THE WHOOT!

As we navigate through the school year, it’s important to remember that we are all human. Our energy, motivation, and mood will naturally fluctuate, and that’s completely normal. Be kind to yourself during those moments when you feel off balance. It’s okay to not be at your best all the time. Take the time you need to recharge, and remember, you are doing the best you can. Let’s embrace our humanity and support each other with compassion and grace!

With love,

Ms. Battle

Our classrooms are full of excitement and meaningful learning! Here’s a quick peek at what’s been happening:

• Mr. Molitor had 3rd graders working together on Hot Cross Buns! Students gave each other feedback on hand positions and sound, helping each other improve and play like pros.

• Mr. Bush teamed up with 5th graders in Ms. Barriera's class to create their own drawing devices! Using their knowledge of electric switchboards, students got creative and built some pretty impressive mechanisms.

• Ms. Galicia brought her learning from the district’s Building Thinking Classrooms book club to life! Her students analyzed tree images to find as many "Y" shapes as they could. They shared strategies, asked each other thought-provoking questions, and gave compliments to deepen their thinking and learning.

Big thanks to Mr. Molitor, Mr. Bush, and Ms. Galicia for inspiring your students and making learning so engaging!

I wanted to take a moment to share some important information regarding our procedures for inclement weather. In the event of extreme weather conditions such as snow, rain, or very cold temperatures, I wanted to be transparent about how these decisions are made, in alignment with district guidelines.

• Early Entry and Indoor Activities: Students are allowed to enter school prior to the normal entry time when the weather is inclement, such as during rain or snowstorms, when the combination of temperature and wind chill is below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, or when the playground is unsuitable for students to use (e.g., ice or standing water). These guidelines also apply to determining whether students remain indoors for their regular physical education classes and recess periods.

• Communication Regarding Transportation or Pick-Up Changes: If you need to notify the school that your child is not taking the bus or is being picked up differently, and you are unable to reach Ms. Boone or Nurse Juli by phone, please leave a detailed message and also send an email to your child's classroom teacher. Our office team is often busy, and by following these steps, you’ll help ensure that any time-sensitive messages are received in a timely manner.

• Lost and Found: Our Lost and Found is currently full! If your child is missing any items, please feel free to stop by the school to check for any lost belongings.

• Hot Lunch Orders: If your child will be late to school and plans to order hot lunch, please call the office before 9:30 AM. Our lunch team places orders at 9:30, and we want to make sure every student has the chance to select the lunch of their choice.

Donate Your Change to Willard Thru Dec. 19!

It's students versus staff in the battle to see who will collect the most coins, and win a chance to throw a pie in Principal Battle's face! The Willard Coin Drive is going on now through Dec. 19. Buckets are in the Willard front lobby, the library, and outside of Room 107.

We are gearing up for another exciting season of our Elementary Winter Sports Program, designed for 4th and 5th-grade students in partnership with the Evanston Parks and Recreation Department.

Our winter offerings will include basketball, cheerleading, and ultimate frisbee, all aimed at fostering teamwork, physical activity, and a sense of community among our students. Here are some key details to keep in mind as we prepare for the upcoming season:

1. Registration Deadline: January 3, 2024 (Registration is through Evanston Parks and Recreation Department)
2. Ultimate Frisbee: Thursdays from 5–7 PM, January 16–February 20

3. Cheer Academy: Practices on Tuesdays from 6:30–7:30 PM; cheerleaders will support Saturday basketball games.
4. Basketball Games: Saturdays, January 18–February 22

¡Acompáñenos en el BPAC! Conversación con la superintendente Dra. Angel Turner

Estimadas familias,

¡Espero que hayan disfrutado de unas relajantes vacaciones de otoño! Me estoy comunicando con ustedes para invitarlos a nuestra siguiente reunión con el ‘Comité asesor de padres bilingües’ (BPAC) y para asegurarme de que tienen conocimiento de que el lugar de reunión ha cambiado.

