Hubbard Woods Family Newsletter

Dear Hubbard Woods Families,

What a wonderful start to our school year! This first week has been filled with joy, connection, and a strong sense of community. Last Tuesday, we gathered together for our opening assembly, which provided a time for us to welcome our new friends and remind ourselves that each of us is beginning something new, whether that’s a new grade, a new school, and a new community experience.

We shared the story I Am Human: A Book of Empathy by Susan Verde, which was the perfect way to begin. The book reminds us that being human means we are each unique and special, and along the way we get to be curious, try new things, make mistakes, learn again, and most importantly, care for one another. The message in this story is one that speaks not only to our students, but to us as adults as well.

We also introduced our three school-wide expectations that will guide us throughout the year:

🌟 We Stand with Pride - We take pride in who we are and care for our spaces.
💪 We Give All We Got - We keep trying and give our best effort, even when things feel hard.
🤝 We Respect and Include - We show kindness and make sure everyone feels welcome.

The highlight of the assembly was when our students sung We Are Hubbard Woods. It’s such a special tradition and a reminder of the pride we feel in being part of this community. For many of you, these three expectations may sound familiar. They actually come from our school song, written back in 2007 by former 4th grade students and Mr. Wendt. They’re not just lyrics to sing, but promises we will hold onto and live out together each day.

In classrooms, our teachers have been busy building community, creating routines, and helping students understand what these expectations look like in action. It’s been a joy to see.

As we look ahead to the rest of the year, I am grateful for this community. I know the months to come will be full of learning, friendships, and growth. I’m honored to walk this path alongside each of you as you entrust your greatest gift, your child, within our school community.

Sincerely,

Ivory

Principal

As part of The Winnetka Public Schools' ongoing commitment to equity by fostering connection and belonging, our schools will take time each month to recognize the contributions of people of diverse backgrounds. Observances will look different at all schools and even at different grade levels. Some activities might include art, music, book studies, research projects, sharing cultural holidays and celebrations, and other school activities.

For the month of September we are celebrating Latin X Heritage Month as well as Patriot’s Day. More information is included below…

In September, we celebrate LatinX Heritage Month in the United States each year. This tradition began in 1968, when President Lyndon B. Johnson issued a proclamation to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Week. The dates for LatinX Heritage Month were chosen to coincide with the Independence Day celebrations of many Latin American nations when they declared independence from Spain.

During LatinX Heritage Month, we celebrate the countless contributions that Hispanic Americans have made to our nation. We also take this time to recognize the trailblazing individuals who fought for progress and equity for their communities. Throughout this month, teachers will incorporate this into their classrooms with age and grade appropriate materials. In addition, our library will be sharing some resources for families at home. You can access two of the resources here:

• Families can learn more about LatinX Heritage Month here.

• You can access our library collection via Destiny here: Destiny collection

As a school, we will also celebrate Patriot’s Day on September 11th. Patriot’s Day is a national day of remembrance for those who lost their lives on September 11th, 2001. In the morning, our school will take a moment of silence when we complete the Pledge of Allegiance as a school community.

For the safety of all, bicycles should not be ridden on school property. Students are expected to walk their bikes upon arrival and secure them in the designated racks. Please ensure bicycles are not left on sidewalks or in front of exit doors, as this creates safety hazards.

As part of fostering independence and smooth transitions, kindergarten students are to enter the gate on their own each morning. We kindly request that parents remain outside the gate during drop-off. This procedure helps students adjust to the school day with confidence and ensures a more efficient transition for all.

We're kicking off our Winnetka Parents Institute program on September 10. Check out the 25/26 schedule here with details on our first event below!

Empowered to Think: How Progressive Math Classrooms Build Confidence, Curiosity, and Community

September 10, 2025

Time: 9:30AM

Location: Washburne RC

Join us for an engaging and participatory Winnetka Parent Institute focused on how our evolving approach to math education aligns with the District’s Portrait of a Graduate and progressive educational tenets. Grounded in approaches like Building Thinking Classrooms, this session will showcase how collaborative, thinking-rich environments empower students to become confident problem solvers, persistent thinkers, and effective collaborators.

