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| Board Highlights are timely recaps of School Board meetings. They are emailed to staff, parents, and interested community members before the official minutes are approved and posted. Links to pertinent memos and presentations from the Board packet are highlighted in green. Board packets are posted the day before regularly scheduled Board meetings. Meeting podcasts, packets, and Board information can be accessed using the links on the left. |
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Regular Meeti
ng
Kristen Hertel, Board President, welcomed all in attendance. She thanked parents and teachers for time spent engaging in conferences, noted Future Ready D36 progress and Core Team work, and explained that the Board and WEA are engaging in collective bargaining this fall in an effort to extend the current 2014-2019 agreement. This will better position the District to focus on Future Ready D36, the Educational Master Facility Plan initiative.
Trisha Kocanda, Superintendent,
shared fall highlights from the District, including the recent Kindergarten Butterfly Migration. She recognized National Principals Month and thanked D36 Principals for their dedication and leadership. She also encouraged attendance at the upcoming Future Ready D36 Global Perspectives sessions and noted that the District welcomed over 140 parents and community members at our school buildings for Future Ready D36 presentations. Additionally, she shared this video, which was shown at the recent New Trier Anew event to celebrate the renovated Winnetka campus.
Presentations
Jason Lembke, Principal, DLR Group, shared details on work recently completed including student ideation, facility assessment presentations, and polling results from the Future Ready D36 presentations at all District buildings. Mr. Lembke noted that Core Team work is underway and includes upcoming facility tours. He also indicated the importance of the October 24 "Global Perspectives" community engagement sessions (at 9:15 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. at The Skokie School), which will provide an overview of trends in educational programming and design, as well as an opportunity for the community to participate in group ideation on what the future may look like in D36.
Barry Rodgers, Director of Innovation, Teaching and Learning, provided an overview of the PARCC and MAP Assessments, as well as New Trier Freshman Perception Survey results. This data is used in conjunction with other measures to assess student progress and inform decision-making. The spring 2017 PARCC participation rate increased and D36 students are demonstrating strong performance on par with New Trier Township. In the MAP Assessment, which will be administered three times in 2017-2018, students are performing at an overall average above the 90th percentile nationwide (with grade 8 at the 95th percentile nationwide). Areas for growth were identified and will inform the District Improvement Plan.
New Trier High School freshman are annually surveyed on their preparedness for high school. This year, 83% of Washburne graduates reported that they are prepared for success at New Trier, which aligns with the Township average.
Informational Memos
Annual goals are established to further the Vision and Strategic Outcomes set forth in the District's Strategic Plan. This year's plan recognizes the time, energy, and resources needed to support the Future Ready D36 Initiative and the ongoing work of the Reaching ALL Learners goals. The Board will receive monthly updates and bi-annual reports on the Annual Goals.
The District has a longstanding commitment to parent education. Using feedback collected from parents, the District tailors parent education to interest and District goals. A fall 2017 WPI calendar was shared and uploaded to the website.
The Extended Day Kindergarten program launched in August 2017 at Greeley and Hubbard Woods Schools. With the timing of Future Ready D36, the long-term Educational Master Facility Plan, it was determined that the 2018-2019 Kindergarten program will remain at Greeley and Hubbard Woods Schools. In addition, policies related to intradistrict transfers and timelines were reviewed.
The Administration is working in conjunction with the other taxing bodies to determine the impact of the proposed Village of Winnetka TIF District. District officials attended the October 10, 2017, Village meeting that was centered on the TIF opportunity. The Village Board will continue to evaluate the financing option and is committed to working with other taxing agencies.
Under the Reaching ALL Learners goal area, there is a goal associated with K-grade 2 interventions. An overview of the intervention model and anticipated outcomes were shared, along with a timeline of targeted dates.
Crow Island school is the grateful recipient of a donation from VS America, an international furniture design company. For over a year, staff have been collaborating with VS America's team of architects, designers, and interior decorators to determine the customized furniture plan to outfit the entire school. The expected delivery of the new furniture is anticipated for spring break 2018.
Each year the Winnetka Public Schools Foundation raises funds for the benefit of the District's students and staff. A total of more than $100,000 was granted to the District to support innovative grant programs and curricular enhancements. District leaders shared their appreciation for the generosity and support of this community-based organization.
Other Business
Committee Updates:
- Winnetka Public Schools Foundation-The October 9, 2017, meeting included a student presentation related to video broadcasting as this student experience was funded by a Foundation grant. Fundraising efforts are showing promising results. The Annual Report will be printed and distributed this fall.
- North Suburban Special Education District (NSSED) Cooperative-The October NSSED Board meeting included discussions on finances, real estate transactions, and updates on strategic planning.
- This fall, Board Members visited Kindergarten classrooms at Hubbard Woods and Greeley Schools and reported positive experiences observing teaching and learning, with a focus on the social emotional development of children.
The Consent Agenda was approved. No additional Action Items were presented.
The Complete Board Packet for the October 17, 2017, School Board Meeting, containing all Memos and Presentations is here.
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Upcoming Regular Meeting Dates
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November 14, 2017
December 19, 2017
January 30, 2018
February 27, 2018
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March 20, 2018
April 24, 2018
May 22, 2018
June 6, 2018 |
Regular meetings are open to the public and will be held at Carleton Washburne School through June 2018. Regular meetings begin at 7:15 p.m. Work sessions are also open to the public and may be scheduled at the discretion of the Board. Discussion topics and times for work sessions will be posted on the District website 24 hours in advance.
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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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Copyright © 2017. All Rights Reserved.
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