Wescott Word
Friday, August 21, 2026
Dear Wescott Families,
What an incredible first week! I feel so fortunate to partner with all of you. Thank you to our teachers for creating welcoming classroom spaces, to our families for getting our students ready, and especially to our PTO for their tremendous support throughout the summer and this week.
I hope to see you next week at Curriculum Night and the One Big Family Picnic. I’m looking forward to a wonderful school year together!
Tony
Picture Day is confirmed for September 1. Please note that the date was shared incorrectly in a previous communication, and we apologize for the confusion.
The rain date is September 14, and picture retake day is October 19.
Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)
Following the start of the 2026-27 school year, the district's online adaptive assessment, Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), will be administered to all students in grades 1-8. The MAP testing window will open on August 24 and run 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 so there are no 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.
Our Curriculum Night will be Thursday, August 27. We invite all parents and guardians to attend this informative evening session. Please note - children do not attend this event.
- 6:00-6:25 p.m. Formal presentation for Kindy, 1st, and 2nd grade classrooms
- 6:30 -7:00 p.m. General session for parents in the gym
- 7:05-7:30 p.m. Formal presentation for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classrooms
Formal presentations will be made by each classroom teacher and will include an overview of the curriculum, teacher expectations, and projected activities for the year. Informal sessions will be held in classrooms, when the formal presentations are not occurring at 6:00 or 7:00 p.m. If you are not attending a classroom presentation, please consider visiting music, art, physical education, library, or related service personnel.
Book orders due Sept. 2
Multiple award-winning author Steve Sheinkin will visit 4th and 5th graders on Tuesday, September 8 at 2 p.m. to discuss his latest book, "Mind vs Machine," courtesy of The Book Stall,
Click here or below by September 2 to order autographed book copies! Questions? Please email Mrs. Janavicius at mjanavicius@district30.org.
It's not too late - 4th and 5th grade students can still enroll in orchestra this year by emailing Mrs. Barrett at abarrett@district30.org for more information!
Lessons will begin Tuesday, September 8, and morning orchestra practice will begin the week of Monday, October 5. Keep your eyes out for an email from Mrs. Barrett by September 4 with the schedule and for the Monthly orchestra newsletter that comes out the first Friday of each month!
Let's have a musical year!
Mrs. Barrett
Want to know what's going on around the community? District 30 uses a "Virtual Backpack" to share community event listings while saving paper, costs, and lightening the loads our students bring home.
Please click here or the button below to view upcoming community events submitted to District 30 by local park districts, nonprofits and more.
School day hours
School hours: 8:40 a.m. - 3:20 p.m.
Half day dismissal time is 11:45 a.m.
Kindergarten through 5th-grade students should plan on arriving at school by 8:40 a.m. but no earlier than 8:30 a.m. because there is no supervision. The bell to line up will ring at 8:40 a.m.
Report absences through Parent Portal
All parents and guardians must report student absences, late arrivals or early departures through the Parent Portal. Please do not contact the Health Office, School Office, or classroom teacher via phone or email.
For a step-by-step guide on how to report an absence, click here. Please ensure to include as much detail as possible when entering the reason for the absence.
If no information is in the Parent Portal by 10 a.m. and a student is absent, the school will attempt to contact a parent or guardian.
If the absence is medically involved, please report the absence first in the Parent Portal. Following this, you are welcome to contact the school Health Office to communicate with the nurse about the condition.
Questions? Please contact the front desk.
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 Administrative Assistant Vicki Camilo (vcamilosimmons@district30.org)
If you have any questions, please contact the school office at 847-272-4660.
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:
Report to the main entrance
Show proper identification
Clear the district’s security screening identification system
Wear a visitor badge in a manner that is visible to all employees and students at all times when on school property and
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.
Our new district-wide Student-Parent Handbook is intended to be a convenient tool for our district's families and staff, summarizing key information on procedures, services, and programs. We encourage every parent and guardian to review this handbook before the start of school, as some practices and policies may have evolved over time.
A NOTE ON STUDENT SMART DEVICES, ETC.: We recognize that some students will carry communication devices including smart watches to school. If a student brings a communication device to school, it should be turned off throughout the day. We reserve the right to confiscate student communication devices and hold them at the front desk if they are misused. The device will be returned to the student or a parent/guardian at the end of the day.
It was a smooth first week of our arrival and dismissal procedures. In order to best ensure efficiency of our procedures please keep in mind that cars may not be parked in the circle drive parking spaces parallel to the school right before, during or after drop-off or pick-up times: 8:00-9:00 a.m. and 3:00-3:40 p.m. Also, cars may not be parked in the circle drive parking spaces facing Western Avenue between 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
The first bell rings at 8:40 a.m. All students will enter the building supervised by staff at the following locations:
- Kindergarten and 1st-graders: main entrance
- 2nd- and 3rd-graders: Door Q on the north side of the building adjacent to the playground
- 4th-graders Door P on the north side of the building near the North Courtyard
- 5th-graders: Door M on the north side of the building near the North Courtyard.
We thank you for your patience and cooperation in keeping our students safe!
