Friday, April 28, 2017

If you can believe it, the end of April is here and there is only one full month of school left.  The end of the school year is always a little bittersweet, but this year it is going to be tough because I really enjoy this 8th grade class.  I am enjoying this class so much because they are fun, mature and for the most part, really treat each other well.  I have a bunch of items in the blog this week. 

Conference Track Meet -- The Patriot Middle School Conference Track Meet is next Saturday, May 6th.  Woodlawn is hosting the meet again this year after the huge success from last year.  Remember that there is $5 per car entrance fee, so please car pool to the meet on that day.  Go Wolves at the meet!  We want to go back to state!

Woodlawn Energy Fair

Our 6th and 8th grade students put on a wonderful energy fair where energy exhibits were explained and demonstrated for the Woodlawn and Country Meadows students.  

Visit the PTO Blog!!

Community Service Club - Food Drive
This Wednesday will be the final day of the Community Service Club Food Drive. Students must bring in food items by Wednesday to earn raffle tickets. The tickets provide a chance to win the opportunity to throw a whipped cream pie in a teachers' face at an assembly. The competition is getting fierce so please send in your donations!   There is a staff member (Mr. Kuhlman- our custodian) who will definitely get a ticket from myself.  My dream will come true. 

PTO Book Fair
The PTO ran a wonderful Spring Book Fair this past week. Each class had the opportunity to visit the book fair
twice, previewing and later purchasing books and other items. If your student didn’t get an opportunity to buy a book, there will be one last look, as the book fair will be open on Monday morning, May 1st from 7:15 to the start of classes.  Support the PTO and promote reading for your student! 

Spring MAP Testing
Our Spring MAP test will be held early next week.  I am looking forward to seeing the progress our students have made throughout the course of the year. 

Monday, May 1st
6th Grade Reading Periods 5-7
7th Grade Reading Periods 6-8

Tuesday, May 2nd
6th Grade Math Periods 1-3
7th Grade Periods 2-4

Wednesday
Make ups/Selected 8th graders

Science Olympiad
Good luck to the Science Olympiad team this weekend at the state competition in Champaign.  Last year the squad brought home a really cool trophy so the expectation level is very high.  Our group of Sheldon Cooper’s are going to make it happen again this year!!

Woodlawn Chorus
The 6th and 7th/8th grade chorus students sang for the residents at Sunrise Senior Living today. Thank you for your music and for brightening the seniors' day!  Great job Mrs. Wesbecher and our fantastic chorus. 

National Spanish Exam
Woodlawn has 5 Chicago Chapter Winners for the National Spanish Exam.  All 5 of these students also won a national gold medal as well and ranked in the 98th or 99th percentile nationally.  Here is a blurb from the Chicago Chapter:

This year our Chicago-Area Chapter had 68 schools, 180 teachers, and more than 6,000 students registered for the National Spanish Exam.  We are pleased to announce that over $15,000 in prize money will be awarded to 275 students from 43 schools.

The 5 Woodlawn winners are: 

Michael Zaslavskiy - primer premio (1st place) - $100 winner
Nicholas Butirro - sobresaliente (outstanding) - $80 winner
Adam Kamholz - excelente (excellent) - $50 winner
Denis Selyuzhitsky- notable  (notable) - $30 winner
Richard Bi - notable (notable) - $30 winner

Woodlawn had 36 students take the test.  35 of our students won a national honor - gold (11) , silver (7) , bronze (9) or honorable mention (8).  These students took the exam through our Spanish club.  


Woodlawn Cultural Arts
This past Monday our PTO Cultural Arts committee welcomed Scott from Science Alliance for "Close Encounters of the Chemistry Kind." He taught our eager 6th grade students that everything is made of chemicals and showed them some cool demonstrations. Our volunteer chemists made slime, bouncy balls and weather predicting flowers. Things got loud when he showed them how different gasses in balloons react to heat. Science is fun!                                                                                             

 

Stevenson Dance
Would like to invite our  students and families to their last dance concert of the school year. Join them on Friday, May 5 or Saturday, May 6 at 7:00 p.m.for their  Spring Dance Concert. Click this link to get more information.
Lawn Time
I know that we have all been waiting for this one all year!! 
***LAWN TREATMENT APPLICATION NOTICE***
District 96 uses Integrated Pest Management-- a program that combines preventive techniques, non-chemical methods (such as bait traps), and the appropriate use of pesticides (with a preference for products least harmful to human health and the environment).
On the weekends of May 6th & 13th, 2017 the District 96 lawn treatment provider ACRES Group will treat grass areas adjacent to all District buildings. Signs will be posted to indicate that the treatments have been applied. In the event of rain, the applications will occur on the following weekend, May 13th & 14th, 2017.


