Woodlawn Principal's Blog 1/18/19

I am cranking out the blog and thinking about the snow, our students on the ski trip and the three day weekend ahead of us.  So far it is just flurries and the thought of shoveling is still just a thought. Enjoy the weekend everyone!

No School Monday

We are celebrating the life of Dr. Marting Luther King, Jr.  At the time of his death, he was the youngest person to ever be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (1964). https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1964/king/biographical/

Check out the PTO Monthly Blog (It is a new one....very exciting!)

Create a Sticker for Our Teachers!  

On March 1st teachers from District 96, 102, 103 and 125 will meet at Stevenson High School to participate in a workshop.  The workshop will focus on the diversity within our community and how educators can create an equitable learning environment for all students.  Our aspirational goal is to create a community in which all students feel they belong as their authentic selves. We are reaching out to students to help design a sticker with a slogan that will unite all of us around a common theme of respect and inclusion of all.  

If you are interested in submitting a design and slogan for consideration, please email a document as a .pdf with your design to [email protected] or turn in a paper copy to the main office in your school.  With your submission, please include your full name, grade and school you attend.  Your slogan and design may contain images, words or a combination of both and should not be bigger than 6 x 3 inches.  Your submission must be an original creation.

Designs need to be turned in on or before Friday, February 8th.  If your design is selected you will be contacted by email by February 15th.

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¡Crea una Calcomanía Para Nuestros Maestros!

El 1º de marzo los maestros de los Distritos 96, 102, 103 y 125 se reunirán en Stevenson High School para participar en un seminario.  El seminario se enfocará en la diversidad que existe dentro de nuestra comunidad y cómo los maestros pueden crear un ambiente de aprendizaje equitativo para todos los estudiantes. El objetivo que aspiramos es crear una comunidad en la cual todos los estudiantes se sientan que  pertenecen como seres auténticos que son. Queremos que los estudiantes ayuden con el diseño de una calcomanía en el que tenga un eslogan que nos unirá en torno a un tema común de respeto e integración de todos.  

Si estás interesado en enviar un diseño y un eslogan para ser considerado, por favor manda un documento .pdf por correo electrónico con tu diseño a [email protected] o entrega una copia en papel a la oficina de tu escuela.  Con tu formulario de envío, por favor incluye tu nombre completo, grado y la escuela a la que asistes.  Tu eslogan y diseño pueden contener imágenes, palabras o una combinación de ambos y no debe medir más de  6 x 3 pulgadas, además debe ser una creación original.

Los diseños deben ser entregados para el viernes 8 de febrero o antes.

Si se elige tu diseño te enviaremos un correo electrónico antes del 15 de febrero.

Steveson High School Kiva Club

Check out this video link.  Looks like a fun time.

https://youtu.be/DQYTEZORamE

Flier:

Stevenson High School Fine Arts Tour

Our 8th graders were treated to a show from the SHS Fine Arts students.  High school scheduling is coming up soon so ask your student what they learned about the different activities today.

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]

Special Thanks

The 6th grade teachers, Mrs. Franks, Mrs. Tripp, Ms. Zorn, Mrs. Garlick and myself had a talk with our 6th grade students about how some of them have been treating each other.  The highlight of our talk came from a group of our 8th graders who told them that there is hope and that they need to be nicer to one another.  Special thanks to Camila Maya, Adonis Osborne, Ricky Tiongson, Kassandra Bueno, Maggie Solarzano & Carter Davis.  Excellent leadership shown by our 8th graders!  

Parents of Current 8th-Graders/Simplifying Stevenson:

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
 

Check out the Woodlawn Daily Announcements

Check out the Band and Orchestra Blog

Finally, sometimes life just slaps you in the face.  My oldest son is coaching an eighth grade feeder team for Palatine High School.  He has been badgering me to go to a game, so last Sunday morning, at the last minute, I decided to go.  It was a Sunday morning game and his girlfriend was in town from Missouri, so she and I went together. I threw on sweats and a baseball hat and having not shaved on Saturday or Sunday, I was looking a bit scruffy.  When we walked into the school, we proceeded to the table where you pay to get in. I handed the gentleman in his late 30’s a ten dollar bill, letting him know that I was going to pay for both of us. The cost was $4 for adults.  This fine gentleman gave me a good look, turned and looked at the female cashier sitting next to him (who was also around his age), they both shrugged their shoulders and nodded their heads in agreement without any words being spoken. He then handed me four singles as my change.  Something wasn’t right. Math is not a strong suit, but I am very sure that I should only be receiving two dollars in change. This fine gentleman saw my obvious confusion and said, “You get the senior discount”. The words hung in the air and seemed to echo in my head...senior discount, senior discount, senior discount.  An extremely wide range of emotion was traveling through my body. At first I thought sweet, I just saved two dollars. Unfortunately, the rest of the day, I was haunted by what had happened to me. After telling the gentleman that this had never happened to me before, I thanked him and went into the gym. Later, I did what I always do...I replayed the moment over and over.  Some pressing questions came into my mind:

How old do I look to people?  

Did this guy think that I was the grandfather of one of these players?  

Why didn’t the lady next to him tell him that I am way too young to get the senior discount?

Is this why my wife insists on standing next to me for family pictures?  

I guess that I just have to accept it.  At 53 years old, your children are taking a toll on me.  Thanks.