The Winnetka Wire
Monthly News from The Winnetka Public Schools
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Dear Parents, Staff, and Community Members,
As we near June, I am reflecting on our school year and proud of the tremendous progress observed in our schools. Students have made incredible growth, discovered new passions and worked together to make a meaningful difference for others. Teachers have dedicated hours to refining their practice in the relentless pursuit to meet the needs of each child. While the end of the year is bittersweet, it is truly a time to celebrate and recognize our achievements.
With celebration in mind, I want to highlight spring events in our schools the exemplify our vision and values...
- Carleton Washburne seventh graders were immersed in 1860s culture during Civil War Day. Thanks to support from The
 Winnetka Public Schools Foundation, re-enactors spent an engaging morning with students demonstrating artillery, photography, medicine, and more. This has been a District tradition for over 20 years!
- This week at The Skokie School, we celebrated International Women in Mathematics Day, which included a visit from mathematician and educator Annie Fetter. Ms. Fetter led problem-solving sessions throughout the day and hosted an assembly. All students were
 encouraged to think about math creatively, inquiring about data and challenging themselves to generate questions to solve. Also this month, Skokie students enjoyed a visually stunning journey (to the moon, Northern Lights, and Jupiter) with Dr. José Francisco Salgado, an Emmy-nominated astronomer, experimental photographer, visual artist, and speaker who creates multimedia science-themed works.
- Thanks to the Winnetka Public Schools Foundation, we welcomed 2018 Caldecott Award-winning author Matthew Cordell back
 to Crow Island for an illustration workshop with our second graders. He shared a hands-on presentation on the process of writing and illustrating a picture book.
- In March, street artist and designer Marco Santini spent the day at Hubbard Woods. The same artist who has designed murals throughout New York City, recently partnered with Bloomingdales, and has seen his work
 featured at Miami's Art Basel, collaborated with students on a mural for their Spring Sing. Mr. Santini was prompted to visit after art teacher, Ms. Bamshad, wrote a social media post to share how students are inspired by his work.
- Visitors from Tokyo were welcomed at Greeley to learn more about Winnetka's effective progressive practices.
 Greeley educators shared glimpses of the Winnetka Experience, and our visitors were overwhelmed by the continued commitment to experiential learning.
Finally, it should also be noted that our PTOs actively plan many end-of-the-year events for students while simultaneously organizing activities to benefit students next year. Notably, the Washburne graduation ceremony and subsequent celebration are planned by many parent volunteers. Thank you for making this a very special evening for our eighth grade students and families!
As these final few weeks of school may feel like a blur, I am proud to recognize this incredible school community and the lifelong impact you make on the children of Winnetka.
Sinc
erely,
Dr. Trisha Kocanda
Superintendent
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The next School Board Meeting will be held at Hubbard Woods School on Tuesday, May 21. The first Regular Meeting is at 7:15 p.m. and includes the following presentations on the agenda:
The Board welcomes public comment at meetings. Each speaker is given three minutes to speak. The speaker will be notified when the time limit is reached. Please note, the Board uses this time to listen to community questions and concerns, but will not respond immediately to individual requests and cannot take formal action on non-agenda items.
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Registration information for next year has been sent via regular mail and email. Look for these materials in your mailbox and inbox. If you did not receive notification or have any questions related to registration, you may contact District Registrar, Maria Perez, at 847-446-9400 or [email protected], Registration should be completed and submitted by June 28, 2019.
All students entering the sixth grade are required to submit a Certificate of Health Examination and Proof of a School Dental Examination. Incoming second graders must submit Proof of a School Dental Examination. Both are due before the first day of school and must be dated after August 28, 2018. Please schedule your child's doctor appointments now and return the forms before the end of this school year if possible.
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Reminder for Incoming Kindergarten Families
As the 2019-2020 school year approaches, we invite you to
click here and complete the Kindergarten Profile and Transition Form. Please return the form to your child's school Principal via email or mail. The information and consent you provide will help inform the placement process.
Joshua Swanner, Principal Greeley School
275 Fairview Avenue, Winnetka, IL 60093
Beth Carmody, Principal Hubbard Woods School
1110 Chatfield Road, Winnetka, IL 60093
Also, please mark your calendars for
Monday, May 20, 2019
. On this date Greeley and Hubbard Woods will host Open Houses for parents and incoming Kindergarteners. Families with last names starting with A-L will visit from 3:15 p.m.- 3:45 p.m. and families with last names starting with M-Z will visit from 3:45 p.m.- 4:15 p.m.
If you have not already done so, an opportunity will be provided during the Open House for parents to complete the paperwork for registering new students to the District, which includes providing proof of residency, child(ren)'s original birth certificate, and a parent photo ID. If you are unable to attend the Open House, this process can be completed at the District Office (1235 Oak St.). The list of documents that will meet these requirements is
here.
If you should have any questions, please contact Maria Perez or Laura Hershner at the District Office. They can be reached at 847.446.9400.
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Feedback on District 36 Referendum
Do you have feedback to share regarding next steps following the Referendum? Please take a moment to email your ideas to [email protected]. Please note that emails will not be responded to on an individual basis; however, the School Board and District will review all correspondence and present common themes.
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Adventures in Learning 2019 runs from June 17th-July 19th, 2019. There is no
camp on July 4th.
A decades-long tradition, this summer program  includes classes as varied as Rock Guitar Band, Life Around the World, Zany Art Explosions, Drone Flight School, Camping Adventures, Make Your Own Music Video, Adventures in STEAM, Archery, The Wacky World of Water, Kitchen Magicians, Programming and Robotics, Tennis, Computer Animation, Improvisation, Yoga for Kids, Animal Care, Purposeful Repurposing and Spa-Liscious to name a few!
Students in grades 2-8 may choose up to four classes from over 100
options. Younger children (pre-Kindergarten through grade 1) will explore educational concepts through guided play and outdoor activities.
This year's program will be held at Washburne for the 2nd-8th graders and Hubbard Woods for the Pre-K through 1st grade Primary program.
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For photos, news and more, follow The Winnetka Public Schools on social media. Connect with us by clicking on the icons at the bottom
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Spring in
District 36...
Kindergarten students have been in the midst of their annual study on the Birds of Winnetka, which includes exploring birds' habitat, reading books, taking photos of birds in the wild,
painting
birds, and more.
An Owl Master will visit
Greeley next week.
Hubbard Woods students advocated for technology use and shared work from their recent Film Festival with Illinois legislators at Tech 2019 in Springfield.
Ms. Annie Fetter, mathematician and educator, joined Skokie students and staff to celebrate Women in Mathematics Day. She led problem-solving sessions throughout the day and hosted an assembly.
Washburne students participated in the annual Civil War Day event, thanks to the support of the Winnetka Public Schools Foundation.
Thanks to The Winnetka Public Schools Foundation, we recently welcomed
Caldecott medalist Matthew Cordell back to Crow Island for an illustration workshop with our second graders.
Greeley Art teacher, Ms. Montgomery, guided students as they created Kindergarten necklaces for parents this month.
Hubbard Woods Kindergarten students presented "Exploring Movement and Nature" following a six week
study with a dance artist. Students embodied elements of nature-wind in trees, water rushing over rocks, waves on the shore, and birds in the sky-through dance.
From the Archives...
D36 students are at play
in these vintage images.
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View the goals along with an updated version of the District's 2015-2020 Strategic Plan here.
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For a list of upcoming speaker series events,
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