February 2019

The Winnetka Wire
Monthly News from The Winnetka Public Schools
Superintendent's Message


Dear Parents, Staff, and Community Members,

Our community's long-standing tradition of excellence and Progressive Education sets The Winnetka Public Schools apart. Throughout our District's 150-year history, our community has come together and creatively addressed challenges. Today, we are at a pivot point, and call upon our community to actively engage and learn about the proposed facilities plan that will update aging infrastructure and advance our vision for teaching and learning. The plan upholds our community's commitment to neighborhood schools yet recognizes limitations for the practical and innovative capabilities of our century-old facilities.

You will find factual information about the April 2, 2019 referendum on this website. I encourage you to review the proposed projects and costs for each school in the Project Matrix ; note the Conceptual Site Plans  in the individual school fact sheets that lay the groundwork for a comprehensive and collaborative design process to follow a community-approved referendum . Read the FAQs  and learn more how this project translates to your taxes as detailed on the Financial Information link . And, we invite all residents to learn more by attending one of the final Referendum Information Sessions on February 25, 9:15 a.m. at Greeley, March 18, 6:30 p.m. at Carleton Washburne or March 21, 6:30 p.m. at Crow Island.

We thank our community for your continued engagement. Your feedback has informed the planning process and shaped the proposed solution on the April 2, 2019 ballot.  Also, please know early voting begins on March 18, 2019. To access polling places click HERE. Thank you for your informed vote. I hope to see you at one of the upcoming sessions.

Sinc erely,
Dr. Trisha Kocanda
Superintendent
 
Board Meeting Preview

The next School Board Regular Meeting will be held at Hubbard Woods School on Tuesday, February 26. There is a 5:15 p.m. Work Session on Inquiry-Based Learning. The Regular Meeting begins at 7:15 p.m. and the following presentations are on the agenda:
  1. 2019-2020 Preliminary Staffing Plan
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.  
Congratulations!

The Winnetka Northfield Chamber of Commerce has named Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Daniel Ryan, as Educator of the Year, and Washburne Kinetic Wellness teacher, Mr. Victor Cooper, as Man of the Year. Congratulations to both of these esteemed D36 educators, who have long served the Winnetka community. They will be recognized at the Chamber's 43rd Annual Recognition Luncheon on April 10, 2019.


Winnetka community members are invited to attend an upcoming informational session to learn more information and ask questions on the following dates:
  • Monday, February 25, 9:15-10:45 a.m., Greeley
  • Monday, March 18, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Carleton Washburne
  • Thursday, March 21, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Crow Island
To further understand some of the more substantial proposed changes, school tours will be offered as well (please RSVP to 847.446.9400):
  • Tuesday, March 5, 4:00-5:00 p.m., Crow Island
  • Wednesday, March 6, 4:00-5:00 p.m., Carleton Washburne
The proposed Referendum aligns with the District's long term goals as follows:

Improves Aging Infrastructure
  • Upgrades electrical and plumbing systems and inadequate HVAC
  • Provides ADA accessibility upgrades and safety and security
  • Addresses all required Health/Life Safety code projects
  • Replaces outdated mechanical systems; increases efficiency and reduces operational costs
Supports the D36 Vision for Progressive Teaching and Learning
  • Renovates outdated classrooms and learning spaces for all students in grades 5-8
  • Adds flexible, multi-purpose space for lunchroom, gym, or programming at all schools
  • Supports more equitable student experiences
  • Reduces school transitions by one (three neighborhood schools will serve Kindergarten through grade 4 and one school will serve students in grades 5-8, eliminating the transition that currently impacts students in grades 5 and 6)
Responds to Community Input
  • Maintains neighborhood schools
  • Addresses baseline facilities maintenance
  • Accounts for enrollment fluctuation
  • Eliminates portable trailers at Crow Island
  • Lowers operational costs through consolidation to 4 schools
Did you know that...
  • Most classrooms support technology and equipment for (up to) 24 students with only 2-4 electrical outlets
  • 12% of water faucets/fountains tested have unacceptable lead levels and cannot be used for drinking
  • $200,000 of emergency pipe repairs occurred at Washburne alone in 2017
  • Students with physical disabilities cannot use all entrances to certain schools or gain access to upper/lower level classrooms/learning spaces
  • Elementary schools function with inadequate or no cafeteria/multipurpose space with 95% of students staying at school for lunch
  • Learning spaces for STEAM, MakerSpace, gym, and Library Resource Centers do not serve students equitably among schools
  • Safety and security enhancements for controlled visitor access, surveillance, or communications systems considered "best practice" in schools nationwide are not possible without modifications to century-old structures.
For more details about the April 2 Referendum, visit the D36 Referendum 2019 webpage .  Note that FAQs are updated every 7-10 days .

