We hope everyone enjoyed the sunshine this weekend. Our students are busy with end of year projects and assignments, and we are excited to finish the school year strong. We wanted to share a quick reminder that Friday, May 26th is a half day of student attendance with an 11:50am dismissal.

There is a lot going on in the next few weeks, so please take a few minutes to read through the updates included in this memo.

Take Care and Be Well,

Andrew Fenton & Ben Horwitz

Washburne Principal & Assistant Principal

Washburne will continue with piloting our new student schedule this week on Wednesday and Thursday. All classes will meet each day and we will pilot our new X Block period, which is a time to get help or enrichment from teachers. Your child’s teachers will let students know where to go during our X Block period.

• CLICK HERE for a graphic that shows the proposed changes to the schedule for 2023-24.

• If you would like more detailed information, Click on the links below for the full video presentation and slide deck from the April 25th Board of Education meeting.

• Video Presentation

• Slide Deck

We are excited to celebrate our 8th graders two weeks from tomorrow at the Class of 2023 Graduation Ceremony. Please CLICK HERE for a graduation reminder checklist.

We know this time of year is hectic and we wanted to include some important dates and reminders for our 8th graders and their families.

• Monday, June 5th - Last day of school for 8th graders

• 8th graders will wear their graduation t-shirts that they will bring home on Friday, June 2nd

• Tuesday, June 6th @ 7:00pm - Graduation Ceremony at the Gaffney Auditorium / New Trier East Campus

• Doors will open at 6:30pm

• After the ceremony students will be transported by bus to the Washburne Gymnasium for a Class of 2023 party

• Party ends at 10:00pm and parents are asked to pick up 8th graders at this time. (Pick up is by the Washburne gym off of Elm Street)

If you have any questions about the graduation ceremony or party, please email washburnegraduation2023@gmail.com.

All rising 6th , 7th and 8th grade families! The PTO and the KW teams at Skokie and Washburne are excited to announce a new partnership. This year, we will be ordering KW uniforms through New Trier High School’s One Stop Trev Shop! The One Stop Trev Shop is an innovative job training/life skills program for New Trier’s Transition Program students. Please CLICK HERE for more information on how to order your KW uniform.

Please note:

• Putting in your order as soon as possible really helps our friends at One Stop Trev Shop!

• Once you place your order, you will receive an email letting you know that your items are ready for pick up. Once your order is ready, please pick up your order from the Glencoe shop by June 2nd. For orders that are ready after June 2nd (or if you are unable to pick up by that date), there will be a pick-up table staffed by students at the Trevian Way entrance of the New Trier East campus.

If you have any questions, please reach out to beckysanderson@hotmail.com

It is time to order your school supply kits for the 2023-24 school year. The deadline for ordering is July 1st. Supply kits will be delivered to your home two weeks before the start of school in August. CLICK HERE to order.

As part of the science curriculum at Washburne, all seventh grade students complete a 2-week Sexual Health Education Program that will begin this week.

Please click here for more information on the upcoming unit.

In this section we will be shining the spotlight on our Related Studies program and all the wonderful opportunities available to our Washburne students.

Orchestra

The Washburne string orchestra has had a wonderful and busy spring season!

On May 2, the 5th-8th grade Spring Concert was held at Skokie School.

The following pieces were performed:Themes from the New World Symphony by Antonin Dvorak, Arr. by Carrie Lane Gruselle, Aria Ready For a Little Opera?, by Carrie Lane Gruselle and Pirates of the Caribbean by Klaus Badelt, Arr. By Larry Moore. In addition, all three ensembles, 5th grade Skokie Elementary Orchestra, 6th grade Concert Orchestra and the 7th/8th grade Washburne String Ensemble performed Wood Splitter Fanfare by Brian Balmages for the Grande Finale piece!!

On Friday, May 19th, the Washburne String Ensemble and the Washburne Jazz Band celebrated the return of the Tour of The Elementary Schools with performances at Hubbard Woods, Crow Island and Greeley. It was a great day of fun and sharing music with the D36 community!

Friday, May 26, the Orchestra is excited to be playing for the school at the annual spring Awards Assembly!

