Hubbard Woods Update

Hubbard Woods Families,

Earth Week is upon us. I am hopeful for good weather on Wednesday for our bike and/or walk to school day.

Kindergarten Spring Sing will be from 9:30-10:00 AM on May 31. More details to follow.

It is important for our incoming K students to be fully registered ASAP. This will assist us in planning for next year.

I work with some of our 4th graders on a leadership team. They share their ideas for ways to improve HW and our community. They have designed a spirit week for us next week. The days are meant to be as inclusive as possible and require some explanation.

Monday- PJ day- pay attention to the weather when you are choosing

Tuesday- Wear as many colors as you can- or your favorite color

Wednesday-Just dress wacky- hair, clothes, etc.- or not- your choice

Thursday-Dress in whatever you like to do- sports, dance, book character, etc

Friday- Spirit Day! Blue is our school color- or any HW spirit wear

The Muscleman has been renamed. Some of our first graders worked with our leadership group to change the name of this piece of playground equipment. This was a student-driven idea. The school voted and Rocky's Den won. During our research, we learned that this piece of equipment will be taken down with our renovations this summer. We are going to have fun with the new name this year and transfer the name to a different piece of equipment moving forward. More details to come!

Strings Concert- NEW DATE

After a whole year of anticipation, we are excited to have our spring Strings Concert on May 15th. Family and friends are invited to attend. It will be held in the auditorium at 7 P.M. Students should arrive at 6:30 PM. and wear white tops, black pants, and dark shoes.

There will be a surprise song at the concert. Come to find out what it is!

We are looking forward to sharing the students' amazing music with you!

Sincerely,

Yue Cai, String Teacher

Our schools will soon be engaging in the class placement process for the 2023-24 school year. As always, our staff wishes to review parent reflections as part of our larger placement process. Please click here to access the electronic Parent Reflection Form that invites you to share your thoughts about your child and their school/home experiences. This form must be completed by Monday, April 24th in order to be considered during placement.

For students entering the fifth grade at the Skokie School, please click here for information on Skokie’s placement process.

Both teachers and families have valuable input regarding a child’s placement. Each member of our school community understands a child’s educational needs, often in different ways. A considerable amount of thought and time goes into forming positive, balanced classroom learning communities. Teachers approach these conversations with a deep understanding of their students as learners and class members. This thorough process is outlined below.

1. We invite families to fill out the above form and share insights about their children. This can include anything that would be important for us to consider. You may write about a particularly significant experience that is happening in your family, give a description of social dynamics that are top of mind, highlight the strengths and needs of your child, and/or describe the type of environment in which you feel your child thrives. Given the many needs that must be balanced and our goal of fair and equitable treatment of all families, these reflections do not guarantee placement with certain teachers or friends.

2. As a next step, our student support team reviews the needs of individual or small groups of students across the learning and social-emotional continuum that may impact placement. With this information, grade-level teams meet to begin forming groups of students. As we group students into heterogeneous classes, we consider the following factors:

• Social dynamics

• Behavioral and social-emotional needs

• Academic strengths and needs

• Student Services and Special Education programming

• Communication styles and attributes

• Balanced class sizes and needs

• Variety of classmates in regards to previous years’ groupings

3. Based on our knowledge of our classroom teachers, we determine the best teacher match for each group of learners.

4. Class lists are then shared and reviewed with staff. Adjustments may be made throughout the summer and any new students added to our classes. Lists are finalized by the building principal in mid-August.

Additionally, there are a few questions that seem to come up each year around placement. Please click this link to see some FAQs. As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions that may arise.

In Partnership,

Beth Carmody, Principal, Hubbard Woods School

Luke Livingston, Principal, Crow Island School

Joshua Swanner, Principal, Greeley

Winnetka Parent Communication Survey: Closes April 28

Please take a moment to participate in this survey to provide us with your feedback around district communication with parents. Extended through April 28, 2023!

Spring 2023 Superintendent Parent Sessions

Learn about the results of the Winnetka Parent Communication Survey and how the District plans to be responsive to the feedback.

Crow Island: May 17, 9:15-10:15 a.m.

Greeley: May 8, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Hubbard Woods: May 3, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Skokie/Washburne (Hosted at Washburne): May 17, 11:00 - 12:00 p.m.

Safety Procedure for Building Visitors

For anyone visiting our school buildings during school hours, we will now be requiring a driver’s license or state ID to be left at the front desk until your guest lanyard is returned. This decision was made in accordance with other safety procedures we are enhancing for the security of our students and staff.

Earth Week Activities

In recognition of Earth Day, the District’s Green Team has planned themed days the week of April 17-21 to help raise awareness of the ways that the Winnetka community can positively impact the environment and Earth with some small intentional acts. To view more information on each themed day, click here.

