The WJHS Panther Weekly Update
March 5th, 2021
Hello Panther Community
We only have 10% of WJHS families that have taken the 5Essentials survey. We need at least 20% to take it inorder to get results. Please take the time to take the survey (link below). We take your feedback and apply it to the WJHS school improvement process. Once we hit 20% or more, I will stop sending out my requests (I promise). Students will take the 5Essentials Student Survey on Wednesday, March 10th, during STAR.
5Essentials Survey for Parents
Please take the 5Essentials Parent Survey.
Otus Emails:
Please be on the lookout for emails and texts sent through Otus! This is something we are starting to use more and more as it allows us to more quickly and easily stay connected with you. When you see an email with the subject “You Have Received an Otus Mailbox Message”, please open it! You’ll see the message in the body of the email (see picture below!) as well as the email address of the teacher who sent it. Texts from Otus will come from the number 717-200-4638. We recommend you add this number to your contacts so you know these messages are from us! You will not be able to reply to these messages or call the number. If you want to speak to someone about an Otus text, please call the school directly.
CONFERENCES:
Check your email for details. Online scheduling closes at 4pm on 3/10. VIRTUAL conferences will be held on Thursday, 3/11, from 5-9pm & Friday, 3/12, from 8-11am. Zoom links will be sent prior to conferences; only those with scheduled times will be admitted. This is a great opportunity to touch base with teachers prior to 4th quarter. FOR WJHS ONLY, on Thursday, March 11th, students will NOT attend school in person and follow the REMOTE SCHEDULE. The day will end for students at 1:40 PM to teachers may prepare for conferences.
IMPORTANT - MARCH 8th:
Today, March 5th, marks the END of mid-semester 2. 4th quarter (the second half of 2nd semester) begins on Monday, March 8th. If you switched your student’s choice for hybrid or remote, their new choice will begin on this date. As a reminder, if you did NOT complete the 4th quarter survey, your student will remain in their current hybrid or remote placement. AM/PM cohorts remain the same for everyone. Bus route information went out earier this week, so please check your email.
GRADUATION PICTURE RETAKES:
Attention 8th graders that were not able to attend graduation photos, retake day is scheduled for March 17th, from 4-6pm. Please dress appropriately in your best dressed clothes. Gowns will be provided by Lifetouch for your picture and steam cleaned after each photo. Sign up with the link below: SIGN UP FOR GRADUATION PHOTO RETAKES Students should wear an outfit that is appropriate for an 8th grade graduation picture. No caps are worn.
WJHS Panther Pride
We've been in some sort of lockdown for almost a year, and yet there are some Panthers who have made the most of the situation. What has your Panther done that's made you proud? The WJHS PTO would like to feature our students who have found a new hobby, started a small business, discovered a talent, etc. Please fill out this form and we will feature these Panthers via Facebook, our website and Mr. Jonak's weekly Smore.
Weekly Evening Tutoring at WJHS
With a year+ of unique challenges we are providing weekly tutoring at WJHS by four of our WJHS teachers. This will occur on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-8 PM. Please look further below for more and the SignUpGenius link. Please take advantage of this successful program!
BEING A PARENT IS TOUGH (and AWESOME):
The Glenbard Parenting Series for this week is with strategist and author Heather E. McGowan. Most Likely to Succeed: Anticipating the Future of Education and Careers. Look below for more information!
I have created a quick reference calendar for the month of March to help keep us all on track with which schedule to use on which day and when in person students should be coming to WJHS. I hope you find it helpful as we all still attempt to navigate the days ahead. HERE is a link to the Google Doc calendar that you will find below as well.
Take good care of yourselves and one another,
Mr. John K. Jonak
WJHS FACE MASKS ONLY $5 BUCKS!
Show your panther pride with these super comfy face masks. The Student Council is continuing to sell our very own WJHS panther face masks! They are only $5 bucks each. Click the link below and place your order. Cash and paypal are accepted.
PARENTS - YOUR FEEDBACK MATTERS - PLEASE TAKE THE 5ESSENTIALS SURVEY
Dear Panther Parents,
Parent 5Essentials Survey Links (English and Spanish).
For more information about the Illinois 5Essentials Survey, or to view previous years’ Reports, please visit https://www.5-essentials.org/illinois. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact 5Essentials Client Services at 1-866-440-1874 or impact-surveys@uchicago.edu.
Respectfully,,
Mr. John K. Jonak
Principal
Westmont Junior High School
Most Likely to Succeed: Anticipating the Future of Education and Careers
Tue, Mar 9 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm | Free
Presented in partnership with College of DuPage and the DuPage Regional Office of Education.
This discussion will be livestreamed at www.cod.edu/succeed.
Questions for Heather E. McGowan and panelists during and in advance of the program may be emailed to succeed@cod.edu.
Strategist and author Heather E. McGowan will outline a world where humans must continuously learn and adapt while avoiding the pitfalls of information overload. Ranked as LinkedIn’s number one global voice for education in 2017, McGowan helps leaders prepare their people and organizations for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which will bring a rapid advancement of technology tools into the domain of human knowledge work.
McGowan also will join College of DuPage President Dr. Brian Caputo, DuPage Regional Office of Education Superintendent Dr. Darlene Ruscitti, Glenbard High School District 87 Superintendent Dr. David Larson and academic consultant and researcher Dr. Lourdes Ferrer-Allen for a discussion about the key role that education will play in developing a future workforce that produces rewarding careers and a thriving economy. Presented in partnership with Glenbard High School District 87 and the DuPage Regional Office of Education.
