THE WHOOT!
August 14th, 2024
Week of Mar. 17th
✨Highlight of the Week✨
Read-a-Thon Pep Rally
Huge shoutout to Laura Oliver for her incredible work in organizing our first-ever Read-a-Thon Pep Rally! Thanks to her efforts, students were fully engaged in the excitement, competing in a lively game of Heads or Tails, guessing the identities of our masked reader teachers in inflatable costumes, and walking away with team bandanas to unite them in the reading challenge ahead.
The energy in the room was electric, with students cheering, laughing, and most importantly feeling the power of community through reading. This event was more than just fun. It was a celebration of literacy, teamwork, and the joy of diving into a good book. Thank you, Laura, for making this experience so special for our Willard Owls! 🦉💙💛
Willard Updates
5Essentials Student and Family Survey is now open!
Take the 5Essentials Survey!
The window for D65 staff and parents/caregivers to complete the 5Essentials Survey is now open! From now through March 31, 2025, staff and families are encouraged to complete the survey, which usually takes about 10 minutes to complete.
Data from the 5Essentials Survey provides our school leaders with valuable insights that are used to develop effective school improvement plans.
Fourth- through eighth-grade students are also encouraged to complete the survey and will be provided time in school to do so during the survey window.
Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you. School reports will be available to the public in June and Illinois State Report Card in the fall.
Take the time to complete the 5Essentials Survey and help improve our school communities!
About the 5Essentials Survey
The survey gathers data related to five indicators that can predict important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains. These five indicators that affect and predict school success are:
Effective Leaders
Collaborative Teachers
Involved Families
Supportive Environments
Ambitious Instruction
This data is valuable for school improvement planning and ongoing student support. Prior research in more than 400 schools has shown that schools that are strong on at least three of these “5Essential” indicators are 10 times more likely to improve student learning gains in math and reading than those that are weak on three or more Essentials. This research informed the development of our strategic plan and the survey data is used each year for school improvement planning across the District.
Alternate Placement Window Closing
In District 65 we are committed to helping all students reach their full potential and to provide opportunities that accelerate learning. Accelerated learning is available to all students; educators accelerate learning through grade-level differentiation, enrichment, and small group instruction. D65 also offers the possibility of alternate placement - which may grade skipping, single subject skipping or early entrance into grades K or 1st. You can find more information about acceleration HERE.
The window to request an Alternate Placement for the 2025-2026 school year is closing on April 11th. Any requests made after April 11th will not be reviewed until the start of the 2025-2026 school year.
En el Distrito 65 estamos comprometidos en ayudar a todos los estudiantes a que alcancen todo su potencial y en proporcionar oportunidades que aceleren el aprendizaje. La aceleración del aprendizaje está disponible para todos los estudiantes; los educadores aceleran el aprendizaje a través de la diferenciación a nivel del grado escolar, del enriquecimiento y de la enseñanza en grupos pequeños. El Distrito 65 también ofrece la posibilidad de la colocación alternativa - la cual puede incluir saltarse un grado escolar, saltarse una materia o entrar con anticipación a Kinder o a primer grado. Puede encontrar más información acerca de la aceleración AQUÍ.
El periodo para solicitar la colocación alternativa para el año escolar 2025-2026 se cerrará el 11 de abril. Cualquier petición realizada después del 11 de abril no será revisada sino hasta el inicio del año escolar 2025-2026.
Author Visit: Alex Willan
Author and illustrator Alex Willan is visiting Willard for a very special story time and draw-along! He will be here on Tuesday, March 18.
Alex’s newest book is called Mermaids are the Worst!, a super silly picture book about Gilbert the Goblin, whose beachside vacation is ruined by a cast of colorful mermaids and their high-stakes competitive mermaid games. How will he deal with these mermaids interrupting his peaceful bliss?!
Alex’s other books include Unicorns are the Worst!, Dragons are the Worst!, and Yetis are the Worst! He lives in Chicago with his dog, Harley, who is the absolute best.
This visit is presented by Booked, a local independent children’s bookstore on Main Street in Evanston. You can order personalized, signed copies of Alex’s books from Booked at this link: https://www.bookedevanston.com/alexwillan.
The order deadline is Thursday, March 13! Please make sure to include your child’s school as the shipping address and their name, teacher name, and grade at checkout, so that Booked can get the books to the right place!
Email Betsy at Booked with any additional questions about ordering Alex’s books: betsy@bookedevanston.com
Update From Mr. Bush
Willard Artists Displayed at JEH
Exciting news—our talented Willard student artists have their work on display at JEH! I installed a selection of 2D artworks, and I’ve reached out to families of the featured students so they can check them out. The display will be up for a few weeks, so be sure to stop by! I’ll be adding some 3D pieces to a special hanging space, showcasing even more of our students’ creativity.
Fun fact: some of these incredible pieces were almost discarded by their artists, but they truly shine in this exhibit! Take a look at the photos below and celebrate the amazing artistry of our Willard Owls. 🦉🎭🎨
PTA Updates
Yearbook Opt-Out Form/Formulario de exclusión voluntaria del anuario
Ryan Gregory has started putting together this year’s Willard Yearbook, capturing all the special moments from our school year! If you would like to opt your child out of photos, please complete the form below.
Please use this form to let us know you do not want your child to appear in the Willard yearbook.
Utilice este formulario para informarnos que no desea que su hijo aparezca en el anuario de Willard.
Right At School
RAS Summer Camp Registration Open NOW + Details
Registration for the Right At School Summer Camp is now OPEN!
Location: Kingsley Elementary School
Dates: 6/9/25-7/25/25
Full Day: 7 AM-6 PM
Part Day: 9 AM-4 PM
Half Day AM: 7 AM-12:30 PM
Half Day PM: 12:30 PM-6 PM
Grades: Incoming K-8th
No Camp Days: 6/19 & 7/4
Link to register: https://www.rightatschool.com/school/?school=summer-camp-at-kingsley-elementary&tab=summer-camps
Volunteer Process
Looking to volunteer at Willard? Click here for our district's volunteer process!
Useful Resources
Dates to Remember
March
- 5th: School Improvement Half Day
- 24th-28th: Spring Break