Washington Families Newsletter

As spring begins to bloom on the horizon, we look forward to continued meaningful learning for our students, deepening connections with families, and the many exciting events still to come.

With fewer than eight weeks left in the school year, there are several important dates and opportunities ahead to engage with your child’s learning and connect with the Washington School community. Thank you for taking a moment to explore this newsletter for key updates and reminders.

Be sure to mark your calendars with the upcoming events listed below — your involvement plays a vital role in keeping you informed and helping our school community thrive.

We are truly grateful for your continued partnership in making Washington School a place where every student feels safe, valued, and inspired to learn.

Washington Leadership and Staff

APRIL

• April 16: Bilingual Parent Advisory Council (BPAC): Know Your Rights Workshop
• April 17: NEW Kindergarten Students Information Night - 5:30-6:30 pm
• April 18: Non-attendance Day - NO CLASSES
• April 23: Chute Middle School Open House for incoming 6th-graders - 6:00-7:45 pm - Door #3
• April 24: Spring Picture Day
• April 24: Washington School Culture Fair: 4:30-6:30 pm

MAY

• May 4: Justin Wynn Award Ceremony (honoring outstanding D65 4th-grade students)
• May 7: School Improvement Day - EARLY Release Day @ 12:05 pm
• May 5-9: Educator Appreciation Week
• May 9: Due date for Rising 6th-graders to complete registration for SY25-26
• May 13 & 14: Haven Middle School Open House for incoming 6th graders 5:30-6:30 pm - Door 1 or 2
• May 15: Nichols Middle School Open House for incoming 6th graders - 5:00-6:00 pm- Door #1
• May 23: Washington 5th-grade Students Visit Nichols Middle School

JUNE

• June 2: 5th-grade Picnic
• June 3 & 4: Washington Field Days - Details will follow
• June 5: 5th-grade Ceremony @ 1:30 pm (in the auditorium)

JUNE-AUGUST

• NEW Kindergarten Playdates TBD
• August 2025 (Date TBD): Welcome Back to School Event
• Review the School Calendar for the current school and for SY25-26 for easy reference for additional important dates.

To help make the enrollment process as smooth as possible, the YMCA Summer Learning Team will host an on-site enrollment event at Washington School on Wednesday, April 16, 3:30-5:30 pm. During this time, parents and guardians of invited students can complete the necessary paperwork with support from the YMCA team. Bilingual staff will be available in both English and Spanish to assist families and answer any questions.

Students who qualified for the YMCA Summer Learning Program were identified based on District 65’s criteria, which includes MAP scores and eligibility for Free or Reduced Lunch. If your child qualifies, you should have received an invitation form from their teacher. If you're unsure whether your child was invited, please contact their teacher directly.

Please note: Due to summer construction at Washington School, this year’s YMCA Summer Learning Program will take place at Oakton School. Transportation will not be provided, so families will need to arrange their own transportation.

Summer Learning and Bilingual Sports Camp

• There will NOT be Summer Learning, and bilingual sports camp at Washington due to construction at the school.

Rummage Sale

• There is a rummage sale Willard Elementary Saturday 4/19 from 8am - 2pm. All proceeds benefit the PEP fund. There will be lots of kids stuff for sale. Flyer below.

Washington Culture Fair:

• Here is the sign up genius to volunteer:
• https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AA8AF23AAF8C61-56206671-culture
• Here is the cheddar up link: culture fair cheddar up link!

April PTA Meeting

• There is a PTA meeting Thursday 4/17 at 7pm on zoom. PTA officer elections will take place.
• Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5305990322?pwd=Tkp4RVZvWmZ4aXcrSm1ZN1M4blZvZz09&omn=

Monday, April 14 at 7pm - Garden Meeting - In person at Washington Garden Outdoor Classroom located just off the parking lot. We'll talk about Spring planting, the ongoing battle with invasives and begin to plan for the spaces currently tarped. Find out more about how the garden helps fill a gap in science education at Washington.

If you want to connect about the garden program, email Jeanne at barclayfam318@gmail.com.

By July, District 65 will have reduced nearly $20 million from the annual budget in two years, but more work remains. For several years, district leaders and board members have discussed in public meetings the potential need for school closures or consolidations. This is in response to an aging population within our community, declining student enrollment, underutilized buildings, and dated facilities.

While this process will surely be difficult, it represents an opportunity to reimagine and reinvest for the future of public education in Evanston/Skokie. No decisions have been made regarding additional school closure/consolidations. The District is in the early stages of planning, including developing potential criteria. See more information

The goal is to engage parents, caregivers, staff, students, and community members in a transparent process with clear criteria. Decisions must be made with integrity and rooted in data and community voice.

As such, District 65 invites you to attend an upcoming community conversation:.)

• April 15, 6:30-8 p.m. at Nichols Middle School (800 Greenleaf St.)

Spanish interpretation will be provided. Can’t attend in person? Share your thoughts virtually by 11:59 p.m. April 15, 2025.

The Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) is hosting a Community Safety Workshop for D65 Families. Join our community as we learn how to create community support and solidarity in ensuring the rights and safety of every neighbor. Sanctuary Evanston will be presenting information on

• Your legal rights and how to protect them
  How to prepare safety plans, including temporary guardianship forms, which are essential to ensuring stability for children in the event a parent is detained or removed.

• Community resources for families and students

April 16, 2025

6:00 -7:15

Washington Elementary

914 Ashland Ave

or

Zoom link - https://bit.ly/3QYdH2p

• Childcare provided
• Snacks provided

We’re excited to welcome our newest kindergarten families for our monolingual and dual language (TWI) classrooms to Washington School! Join us for our Kindergarten Orientation Open House, where we’ll share important information to help you and your child feel prepared and connected.