Future-of-work strategist Heather E. McGowan helps leaders prepare their people and organizations for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The Third Industrial Revolution was marked by computerization and automation of physical labor, laying the foundation for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which will be notable for the rapid advancement of technology tools into the domain of human knowledge work.
In 2017, LinkedIn ranked her as its number one global voice for education. Her think tank is called Work to Learn because McGowan believes that in the Third Industrial Revolution, we learned (once) in order to work and now, in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we will work in order to learn (continuously). McGowan is the co-editor and author of the book Disrupt Together: How Teams Consistently Innovate and a Forbes contributor. Heather McGowan is the author of The Adaptation Advantage: Let Go, Learn Fast, and Thrive in the Future of Work and Thrive in the Future of Work, available April 2021.
WJHS PTO MEETINGS ONCE A MONTH
PTO MEETINGS EVERY MONTH
Email westmontjrhighpto@gmail.com (before 5pm) for the Zoom links to attend.
WJHS Tutoring Program (2020-2021 School Year)
Who? We have four individuals that have been designated as tutors from WJHS:
Ms. Kirkwood - Art, all Explo, SS, Science, Lit, Organization
Ms. Hillertz - PE, SS, Lit, Sci, Math, Organization
Ms. Walsh - Most familiar with Grade 8: Lit, Math, SS, Sci, Organization, PE - willing to help with any questions
Dr. Burisek - Literacy, Art, Social Studies, Science, PE/Health, Music, IT, Organization (I’ll try to help with any subject, project, assignment, or question you may have)
What? Tutoring at WJHS. Tutoring is available to ALL WJHS students.
Where? Via Zoom. SignupGenius link.
When? Start time of 6-8 PM on two nights a week (Tuesday and Thursdays). NOTE: These hours may change.
Why? Students/parents are still struggling and tutoring in the evenings by skilled teachers takes down obstacles that lead to more successful students.
How? Students sign up for 30-minute increments through Sign-Up Genius. Once you sign up, you will get a Zoom link. *Please note, you will need to create a Sign-Up Genius account if you do not have one linked to your cusd201 email address. You must sign in with your school email account.
Student Expectations:
Sign up for a time slot - Note: If a time slot is not available, email the teacher and she may be able to make it work!
Your appointment - Slots are limited so if you choose a time, be sure to honor it.
What if my partner/group wants help? You may sign up for a time slot, note small group, and what you need help with work/technology. Be sure you have your work ready that you want help with. The video camera should be on and be prepared to share your screen. We don’t want to waste your time!
Please view THIS VIDEO of WJHS Admin walking through the WIN-sday concept.
THIS VERSION is explained in Spanish by our Instructional Coach, Mr. Johnson.
The slideshow, by itself, is located HERE.
i-Ready's Personalized Pathway Information for Parents (Video and Slide Deck with Links)
Please view this video regarding iReady's Personalized Pathway for students. The presentation includes links to valuable parent resources.
Video and presentation in Spanish.
Tips for parents regarding Teacher Office Hours:
Please confirm with your student that he/she is participating. Students with missing assignments or grades below a C should be meeting with teachers during this time to get caught up and receive extra help. Students with up to date assignments and grades C or above should use this time to check in with teachers, ask questions, and receive feedback.
WJHS CLUB NEWS
ART CLUB - Wednesday, 3/10, from 4:45 - 5:45. Email Ms. Kirkwood at mkirkwood@cusd201.org for the link to participate.
BAND CLUB - 8:00-8:25 every day except Wednesdays. Email Ms. Biederman at abiederman@cusd201.org with questions.
Media Center
We have NEW BOOKS! Here are some of the BOOK TRAILERS. Send in your requests by following these instructions: HOW TO CHECK OUT BOOKS
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Sticking with Hybrid Schedule on Future Snow Days:
If we have any additional snow days in the future, students should follow their Hybrid schedules from home. Don't worry, we will give reminders of this in STAR classes.
Is your student's Chromebook having issues?
Please power off your Chromebook (or have your student do this) at least twice a week to make sure everything keeps working without any issues. Thank you!
District Hotline for parents to call for technical assistance, questions about food distribution, or other general questions.
630-468-8020 (English)
Una línea directa del distrito para que los padres llamen para asistencia técnica, preguntas sobre distribución de alimentos o otras preguntas generales.
630-468-8030 (en Espanol)
Please power off your Chromebook (or have your student do this) at least twice a week to make sure everything keeps working without any issues. Thank you!
Long story short, there is not a notification that we receive when chrome updates. They may update every week or every couple weeks. In order to troubleshoot having issues during the school day, we recommend that students check for updates as soon as they log into their chromebooks. Sometimes we get kicked off while trying to update so it may be best to update in the morning so it does not disrupt lessons during the day.
Here is a 2 minute tutorial video for how to update the chromebooks. When you go through the check for updates, it will let you know if you are up to date. If an update is needed, it will ask the student to restart once complete.
* when the computer freezes, you must hold the button on the side of the computer for about 20 seconds until the light goes off.
** if the computer freezes during the update, you will have to log in and make sure it is completed.
If we keep this as a part of our regular routine, we should be in a better space. If they are not updated regularly, we sometimes have to run through the process two or three times and that makes us reboot each time.
The People's Resource Center - Westmont, IL
Anyone in need of food from DuPage County can come for food. You will have to register as a PRC client. Come to People’s Resource Center during food pantry hours to register. CLICK HERE to learn more!