competition began this week. All students participated in virtual pep rallies featuring minute-to-win-it games and a dance off. During Flex on Monday, April 12 students will learn about their next challenge. Be sure to ask them about it!
Students become leaders and develop teamwork through the Color War programming.
The activities and challenges support Daniel Wright's Social Emotional Learning Standards, which are to be respectful, be responsible and be positive. Students decorated their 'pods" by their assigned color, competed against one another for hoop points, and did other fun competitive activities to show their Warrior school spirit! Please visit the school's Facebook page to see some of the fun activities students have been engaged in.
Student Qualifies for Nationals
Congratulations to seventh-Grader Angela Ho who was one of four students from Illinois who qualified for MATHCOUNTS Nationals, scheduled for May 8-10. Six DW students advanced to the state competition.
Asked to share her math interest, Angela, 13, said, "I love the variety of questions and topics and finding creative solutions. In math, you can never run out of things to learn and there are fun and challenging problems to solve. Although I enjoy the entire range of topics in math, my favorite ones are probably algebra and probability. In addition to the problems themselves, I also greatly appreciate the supportive community that math brought to me."
Said Club Sponsor Katie Fender, "Daniel Wright has participated in MATHCOUNTS since 1993. Angela is only the third mathlete from DW to qualify for the national competition and the first seventh-grader."
The MATHCOUNTS Competition Series is a national program that allows students to compete in math contests against and alongside their peers. Over 500 chapter competitions occur across the country—top students from each chapter competition advance to one of 56 state competitions. The top four individual competitors from each state competition compete for the title of national champion.
Spring Sports About to Get Underway
Registration for remote and in-person students opens at noon today, April 9, for spring sports - soccer and track. Wrestling is also open for participation. Spots are limited for all spring sports. For details on spring sports, please read the e-notice that was sent out this week.
New Student Orientation
Over the summer Daniel Wright staff will prepare the building for full in-person learning and the spaces will look much different than they do right now. To allow us time to prepare classroom spaces for learning, we are planning for student orientation activities (for the students new to DW) to be held late July or early August. Even during usual times, the transition to middle school brings about changes in how students’ schedules are developed.
Daniel Wright staff will continue to communicate with the fifth-grade teachers to understand the individual needs of each student. However, we do not provide a platform for parents to make specific requests regarding scheduling decisions and teacher selections. We realize that a different process is in place at Half Day School but due to the transition to an academic schedule with 10 periods per day, this is not a practice implemented during schedule development at DW.
Mix It Up Day Rescheduled
- SEL Mix It Up Day will take place on Wednesday, April 21. In an effort to keep students and teachers connected, during Mix It Up students are assigned to new Zoom groups based on an interest survey. In their Mix It Up Zooms students will complete a craft project, play a game or learn about a special topic. This is a rescheduled event that was originally supposed to take place on March 17. Remote students who had already received their supplies at supply pick up in March will need to have them ready.
- Some remote students still need to pick up their supplies at the front office. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Please email Erinn Vincent at evincent@d103.org to see if your child still has supplies to be picked up.
Support Student Fundraiser with Pizza
Please indicate in the RevTrak Web Store how you would like to receive your coupon. Reach out to kbuffa@d103.org with any questions. The members of student council thank you for your support and helping us support Loving Without Limits!
Eighth-Grade News
Graduation Set for June 2
The in-person graduation celebration has been set for June 2! We are excited to share two possibilities for an in-person eighth-grade graduation celebration. One option is a ceremony with all students at the Stevenson football stadium on June 2, 2021. The other option is two indoor ceremonies held at different times with two groups of graduates at the Stevenson Sports Center on June 2, 2021. We will communicate final plans as soon as we finalize the venue and format. Students will also be able to select a D103 staff member to hand them their diploma! A form was emailed directly to your child earlier this week from Mrs. Blackley. Please be sure that your child completes the form on or before April 16!
Graduation Gowns
ALL Eighth-Graders In-Person on May 14
In compliance with federal testing requirements, DW will administer the Illinois science assessment to eighth-grade students on May 14, in person at Daniel Wright. We will use this day as an opportunity for the entire class of 2021 to come together one last time at Daniel Wright. After the science assessment, fun activities, tours of our new school spaces and grade level celebrations are being planned! We continue to work on the details of the day, including transportation for all students. We will provide more information as we get closer to the date.
T-Shirts Are In; You Can Still Place an Order
Given the overwhelming popularity of the eighth-grade graduation T-shirts, D103 PTO has reopened the American Outfitters site ONE LAST TIME for parents to order a T-shirt!! Feel free to order your eighth-grader a special graduation T-shirt or consider ordering both designs. The PTO graduation committee will be scheduling a day where we will be asking all eighth-graders to wear their T-shirts! Final ordering deadline is Tuesday, April 20.
IN-PERSON STUDENTS who ordered a shirt will receive their shirts in their advisory class on Thursday or Friday.
