Skokie Home Scoop: January 25, 2021

The Skokie School Home Scoop

Dear Skokie Community,

We enjoyed seeing the smiling eyes of your children in our hallways (and actual smiles, on Zoom!) last week. As I made my way around the building, I saw students learning about Valley Forge (would you have stayed or would you have gone and why?), making observations about the way in which particles interact with each other, discussing place value of numbers, explaining their thinking about percents using double number lines, researching topics of interest to them in preparation for writing an informational essay, and more!

One of the most valuable practices in our instruction is the dialogue and discussion students engage in throughout their school day. Whether the students are explaining their thinking about a mathematical concept, supporting an argument with evidence from a text, asking questions about a scientific phenomenon, or providing each other feedback on their writing, students make sense of the content they are learning and push the depth of their thinking through peer dialogue, small group conversations, and whole class discussion.

This year, our physical learning environment has presented some challenges to this instructional practice. Masks and physical distance simply make it more difficult to communicate! Students have benefited from being able to participate more frequently due to the small class sizes afforded by the hybrid model. We have also noticed that some students seem to lose confidence given that they need to raise their voice to a higher volume than usual in order for a partner or the entire class to hear. Many teachers noticed that some students who have been hesitant to participate in the classroom were more participatory during remote learning when masks were not in the equation. We have been finding creative ways to use our physical space in order to allow for more dialogue between students.

We encourage you to engage your child in a conversation about their participation at school in the hybrid model. Do they frequently share their ideas in class? Did they find themselves participating more during remote learning? Your child may benefit from reflecting upon this and making a goal for him or herself moving forward.

Take care,

Betty Weir Louis Kotvis

Principal Assistant Principal

District News

Winter MAP Testing

We are approaching our second testing window for the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) test, which will take place between January 25 - February 5, 2021. Skokie School students will be testing Tuesday, January 26 and Thursday, January 28.

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. Winter student reports are not sent home. 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/itl/assessments.

Opportunity from District Artist-in-Residence partner, Filament Theatre

3rd-8th graders are invited to participate in a Filament Theatre project called SPARK. Your child may be familiar with Filament Theatre, an Artist-in-Residence partner. This February, SPARK participants will attend a few virtual workshops with Filament directors AND get to choose the art, projects, and plays made at Filament this year. They'll review ideas from artists all over the country and pick three favorites to bring to life at Filament. SPARK is for 3rd - 8th graders and it's all FREE, but you need to complete an application (linked below) by January 28th.

Click below to learn more or apply!

http://www.filamenttheatre.org/spark-youth-curators/

Upcoming Parent Education Events

NAVIGATING SCHOOL DURING UNCERTAIN TIMES

Presented in partnership with Stanford University's Challenge Success

Thursday, January 21 at 7 p.m.

How can parents best support the personal and academic needs of their children while also attending to their own professional and familial needs? In this presentation, caregivers will learn how they can establish a healthier home environment for their school-aged child, reduce academic stress without sacrificing achievement, and increase their child's resilience, creativity, and well-being.

https://stanford.zoom.us/j/95024667819?pwd=bXhvMHIrNDhITlMzVlFDSWh6TXBoUT09

From District Partner The Alliance for Early Childhood

PANDEMIC PARENTING: TOOLS AND TIPS

Stop Yelling! Holding Boundaries at Home to Stay Balanced

February 18, 7-7:45pm

Sibling squabbles, temper tantrums, refusal and resistance wear away your precious last nerve. You snap, you yell, and then you feel terrible. The pandemic has amplified this experience for so many parents. No parent wants to yell at their child and yet, no human has endless patience. So how do you live with your children without yelling or giving up completely? How do you find the balance while getting your children to cooperate? Come learn how to set boundaries without yelling and keep the peace without losing your peace. Rediscover the loving parent you are through new self-awareness and tools to support your family. Program facilitated by Molly Pope, Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant, Parent Coach, and Speaker and Trainer.

Let's Play! Winter Woods Exploration, Crow Island Woods, February 20, 10am-4pm

From District Partner Family Action Network

Family Action Network (FAN) hosts a series of parent sessions with renowned authors, educators, and experts. Upcoming events include:

ANDREA DAVIS PINKNEY AND BRIAN PINKNEY

"The Marriage of Words and Pictures"

Tuesday, January 19, 2021, 7:00 PM

RON LIEBER

"The Price You Pay for College"

Interviewer: Lauren Rivera, Ph.D., Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

Tuesday, January 26, 2021, 7:00 PM

GLENN ADAMSON

"Craft: An American History"

Interviewer: Norman Teague, Founder, Norman Teague Design Studio

Wednesday, January 27, 2021, 7:00 PM

See further details and FANs complete schedule here.

Access 2020-2021's District Parent Education sessions below:

Pandemic Parenting with Molly Pope

Confident Parents, Confident Kid with Jennifer Miller

Executive Functioning Strategies To Help Support Your Child During Remote Learning

Kindergarten & New Student Registration

Registration for Kindergarten and students new to The Winnetka Public Schools in 2021-2022 is now open and can be accessed from the District website. Children who will be five-years-old on or before September 1, 2021, are eligible to enroll.

The New Student Registration includes the following:

Complete the following new student registration forms online.
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.
Provide the original or certified copy of your child(ren)'s birth certificate and a parent photo ID. Scanned copies or snapshots of these documents may be uploaded during online registration or can be submitted in-person at the District Office by appointment. Please contact the District Registrar at (847) 446-9400 or via email carolinhuh@winnetka36.org for more information.
Next spring you will receive an email from the District with a link to your child's registration. You will be asked to review the information provided in the past, answer additional questions, pay student fees, and sign up for transportation and before/after-school care at that time. Registration information will be sent to the student's primary email and home address.

Please note: children will not be considered enrolled until both the online registration and all supporting documents (steps 1-3) have been completed. We look forward to welcoming you to The Winnetka Public Schools.

Replies to this email will be sent directly to Betty Weir. Please note that unsubscribing from this email will unsubscribe from all Winnetka School emails.