Winnetka Parents Institute

Differentiation: What is it? What does it look like in D36?

Dr. Becky Mathison (Director of Innovation, Teaching and Learning)

April 19, 2023

Time: 10:00 AM

Location: SK Community Room
During this session Dr. Becky Mathison, Director of Innovation, Teaching and Learning, alongside a team of educators from the District will provide an overview of what differentiation is, how it is implemented in D36 classrooms, explain how the approach aligns to progressive education and the portrait of a graduate, and ways to support your student at home. This session will feature a panel of D36 educators.

Interested:

RSVP here

For Incoming Kindergarten Families
Please save the dates listed below and review this communication for further details . We look forward to welcoming you and your children to our school community!

Kindergarten Open House

Thursday, May 25, 2023

6:15 p.m.- 7:15 pm

This presentation is intended for adults only.

District Office staff will be present to collect any remaining paperwork, proof of residency, original/certified copy of child’s birth certificate and parent drivers license (copied and returned to you).

Kindergarten Connection

Monday, August 21, 2023

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Times will vary by signup

Kindergarten Bus Roundup

Friday, August 25, 2023

8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

Kindergarten Meet & Greet:

Thursday, August 31st, 2023

10:45a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

First Day of School:

Tuesday, September 5th, 2023 (11:20 a.m. dismissal)

If you did not receive this information from the District, please call our office at 847-446-9400.

Winnetka Voices Podcast Episodes

Winnetka Voices is a podcast hosted by The Winnetka Public Schools, featuring candid conversations on issues relevant to education and shared resources to support our students and families.

NEW! Episode #5

Progressive Education: 100+ Years Strong in Winnetka

Listen here:

Apple Podcast

Amazon

Spotify

Google

Adventures in Learning 2023

Adventures in Learning 2023 runs from June 14th-July 19th, 2023.

No camp on June 19th or July 4th.

A decades-long tradition, this summer program includes classes as varied as Athlete's Club, Razzle Dazzle Science Magic, Recyclable Art,Basket Weaving, Camping Adventures, Make Your Own Music Video, Adventures in STEAM, Archery, Computer Animation, Greek Mythology Drama, Coding, Yoga for Kids, AIL Action News (New for 2023), Animal Care, and Spa-Liscious to name a few!

Students in grades 2-8 may choose up to four classes from over 60 options. Younger children (pre-Kindergarten through grade 1) will explore our progressive educational concepts through guided play and outdoor activities.

This year's program will again be held at Washburne for the 2nd-8th graders and Crow Island for the Pre-K (4 years old by June 1st, 2023)and K Primary program (5 years old by September 1st, 2023).

2023 Fees

General (base cost*) and Primary Program

$675 Winnetka residents

$725 Non-residents

*Some General Program classes have an additional supply fee (will be noted in the catalog).

Registration is now open for Winnetka residents.

www.winnetka36.org/adventures

Adventures in Learning: Animal Care Opportunity

ATTENTION all rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, reptiles, birds and other small animals! Winnetka's Adventures in Learning - Animal Care Class is looking for small animal volunteers to help our students learn about their care. If your child's small animal is due for a brief break this summer, please email Anna at animal.care.adventures@gmail.com. If it is time to pass your pet on to another loving family, we can also try to arrange adoptions.

• Earth Week -April 17th-21st
• District Chorus Concert- April 18th, 7PM Skokie School
• Spirit Week- April 24th-28th
• Wednesday, May 15th- Strings Concert 6:30 PM student arrival for 7:00 PM concert, HW Auditorium
• Tuesday, May 23- 1st and 2nd Grade Spring Sing
• Wednesday, May 24-3rd and 4th Grade Spring Sing
• Friday, May 26th- Half Day AM ( Reporting Day)
  
• Monday, May 29th - No School ( Memorial Day)
• Wednesday, May 31st- Kindergarten Spring Sing 9:30-10:00 AM
• Friday, June 9th- Last Day of School ( Half Day AM)

8:30am | Doors open

8:37am | School promptly begins

11:30am-12:20pm | Lunch

2:10pm | Kindergarten dismissal

2:45pm | Early Release (MONDAYS ONLY)- Kindergarten Stay and Play/Bridge Care and all 1st-4th students

3:15pm | Tuesdays through Fridays Grades 1-4 & Stay and Play/Bridge Care Dismissal

Email: jenniferhartlett@winnetka36.org
Website: https://www.winnetka36.org/hubbardwoods
Location: 1110 Chatfield Road, Winnetka, IL, USA
Phone: (847) 446-0920