Hubbard Woods Family Newsletter

Dear Hubbard Woods Families,

We are thrilled to share that work on our mosaic has begun with the talented mosaic artist Anna Soltys. For the next two weeks, Anna will be working closely with Hubbard Woods students in the creation of a mosaic that will be placed in one of our archways, thanks to the generous support of the Hubbard Woods PTO.

This project is centered around the theme of community, a value that lies at the heart of Hubbard Woods. After Anna collected all of the students' artwork and written messages in December, she worked on creating a design that represented our students' ideas and unique perspectives on our school and what makes it special.

The initial design is on the left. With valuable input from our related arts team, the final design, on the right, ensures that the essence of the students' work shapes this meaningful piece of art.

In the coming weeks, students will have the exciting opportunity to help create the mosaic and/ or engage in the mosaic process, bringing their ideas to life through a hands-on and collaborative process. We look forward to sharing photos of their involvement and the progress of this special project.

Best regards,

Ivory Ajavon

Principal

As the District launches its Strategic Planning process, we are conducting a survey in partnership with Studer Education. Your feedback will guide our work as we identify the greatest areas of need to best support our students and families through their K-8 experience.The survey takes about 10-15 minutes. Please complete a separate survey for each of the schools your children attend.

The Parent/Caregiver Experience Survey can be accessed here:

Winnetka Public District 36 – Parent/Caregiver Experience Survey

To maintain confidentiality of the Parent/Caregiver Experience Survey, our partners at Studer Education will be administering the survey, managing the data collection, and aggregating the data to provide results reports to leaders.

Kindergarten students who are not currently enrolled in Stay & Play will have the opportunity to register for the 2nd half of the year after 8:00 am January 6th through this link. Please note that the registration period ends January 31, 2025 and will remain closed for the remainder of the year. The rates are prorated below. If you attempt to register before the 6th, you will receive an Item Unavailable message. After purchasing Kindergarten Stay & Play registration, your child will be able to begin their attendance in the program the following Monday so the schools can plan accordingly.

A friendly reminder to please be mindful not to use our neighbors’ driveways or block their driveways during drop-off and pick-up times. Additionally, please be mindful of the signage around the school because there are designated areas for no parking, standing, or stopping. This will help ensure that our crosswalks are available for safe crossing.

Thank you for helping us ensure the safety of our children and maintain positive relationships with our neighbors!

Benchmark assessments are valuable tools that provide a snapshot of student progress at a point in time. These assessments help teachers to identify areas where students are excelling and where they may need additional support. They can also inform instructional decisions by providing data that can be used to tailor teaching to meet each student's unique needs and strengths. Benchmark assessments are an important component of progressive education, which recognizes that students learn in different ways and at different rates. By using benchmark assessments to inform instruction, teachers can provide a more individualized approach to learning that supports each student's academic growth and personal development.

Academic benchmark assessments for literacy and math will occur three times this year for students in grades K-8. The Winter Benchmark Assessments start on January 6th and conclude on January 24th. There are four platforms the district utilizes to gather student learning information; aimswebPlus, mCLASS, NWEA MAP, and SSIS. Benchmark data will be available in Otus beginning January 31, 2025. In order to allow for the data uploads to take place and to provide parents with consistent access to student data, please be aware that the Otus Parent Portal will be inaccessible January 6-January 30.

Building Data Team meetings to review the Winter Benchmarking data will occur February 3-14.

For help with understanding what questions you can answer in Otus, access Otus for Parents.

Additional Otus Parent Resources

• Monday, January 21st-24th - Middle Of Year Testing for students (Mclass, aims web plus, and Map)

• Tuesday, January 28th - Board Meeting at 7:15pm at Washburne

• Friday, January 31st - Student data released to families on OTUS

• Friday, February 7th - 1/2 day for students; Dismissal at 11:20am