 



For Parents: Managing Your Child's School Anxiety & School Refusal
Featuring Jacqueline A. Rhew, CADC, LCPC,
Co-author of Successful Parenting-Create Your Custom Plan for Raising Independent Children into Adulthood and Co-founder of Center for Emotional Wellness

Wednesday, February 27, 2019
9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Skokie School Community Room
 
Childhood anxiety and school refusal is at an all-time high, and arming kids with healthy coping strategies is more important than ever. Are your children focused on avoiding failure or are they operating from a place of achieving to their greatest ability, based on their individual strengths and weaknesses?  This presentation will review specific interventions designed to assist children in managing their anxiety, as well as promoting increased motivation, healthy goal setting and active school engagement. Learn how to better develop parenting strategies to assist children with healthy coping responses and engage them in effective communication and language that promotes self-advocacy and independence. Ms. Rhew will provide essential tools for parents to assist their children in building resilience, navigating stressful situations, and increasing self-advocacy and problem solving abilities, thus leading to greater self-confidence and self-reliance.  RSVP here.

Screening of the Documentary "Angst"
Thursday, March 7 at The Skokie School Auditorium
6:00-8:00 p.m., followed by panel discussion/questions

AND

Friday, March 8 at The Skokie School Auditorium
9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., followed by panel discussion/questions

Families and community members are invited to a special screening of Angst, a documentary designed to raise awareness around anxiety. The film includes interviews with kids, teens, educators, experts, and parents. The film centers around helping people identify and understand the symptoms of anxiety. It provides tools and hope for those in the midst of angst. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion and Q & A led by educators.





Kindergarten pre-registration for 2019-2020 is now open. Children who will be five-years-old on or before September 1, 2019, are eligible to enroll. The District's Kindergarten Committee and Central PTO unanimously approved shifting to an online process versus an on-site process. This shift minimizes the time needed to pre-register and respects the busy schedules of our families.  

The Registration process is completed in two steps:
  1. Complete an online pre-registration form
  2. Provide proof of residency (documents can be uploaded online): child(ren)'s original birth certificate and a parent photo ID will need to be provided in person. Opportunities to do so will be made available in Spring 2019.  The list of documents that will meet these requirements is here.
If you have any questions, please contact the District Office at 847-446-9400.


Redistricting

A webpage dedicated to Redistricting will continue to be updated regularly: www.winnetka36.org/redistricting_in_D36.



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-Licious 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 (4 years old by June 1st, 2019), K Primary program (5 years old by September 1st, 2019) and first grade program.
Registration begins March 1 for Winnetka residents and is open to the general public on March 8 via www.winnetka36.org/adventures.


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Important Dates


Board Meeting
February 26, 2019
7:15 p.m.
Hubbard Woods School

See additional Referendum 
meeting dates and Informational Sessions  here.

2018-2019

Winter in  District 36...




Crow Island students created projects for their annual STEAM Expo. 

Greeley students enjoyed Valentine's Day activities. 
D36 fourth graders learned together during Immigration Day.
 D36 educators collaborated during Institute Day.


D36 was a sponsor of The Alliance for Early Childhood Preschool Kindergarten Summit at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Many D36 educators attended and helped plan the event.

From the Archives...

Students enjoy skiing in a historic photo from Hubbard Woods.





View the goals along with an updated version of the District's 2015-2020 Strategic Plan here.



The  Village of Winnetka 
is celebrating its historic 150th anniversary in 2019. Join us for the kick-off event "Founder's Day" 
at the Winnetka Community House 
on Sunday, 
March 10 at 2:00 p.m. WTTW's Geoffrey Baer presents "150 Years of People, Places & Progress" followed by refreshments. Bring your family and friends to this 
special event. Visit winnetka150.org 
for more details!



For a list of upcoming FAN speaker 
series events, 

The Winnetka Public Schools community empowers every student 
to flourish in an innovativeexperiential environment. 
We support and challenge all learners
 to actively engage in their continual growth and achievement 
to make a meaningful difference in the world.

 
The Winnetka Public Schools
847-446-9400

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