Hubbard Woods Family Newsletter

Dear Hubbard Woods Families,

At Hubbard Woods, we are committed to creating a school community where every child feels safe, respected, and included. As part of this commitment, we actively teach and model our school wide expectations, which are:

• We Stand With Pride.

• We Give All We Got.

• We Respect and Include.

These expectations/ values guide how we treat ourselves and one another.

October is National Bullying Prevention month. This week, our social worker, SEL coach, and school psychologist will be visiting classrooms to proactively teach lessons on bullying prevention. These sessions will help students recognize what bullying looks like, learn safe and appropriate ways to respond, and understand the importance of seeking help from a trusted adult. Students will also practice being “upstanders”, which are those who take action to support peers rather than be a bystander.

How you can help at home:

• Talk with your child about what respect and inclusion look like in their friendships.
  

• Encourage them to share if they ever see or experience unkind behavior.
  

• Remind them that speaking up to a trusted adult is a strong and important action.

If your child reports bullying or you believe your child may be experiencing bullying:

1. Listen calmly and reassure them that they did the right thing by telling you.
   

2. Gather the facts by asking open-ended questions about what happened, when, and who was involved.
   

3. Contact the school. Please reach out to your child’s teacher, our social worker, psychologist, or me directly.
   

4. Partner with us so we can investigate promptly, support your child, and address the situation appropriately.
   

5. Follow up with your child regularly, reminding them they are not alone and that their voice matters.

By working together, we can ensure that every child feels they belong and are valued in our community.

All the best,

Ivory Ajavon

In consideration of the 26/27 School Year, the Winnetka Public Schools Calendar Committee is seeking feedback from Winnetka families. Creation of a school year calendar is dictated by the collective bargaining agreement between the School Board and the Winnetka Education Association as well as requirements from the state. This feedback will provide the committee with a sense of families’ priorities when it comes to planning for a new school year.

The survey window will be open from October 1 to October 17.

Conference sign-ups are now open until October 28 at noon! Please follow the instructions emailed to you on September 25 to schedule your student.

*Tip: the unique login code is highlighted in yellow and is different from your student’s ID number.

If you experience any difficulty with logging in, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at help@winnetka36.org.

While benchmark testing is occurring, we have limited family access in Otus to benchmark scores as new scores are being processed and updated. Once everything is up to date and clean, we will reactivate these scores for families. You may still log in during this time but will not be able to view your student’s data until October 20.

Each October, we take time to recognize and celebrate the many contributions of individuals with disabilities in our schools, workplaces, and communities. It is an opportunity to highlight the importance of inclusion, respect, and equal opportunity for all.

ALL CLASSROOM SNACKS brought from home for individual student consumption must be free of all peanuts or tree nuts plus if there are any other allergies in the classroom.

If needed, lunchroom areas will have a designated peanut/nut-free or other allergen-free tables (or areas of tables) that will be provided as developmentally appropriate and will be clearly identified (if needed). If your child needs to sit there due to an allergy, please email the classroom teacher and the school nurse. Otherwise in the lunchroom all food is acceptable.

Progressive Tenets in Action: Whole Child Approach

October 15, 2025

9:30 A.M.

Location: SK Community Room

Join the first in a three-part series that will explore the District’s Progressive Education Tenets. Learn about what a Whole Child Approach means and how it comes alive in our classrooms.

Interested:

RSVP for this event here

Following the event a link will be provided to the taped presentation on the website.

Feedback Link

Dr. Kelly Tess, Superintendent of The Winnetka Public Schools, and Ms. Carly Andrews, Executive Director of The Alliance for Early Childhood invite you to join a parent education opportunity focused on Early Childhood and the primary years of elementary school. We will take an hour to provide an overview of what support for our youngest learners looks like in Winnetka, resources that are available to you as parents through the District and North Shore Area (i.e. the Alliance) and how we seek your partnership, especially in these first few years of school.

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

6:30-7:30 p.m.

Greeley School Resource Center

275 Fairview Ave., Winnetka

RSVP here

• Thursday, September 25th- October 10th - Benchmark Assessment Period

• Week of October 6th - Start of Bullying Prevention Month

• Wednesday, October 8th - Fire Prevention Day (Kinder/ 1st Grade)

• Wednesday, October 8th - at 6:30pm Parent Education on Early Childhood at Greeley

• Thursday, October 9th - Vision and Hearing Re-screening

• October 13th-17th - Hubbard Woods Safety Week

• Tuesday October 14th Tornado Drill at 9am
• Wednesday, October 15th at 9am Fire Drill with Fire Department/ Photo Retakes
• Thursday, October 16th at 9:30am Lockdown Drill with Police Department
• Friday, October 17th at Arrival - High Five Friday with First Responders
• Wednesday, October 29th - Ghost Walk
• Kindergarten Ghost Walk at 9am
• 1st-4th Ghost Walk at 1:30pm
• Thursday, October 30th - No School/ Parent/ Teacher Conferences
• Friday, October 31st - No School/ Parent/ Teacher Conferences
• Wednesday, December 17th - Winter Sing (Times TBD)