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| The Skokie Home Scoop - January 12, 2018 |
Dear Skokie Families,
I hope you all enjoyed a restful and enjoyable winter break, and that the new year is off to a great start for you. This first week back tends to be a bit of an adjustment for all, as we get back into the routine of waking up and going to bed early (that can be hard for adults too!). Nevertheless, it has been wonderful to have our students and teachers back in the building, jumping back into engaging work in this next half of the second trimester.
MAP Testing will begin next week, and the window will run through Friday, January 26. This testing benchmark will provide teachers with more information around areas of growth within Reading and Math, in addition to all of the data collected within the classroom. Remember that there is no better preparation for this test than a good night's sleep and a healthy breakfast. This will only be your 5th or 6th grader's fourth interaction with the MAP test. As your child's experience with taking the test grows, we will be able to better associate the results with trends in performance.
It may be hard to believe, but winter conferences are around the corner: February 5-16. Links to sign up for conferences will be sent out in the Skokie Home Scoop on Friday, January 19 (next Friday), so keep an eye out as time slots do tend to fill up quickly. Each family will have 20 minutes of time with the teacher team. In the interest of maximizing your time, and out of respect for all other families looking forward to their conference, it may be helpful to reach out to your child's teacher with any particular questions or concerns you would be interested in covering. Keep in mind that at this point in the year, our teachers have a great deal of information they are eager to share with you. Again, 6th graders attend conferences with parents and teachers (5th graders do not).
Finally, this coming weekend and day of observance on Monday, is an important reminder of the gift of service and the power of choosing kind. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. continues to be an important model of tolerance. While there are many volunteer opportunities to serve this weekend (see one below, offered by Winnetka's Volunteer Center), it is just as impactful to work in a family conversation about the life of Dr. King and the basic rights and freedoms he fought so hard for. While it can sometimes be hard for children to directly connect to the work of Dr. King, they are certainly capable of understanding themes of kindness, freedom, prejudice and injustice. In fact, themes like these are often at the forefront of our children's unbiased young minds. Take a moment this weekend to ask your children what they understand about these themes, and how they see them play out in today's world. You may be surprised at the simple wisdom of youth, which can be a healthy reminder for us as adults.
Stay warm and safe this weekend, and enjoy the time together with your families.
Most Sincerely,
Follow us on Twitter: @skokie36
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MLK Day Volunteer Opportunity!
The Volunteer Center will be commemorating the legacy of Martin Luther King with its annual Day of Service. If your school is not in session, it is an ideal time for family and friends to engage in meaningful service opportunities.
Volunteers of all ages and abilities are welcome from 1:00-4:00pm at The Winnetka Community House, 620 Lincoln Avenue, Winnetka, to help ten nonprofits with a variety of hands-on meaningful projects for the homeless, vets, children, refugees animals and more.
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District News
Please Take a Brief Survey Regarding Future Ready D36
Feedback from our school community will help us prioritize our values as our Core Team and DLR Group (the District's educational architectural firm) formulates initial Future Ready D36 concepts for community review in March 2018. Also, we invite you to more about Future Ready D36 by attending our next Community Outreach Event focused on environmental design, student learning, and research on best practices.
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
7:00 p.m.
The Skokie School, 520 Glendale Avenue
Is Your Child Starting Kindergarten in 2018?
To pre-register your child for the 2018-2019 school year, please contact the District office at
847-446-9400
to begin the process. This early pre-registration process helps ensure that The Winnetka Public Schools have proper staffing and most accurate school assignments. Children who will be five-years-old on or before September 1, 2018, are eligible to enroll.
Click here
for documents required for new students. Registration packets are available at the District Office (
1235 Oak St
.). Children will not be considered enrolled until residency documentation is verified and all forms are submitted. If you have any questions, please contact the District Office at
847-446-9400
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Winter MAP Testing
We are approaching our second testing window for the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) test, which will take place between January 16 - 26, 2018. Your child's school or teacher will inform you of his or her specific testing dates.
Similar to the fall, all students in Grades 3 - 8 will take one Reading Test and one Math test. MAP is a computer-adaptive test, which means every student receives a unique set of test questions based on responses to previous questions. This provides a personalized assessment experience by adapting to each student's learning level. The purpose of the second testing session is to provide teachers with midyear progress data that will help inform their instruction as they move forward into the school year. Student Reports are sent home at the end of the school year with fall to spring growth measures. Additional information on the MAP assessment may be found on our district website at
www.winnetka36.org/map
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Opportunity for Students
The Students Involved with Technology Conference (SIT), is an annual conference for 3rd through 12th grade students. The event will be held on
February 10, 2018, from 8:30- 2:00 p.m. at Westgate Elementary School in Arlington Heights.
What makes the conference unique is that it is completely presented by students for students with adult volunteers from local schools and the community to help the day run smoothly.
SIT is a great opportunity for your child to learn from their peers or to step into a leadership role by sharing their expertise. Space is limited and registration is accepted on a first come, first served basis.
For
information and registration visit
https://goo.gl/ApxAP2.
From The Alliance for Early Childhood:
AMERICAN RED CROSS BABYSITTER'S COURSE
Monday, January 15, 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. or Monday, February 19, 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Note: This course is for junior high school students who are at least 11 years old or who have completed 5th grade.
$125 per student (includes lunch and snacks)
Visit this link to register: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0845adad2ca64-american1
Would your child know what to do if a child choked when he or she was babysitting? Would he or she know how to call 911 or how to handle a nosebleed? American Red Cross teaches all these things...and more! The ARC Certification course is designed to provide students who are planning to babysit with the knowledge and skills necessary to safely and responsibly care for children and infants. This training will help participants develop leadership skills, learn how to develop a babysitting business, keep themselves and others safe, and help children behave. In addition, participants will learn about basic child care and basic first aid.
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Dates to Note
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Monday, January 15
NO SCHOOL
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Thursday, January 18
Premier Cadet Band & Elem. Orchestra Concert
Skokie Auditorium
7:30 p.m.
Monday, January 22
NO SCHOOL
Teacher Institute Day
January 16 - 26
MAP Testing
Tuesday, January 30
School Board Meeting
Washburne RC - 7:30 p.m.
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After School Sports
Registration Open for
Second Semester
We are pleased to offer a
second semester of the
After School Sports Program for our 5th and 6th graders. The second semester of this co-ed program will run for 14 weeks. Our 6th Grade program will start on Tuesday, January 23rd through Tuesday, May 15th. Our 5th Grade program will start on Wednesday, January 24th through Wednesday May 16th.
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Skokie Climbing Club
Climbing Club is a great opportunity for students who would like to climb the Skokie High Ropes course in an extended session after school. Sign up with a friend or come to meet new friends!
- Climbing Club is conducted and supervised by the Skokie KW teachers.
- 3:35-4:30pm. Personal nut free snacks are allowed.
- Students are expected to stay until 4:30pm and will assist with clean up.
- Each session is limited to 10 climbers.
- Parents are invited to watch their children.
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