Woodlawn Principal's Blog 1/11/19

Welcome back to the Woodlawn Principal's Blog!  Can you believe that we are in the year 2019?  It was a fast and interesting week as we went right back to work.  Make sure you check out all of the items in the blog this week.  

Access your child's MAP Student Progress Report

The District will send a School Messenger email today between 2:30 pm and 4:00 pm with instructions for accessing your child's MAP student progress report online.  The message will include links to more information about understanding student growth, RIT scores, and general information about the MAP assessment.

Please contact Jeanne Spiller, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching for Learning, if you would like more information about your child's report.  (847) 459-4260 ext. 8010, [email protected]

Ingrese AL REPORTE DE PROGRESO DE MAP de su estudiante

Hoy el Distrito enviará un Mensaje de Transmisión Escolar entre las 2:30 pm y las 4:00 pm con las instrucciones para poder ingresar al reporte de progreso de MAP de su estudiante en línea. El mensaje incluirá enlaces a más información sobre la comprensión del desarrollo de su estudiante, los resultados de RIT, e información general sobre la prueba MAP.

Por favor contacte a Jeanne Spiller, Asistente de la Superintendencia de la Enseñanza y el Aprendizaje, si usted quiere obtener más información sobre el reporte de su estudiante.  (847) 459-4260 ext. [email protected]

Notice of 5Essentials Student Survey Administration

We are writing to inform you about a student survey for 6th–8th graders that will be administered at Woodlawn Middle School on Jan. 25, 2019.

The Illinois 5Essentials Survey is based on 20 years of research at the University of Chicago. The survey asks students about their experiences in school, giving school leaders critical student input to help develop school improvement plans.

Students will be required to log in using their student ID and birth date in order to complete the survey. Students’ identities will be completely confidential. Teachers or administrators will never see individual responses to survey questions. Instead, they will receive only aggregated information, such as the total percentage of students who agree homework assignments help them learn the course material, for example.

Please be aware that under the Protection of Pupil Rights Act. 20 U.S.C. Section 1232(c) (1) (A), you have the right to review a copy of the questions your student(s) are asked. Find survey questions on the Illinois 5Essentials website (https://www.5-essentials.org/illinois).

If you do not want your son or daughter to participate, please contact me: Greg Grana, [email protected]

Take Note, Parents of Current 8th-Graders:

As you prepare to send your student to high school, what questions would you like to ask Stevenson students?

A popular D96 tradition, the 16th-annual Simplifying Stevenson program for parents of current 8th graders is  Tues., Jan. 22, Twin Groves Middle School Learning Center, 2600 N. Buffalo Grove Rd., Buffalo Grove, 7–8:30 PM. A panel of Stevenson seniors and freshmen (District 96 alumni) and SHS Principal Troy Gobble, are ready to answer D96 parents’ questions on how they managed the transition to high school, choose classes and extracurriculars, and balance the workload. This program is presented by the KCSD96 Parent (P2P) Network. No registration/RSVP needed.  Questions? Please contact the District 96 Community Parent Liaison Lubna Andrabi, [email protected]

Current Patriot Consortium Mathematics Placement Process

Over the last few years, Stevenson High School and the feeder middle schools have created a scope and sequence and aligned the curriculum to the Common Core Standards for Mathematics, as well as created common benchmarks for the end of each unit for both the Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 courses. The consortium has created criteria that defines the four strands of mathematical proficiency to highlight the attributes of a proficient mathematical thinker. The criteria are grouped into three categories (See chart on second page):

• Procedural Skills & Fluency (How well you can correctly use mathematics.)

• Conceptual Understanding (How well you utilize mathematical ideas, transfer your knowledge into new situations, and apply it to new contexts.)

• Problem Solving with Adaptive Reasoning and Strategic Competence (How well you can apply strategies and sound reasoning.)

Over the course of the year, the mathematics teachers will be discussing these criteria with the students in class to create a portrait of each student. This portrait will be used to recommend the students into the mathematics course at Stevenson High School that matches their content knowledge as well as level of mathematics proficiency at this time.

As a district and consortium, it is our vision that each student move on to the next course in the sequence providing that there are not significant gaps in content knowledge. If there are significant gaps in content knowledge and a change in recommendation occurs, we will contact you. We feel that this process allows a mathematical picture of the student to develop over time, which will provide a more informed recommendation

Congratulations to Eileen Wronkiewicz - Woodlawn Orchestra Teacher
Eileen was named the Emerging Young Educator by the American String Teachers Association.  I have been exceptionally proud of the work Eileen has done here at Woodlawn and know that this is a well deserved award.  Way to go Eileen.  

PTO Dessert Day

Woodlawn students had their monthly dessert day today.  Who wouldn’t want ice cream from Dairy Queen? It is good to be a middle school student.  

Click here for the Daily Announcements

Click here for the PTO monthly blog

Click here for the Band & Orchestra Boosters Blog

Finally, Winter Break was all that I wanted it to be.  My children were in town, I was able to get together with friends from high school (including my buddy Scott, the smartest guy I know, who just happens to be a rocket scientist), and just getting some R & R.  My wife played this game all break where she just happened to get a couple of manicures, making her unable to clean any of the dishes. Winter Break is the time of year when I use my vacation days and even though we didn’t go anywhere, I just relaxed and enjoyed my time away.  When I have time on my hands, projects that are way over my head get tackled. I will save you the details, just know that Home Depot and I became good friends. I hope that you all had a great break and I am looking forward to a great 2019 for Woodlawn. My goal is to share fun stories, keep parents informed on the progress of our school year and address any issues that might be coming up.  Let’s keep the momentum going!!