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Dear Baker families,
It has been another great week at school! With beautiful weather the bike racks are full and slowly everyone is getting into the reassuring routines of school. As I stand by the front door in the morning, I see our younger friends confidently heading off to their classroom on their own (or almost), whether it is first graders up to the 2nd floor for the first time, or Kindergarteners walking the length of the 1st floor to their classrooms. I see our middle schoolers more relaxed as they form new friendships and begin to spread their wings as the older student leaders in the school.
We had a wonderful first Back To School Night yesterday for parents of preschoolers, first graders, third graders and fifth graders with a great turnout of parents. It was standing room only in the library for our Q & A and we had some fantastic, insightful questions for our leadership team. Many parents shared how thrilled they were to meet new families during the summer socials, to connect with their children's teachers in their classrooms, and meet other classmate parents. We know how special and important it is for parents to be a part of their children's education and we are planning more opportunities for parent engagement and community connections.
A huge thank you to everyone - parents, board members, faculty and staff who contributed to another big community building event. If you had questions that you didn't get answered, or weren't able to attend but had questions from the videos, please feel free to write any of us an email directly or respond to this email writing [email protected].
One of the questions that came up in the Q & A was how can parents help out. There are so many ways, and I included some in the tail end of my video. We are really trying to Grow Baker this year through admissions to give more children a chance at a Baker education, as well as through advancement as we want to continue to fund the vast unique offerings that our students benefit from. In addition to growing Baker we also want to continue to enrich the experiences of our children and our community.
Baker Happenings This Week
In the picture above, Ms. Johns is showing some Preschool and Kindergarten students a beautiful Monarch caterpillar that she found on the milkweeds. The students remembered the Hungry Caterpillar book and wondered when the caterpillar would change to a butterfly. This experience happened because of the wonderful garden that has been planted and carefully curated by BPO members of the Green Team.
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Speaking of nature, I was able to tag along on a Nature walk with the 4th grade class today through Isabella Woods. Our 4th and 5th grade science teacher, Wendy Forbes, guided the class to making observations and distinguishing between living and non-living items. There were so many observations and questions raised on our walk as the students paid attention to the sights, sounds, and smells on their walk. Interestingly enough the list of non-living objects in the woods dwarfed the list of living objects. Nature and the great outdoors is a big part of the Baker educational experience and our teachers take advantage of our surrounding outdoor resources often.
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We launched the first monthly Principal's Coffee with our new Principal - Theresa Collins. The Principal's Coffee is a wonderful opportunity to connect with Theresa and learn more about the happenings at school. If you weren't able to attend the Principal's coffee this past Tuesday, save the date of October 4th, 8:30 am for the next one.
Finally we've updated our website with more bios and photos of our new faculty and staff. Our newest arrival is Brendan Marshall, who is our new Director of Communications and Marketing. You may read more about Brendan and other new staff members here.
Have a great evening,
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Mason Rocca
Interim Head of School
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Tonight is our second Back To School Night. We look forward to welcoming our second group to campus to get a glimpse of life in Baker classrooms; faculty will be here to share all that is happening right now, as well as plans for the year as a whole. Please review the schedules below, as different grade level cohorts meet at different times. Keep in mind that all families are invited to the Q & A sessions from our State of the School Videos. Some families will start their evenings with the Q & A, while others will finish their evening with it.
We are pleased to share that BASE will be an option (5:30- 7:30 both nights) for families who need childcare; please email Erin Steiner to sign-up. Sign-ups close on Tuesday, September 6th at noon to ensure we have ample coverage.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH (Kindergarten, 2nd Grade, 4th Grade & Middle School)
5:30- 6:15 Kindergarten & 4th Grade Presentations (in classrooms)
6:15 - 6:45 Q & A with Academic Leadership Team and Board members (LIBRARY; after Q&A, Middle School parents please remain in the library)
6:45- 7:30 2nd grade (Classroom)
6:45- 7:30 Middle School (Library)
6:45: MST/Arts Core Faculty introductions
6:55: Parents remain in Advisory Groups, introductions
7:00- 7:30- Parents move to classrooms to meet faculty
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September 8
Back to School Night, See schedule above
September 10
Wilmette Block Party, See details below
September 12
FAN Event, The Milky Way: An Autobiography of our Galaxy, Moiya McTier, Ph.D. & Chanda Prescot- Weinstein, Ph.D.