REMOTE STUDENTS who ordered a shirt will need to pick up their shirt at the home of 43 Dukes Lane, Lincolnshire, from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, April 10 or Sunday, April 11. Katie Wolf and Kathy Reibel will be handing out the shirts outside and will be wearing masks. Please contact Katie Wolf at wolfkm@gmail.com if you cannot make these times.
Students Needed for Science Testing
Parent/guardians of students who are interested in participating can use this link to register or email NAEP.Virtual.Interviews@act.org with any questions.
Health Night
Please join fellow eighth-grade Daniel Wright students and their parents at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 14, for an informative health event that will cover relevant topics such as:
- Friendships and Romances: Building the Foundation for Healthy Adolescent Relationships
- Managing Stress: How to Develop Your Emotional Toolbox for the Transition to High School
- What Parents Need to Know to Help Middle Schoolers be Healthy, Happy Students in their High School Community.
Please RSVP to Health Night to inform the PTO that you will attend their sponsored event. If you have a topic you would addressed, please fill out this Google Interest Form before the presentation.
Please contact Tiffany Etzel at tiffanyetzel@gmail.com or Rilina Ghosh at ghosh.rilina@gmail.com with any questions about the event.
Eighth-Grade Scholarship
The D103 Learning Fund Foundation provides a scholarship opportunity for Daniel Wright eighth-graders. A $2,500 scholarship will be awarded to a qualifying eighth–grader in memory of former parent Dawn Anderson.
The Dawn Anderson Scholarship was established in honor of Dawn Anderson who passed away in 2017. While her children progressed through the District 103 school system, Dawn followed them, volunteering for any and every school or teacher-based project available. Motivated by her love of children, Dawn continued volunteering after her children moved on in their education. To honor her legacy, the Learning Fund Foundation established the scholarship to recognize a D103 graduating eighth–grade student who displays a passion for volunteering and serving others. This $2,500 award must be used for education at a post–secondary school. For more information, please visit the Learning Fund Foundation's scholarship website page. The deadline to apply is Saturday, April 10, 2021. Please contact the foundation at lff+anderson21@d103.org with questions.
District 103 News
Full Day of School on April 22
Thursday, April 22, is a full day of school for D103 students in grades kindergarten through eighth. The Late Arrival Day on this day was cancelled.
Vision Screening Required
Board of Education Meeting
The next regular Board meeting will occur on Tuesday, April 20, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. The notice and agenda can be found on the District 103 Board meeting website page.
Partnership News
Help Stock the Teacher's Lounge
Virtual 5K Run/Walk
D103 PTO's virtual 5K run/walk event is now open.
In order to keep our community safe and continue to raise funds for our school district, the D103 PTO will host its first ever (hopefully only) Run for D103 VIRTUAL 5K Run/Walk. Please visit the Run for D103 website to learn more about the event and register.
Volunteer of the Year Award
Dawn Anderson Angel Award
Requirements for Nomination: The nominee must be someone whose youngest child is an eighth-grade student so that this volunteer will be "graduating" from District 103. The volunteer should be someone who has committed his or her time over several years to our District, including volunteering for the PTO.
Maybe this is a visible volunteer who has led many PTO events or a quiet contributor who we could always count on to fill in when needed. Like Dawn, this volunteer should have an infectious volunteer spirit. The deadline for submission is April 30. Please fill out the Google nomination form to recognize a volunteer.
Community News
Wine, Dine, & Win in Lincolnshire
SHS Seeks Parent Volunteers
The Stevenson Patriot Parent Association (PPA) Executive Board and its committees are in need of parents who are interested in joining. Be involved in PPA with the Bake Sale, Staff Hospitality, Cookie/Treat Day, Class Reps, Assignment Notebooks or Showcase Talent Show committees. Applications are being taken online now until April 15. There will be an opportunity this summer to volunteer for individual events during the 2021-22 school year. Watch for that announcement by following the PPA on Facebook or Instagram: @shsppa. If you have any questions, please contact Gayle Stein at gaylephilly@aol.com.
Law Day
Chief Judge Diane Winter and the Judges of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit would like to extend an invitation to Lake County students to participate in the annual Lake County Law Day activities. This year’s theme is “Advancing the Rule of Law Now.” The Judges look forward to seeing the great talent and skills of students in Lake County.
Youth Football
Enrichment Summer School
The Center for Gifted offers in-person spring and summer classes in Long Grove and Elmhurst. Please visit the Center for Gifted website. Masks are required, social distancing is enforced, and hand sanitizer must be non-scented. All classes are a maximum of 10-12 children. Students need NOT be tested or identified as gifted, just eager to learn!
Upcoming Events
Daniel Wright Junior High School
Assistant Principal Nina Nusbaum
Assistant Principal Melody Littlefair
Email: ask103@d103.org
Website: www.d103.org/danielwright
Location: 1370 N. Riverwoods Road Lincolnshire, IL 60089
Phone: 847-295-1560
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanielWrightJHS/
Twitter: @district103