Health Form 2017-18 Requirement Reminder
Don’t panic at the last minute. Plan ahead and make your student’s doctor’s appointments soon!
Health forms for the 2017-18 school year are due by Fri., Aug. 4.  If we don’t have required health forms for your student, we will hold your student’s teacher assignment/class schedule until we receive the required health forms.

Students currently attending District 96 schools and returning in 2017–18 have health form requirements that vary by grade level. PARENT LETTER | MORE INFO

If you have questions about health form requirements for 2017-18, before the current school year ends on June 6 please call the nurse at the school your student will attend in 2017-18. SCHOOL PHONE NUMBERS

District 96 schools are closed during July, but mail is received at each school throughout the summer. Remember that you can mail your student’s health forms to his/her school.

2nd to Last Call for Dental Forms
6th Grade parents!!!  This is almost it. 
Please note that if your child has not submitted a Dental Exam Report to the Nurse, the final deadline is May 15th.  There are Dental forms available that can be downloaded by going onto the District website, or most Dentists have them available and can complete them at the time of examination.  If you choose to have the exam waived, that form is also available online at the District website.

It is a state law that all 6th graders comply and submit a Dental Exam Report to the school.  Many families have already submitted the forms.  If your child still needs to have this mandated exam done, we ask that you please submit the completed form as soon as possible.  Thank you so very much.

Congrats to Humza!
I had a nice talk with one of our students this week, Humza Qazi who recently competed in the Illinois State Taekwondo Championships. He won a silver medal, and is ranked #2 in the state in his age bracket as a black belt.  My security detail has just added Humza to our team. 


Finally, I usually keep the end of my blog light, but after a discussion with our fantastic school counselor, Tammy Franks, I am handing it over to her today.  After her work in the health classes this week, we both agreed that our parents needed to hear this information. 

13 Reasons Why is a compelling new series (Released March 31, for MA 15+) trending on Netflix. It is based on the young adult novel by Jay Asher of the same title. It’s about a 17 year old girl, Hannah Baker, who before committing suicide, recorded 13 cassette tapes to be passed around and heard by those who wronged her and were part of why she killed herself.  Each tape, directed at 13 different people, recounts the role each played in the painful events that led to Hannah choosing to end her life.  Themes I’ve found so far include suicide, bullying, sexual harassment, sexual identity, drugs / alcohol, rape, drug abuse, and drunk driving.  And I’m only on episode 7 of 13.  Sound intense?  It is.

I’m just finishing up the Signs of Suicide and Depression unit in the health classes with the last group of 7th and 8th graders.  This unit (which I tell the kids may be the most important thing they learn this year), teaches students to recognize and ACT (acknowledge, care, tell), to potentially save someone’s life, if they are concerned for someone who is showing signs of depression or thoughts of suicide.  As I’m educating students about mental illness and trying to instill the importance of intervening and telling an adult if they are worried about someone, I can’t help but have concerns that 13 Reasons Why is so popular right now.  Here’s what I know: your child is either watching the series, already watched it, is planning to watch it, or has heard about it.  And, it’s not just 7th and 8th graders watching.  It is 6th graders, too.  The 6th grade LA teachers are seeing the themes come through in students’ narrative writing.

While I do believe the realistic portrayal of mental illness can reduce the stigma of psychiatric disorders, according to the National Association of School Psychologists, the series, “is raising concerns from suicide prevention experts about the potential risks posed by the sensationalized treatment of youth suicide.”  Here’s what worries me about the series:  There is no talk of alternatives to suicide or prevention.  That’s where you come in.  Let’s use this awareness about emotional problems and psychological issues to our advantage and have the much needed conversations about these hard to talk about topics.  Please, ask your child about the series.
Here’s talking points related to 13 Reasons Why to guide your conversation, if needed.

The National Association of School Psychologists wrote the following:
Guidance for Families    
Ask your child if they have heard or seen the series 13 Reasons Why. While we don’t recommend that they be encouraged to view the series, do tell them you want to watch it with them or to catch up, and discuss their thoughts.
If they exhibit any of the warning signs above, don’t be afraid to ask if they have thought about suicide or if someone is hurting them. Raising the issue of suicide does not increase the risk or plant the idea. On the contrary, it creates the opportunity to offer help.
Ask your child if they think any of their friends or classmates exhibit warning signs. Talk with them about how to seek help for their friend or classmate. Guide them on how to respond when they see or hear any of the warning signs. 
Listen to your children’s comments without judgment. Doing so requires that you fully concentrate, understand, respond, and then remember what is being said. Put your own agenda aside.
Get help from a school-employed or community-based mental health professional if you are concerned for your child’s safety or the safety of one of their peers. 

Here are links for depression and suicide prevention or how to Stop a Suicide

If you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me, Ms. Tripp, or Ms. McDevitt.  We are all here to help and support you and /or your child(ren) in any way.

Tammy Franks
School Counselor