Through firsthand experience with the kinds of tasks students encounter in today's classrooms, you’ll learn how instructional strategies are intentionally designed to promote the 8 Standards for Mathematical Practice and develop positive math dispositions. We’ll also connect these shifts to Winnetka’s curriculum review and pilot process, highlighting how we’re identifying programs that both challenge and support all learners while staying true to our progressive roots.

Interested:

RSVP here

Feedback Link

In response to parent feedback, District 36 is enhancing how families access student information through the integration of three tools designed to improve communication, transparency, and ease of use.

PowerSchool: Digital Document Delivery & Parent Portal Library
The PowerSchool Parent Portal now delivers official school documents such as PDFs of assessment results that were traditionally mailed home directly. Families will receive email notifications when new files are posted for viewing download.

Within the new Parent Portal Document Library tab, documents and student-specific resources will be stored throughout the year. We will build out individualized folders over time to ensure easy, centralized access to important information related to your student.

Otus: Student Data Dashboard
Otus allows families to view academic and social-emotional assessment results (e.g., MAP, DIBELS, aimswebPlus, SSIS, IAR, ISA) in a clear, visual format. This platform supports richer conversations with teachers and provides ongoing insight into student growth. Parents will receive student access codes via email on September 8. These codes will also be stored in your student’s Document Library in PowerSchool.

Parents Meeting: Simplified Conference Scheduling
Launching this fall, Parents Meeting will allow families to book conferences, view meeting details, and attend virtually if needed through one platform. Account setup instructions will be shared the week of September 22 in preparation for fall conference sign-ups opening up on October 3 at 12 p.m. Please review the attached image for a detailed view of important parent communications dates throughout this school year.

All registrations are available through RevTrak: https://winnetka.revtrak.net/

Registration for the following optional fees, programs, and services closes on September 30:

• Kindergarten Stay & Play
  

• iPad Insurance

• Elementary & Skokie Milk Fees

Bus Registration -Reopens: Monday, September 15 and Closes: September 30

The District offers optional, parent-paid bus service. To encourage ridership, the School Board has approved a 50% fee reduction for this school year.

• Flat fee: $550 per student (AM only, PM only, or Round Trip)
  
  

Register via RevTrak: https://winnetka.revtrak.net/

Right Club – Before/After-School Care
The District partners with Right at School to provide:

• Before-school care at Greeley (with bus service to students’ home schools)
  

• After-school programming at Crow Island, Greeley, and Hubbard Woods

Register here

In this special book club edition of the podcast, The Winnetka Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Kelly Tess and Dr. Devorah Heitner, bestselling author of Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World, have a candid conversation about helping kids navigate today’s complex digital landscape. From privacy and 'cancel culture' to AI, sexting, going viral, and the nonstop cycle of sharing and comparing, Dr. Heitner offers practical, research-backed advice to guide children toward thoughtful, responsible use of technology.

Listen here:

Apple Podcast

Amazon

Spotify

iHeart

As we head back into the school year, the priority will be spending time with students and staff throughout the day. To ensure you receive the quickest response from Principal Ajavon, please reach out to our wonderful Administrative Assistant, Jen Hartlett, at jenniferhartlett@winnetka36.org or by phone (847) 501-3875. Jen is an incredible resource for our school community and will be happy to assist you or connect you with me as needed.

Welcome 3rd and 4th graders. We are happy to announce that we will continue to offer After School Sports. This year, the activities will include Kinetic Wellness's favorite games and new exciting activities specific to this class. We will meet each group once a week after school for ten weeks. This class will run on Tuesday for 3rd grade and Wednesday for 4th grade from 3:15-4:00 p.m. We look forward to another fun session. Please sign up here and if you have any questions, please reach out to Scott Klipowicz at scottklipowicz@winnetka36.org.

• Tuesday, September 9th - Picture Day

• Wednesday, September 10th - 9:00am Fire Drill

• Friday, September 12th - Spirit Day - Wearing Hubbard Woods Gear

• Monday, September 22nd - Institute Day for Staff (No Student Attendance)

• Tuesday, September 23rd - Rosh Hashanah - No School

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

• Thursday, September 25th - 6:00 p.m..- 7:30 p.m. Back to School Night

• Tuesday, September 30th - 7:15p.m. School Board Meeting at Washburne