During the event, we’ll cover:

• An introduction to our Kindergarten teaching team

• Our school’s Mission, Vision, and Core Values

• Teaching and learning goals for our kindergarteners

• A quick look at a typical kindergarten schedule (from the classroom perspective)

• Opportunity for a Q&A time with kindergarten teachers

We'll begin in the library for a warm welcome and overview, then transition to the kindergarten classrooms for more detailed exploration.

We look forward to meeting you and starting this journey together!

Washington's third Culture Fair: Our school theme is Many Cultures…One Community is around the corner. All families are welcome to share aspects of their culture, ethnicity, community, and family traditions at the celebration. This can be in the form of a posterboard, artifacts, an arts and craft activity, and yes…food! Families can sign up for this activity using this link.

Event Performances in the Auditorium

• 5:15- Folklorico Dance & Fourth Grade Chorus Performance
• 6:00- 5th Grade School Play

In addition, a number of activities will be provided throughout the evening such as student performances, music, and culturally relevant games.

We hope you can join us in celebrating Washington’s rich cultural identity and look forward to recognizing and honoring our amazing school community!

Here is the sign up genius to volunteer:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AA8AF23AAF8C61-56206671-culture

Here is the cheddar up link: culture fair cheddar up link!

See you there!

Take a moment to watch this student announcement video on courage, showcasing how our students and staff are practicing and demonstrating courageous actions both in and out of school.

Thank you Joe Hernandez, PE teacher, collaborating educators, and students for the love and effort you put into the creation of this announcement video. We have cinematographers, actors, actresses, news anchors and reporters in the making.

Educators across grade levels have shared this video with their students—and they’ve loved it! As a school community, our shared goal is to encourage and engage in acts of courage every single day.

Students in K-5 are exploring courage in different ways:

• Kindergarten – Practicing courage by following directions
• 1st Grade – Practicing courage by maintaining focus
• 2nd Grade – Practicing courage through active engagement
• 3rd Grade – Practicing courage with flexible thinking
• 4th Grade – Practicing courage through organization
  
• 5th Grade – Practicing courage in goal setting

We invite you to talk with your child about what courage looks like, and join us in celebrating and supporting courageous actions at school and beyond!

The First Tee of Greater Chicago recently visited our school and gave our students a fantastic introduction to the game of golf. During their visit, students had the opportunity to practice their putting skills.

The coaches from First Tee also shared some exciting news about their brand-new home at The Evans Golf Course at Canal Shores in Evanston. They encouraged students to continue exploring the sport and invited families to check out the programs and opportunities available at their new location!

Stop by any and every Thursday after school to lend a hand and find out what's growing in the garden!! All ages are welcome - If your child can walk home independently, they are welcome to join in without bringing a parent. Our PTA garden program is not a club that has to be signed up for; it's open to all, and no commitment is required. Come as often as you can, even if it's just once! We have some big projects to tackle this year and need all the help we can get. (No gathering if it rains)

If you aren't available on Thursdays or want to connect about the garden program, email Jeanne at barclayfam318@gmail.com. You can stop by anytime once you know what is happening at the garden.

Upcoming Garden Events - Mark your calendar

Monday, April 14 at 7pm - Garden Meeting - In person at Washington Garden Outdoor Classroom located just off the parking lot. We'll talk about Spring planting, the ongoing battle with invasives and begin to plan for the spaces currently tarped. Find out more about how the garden helps fill a gap in science education at Washington.

Spring Planting Activities - Kinder classes plant outdoors in late April and have a harvest activity at their end-of-year picnic. All other grades plant in Late May through the end of the school year and harvest in the fall. Come to the meeting to find out more or email Jeanne if you can't make it. We are looking for volunteers to lead pre-planned activities with each class - no teaching or gardening experience necessary!! Activities usually require 2-3 hours including set up and clean up.

Sun. May 4 from 9:30-12:30am - Spring Cleaning! Join us in prepping vegetable beds, clearing pathways in the perennial garden, digging up invasive plants and planting replacement native plants. I'll have coffee, water, and snacks for our helpers!! Gather with us in the garden and meet some new Washington parents.

Our 5th graders have been taking part in an innovative Computer Science program in partnership with Northwestern University using an app called TunePad. This program combines music and coding education and enables the students to think and interact with the world in new ways. To learn more about TunePad visit https://tunepad.com. Students have been working very hard on their final projects and are so excited to share their work with the D65 Community. We would like to invite all District 65 families to attend the showcase of their work. There will be STEM activities, games, prizes, and live music for the entire family. This event is FREE!

WHEN: Saturday, May 10th, 10:00 - 12:45 (5th graders arrive by 11am to set up)

WHERE: Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center (1655 Foster Street)

WHAT: This is a community event where students will share their hard work with their peers, teachers, families, and other members of the Evanston community.

• There will be fun activities for the entire family

• Students will participate in games and raffles for prizes

• A live band will perform select students’ songs and add their own twists

5th grade, parents, guardians, or caregiver can register students using this form:

https://forms.gle/YHHo38LK6Lht5KzC7

We hope to see you and your family at this event to support and celebrate the work of these 5th grade students! Please feel free to email me or our Northwestern partner leading this program, Michael Horn if you have any questions:

michael-horn@northwestern.edu

Sincerely,
Ms. Smoler

Computer Science Teacher