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Dear Winnetka Families,
Throughout the year, we explore the different roles that facilitators play in our District within our newsletters. Each elementary school enjoys the benefit of having science, literacy, and math facilitators as well as a technology integration specialist. These individuals are essential for our acquisition of best practices in their respective fields. This week we hear from our science facilitators (Jean Bierner - HW, CI, Jen Parkinson- GR).
The mission of our D36 science program is "to foster children's curiosity in the world around them and empower them with the knowledge needed to interact with the world as scientists and engineers. Our students are encouraged to pose questions, investigate solutions, and justify their thinking. Children will collaborate with each other, engage in scientific and engineering practices, persevere, and creatively investigate phenomena and solve problems."
We have long believed that this is what good science education looks like and it fits perfectly with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) adopted by Illinois in 2014.
NGSS
integrate three dimensions of scientific thinking:
-
Disciplinary Core Ideas (focused science content)
-
Science and Engineering Practices (how science and engineering are conducted in the real world, such as through planning and carrying out investigations or solving problems through design)
-
Crosscutting Concepts (science ideas, like
cause and effect
, that permeate all the sciences)
Through firsthand investigative experiences in our curriculum, students
are challenged with scientific and engineering tasks that apply to the world they live in. Our hope is that these tasks will draw on children's motivation to engage with their surroundings and inspire lifelong learning.
As Science Facilitators, we collaborate with teachers, offering in-the-moment professional development and curricular support in the areas of science and engineering. We assist classroom teachers and provide strategies, skills, tools, techniques, and capacity to effectively teach science to all students. Shadow us for a day and you might find us co-teaching in a classroom to model instructional practices, discussing upcoming curriculum and practices during CLT (Collaborative Learning Team) meetings, gathering and preparing materials, keeping live organisms healthy, developing learning plans for individual investigations, searching for supplemental materials to enhance a unit of study, assisting with engineering design challenges, and working with other facilitators and RC/STEAM Lab staff to encourage cross-curricular projects to integrate science and engineering. Each day brings joy and new challenges as we help teachers lead their students in acquiring new skills, knowledge or understanding in science and engineering.
Sincerely,
Beth Carmody, Hubbard Woods
Julie Pfeffer, Crow Island
Joshua Swanner, Greeley
GREELEY NEWS
Dear Greeley Families,
It's hard to believe a third of the school year has come and gone. Throughout the first three months of school, students have taken part in thematic learning units and studies. When appropriate, teachers use student interests to guide and refine the learning process. I've frequently wondered how many students have had their interest piqued from a unit of study, only to keep this interest to themselves. While teachers can certainly solicit this information from students, I would like to encourage our Greeley parents to ask their child(ren) the following questions:
What is something you would like to learn more about? How can you learn more about this subject outside of school?
To be sure, many students already explore their passions and wonderings outside of school. Sometimes students have "smaller, simpler" questions and curiosities, however, that are quickly forgotten as the days and weeks progress. It is my hope that having this conversation this will aid our students in acting on the impulse to explore these interests.
Sincerely,
Joshua Swanner
Principal
Your children will be visiting the
Fair
during school hours. Please check their backpacks today for money envelopes, class visiting schedules and more information!
New to the
Fair
this y
ear is our Secret Stories Gifting Program. Secretly purchase a book at the Fair OR online for your child, and it will be wrapped and delivered to their classroom the week before break!
DECEMBER 3 - 13 - GREELEY IS HOSTING A BOOK DRIVE FOR BERNIE'S BOOK BANK!
As you clear off your children's bookshelves in preparation for new books,
please consider donating
new and gently used books (birth - 6th grade reading level
) to help us achieve this year's goal of donating 2,000 books from Greeley School!
Please note, Bernie's Book Bank does
NOT
accept activity books, coloring books, dictionaries, textbooks, religious books or foreign language books (dual language books are ok.)
Thank you for your support!
SPORTS AFTER SCHOOL
Session I is now over. Please sign your child up for Session II through the District 36 Web Store. Sports After School will resume on Tuesday, January 7, for 3rd graders and Wednesday, January 8, for 4th graders. Sports After School will meet for 11 straight weeks, ending on March 17 (3rds) and March 18 (4ths).
HOLIDAY ABSENCES
If your travel plans for Winter Break call for your child(ren) to miss school days, please either email or call Mrs. Jenner to let her know. It is helpful for us to know of absences in advance for our attendance records. Thank you!
The Winter Sharing (also known as the Winter Sing-Along) is a time when our school community comes together to share music. The children perform festive, wintery songs and everyone offers up their voices and sings a few songs together. The atmosphere is casual and fun, and enables all of us to take a moment in the
midst of our busy schedules to relax and enjoy music together.
When is it?
- These programs will occur on Wednesday, December 18th
- Families whose last name begins with the letters A-K will attend their Winter Sharing at 9:00 AM
- Families with last names that begin with the letters L-Z will enjoy their program at 1:00 PM
Arrival time:
- The doors will open twenty minutes before each program begins.
- Parents should pick up their child from his/her classroom and find a seat in the auditorium.
This year's format:
- Parents will begin the program sitting with their child/children in the audience
- Groups of students will be called to the stage when it is their time to share/perform
- The last portion of the program will highlight student performances with classmates and/or buddies.
What should I do if I can't come to the program?
If you cannot attend, please arrange for a grandparent, aunt, uncle, babysitter or family friend to accompany your child. If no one is available, please let your child's teacher know and he/she will sit with your child during the program.
Questions or Concerns:
Please contact Mrs. Jenner if you have any questions or concerns.
Online Pre-Registration Open for Kindergarten & New Students for the 2020-2021 School Year
Pre-registration for Kindergarten and students new to The Winnetka Public Schools in 2020-2021 is now open on the District website and by clicking here
. Children who will be five-years-old on or before September 1, 2020, are eligible to enroll.
The new student registration process is completed in three steps:
-
Complete new student pre-registration forms online beginning December 6, 2019.
-
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 or brought to the District Office.
-
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 completed 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.
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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