Northbrook/Glenview School District 30 continues its partnership with Quest Food Management Services to provide quality food services to your student. We are happy to offer a preorder system via myMealOrder!
- The meal will consist of an entree, side, fresh fruit, and vegetable, including milk or water.
- All orders must be placed at least three days in advance.
Visit mymealorder.com to open an account, learn more about our preorder system, and view the menu.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Ashley Jenkins, Food Service Director for Quest at ajenkins@questfms.com.
District 30 has an Intergovernmental Agreement with Northbrook Park District that allows before- and after-school care to students in K-5th grade at Wescott School. District 30 provides the facility while the park district provides the program and staff management with all revenues going to the park district.
This Adventure Campus Program offers the ability to participate in before- and/or after-school care on days when school is in session and on select teacher institute days, conference days, and holidays.
Contact the Northbrook Park District at 847-291-2995 or visit their webpage nbparks.org for more information.
Wescott has a “no food or drink” birthday celebration practice. We want our students to know other ways to celebrate birthdays besides treats.
If you want your child to bring something in for their birthday, we encourage you to donate a book to our library through the PTO Birthday Book Club. You can also send school supplies such as pencils, erasers, stickers, bookmarks, etc.
Please do not send paper birthday invitations to school. The use of electronic invitations through our PTO directory is suggested.
The new Wescott PTO Executive Board is looking forward to serving the Wescott community for the 2026-2027 school year. Whether you're new to our school or have been part of the community for years, we're so glad you're here.
We invite you to explore, get involved, and help us continue making Wescott an incredible place for every student. Please email us at wescottpto@district30.org to volunteer, provide feedback, share suggestions or just say hello!
And be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news, events, volunteer opportunities, and ways to stay connected!
Meet your new Executive Board!
Co-Presidents: Eleni Katsoulis & Halley Winer
Co-VPs of Fundraising: Sara Rhode & Susie Klipstein
Co-VPs of Communications: Kristen Leverso & Kacy Raffe
Co-VPs of Digital Operations: Jessica Cooper & Melissa Dallek
Co-Secretaries: Carrie Glick & Jaime Feeney
Co-Treasurer: Stephanie McGuinness & Cindy Paddor
PTO registration is open through August 28. Please register by the deadline to avoid. a $20 late fee. Registering for the PTO will give you access to DirectorySpot, monthly ice cream days, volunteer opportunities and more! Click here for below to register for the PTO!
The One Big Family Picnic has moved to the fall! Please join us to kick off the school year with music, entertainment, pizza, and ice cream treats! We hope to see you there!
Please RSVP by Wednesday, August 26 for the number of people who plan on eating pizza. Also consider signing up for a volunteer shift! They are short and rotate often.
Feel free to bring your own blankets, chairs, and other food items.
Please take and share photos from the One Big Family Picnic, so we can include them in the yearbook! Following the picnic, please upload photos of students from the event.
This picnic is for current Wescott families only, and all children must be supervised by an adult.
Join us for the first PTO General Meeting on Wednesday, September 9 at 6:00pm in the Wescott Library. Come connect with other Wescott families, hear about upcoming events, and get the latest PTO updates. A Room Parent information session will follow the meeting. Childcare will be provided in the gym. We’d love to see you there!
On the third Wednesday of each month, a special lunch through Lunch Solutions will be offered through various local restaurants. The cut off to order is the Thursday before at 10am. Feel free to order for each month or the entire year.
A couple important notes:
The first special lunch of the year is Wednesday, September 16. Please note that Quest lunch is not offered on special lunch days.
Ordering is open and the deadline for the month of September is Thursday, September 10th at 10:00 am CT.
Multiple gluten-free and vegetarian options are available at each restaurant!
You can register NOW for next month or the entire year: Click here or below to order!
For any questions, contact Robin at lunchsolutions4wescott@gmail.com
Wescott spirit wear sales are now live and available for purchase today until September 11 with additional styles added! Keep an eye out for some exciting limited edition holiday gifts as the season approaches! Please select free school delivery as your shipping option and be sure to include your child’s name and teacher at check out.
Please click here or below to place your spirit wear orders!
This is your first 2026-27 edition of the Wescott Word, a communication that the school sends our weekly to families and staff on Fridays. All copies are sent electronically to the email addresses that families previously provided us using the online registration system. The Wescott Word is also posted on the school's website.
Important information is sent home throughout the year in the Wescott Word so please make sure to take the time to read each week's issue.
Other ways to stay connected with what's happening in our schools include:
- District 30 Facebook
- Wescott School PTO Facebook
- District 30 Instagram
- Wescott PTO Instagram
- District 30 LinkedIn
- District 30 YouTube
- Watch for e-blasts from the PTO about upcoming events
- Email the PTO Board with questions or suggestions (see 'From the PTO' above for contact info)
- Check out the Wescott PTO website for all PTO events and forms
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.
Wescott School
Wescott 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: 847-272-4660
Health Office: 847-400-8760
Location: 1820 Western Avenue, Northbrook, IL 60062, USA
Website: district30.org/wescott