En las siguientes semanas, la superintendente Angel Turner y su equipo se reunirán con varios grupos de partes interesadas para involucrar a la comunidad acerca del presupuesto del distrito y del panorama financiero y reunir comentarios para abordar los desafíos financieros de una manera creativa. La Dra. Turner y su equipo fueron invitados a hacer una presentación en la reunión del BPAC en diciembre, la cual se realizará tanto en español como en inglés.

Detalles de la reunión:

• Hora y lugar: 6:00 a 7:30 p.m. el miércoles 11 de diciembre

• Lugar: Escuela Primaria Washington, 914 Ashland Ave., en Evanston. La reunión tendrá lugar en la biblioteca.

• Habrá servicio de guardería/cuidado de niños

El Comité Asesor de Padres Bilingües (BPAC, por sus siglas en inglés) representa los intereses de los estudiantes que aprenden el idioma inglés (EL), de los padres de los estudiantes ‘EL’ y de los miembros de la comunidad de un distrito escolar. El BPAC del D65 se enfoca en las familias de estudiantes que son hablantes nativos del español.

¡Si usted no ha asistido antes a ninguna reunión del BPAC, es bienvenido aún para asistir! Es importante que nos unamos como comunidad para que podamos trabajar juntos para encontrar soluciones a los desafíos que está enfrentando el distrito. Los invito a que asistan (¡y a que les digan a sus amistades!), esperamos darles la bienvenida en este espacio.

Gracias,

Amy Correa

Directora de Servicios Multilingües

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Join us at BPAC! Discussion with Superintendent Dr. Angel Turner

Dear Families,

I hope you enjoyed a relaxing Fall Break! I am reaching out to invite you to our next Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) meeting and make sure you are aware that the location has changed.

Over the next weeks, Superintendent Dr. Angel Turner and her team will be meeting with various stakeholder groups to engage the community about the district’s budget and financial outlook and to gather input to creatively address financial challenges. Dr. Turner and her team were invited to present at the December BPAC meeting, which will be presented in both Spanish and English.

Meeting details:

• Time and date: 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 11

• Location: Washington Elementary School, 914 Ashland Ave., Evanston. The meeting will take place in the library.

• Childcare will be provided.

The Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) represents the interests of English learner (EL) students, parents of EL students, and community members of a school district. The BPAC at D65 focused on native Spanish speaking families.

If you haven’t attended a BPAC meeting before, you are still welcome to come! It’s important that we come together as a community so that we may work together to find solutions to the challenges the district is facing. I encourage you to attend (and tell your friends!) and look forward to welcoming you to this space.

Thank you,

Amy Correa

Director of Multilingual Services

Attendance notices will begin going out to all families in the district who meet a certain threshold of absences. This is a practice we had pre-covid and have worked to move back to. Notices will be generated through powerschool.

Notices will be sent at the following thresholds; 10, 15, 18 total absences, 9 unexcused absences, and 20 late arrivals. When a student has 18 or more total absences they are considered chronically absent by the state. If a student has 9 or more unexcused absences, that student is reported back to the state as chronically truant.

The purpose of the notice is to increase communication around student attendance with families and/or to to identify students needing additional support at the building level to address attendance needs.

Important Dates:
11/4/24-Scholarship Application Opened
11/18/24- Regular Registration Opens
12/6/24- LAST Day of FALL Clubs
12/9/24- FIRST Day of WINTER Clubs

Right At School has a new Family Portal How-to Center, a dedicated resource designed to help families manage their Family Portal accounts. This center includes visual and written guides covering a range of topics, making it easier for families to navigate the portal. This should help families a lot. There will also be an increased number of customer service staff during registration periods.

Looking to volunteer at Willard? Click here for our district's volunteer process!

Willard Welcome Packet

• English
• Spanish

District 65 Back to School Guides

• English
• Spanish

December

• 13th: Report Cards Distributed
• 17th: Vision and Hearing Screening
• 21st-Jan. 6th: Winter Break

January

• 7th: Students Return