Washington Wildcat Chat

The Illinois Assessment of Readiness Test, an assessment for all students in Illinois in grades 3-8, will be administered in District 64 from April 1-April 11.

The best preparation for the IAR has been the quality instruction our teachers have provided this school year. However, there are things you can also do to promote your child’s success:

• Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep and eats a healthy breakfast before each day of testing.

• Provide your child with words of encouragement. While we don’t want our students to feel anxious about any assessment, we do want them to do their best.

• The IAR is an online assessment and students will be using their Chromebooks to complete these tests. Please make sure your child brings his or her Chromebook to school each day, fully charged.

Below is our school’s schedule for test administration: (UPDATE BELOW)

• Tuesday, April 1: ELA 1
• Wednesday, April 2: Math 1
• Thursday, April 3: ELA 2
• Friday, April 4: Math 2
• Tuesday, April 8: Math 3
• April 9 - 11: Makeups

If you would like to learn more about the IAR tests, sample tests are available for your review. Thank you for your support in helping your child be prepared for upcoming testing.

Thank you to all of the authors who submitted a story and thank you to all of the student and staff judges who took the time to read and score all of the manuscripts! We have so many talented writers here at Washington School which made the judging process so difficult! All of the submissions are on display in the Washington LRC for students and staff to read.

The following manuscripts will be sent on to the district level of the contest:

• Kindergarten: "Lily and the Ghost" by Clark I.
• 1st Grade: "Lea Saves Lily" by Christine G.
• 2nd Grade: "Sapphire Sisters" by Summer S.
• 3rd Grade: "Camp Crazy" by Katerina K.
• 4th Grade: "Can’t" by Madeleine M.
• 5th Grade: "Compass" by Nella D.

Washington's Lost and Found is full, and we are doing a final call to claim missing items. Any items not claimed by Friday, April 4th will be donated. Weather dependent, we will move lost and found items by the main office the week after spring break so people can take a final look.

As we move into changing temperatures, we want to remind you of the student dress code according to the D64 Student Parent Handbook. Please see below for more information and thank you for your support.

• General guidelines include decent and appropriate coverage of the body, including the midriff, is expected.
• Clothing must cover undergarments and must be opaque (i.e., not see-through).
• Hats or hoods should not be worn in the school building unless the covering is a part of a student’s religion . Students may wear a hat or hood at recess.
• Student clothing and/or accessories may include numerals, logos, slogans, and drawings that are not offensive, obscene, or profane.
• Health and safety standards require that clothing and shoes not have ornamentation that will damage furniture or floors, or create a safety hazard to the child or others.
• Flip-flops are strongly discouraged, as they are unsafe for use on playground equipment and difficult for stairs. Roller shoes should not be worn on school grounds.
• A sweatshirt or sweater should be kept at school for days when the weather changes unexpectedly.
• For students in kindergarten and grade 1, an extra set of clothing (shirt, pants, underwear and socks) are suggested to be kept in the student’s locker in the event a change is needed during the school day.

We are excited for our current fifth-grade students to soon become part of the Lincoln family. This brief informational night for parents is a great opportunity to hear about our school and to prepare for a smooth transition into middle school. The event will take place on Thursday, April 17th from 6:00– 7:15 PM. Our agenda will include information regarding the transition process, academic placement, and elective programs.

In addition, there will be a short introduction to our sixth grade teacher teams and support personnel. They will be available for a Q&A at the end of the formal presentation. We are hopeful that this, along with communications that will be coming out over the months ahead, will leave you and your student excited and prepared for the upcoming school year. We look forward to seeing you then!

Date: Thursday, April 17
Time: 6:00-7:15
Where: Lincoln Gym

NOTE: Students will be receiving this same information when we visit the individual fifth-grade homerooms that week. Their attendance is not required.

• IAR, April 1st - 11th
• Science Olympiad, April 5th
• PTO Meeting, April 9th
• No School, April 18th

Inspire all students to discover their strengths, embrace learning, achieve personal excellence, and demonstrate care. Students thrive in a rich, rigorous, and innovative curriculum delivered by highly qualified teachers. Each student learns and grows in a safe, nurturing environment. In collaboration with student, parents, teachers and the community, District 64 provides opportunities for each learner to investigate, be successful, be resilient, and become inspired and empowered as they contribute to our global society.