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Greetings Skokie Community,
What a wonderful Friday we had here at The Skokie School! Our students had the opportunity to participate in an assembly focused on gratitude, which is one of the next topics students will be exploring in their advisories. Today's assembly introduced the idea that showing gratitude can positively impact one's level of happiness. First, the students enjoyed watching a video collage of various Skokie students and staff members displaying what they were grateful for by holding up a white board that captured their thoughts. While family and friends were the most common responses, other responses included clean water, health, a safe neighborhood, the ocean, teachers, animals, The Skokie School and Skokie students.
Next, students watched
this video
by Soul Pancake. It introduced a study on gratitude, during which individuals in the video were asked to think of someone for whom they were grateful, write about the person, and then call the person to read what they had written. During the video, Skokie students were asked to turn and talk several times to discuss the ideas presented and to think about a person in their own lives for whom they are grateful. The findings of the study presented in the video showed that while everyone who participated in the exercise showed an increase in happiness, the person who experienced the biggest increase was the least happy person upon walking into the study.
Finally, students were challenged to do this experiment themselves. Each student has been asked to think of an important person in his or her life, write about that person with the help of the prompts below, and then read what is written over the phone or in person. As an extra challenge, students have been asked to video tape themselves doing this.
Prompts:
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You have influenced me because...
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I admire you because...
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You are important to me because....
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You have shown me kindness by...
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Something that may not have been a big deal to you, but was a big deal to me was when you...
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There are things about you I really appreciate, like...
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I am grateful for you because....
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You did something amazing for me one time...
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You did something important for me one time...
I would like to pass this challenge on to you, parents! Consider engaging in this activity as a family or on your own and sharing your gratitude with someone who has influenced your life. It will not only be impactful to the person with whom you share your gratitude, but it will increase your happiness, as well!
A special thanks to Angela Nigliazzo, Peggy Hoyt, and Matt Boyer for all of the work they put into planning this meaningful experience for our students.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Betty Weir
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @skokie36
Dear Skokie School families,
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and the Volunteer Center is once again offering an opportunity to any Skokie School advisory, class or family to participate in two ways to give back to those in our community and beyond who are facing financial challenges and finding it difficult to feed their families this Thanksgiving. Skokie School has been a very generous participant in these programs over the years and it really makes a difference.
Volunteers may either provide special treats for Thanksgiving for New Trier Township families in crisis who must supplement their own kitchen shelves via the Township's pantry, and/or collect post-holiday groceries for families in transitional housing who are served by Good News Partners (GNP) in Chicago's North of Howard neighborhood. Details of these projects and the specific items requested for the baskets and bags can be found on this page on the Volunteer Center's website. The Skokie School Families may bring their bags to Skokie School by the Tuesday before Thanksgiving break. Or, you may bring them to GNP on Thanksgiving morning.
We will also need volunteers to deliver over 100 filled red bags on Thanksgiving morning and deliver them to Good News Partners. We will meet at 9:15 at Skokie School, load up our cars, and drive to Good News Partners. You'll be back home before 11am. Please let me know if you are interested in helping on Thanksgiving morning. It adds a special meaning to see and understand the housing and help make the deliveries. barb@volunteercenterhelps.org.
Thank you again for your help!
Barb Tubekis,
Executive Director, The Volunteer Center
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Assistant Principal Corner
This week, we started our third Social Emotional Learning (SEL) theme of the year about
Building Healthy Relationships. The focus this week was on friendship, and how to be a good friend.
With next week's focus, and today's assembly, being about gratitude, I'd like to say that I'm grateful to be a part of such a supportive school and community that values SEL and encourages and models building healthy relationships.
- Friendship: a relationship between friends, a state of mutual trust and support
I hope you have some time over the weekend to talk to your kids about friendship and please let us know if you and your kids do the gratitude challenge! We'd love to hear your examples!
The Lions of Leadership are also partnering with Connections for the Homeless in Evanston for a winter clothing drive, and students will be sharing information next week with all the advisories! More to come in the Scoop next week!
Thank you and have a great weekend!
Larry Joynt
Assistant Principal
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District News
WPI Opportunities
Social Emotional Learning: An Introduction
Focus on the CASEL competencies of Self-Awareness and Self Management
December 3, 2019
9:30 a.m. to 10:30 am
The Skokie School Community Room
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. Join District Educators and parents for this informational session on the importance of SEL and the key competencies of self-awareness and self management. This is the first in a series of WPI's workshops that the District will offer this school year focusing on this important District-wide initiative.
RSVP here
.
Hour of Code
December 4, 2019
4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Crow Island School MakerSpace, 1112 Willow Road
December 3-9 is Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek), an annual program dedicated to inspiring K-12 students to take interest in computer science. CSEdWeek is held in recognition of the birthday of computing pioneer
Admiral Grace Murray Hopper
(December 9, 1906). Each year, millions of people participate in #HourofCode, the largest learning event in history, to promote the importance of Computer Science Education. We encourage families and community members of all ages to join us as our students guide various coding and technology activities as part of the international event #HourofCode.
RSVP here
.
From Washburne to New Trier:
A D36 Parent's Guide to the New Trier Transition
December 5, 2019
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
Paul Waechtler, Principal at the New Trier High School Freshman
Campus, and Lori Worth, 8th Grade Transition Faculty, will discuss the New Trier freshman placement process and the efforts made to ensure a smooth transition to high school. A Q & A will provide an opportunity for parents to learn more about how to best support their child(ren) as they prepare for their New Trier experience. RSVP here.
The Winnetka Public Schools welcomes students that will be new to the District in the 2020-2021 school year to begin registration. Incoming kindergarteners (five-years-old on or before September 1, 2020), and all new students entering grades 1-8 are eligible to enroll.
The new student registration process is completed in three steps:
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Complete new student pre-registration forms online beginning December 6, 2019.
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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.
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Visit the District Office to provide a certified copy of your child(ren)'s birth certificate and a parent photo ID and complete the paper portion of registration.
Children will not be considered enrolled until both the online and paper portion of registration has been complete and residency documentation is verified. If you have any questions, please contact the District Office at 847-446-9400.
Recommendation Form Protocol
Throughout the school year, our teachers and administrators may be asked to complete a recommendation form for families considering private schools or summer programs. As each institution's forms vary in the nature of information requested, we have moved to a common form that our Winnetka teachers and administrators will complete for submission to any authorized outside educational institution. Upon request for a feedback form, Winnetka staff will respond within ten business days. In the interest of maintaining appropriate confidentiality and consistency, our District employees will only complete this form, which may be attached to a student's application to any outside educational institution. You may find the form by
clicking here
.
Learners
Our annual District magazine, Learners, was mailed to all homes in Winnetka this month. To read Learners, click here.
From Family Action Network:
Family Action Network (FAN) is a 501(c)(3) organization that curates a high-quality speaker series each academic year. All FAN programs are free and open to the public. To view a calendar of upcoming events, visit the FAN website: https://www.familyactionnetwork.net/.
From The Alliance for Early Childhood:
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Dates to Note
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