Dear Winnetka Families,
Throughout the year, we explore the different roles that facilitators play in our District within our newsletters. Each elementary school enjoys the benefit of having science, literacy, and math facilitators as well as a technology integration specialist. These individuals are essential for our acquisition of best practices in their respective fields. This week we hear from our science facilitators (Jean Bierner - HW, CI, Jen Parkinson- GR).
The mission of our D36 science program is "to foster children's curiosity in the world around them and empower them with the knowledge needed to interact with the world as scientists and engineers. Our students are encouraged to pose questions, investigate solutions, and justify their thinking. Children will collaborate with each other, engage in scientific and engineering practices, persevere, and creatively investigate phenomena and solve problems."
We have long believed that this is what good science education looks like and it fits perfectly with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) adopted by Illinois in 2014.
NGSS integrate three dimensions of scientific thinking:
- Disciplinary Core Ideas (focused science content)
- Science and Engineering Practices (how science and engineering are conducted in the real world, such as through planning and carrying out investigations or solving problems through design)
- Crosscutting Concepts (science ideas, like cause and effect, that permeate all the sciences)
Through first hand investigative experiences in our curriculum, students
are challenged with scientific and engineering tasks that apply to the world they live in. Our hope is that these tasks will draw on children's motivation to engage with their surroundings and inspire lifelong learning.
As Science Facilitators, we collaborate with teachers, offering in-the-moment professional development and curricular support in the areas of science and engineering. We assist classroom teachers and provide strategies, skills, tools, techniques, and capacity to effectively teach science to all students. Shadow us for a day and you might find us co-teaching in a classroom to model instructional practices, discussing upcoming curriculum and practices during CLT (Collaborative Learning Team) meetings, gathering and preparing materials, keeping live organisms healthy, developing learning plans for individual investigations, searching for supplemental materials to enhance a unit of study, assisting with engineering design challenges, and working with other facilitators and RC/STEAM Lab staff to encourage cross-curricular projects to integrate science and engineering. Each day brings joy and new challenges as we help teachers lead their students in acquiring new skills, knowledge or understanding in science and engineering
Sincerely,
Julie Pfeffer, Principal, Crow Island School
Joshua Swanner,, Principal, Greeley School
Beth Carmody, Principal, Hubbard Woods School
Crow Island News:
Dear Crow Island Families,
I hope many of you were able to join us last week at the district's Hour of Code event and Book Fair. Thanks to the Winnetka Public Schools Foundation, our Resource Center Team (Ms. Maneck, Mrs. Banas and Mrs. Gullen), as well as the district technology staff and our student and staff helpers for helping make this event such a success. Also, thank you to our PTO for a successful and festive Book Fair. Thank you also to our PTO and all of those families who donated books for our book drive. Crow Island was able to donate many large bins of books to Bernie's Book Bank to benefit children who are in need. This is yet another example of our Crow Island Community making a meaningful difference in the world.
Have a wonderful week!
Warmly,
Julie
Winter Sing-Along
December is almost upon us! That means it's time to look forward to the annual Crow Island Winter Sing-Along. The Winter Sing-Along is not a concert; it is a special time for our community to come together, put a collective pause on our busy lives, and sing together celebrate the season. Students will sit with their family members for the Sing-Along and will come up to the stage by grade-level to "lead" certain songs. We will also enjoy a performance from the fourth-grade chorus.
The Winter Sings take place during the school day on
Thursday, December 19th. Your students' sing time depends on their last name, with times shown below.
TIME LAST NAME INITIAL
9:00am: O-Z
10:30am: A-F
1:00pm: G-N
Please email Lindy Schmidt at lindyschmidt@winnetka36.org with any issues or question regarding scheduling.
We look forward to seeing you at the Winter Sing-Along!
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Online Pre-Registration Open for Kindergarten & New Students for the 2020-2021 School Year
The new student registration process is completed in three steps:
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Complete new student pre-registration forms online beginning December 6, 2019.
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Provide proof of residency.
Click here
to view the list of documents that will meet these requirements. For your convenience residency documents may be uploaded during online registration or brought to the District Office.
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Visit the District Office to provide a certified copy of your child(ren)'s birth certificate and a parent photo ID and complete the paper portion of registration.
Children will not be considered enrolled until both the online and paper portion of registration has been completed and residency documentation is verified. If you have any questions, please contact the District Office at 847-446-9400.
Recommendation Form Protocol
Throughout the school year, our teachers and administrators may be asked to complete a recommendation form for families considering private schools or summer programs. As each institution's forms vary in the nature of information requested, we have moved to a common form that our Winnetka teachers and administrators will complete for submission to any authorized outside educational institution. Upon request for a feedback form, Winnetka staff will respond within ten business days. In the interest of maintaining appropriate confidentiality and consistency, our District employees will only complete this form, which may be attached to a student's application to any outside educational institution. You may find the form by
clicking here
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Family Action Network (FAN) is a 501(c)(3) organization that curates a high-quality speaker series each academic year. All FAN programs are free and open to the public. To view a calendar of upcoming events, visit the FAN website:
https://www.familyactionnetwork.net/
.
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Replies to this email will be sent directly to Julie Pfeffer. If you would like to other family members to receive the Crow Island School Update please hit reply. Please note that by adding names to the Crow Island School Update mailing list you are not updating any other mailing lists including your child's emergency contact information. Please also note that unsubscribing from this email will unsubscribe from all Winnetka school emails. Please contact Lindy Schmidt, Crow Island School secretary, to make changes to your child's records or if you have questions about other email lists.
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Dates to Remember
Tuesday, December 10
3:15pm - 4:00pm, Last day of Crazy 8's Math Club - 3rd & 4th Grades
Wednesday, December 11
8:00am, 4th Grade Chorus
Thursday, December 12
7:45am, Elementary Strings
Tuesday, December 17
7:45am, Elementary Strings*
Thursday, December 19
Winter Sing-Along
- Last name begins with:
O-Z - 9:00am
A-F - 10:30am
G-N - 1:00pm
Friday, December 20
Community Outreach - Sack Supper Project
Saturday, December 21
Winter Break begins
Monday, January 6
School resumes
Mon-Fri, January 13-24
MAP Testing Window - 3rd & 4th Grades
Wednesday, January 15
9:00am, Pioneer Room Open House (3rd Grade Parents only)
7:00pm, Pioneer Room Open House (3rd Grade Parents only)
Friday, January 17
No School - Teacher Institute Day
Monday, January 20
No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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The Winnetka Public Schools community empowers every student to flourish in an innovative, experiential environment. We support and challenge all learners to actively engage in continual growth and achievement to make a meaningful difference in the world.
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