Woodlawn Principal's Blog

We had a great week here at Woodlawn! We welcomed in our Woodlawn parents for our Curriculum Nights, while soccer and cross country began.  6th grade parents were able to come in for a visit with our PTO this morning and hang around to see how the lunchroom works. I was able to get into a few classrooms this week and I was so impressed with the work our students were doing! We are all going to enjoy this 3 day, Labor Day Weekend and come back ready to go on Tuesday.


iPad Update

In my never ending battle to keep our iPad’s safe and enhance our parent awareness, we had 2 casualties this week. Please remind your student to take care of their iPad. When I get the data from the other D96 schools on their iPad breakage, I will share it with you. Until that time, continue to talk with your child about the value of taking care of their items.


VISIT THE PTO BLOG!


8th Grade Hallway 7:43a.m. - August 2017

School begins at 7:45a.m.  Let's see how this progresses this school year.


Click here to see our DAILY ANNOUNCEMENTS!


Stand Strong

I have worked with this group closely over the last few years and it is something which I really believe. This is a parent night that everyone can benefit.  Here is a brief description of the evening:

*NOT MY KID!: Wednesday, September 6th at 7:00 PM at SHS. The event will feature a group of experts who will provide tips to parents on raising alcohol and drug-free kids.  Experts include Troy Gobble (principal at SHS), Dr. Cristina Cortesi (Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator at SHS), Officer Rick Coakley (school resource officer at SHS), Claudia Kasten (Chief of the Juvenile Division of the Lake County State's Attorney's Office), Dr. Adam Rubenstein (addiction specialist) and a former and current SHS student who have both struggled with substance use.  This event is appropriate for parents of 7th - 12th grade students. The flyer is attached. Register for this important event at this site.


An Invitation to Newcomers to Our District 96 Community

Has your family recently moved to the United States or are you and your student(s) new to this area?

On September 13th at 7 p.m., parents of registered students in Kindergarten–Grade 8 are invited to Woodlawn, for a program to welcome you to our community and introduce you to our District 96 culture.

Learn about and understand our home-school connection, classroom dynamics, patterns of communication to expect from our teachers and administrators, and more. Ask questions and help us understand how we can best support you as newcomers acclimating to the culture of a new school district, neighborhood, and community.

While all interested parents are welcome, please note that the focus of this evening is not specifically curricular and general procedural information, which will be shared with all District 96 parents on their students’ designated grade-level Curriculum Nights.

Rather, this is an informational opportunity for parents who–like their students–are experiencing our social customs and practices for teaching and learning for the first time.

Questions? Please contact Director of Language and Early Literacy Katie Sheridan at [email protected]


District 96 Band & Orchestra Boosters – Membership ToolKit Sign-Up is Now Active!

Do you have a student participating in the band or orchestra programs this school year?  If so, you will want to stay “in the know” and create an account in the Boosters Membership ToolKit!  In our ToolKit you will have access to the order forms for the required concert polo shirts, forms to order items for Booster fundraisers and to register for events (such as treats for after-concert socials, Gift Cards, Booster membership/donations, and the “End of the Year” party) as well as forms to sign up to volunteer at Booster events.  You will also be able to make purchases with your credit or debit card!  Offerings will be added throughout the year as we get closer to event dates.  Please note that most forms will now be located here, and will no longer be sent out by your band or orchestra director, so it is important that you set up an account to stay informed!  To create an account and get started head to https://bandandorchestraboosters.membershiptoolkit.com and follow the prompts.  If you already have a Membership ToolKit account with the PTO at your school, you can use the same e-mail and password to set up this account.  Questions?  Please contact Sharon Anderson at [email protected].


Finally, I had terrific conversations with parents at curriculum night. I am honored to work with this community and I value this district and what we stand for and believe. Thank you to everyone who was able to join us and please know how much I enjoyed talking with everyone. One conversation I had with a parent, was about my blog and specifically, my “Finally” section. The mom came out and was perfectly honest with me. She said, “I need you to be edgier.” In the past, I have come out with some attitude or tone in my writing, but as of today, I am honestly feeling relaxed and good about the start of our school year. The students have been great and I am really pleased with our new schedule. Now I am sure that at some point this year, things will boil over (broken iPads, the parking lot pick up line, student behavior in the lunchroom, 650 students with water bottles, drinking half of it and then flipping it over and over, trying to get it to land right side up on the table, and a million other things), but for now, things are good. I usually write my blog Friday after school, which means that on a dessert or special lunch day, I may have that edgier blog. If I am writing the blog and a student decides that it is a good idea to “see” what is above the ceiling tiles in the bathroom, you may get an edgier blog. Until that time, it is all good. Enjoy your Labor Day Weekend and know that I am at peace with Woodlawn right now. Enjoy this Zac Brown tune that I find very relaxing.