The Hubbard Woods Wire

Dear Hubbard Woods Families,

It is so hard believe that October is already here! The days are growing cooler and shorter, yet our school continues to be full of energy, learning, curiosity, and connection. Each day, your children are engaging in new challenges, building relationships, discovering their strengths, and growing in ways that matter deeply.

As we move into this busy season, I want to encourage all of us to practice presence and grounding, especially in the moments we share with our children. Our students experience packed days of academic learning, interactions with friends, expectations, and a lot of change. Taking even a few unhurried minutes to listen, ask about a highlight or challenge from their day, share a meal without distractions, or simply sit together can help children feel seen, safe, and connected. When children feel grounded in the care and attention of the adults around them, they are better able to manage emotions, take healthy risks in learning, and approach challenges with confidence.

I am so thankful for the partnership we share with our families and, I know, that together we can continue to create the conditions in which every child feels a strong sense of belonging and is empowered to grow.

Sincerely,

Emily Castillo-Oh

Our kindergarteners have been busy becoming scientists as we learn all about monarch butterflies! Through close observation, books, discussions, journaling, and hands-on experiences- like our wing painting- students have been exploring the monarch life cycle, what monarchs need to survive, and their incredible migration journey to Mexico. Our classroom caterpillars have given us a wonderful opportunity to practice noticing, wondering, documenting our thinking, and caring for living things. We are excited to celebrate all we have learned and share our monarch journey with our families as the students become butterflies on October 16 at the Monarch Migration Show!

We are excited to continue our annual Ghost Walk tradition on Friday, October 30! This event is a special opportunity for students to celebrate together and fun school memories.

• Kindergarten Ghost Walk: 9:00am

• Grades 1–4 Ghost Walk: 1:30pm

Families who plan to join the Halloween festivities should communicate directly with their child’s classroom teacher. To support a safe, organized arrival process, teachers will provide the office with the names of family volunteers and guests in advance.

Thank you for helping us make this celebration fun, welcoming, and well organized for all students.

If you would like to join this PTO-sponsored event, you can purchase your tickets in this link. If you have any questions, please reach out to our Hubbard Woods PTO at hubbardwoodspto@gmail.com

My name is Jeremy Bartunek and I am the new music teacher at Hubbard Woods this year. I am so excited to begin the planning process for the 2026 Hubbard Woods Winter Sing! This will be my 18th year organizing an elementary school holiday concert. For the last 13 years I planned, organized, and directed the annual Winter Festival of the Arts at Greenbriar School in Northbrook District 28. I recognize how important and special these events are for the children, families, and larger community. I am very grateful for the opportunity to carry on the Winter Sing tradition at Hubbard Woods.

This year's Winter Sing will be on Wednesday, December 16 and will take place in the Hubbard Woods Auditorium. The students will perform the same show three times throughout the day. Please plan on attending the performance that matches with your last name:

• 9-9:45 Last Names A-G
• 10:30-11:15 Last Names H-M
• 1:00-1:45 Last Names N-Z

More specific details regarding what to expect on December 16 will be sent out as we get closer to the performance. Please have your child wear "something nice". Because the auditorium gets warm quickly, we recommend avoiding heavy sweaters or stiff button-down shirts. Additionally, please refrain from large hats or tall headbands so that every child remains visible to the audience.

Looking ahead to the spring, please mark your calendars for the grade-level performances below. More details will follow after the new year:

Tuesday, May 18 HW Spring Sing

1st Grade: 5-5:25

2nd Grade: 6-6:25

Wednesday, May 19 HW Spring Sing

3rd Grade: 5-5:25

4th Grade: 6-6:25

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. I look forward to meeting you all soon!

We need your support in keeping our school grounds safe and accessible for everyone. Whether arriving with a student, sibling, or other family member, please help ensure that all bikes are handled safely around the school perimeter.

• Use the crosswalks! Do NOT cross in the middle of the streets, especially to and from Mann Park.
• Walk bikes on sidewalks around the school perimeter rather than riding them.

• Place bikes in the designated bike racks upon arrival.

• Do not leave bikes on sidewalks or in other areas where they may block walkways, entrances, or accessible paths.

These expectations apply to students, siblings, and accompanying family members. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain a safe, welcoming, and orderly arrival and dismissal environment for our entire school community.

• Dogs of any size and all other pets are not permitted on school grounds, including the sidewalks around the school perimeter.

• If you plan to park and walk your child to the building, please park as far from the school as is reasonable and safe. Suggested areas include:

  • Laurel Avenue, approximately five to six houses west of the school toward Westmore Avenue

  • Locust Road near Westmore Avenue.

• Students must exit and enter the vehicle only from the curbside door.

• Please remain in your vehicle while you are in the drop-off or pick-up queue.

• Drop-off and pick-up may take place only along the curb adjacent to school property.

• Please do not arrange for children to meet you while you are parked next to Mann Park. We have had several close calls involving students moving between parked vehicles, which creates a serious safety risk.

• Parking or exiting your vehicle while in the queue creates backups and delays for other families.

September

• Tuesday 9/29 - Vision and Hearing Screening

October

• Wednesday 10/14 - Picture Day Retake

• Friday 10/16 - Parent/Staff Gathering

• Thursday 10/22 & Friday 10/23: Teacher/Caregiver Conferences - No School

• Friday 10/30 - HW Halloween Festivities

November

• Monday 11/02 - Institute Day (No Student Attendance)
• Tuesday 11/03 - General Election Day (No School)
• Monday 11/23 - Friday 11/27 - Fall Break (No School)

As part of our ongoing commitment to maintaining a safe, secure, and student-focused learning environment, food delivery services (including DoorDash, Uber Eats, local restaurants, and similar providers) are not permitted to enter Hubbard Woods School. This helps us limit the number of unidentified visitors on campus and allows our office staff to remain focused on supporting students, families, and the school day.

If your child forgets a lunch, families are welcome to drop it off in the school office by 10:30 am on school days. Please clearly label all items with your child's name and classroom or grade level so we can ensure they are delivered promptly.

Thank you for your partnership in helping us keep our school safe, organized, and centered on learning.

This October, our school community will focus on the Dimension of Belonging: Invited. This dimension is defined as: “The way people are invited signals their value and fosters a sense of belonging.” Being invited communicates that a person is noticed, valued, and wanted; it is an important way we help every student feel connected in our school community.

Throughout the month, students will practice and notice behaviors that help others feel included, such as:

• Asking peers to play

• Extending invitations to classmates for extracurricular events and clubs

• Modeling welcoming and inviting behavior

We want to encourage families to continue this conversation at home by asking your child how they can help someone else feel invited, included, and valued.

Exploring Innovamat: A Fresh Approach to K–4 Mathematics

10:30 am -11:30 a.m. - The Skokie School Resource Center

*Please note - this is an in-person event*

Join us for an interactive introduction to Innovamat, our new K–4 mathematics resource. Parents will experience math learning as our students do—exploring problems, sharing strategies, and building understanding through discussion and discovery, all while learning how Innovamat’s spiraled approach develops confident, flexible mathematical thinkers.

RSVP here

Agency: The Psychological History of Human Progress

Martin E.P. Seligman, Ph.D.

Oct 9, 2026 | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

ON ZOOM

Register Here