Spring Break is here! We had an awesome spirit week as our students wore PJ’s, slippers, college or sports team clothing, hat & hoodie day and our homeroom war where our students had a themed dress up day. Here are a few examples of the homeroom war pictures:
Raise a Reader
Parents wanting to raise a lifelong reader will appreciate strategies shared by D96 literacy coaches from literacy expert Pernille Ripp. For straightforward advice about nurturing readers in your home, please take a moment to read Parents: Create Joyful Reading Routines at Home.
Stand Strong Event
For the 4th year, Stand Strong and Catalyst will host its 8th grade transitional event--designed for 8th grade parents AND students to get more information and comfort with the transition to high school. The event will take place Thursday, April 4th from 7:00-8:30 PM at Stevenson High School. Parents will be in one room and hear from experts, Troy Gobble (Principal, SHS), Cristina Cortesi (Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator), Officer Bethany Brown (School Resource Officer at SHS) and a former SHS graduate. In another room, 8th grade students will get the chance to ask questions of current SHS students. This has been a great opportunity for 8th grade families.
IAR
Coming in Early April: IAR Assessment for Grades 3–8
The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) is the new English/language arts and math state assessment for Grades 3–8 students in Illinois public schools.
The IAR replaces the PARCC assessment given the previous few years and is, in fact, very similar.
The testing window is designated as Apr. 8–26, but our students do not test every day during that period.
Read more info about the IAR, including our Testing Schedule, the impact of participation, and more.
As your building principal, I'm happy to answer any questions you have about the IAR assessment. Please call our school office or send me an email.
Spring Fling
We had an outstanding Spring Fling and our PTO once again out did themselves! We had a great basketball tournament, were able to dance with a DJ and just had a blast. Here are some pictures of our participants:
More Woodlawn Talent and Dedication to Celebrate
At their meeting on Tuesday evening, our Board of Education members were pleased to recognize–and celebrate proudly with parents and teachers–our students recognized for outstanding performance at the Illinois Grade School Music Association (IGSMA) solo and ensemble contest held last month. We applaud these band and orchestra students and their teachers Eileen Wronkiewicz (orchestra) and Chad Craw (band) for their hard work. See photos/details
Side note: My apologies to the band students and parents as we had a clerical mistake and the letters were not mailed to our band students. We will invite you to our School Board celebration in May.
6th Grade Dental Exams - May 15th Deadline
Proof of dental exam for all 6th grade students are due by May 15th. If you have any questions, please contact Nurse Kaufmann in our main office. 847-353-8500.
8th Grade Parents-Very Important End of the School Year Information
End of the year events and graduation information is available on the website. You will need to go to the 8th Grade Info site, print out the information and turn back to the Woodlawn main office. Information about graduation gowns and tickets, the bowling party, our Great America trip and the last ½ day of school are all in this letter.
Parents of D96 Middle School Girls - LAST CHANCE
Last chance to sign up! This is a FREE workshop, however, you must register. Space is limited to the first 150 girls. 115 spots are gone and other schools are now being invited!
The DreamGirls Initiative is a nonprofit organization committed to inspiring young women in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) by exposing them to female role models.
This event will take place Saturday, April 6th between 10a.m.-1:30p.m.
Click here for the PTO monthly blog
Click here for the Band & Orchestra Boosters
Read the Woodlawn Daily Announcements
Finally, there are times when my pride as principal of this school overwhelms me. Our students and staff go above and beyond to make Woodlawn a wonderful place. This week, we all participated in fun events, leading up to our Spring Break. I think back to my middle school experience and know that the students here are actively engaged in classes and feel the energy that being part of this WOLF PACK brings. We are all heading off in different directions for over a week now and when we return, we will be heading down the home stretch of the school year. Thank you to Mr. Dunn, Mr. Benitez, Mr. Nordstrom, Mr. Donofrio and student Chris Thorndyke, who all shaved their heads, with donations going to our St. Baldrick’s charity event. If you need information on how to donate, please contact Mr. Dunn ([email protected])
Have a great break and we will see you on Wednesday, April 3rd!