Carleton Washburne
Monday Memo - September 13, 2021
Washburne Families,
We hope everyone had a great weekend and took advantage of the wonderful weather outside. One of the benefits of the nice weather is that many students are able to bike and walk to school. In advisory last week we reviewed a number of bike safety guidelines. In particular, we focused on:
understanding the importance of using caution and following all traffic signals
wearing a helmet while riding a bike, skateboard or scooter
being respectful to pedestrians while riding on the sidewalk, and
walking bikes through crosswalks.
Thank you for your help reinforcing safety practices, and we are grateful for your partnership on this important issue.
Our first Principal Coffee and Conversation is this Wednesday from 9-10:00am. We will be meeting outside the cafeteria off of Elm street under our tents. We are looking forward to meeting with parents and answering questions and gathering feedback on the first few weeks of school.
Thank you to the PTO for partnering with us to host this event.
Take Care and Be Well,
Andrew Fenton & Ben Horwitz
Washburne Principal/Assistant Principal
Fall MAP Testing This Week
Picture Day
Picture day will take place on Tuesday, September 21st. All students will have their photos taken outside this year. Please see the following guidelines regarding what students should wear:
8th Grade: This is a formal, graduation picture. Students should wear a dark sports jacket, a white or pastel shirt, and a tie –or-- a dark top and a simple piece of jewelry.
7th Grade: More casual attire is permitted. In general, darker clothing shows well, and shirts with collars are better than those without.
Retakes will be on October 21st for any students who are absent.
Window to Washburne
Welcome to Window to Washburne! Each week, we will be highlighting some of the learning taking place in our classrooms.
We are so happy to be able to use our science labs once again to allow for more opportunities for science experiments. This week, students in Ms. Gajos’s 7th grade science class tested different brands of aluminum foil to determine which ones could support the greatest amount of mass. While we won’t name any names, we can say some brands’ advertising claims did not hold up to the rigorous testing conducted by our students. Of particular importance, students actually designed the lab themselves, creating the steps that they used instead of following a generic plan. This example fits so well with the creative problem solving skills that we want our graduates to develop. Kudos to Ms. Gajos and her students for creating such a successful lesson.
Directory Spot is Updated and Available Now!
Directions for accessing Directory Spot can be found on the District 36 Central PTO website: https://central36pto.org/directory-spot/
New and existing users login to Directory Spot with the email address provided during school registration. Existing users may need to logout and re-login to see updated 2021-2022 school year information. New users should receive a welcome email so check your junk folder if nothing is received. New users will click “reset password” and follow the prompts.
For questions regarding Directory Spot, please contact District 36 parent Leigh Sears at leighsears@gmail.com.
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District News
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.
Important Information Regarding District 36 COVID-19 Testing Program
On September 3, the District shared details regarding its 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. If you have not yet completed a form for your child(ren) and wish to do so, please complete this form NO LATER than Wednesday, September 15.
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.
Winnetka Parents Institute: Search Inside Yourself (SIY)
Thursday, September 23 at 9:30 a.m. (hosted via Zoom)
Join us to experience an inspiring one-hour introduction to the mindfulness-based emotional intelligence program developed at Google and backed by the latest neuroscience. This is an interactive experience that provides you with hands-on tools and experiences to help you get a taste of the full 12-hour program the District 36 faculty and staff will experience this fall.
Learn introductory tools to:
Reduce stress and experience greater overall well-being
Develop the resilience needed to sustain high performance
Improve communication, collaboration and team performance
Click here to RSVP to this Winnetka Parents Institute Event. A corresponding Zoom link to this session will be shared with those who have RSVPed no later than September 22.
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