In addition, both the 7th and 8th grade orchestra members are diligently preparing for Graduation! Each grade will be filming videos to be shown at the Graduation Ceremony on June 6 at New Trier!

The 2022-23 school year has been a great one for the string program! Lots of growth and successful performances! Looking forward to another great year starting next fall! Wishing everyone a fun and restful summer!

Band

This Trimester the Symphonic Band performed their Spring Concert with the 6th Grade Concert Band in the Carleton Washburne Gymnasiums. In a concert featuring music from the Romantic period to modern popular music, repertoire included Zoom!, Theme from Obi Wan, Hungarian Dance No. 5, and Danger Zone from Top Gun.

In April, the Washburne Jazz Ensemble was joined by the Lion Jazz Ensemble for Jazz Night 2023, performing and improvising through Blues, Rock, and Latin tunes. The WJE also toured Hubbard Woods, Crow Island, and Greeley schools for their annual tour. WJE will perform on Washburne's Spring Awards Assembly. Both 7th and 8th grade band members are preparing to record Graduation music to send off our 8th graders on to high school in just a few weeks. Mr. Chester and Mr. Vowles wish our graduates success wherever they go, and look forward to another strong year of music under the leadership of the current 7th grade class.

7th Grade will be able to work on new materials over the summer; look for a link to the summer packet via email soon.

Have a great Summer!

Parents can see the monthly menus in our cafeteria by clicking HERE. Please feel free to use this menu to plan out your child’s meals.

This year the District implemented new acceleration policy procedures for single-subject and grade acceleration, using a variety of methods to communicate the procedures. The Department of Innovation, Teaching and Learning is gathering feedback about this new approach. The survey results will be reviewed in order to determine areas of strength and areas for improvement related to implementation of single-subject and grade acceleration. Thank you in advance for sharing your input! Please complete the survey by Friday, June 2. Acceleration: Feedback Survey

Registration for the 2023-2024 school year is now open for all students (returning and pre-registered). Email notification was sent to the primary contact on record with the District March 17, 2023. Additionally, families will receive notification via regular mail. Contained within the notification is a unique “snapcode” that parents will need to login. Please phone 847-446-9400, with any questions. Additional information and login to the portal can be found on the District website.

Episode #7: Tips on Supporting Young Readers & Preventing the Summer Slide

Dr. Kelly Tess, Superintendents, speaks to middle school reading specialists Sheri Johnston and Suzanne Savard about how to best foster childrens’ literacy during the summer months. Along with summer reading recommendations, they provide tips on what may support your child to grow in confidence in their reading skills–whether they are an avid or reluctant reader. You may be surprised by how simple and natural supporting your child’s literacy during summer break can be.

Listen here:

Apple Podcast

Amazon

Spotify

iHeart Radio

Google

Winnetka Voices is a podcast hosted by The Winnetka Public Schools, featuring candid conversations on issues relevant to education and shared resources to support our students and families.

ATTENTION all rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, reptiles, birds and other small animals! Winnetka's Adventures in Learning - Animal Care Class is looking for small animal volunteers to help our students learn about their care. If your child's small animal is due for a brief break this summer, please email Anna at animal.care.adventures@gmail.com. If it is time to pass your pet on to another loving family, we can also try to arrange adoptions.

Let’s Play! Nature Exploration

Monday, June 5, 9:30am-11:30am, Erickson Woods, 1651 Willow Rd, Winnetka

Join The Alliance for Early Childhood and Community Partners, BackYard Nature Center and Cook County Forest Preserves, to engage in creative, imaginative, and child-directed, outdoor free-play as a family.

Intended Age Audience: All ages are welcome.

To register, click here.

Please follow the District via the following social media platforms in order to see day-to-day happenings and more.

Facebook and Twitter: @Winnetka36

Instagram: @WinnetkaPublicSchools

Tuesday, May 23rd: Board of Education Meeting 7:15pm @ Washburne School

Friday, May 26th: 1/2 Day Student Attendance 11:50am Dismissal

Monday, May 29th: No School - Memorial Day Holiday

Thursday, June 1st: Washburne Field Day

Monday, June 5th: Last Day of Attendance for 8th Grade

Tuesday, June 6th: 8th Grade Graduation 7:00pm @ Gaffney Auditorium