What's Up Willowbrook

• District holiday - NO SCHOOL

Tuesday, September 8

• Ice Cream Social sponsored by the PTO (free!) 5:30 p.m.
• PTO room parent meeting 7:00 p.m.
• PTO general meeting 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, September 9

• PTO Ice Cream Day

Friday, September 11

• Patriot Day ceremony 8:45 a.m. (please see more info below)

Wednesday, September 16

• PTO Special Lunch - Little Louie's

Friday, September 18

• Half day of school for students dismissal at 11:45 a.m.
• Preschool AM students attend school. There is no school for preschool students in the PM class.

Monday, September 21

• No school - District holiday

Thursday, September 24

• District 30 Conversations with the Community

Friday, September 25

• Walk for Willowbrook

We beat the heat to share a fantastic first Walking School Bus of the 2026-27 school year this morning! Thanks to all families who participated, and to all teachers and staff who led routes on this fun, community building event!

Please join us for the Willowbrook PTO ice cream social on September 8 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in front of the school! This free event welcomes all students and their parents and guardians to celebrate the start of school and connect with old friends and new!

Please join us (shortly after ice cream) this Tuesday, September 8 from 7:30-8:30 p.m. in the Willowbrook School gym for the PTO General Meeting. Come learn about all the amazing events, committees, and support the PTO brings to Willowbrook - and discover how you can get involved! Whether you’re looking to volunteer, share ideas, or simply stay connected with our school community, we’d love to see you there.

As the school year begins, this fall might be the first time your child is using an iPad for school work. Or maybe this coming winter might be the first time your 3rd-grader takes home their school-issued device.

We know parents can have many questions about the use of technology at school. We want to answer them so you can best understand what your child is learning in class, and and how you can support that at home.

We have created a series of five videos that share in detail how iPads are used to support and enhance learning in the classroom; how our Digital Citizenship program works and helps prepare students for the online world; and how you can still honor your own household rules on tech use. '

Please click below to watch the first video and click here to explore a parent handbook that also answers frequent questions on our One-to-One iPad program.

In the coming weeks, please watch this newsletter as we continue highlight the rest of the video series. Thank you for your partnership in helping our students become responsible digital navigators!

Please help us keep the student arrival/dismissal process safe and orderly. We need parent partnership in the car pick-up lane. Here are a few safety reminders:

• Drop-off and pick-up on the inner circle only. Do not double park and do not park on the outer circle.
  
• There is no parking in the circular drive from 8:30 to 9:00 a.m. and from 3:10 to 3:40 p.m.
  
• Parents should not park in the staff parking lot when dropping off or picking up their children.
  
• For your child’s safety, students should ONLY exit on the passenger side of the car, while parents should remain in the driver’s seat.

Willowbrook is required to conduct six safety drills during the school year. We will be conducting our bus safety drill on Tuesday, September 8 and our unobserved fire drill on Thursday, September 10.

Parents or guardians who have concerns or questions about the drill or their student's participation should contact Mrs. Katie Compagno, Willowbrook Principal.

We will have a special Patriot Day Flag Raising ceremony in the gym at 8:45 a.m. and we would like any parents, friends, or family members that are First Responders of our students to serve as flag raisers. Please fill out the form below if you plan on being an Honored guest at our ceremony.

All who live in District 30 boundaries are invited to meet Superintendent Dr. Tammaru and a member of our Board of Education to ask questions and share what is important to you in our schools.

You can pick from either the 12 p.m. session on Thursday, September 24 at our District 30 Offices, 2374 Shermer Road, Northbrook, or during a 6 p.m. online session that same day. RSVP is required for online so we may email you a link, and appreciated for in-person so we can plan for space and send a reminder to participants close to the event date.

Please share with neighbors, as this event is for everyone in our boundaries – even if they do not have children in our schools. Click below to join us!

The Willowbrook PTO will host the Walk for Willowbrook on Friday, September 25 from 2:30-3:10pm. On the day of the event, all students and staff members will walk around the track next to the elementary school and families will be invited to come and cheer on those walking.

Community After-Party - 3:15-5:00 p.m. Stick around after the walk for music, games, and fun with friends! Shaved ice will be available for purchase.

Volunteer - Please help us provide a memorable experience by supporting our efforts in the following ways:

• Set up Friday morning or afternoon before the walk
• Face painting
• Rock painting
• Merch table

Donate - students are taking steps toward purchasing new welcome mats for the front office and school entrances. Together, we can make every welcome a Wildcat one!

Let’s make this Walk for Willowbrook an unforgettable day of school pride and community connection!

Parent Power-Up:

Organization is a skill that develops over time. Parents and guardians can support school success by helping children develop systems and routines rather than organizing everything for them. The goal is to build habits that transfer directly to school.

Ideas to Try:

• Ask these questions:

• "What do you need tomorrow?"

• "How do you know you're prepared?"

• “Have you checked your folder?”

• “Is there anything special happening tomorrow?”

• “Is your water bottle ready?”

• “What's your plan for making sure your homework gets to school?”

• “How do you know your backpack is ready?”

• “Are your shoes, coat, and lunch ready?”

• Spend five minutes each evening helping your child:

• Empty their backpack

• Organize papers

• Pack materials for the next day

• Return folders, library books, and the iPad to their backpack.

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The district's online adaptive assessment, Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), is now being administered to all students in grades 1-8. The MAP testing window will runs through September 15. Students in grades 2-8 will take two assessments: reading and mathematics. Grade 1 will take mathematics only. Please check with your child's teacher about their testing schedule to avoid conflicts if appointments need to be scheduled during this time.