7:00 p.m. Register here
September 15
FAN Event, The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides, Geoffrey L. Cohen, Ph.D. & Beverly Daniel Tatum, Ph.D.
7:00 p.m. Register here
September 16
BPO Family Bonfire at Lighthouse Beach, 5:00 - 7:00 pm
You can view Baker's public calendar at bakerdemschool.org/calendar
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New Faculty and Staff info | |
We have some amazing new faculty and staff in our building this year. You can see all of our faculty and staff info on our website page and we've also created a separate document for our new members. | |
In addition, Brendan Marshall, our newest member whose first day was yesterday, has written a welcome note to the community. Brendan is our Director of Communications and Marketing.
Hello Baker!
What a warm welcome I have received in just my first two days. I am very excited to be joining the Baker team!
I come to you from IC Catholic Prep in Elmhurst working as the Director of Marketing & Communication and assisting in the Business/HR office. I have truly enjoyed working in education for the past three years after graduating from Loras College in May of 2020. Graduating during the COVID-19 pandemic created a huge opportunity for me to use my Public Relations degree with a specialty in crisis communication in the education field (who would have thought that 8:00 AM intensive course would be put to use!).
I grew up in Glen Ellyn, Illinois with 3 older siblings and parents. After attending college in Iowa, I moved downtown Chicago to Lakeview, just a block away from Wrigley Field (I am your contact for all things Cubs!). I have loved living in a vibrant community with so much to do and so much inspiration that fuels my drive in my career. You can catch me attending a concert or game, enjoying new restaurants with family and friends, or enjoying the lakefront on the weekend!
I am excited to join Baker and work on numerous projects including advertising, media content, and much more! I can already see the liveliness, community strength, and commitment to excel here.
Thank you for welcoming me and I look forward to getting to know you all and working together!
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Safety Corner - Reminders & Info | |
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New Door Frames on the West Playground
Door frames aren't probably the most exciting update, but I can tell you that all of us are thrilled that we no longer have to hip check, wiggle and bump the doors to get them to open on the West Playground. We have a wonderful building, but it needs TLC and upkeep. We have many projects and have our eyes also on updating some of the playground equipment if anyone is interested in pitching in, please reach out.
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BPO Wilmette Block Party - Volunteer Signup | |
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Calling ALL Baker families, staff, and students! Baker will have a booth at the Wilmette Block Party - Kids Zone on Saturday, September 10th. We really need help with the 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. time slots. We will have a tent, swag, face painting and tattoos. This is an easy way for new families to get involved alongside veteran families. Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up for some Baker fun. Thank you!
Volunteers: Sign up form Questions: Contact Stacie Erck
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Baker Spirit Wear Shop is open! | |
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The Baker spirit wear pop up shop is open! The pop-up shop website is provided by Freadom Promotions. Make your purchases through Sunday, September 18th. Freadom Promotions is "... the ONLY promotional products company investing 100% of net profits to end America's literacy crisis." Bernie's Book Bank is one of the beneficiaries of Freadom Promotions. You might recall Bernie's Book Bank because Baker students have done service work for them in the past. Furthermore, $1 from every spirit wear purchase will benefit Baker.
Questions: Contact Stacie Erck
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The BPO invites all Baker families to attend our annual Bonfire September 16, 2022 at Evanston LightHouse Beach (Sheridan and Central) from 5-7 pm. Gather with Baker families to enjoy s'mores at the fire circle, play at the adjacent "Noah’s Park" playground, make a fire pit related craft and be in good company listening to the waves. Drop in after dinner, before dinner, or bring your dinner (nut free please). S'mores fixings will be provided. Parking is limited, so you may need to use street parking and walk over.
