Monday Memo

PRINCIPAL MESSAGE

Dear Washburne Families,

It was wonderful to see our students enjoying Autumnfest and the activities organized during advisory! Wrapping up the week together as a school community was a fun and festive way to head into Halloween. Thank you to everyone who helped make these experiences possible for our students.

We are also thrilled to share that Washburne has officially earned the Exemplary designation on the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Report Card! This is the highest possible rating a public school can receive in Illinois and represents an increase from our previous “Commendable” designation. This recognition reflects Washburne’s high academic standards, student growth, and focus on attendance. Most importantly, it is a testament to the hard work of our incredible students, the dedication of our staff, and the invaluable support of our families. We are proud to celebrate this accomplishment together!

As a reminder, there is no school for students on Monday, November 2, due to our Institute Day, or Tuesday, November 3, for Election Day. Our regular school schedule resumes on Wednesday, November 4.

We also sent two messages this past week about opportunities for students to receive support and our grading practices. For easy reference, both are linked below.

Take care,

Dr. Luke Livingston, Principal

Ms. Britta Dahlberg, Assistant Principal

UPCOMING DATES

November:

Monday, November 2nd Institute Day | No Student Attendance

Tuesday, November 3rd Election Day | No School

Thursday, November 5th | Washburne Picture Retake Day

Saturday, November 7th | New Trier 8th Grade Placement Test

Wednesday, November 11th | Washburne Centerstage & Stagecraft Performance

Saturday, November 14th | New Trier 8th Grade Placement Test

November 23-27th | Thanksgiving Break

PRIORITY INFORMATION

Morning Math Support

Our Math Department is offering morning drop-in support for students who would like help with their math homework. Students can stop by the cafeteria from 7:50–8:20 am to ask questions and receive support. General education and special education teachers who teach our math curriculum will staff the sessions on a rotating basis. Students are welcome to drop in as needed

Homework Support

In addition to morning math support, Washburne also offers a before school reading club and an after school homework club. Please see this link for additional information: Homework Support.

Washburne Cardio/Resistance Training Club

Cardio/Resistance Training Club is a time for students to improve their fitness training, going beyond what is done in Kinetic Wellness.

The club will meet Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 3:30-4:30pm. Students may attend when their schedule allows. As a member of the cardio/resistance training club, students will receive 3 hours a week in the fitness center, supervision from a certified KW teacher, and a chance to perform their own workout.

The club will start on Tuesday, December 1, 2026 and will continue until March 18, 2027. All students are welcome to join us as we set goals, work on personal training habits, and work on another wonderful lifetime fitness activity.

Registration will open November 4th and can be found on the District Web Store.

If you have any questions, please call or email Mrs. Florance at 847-501-3179 or candiceflorance@winnetka36.org

Climbing Club

Climbing Club at Skokie School is open for all 6th, 7th and 8th grade students! Sessions are available Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:35-4:30pm. Sign up with a friend or come to meet new friends!

-Each session is limited to twelve climbers

-Participants must have completed the climbing unit during their KW classes at Skokie School

-Registration is open on RevTrak

-Please contact Andrea Strening (KW teacher at Skokie) for any questions.

andreastrening@winnetka36.org

House League Basketball

Registration opens at 9am on Tuesday, November 10th for the House League Basketball on the District Web Store.

House League is open to all 7th and 8th grade students who enjoy playing basketball. We will have two days of team formation in December. We will then create teams for the season. The teams will play different teams each week, and we will end the season with a tournament. The program will run on certain Saturdays between December and Spring Break between the hours of 12:00-2:00pm. Kids are not required to attend all sessions.

Please reach out Athletic Director, Andy Becker at andybecker@winnetka36.org with any questions.

Dance Marathon Student Steering Committee

The Dance Marathon Student Steering Committee is an opportunity for students to help to plan, promote, and execute our Dance Marathon Event! Last year we raised almost $65,000 and were the top raising middle school in the country!

The committee will meet on Monday mornings at 8:00AM. If your child is interested in joining our

Dance Marathon Student Steering Committee, please sign up your child via the District Web Store.

Our next meeting will be on Monday, November 9th.

We are so excited to start this year’s process!

- DeAnna Koch, Melissa Yeoman, and Daisy Franco

Transition to New Trier (8th Grade Only)

Families can find all information related to the transition to New Trier on the Incoming webpage.

Securly Home Parent App

Our students' devices are all monitored through Securly which helps keep students safe online both at school and home through their district issued devices. Securly automatically blocks inappropriate content, social media, proxy sites, and dangerous or non-school-related websites. Also, the website keeps students safe by filtering for inappropriate content, self-harm, violence, or bullying.

In addition to Securly at school, as parents you have access to Securly Home. You should have received an email about the Securly Home App as that is a free mobile parental control app that extends a school's digital safety monitoring and web filtering onto student-owned or school-issued devices when they are used at home. The purpose of the Securly home App:

Parents can view their child’s activity and set alerts.
Allows parents to filter controls by blocking specific sites when the device leaves school.
Increase screen time management and parents can freeze internet access on the device to disable use like during bed time.

Here are two resources for setting this up at home:

Benchmark Assessment Results Now Available

Parents may access scores through the PowerSchool Parent Portal Document Library and/or Otus.

View additional information here regarding benchmark assessments and how to access these scores.

IAR & ISA score reports have been uploaded to your PowerSchool Parent Portal but are requiring a few more days to be finalized in Otus. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Monthly Observances: National American Indian Heritage Month

Each November, we celebrate Native American Indian Heritage Month by honoring the rich cultures, traditions, and histories of Native Americans. It is a time to recognize their many contributions and to learn more about the diverse heritage that continues to shape our nation.

Here is a link to our monthly observance calendar.

Adventures in Learning

Mark Your Calendars! Adventures in Learning registration opens March 1, 2027! Get ready for another exciting summer! Adventures in Learning registration officially opens on Monday, March 1, 2027, at 1:00 p.m. Start planning your summer and be ready to register for your favorite classes!

Extracurricular & Sports

Washburne offers a variety of clubs and sports. This is a list and is also shared on the Washburne Website.

Monday is Washburne Spirit Day

On Monday's we will wear our Washburne gear to celebrate our school.

Washburne Practices and Guidelines

These are friendly reminders about practices and guidelines related to Washburne: Practices and Guidelines 2026-2027

Hot Lunch

Washburne has a hot lunch program. You can find all the information here:

Washburne Hot Lunch Details.

District Communication

The latest edition of The 36 Mix is out now! Be sure to check out the 3-6 Things to Know from The Winnetka Public Schools.