These assessment results will continue to be used (1) by teachers to assist them in differentiating lessons in reading/language arts and mathematics; as well as (2) to measure student academic growth. Students' fall assessment reports will be made available to parents later in the school year.

To ensure a smooth start to the school year, please review the following Illinois health requirements:

• All students who are new to District 30: Any student who is new to District 30 must have a completed Illinois Certificate of Child Health Examination on file before the first day of school. The physical exam must have been completed within the past 12 months and include all required immunizations. Students who do not have the required documentation after October 15, 2026, may be excluded from school per state mandate until it is received.
• Kindergarten students & students new to District 30: Kindergarteners and all students new to District 30 must submit a completed Illinois Eye Examination Report by October 15, 2026. The eye exam must have been completed within 1 year of the start of the school year.
• Kindergarten & 2nd grade: Illinois law requires students entering kindergarten and second grade to submit a completed Dental Examination Form by May 15, 2027. The dental exam must have been completed within the required state timeframe (18 months prior to the deadline).
• Medications & health care plans: If your child requires medication at school or has a medical condition that requires a health care plan, please complete and submit the required forms before the first day of school. If updated forms are not received, the school will continue to follow the previous year's health care plan for students with life-threatening allergies or other qualifying medical conditions until new documentation is provided.

Health, dental, eye examination, medication, and health care plan forms are available on the District 30 website. Completed forms may be:

• Dropped off at the school office
• Emailed to Lisa Mullen, School Nurse (lmullen@district30.org)
• Emailed to Heather Peraino (hperaino@district30.org)

If you have any questions, please contact the school office at 847-498-1090.

When members of the public, including parents and siblings, have reason to visit our building during regular hours of operation, they must enter through the main entrance and check in with the front desk. All visitors to school property are required to:

1. Report to the main entrance

2. Show proper identification

3. Clear the district’s security screening identification system

4. Wear a visitor badge in a manner that is visible to all employees and students at all times when on school property and

5. Return the issued visitor badge upon departure from the building

This step-by-step guide can help you prepare for a visit or to check out a child during the school day using our new system. Additional visitor information can be found in the District 30 Student-Parent Handbook on page 10.

We love all pets and especially dogs, but we kindly remind families to not bring them onto school grounds at drop-off, pickup or during school hours. This is for the safety and comfort of all our students. We thank you for your partnership.

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The Willowbrook PTO partners with Lunch Solutions to offer Special Lunch each third Wednesday of the month. All Special Lunch orders are managed by Lunch Solutions and ordered from local restaurants.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Please consider helping serve Special Lunch. Each sign-up is a one-time commitment from approximately 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and is a great opportunity to see your children during their school day. Volunteers serve the students pre-ordered lunches and do minimal clean-up. Three (3) volunteers are scheduled per each PTO Special Lunch day. If you would like to work with a friend, each person must complete their own sign-up.

SPECIAL LUNCH DATES

September 16 - Little Louie's

October 21 - Chick Fil A

November 18 - Culver's

December 16 - Panera Bread

January 20 - Happi Sushi - Yummy Bowl

February 17 - Epic Burger

March 17 - Once Upon a Bagel

April 14 - Tropical Smoothie Cafe

May 19 - Josh's

Volunteering at lunch is a great way to become involved at Willowbrook! As a lunch volunteer, you get to spend time with your child, get to know your child's classmates and feel more connected with the Willowbrook community.

Volunteers are needed to set up the lunch line, help serve students and do minimal cleanup.

• Lunch service is approximately 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• You can sign up for one or more slots
• Questions? Contact willowpto@district30.org

When adults volunteer, students benefit! There are many opportunities to get involved; please consider signing up for a committee so the PTO can continue to fund events, such as:

• School Store
• Students Night Out
• Staff appreciation events
• And more!

Any time a student feels unsafe, any adult in their school can help!

But sometimes, students or parents wish to reach out for help in a different way or after school hours. Safe2Help Illinois offers students a safe way to share information 24/7 that might help prevent any threat to school safety, including bullying, self-harm or other serious concerns.

The goal of this program is to get students to “seek help before harm;" it is not intended to suspend, expel, or punish. Safe2Help Illinois also offers a Mental Health Toolkit that provides resources for parents and educators reinforce the components of this program.

Safe2Help Illinois offers around-the-clock help via:

• Hotline: 844-4-SAFEIL
• Text line: 72332
• Email HELP@Safe2HelpIL.com
• Plus a website full of resources for young people seeking help for themselves or a friend. Its Ways To Get Help page is a directory of specialized hotlines, and other sections of its website provide practical steps for dealing with depression or helping a distraught friend. The checklist called "20 Questions To Ask Yourself If You Feel Like Giving Up" can help older children overcome a bout of anxiety or depression.

Willowbrook School is part of Northbrook/Glenview District 30, which exists to create an inclusive community that inspires learning, fosters resiliency, and cares deeply for every child. We honor childhood and foster intellectual, physical and social-emotional growth. District 30 serves more than 1,200 students in pre-K through 8th grade across Willowbrook, Wescott and Maple Schools.

We prohibit harassment and discrimination of all forms within our district and follows all policies and procedures to ensure a safe environment for all.

Main Office: 847-498-1090

Health Office: 847-400-8860

Location: 2500 Happy Hollow Road, Glenview, IL

Website: district.30.org/willowbrook