We look forward to seeing you and your family. RSVPs appreciated but not required. Please RSVP if you have food allergy requests as we want to accommodate all needs. We're also still looking for a few volunteers to make the evening a success. Check out our sign up genius if you're interested. Thanks!
We look forward to seeing you there! Questions: [email protected]
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I am grateful for all of our amazing faculty that put on a wonderful presentation at Day 1 of the Back to School Nights. I am also thankful for our parent community that took time out to come into the building on a week night to learn about their children's classes and the school. If someone has done something special or nice for you, let them know! It will make their week and will also feel good to you.
Gratitude Notes
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Baker Parent Organization (BPO) | |
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BPO offers many opportunities to get involved, make connections and serve the community. All of us coming together is what makes Baker so vibrant. Let us know what teams you’d like to be a part of. There are opportunities for all schedules and availability. Click here to learn more.
Check out Baker's Tent at the Ridgeville Concerts on the Ridge event. Our bubbles brought down the house and had all the kids hanging with us. Thanks to Stacie Erck for organizing and blasting the bubbles!
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September 12
FAN Event, The Milky Way: An Autobiography of our Galaxy, Moiya McTier, Ph.D. & Chanda Prescot- Weinstein, Ph.D.
7:00 p.m. Register here
After graduating from Harvard as the first person in the school’s history to study both astronomy and mythology, Dr. McTier earned her Ph.D. in astrophysics at Columbia University where she was selected as a National Science Foundation research fellow. She has consulted with companies like Disney and PBS on their fictional worlds, helped design exhibits for the New York Hall of Science, and given hundreds of talks about science around the globe. Dr. McTier also hosts and produces the Exolore podcast that explores fictional world-building through the lens of science.
Dr. McTier will be in conversation with Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics and astronomy and core faculty in women’s and gender studies at the University of New Hampshire. Her research in theoretical physics focuses on cosmology, neutron stars, and dark matter. Her first book, The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred, won the 2021 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in the science and technology category, and was named a Best Book of 2021 by Publishers Weekly, Smithsonian Magazine, and Kirkus. Nature recognized her as one of 10 people who shaped science in 2020, and Essence magazine has recognized her as one of “15 Black Women Who Are Paving the Way in STEM and Breaking Barriers.”
This event suitable for youth 12+. It will be recorded and available on FAN's website and YouTube channel.
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September 15
FAN Event, The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides, Geoffrey L. Cohen, Ph.D. & Beverly Daniel Tatum, Ph.D.
7:00 p.m. Register here
We live in enormously divisive times. Divisions based on class, politics, race, religion, gender, and nationality are erupting around the globe. The consequences of not having a sense of belonging range from political strife to illness to underperformance at work and in the classroom. Americans have become disconnected from their communities, and about one in five Americans suffers from chronic loneliness, especially young adults. Why is our sense of belonging so undermined? What if there were a set of science-backed techniques for navigating modern social life that could help us overcome our differences, create empathy, and forge lasting connections across divides?
Geoffrey L. Cohen, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and the James G. March Professor of Organizational Studies in Education and Business at Stanford University, answers these questions and more in his new book Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides. As Prof. Cohen explains, often inadvertently, we behave in ways that threaten others’ sense of belonging. Yet small acts that establish connection, brief activities such as reflecting on our core values, and a wealth of practices that he refers to under the general rubric of “situation- crafting” have been shown to lessen polarization in our politics, improve motivation and performance in school and work, combat racism in our communities, enhance health and well-being, and unleash the potential in ourselves and our relationships. The book’s research is essential for managers, educators, parents, administrators, caregivers, and everyone who wants those around them to thrive.
Prof. Cohen will be in conversation with Beverly Daniel Tatum, Ph.D., interim president of Mount Holyoke College and a clinical psychologist widely known for both her expertise on race relations and as a thought leader in higher education. Her thirteen years as the president of Spelman College (2002-2015) were marked by innovation and growth and her visionary leadership was recognized in 2013 with the Carnegie Academic Leadership Award.
This event suitable for youth 12+. It will be recorded and available on our website and YouTube channel.
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