This was a great week for me. We were able to have Curriculum Night for all three grades, there was an awesome welcome to Woodlawn PTO lunch for 6th graders, girls basketball and soccer began while cross country had their first meet. Stop it! This is too cool. We also had our students staying for clubs and I am getting to talk with many of our students. This has the makings of an amazing school year! Here are the items for the blog this week…
Schoology Codes
Parents should have received and Instant Message notice today via email with Schoology codes for your Woodlawn student. Attached was information on how to sign up for the account if you are new to Schoology.
2019/20
Dear Parent/Guardian,
District 96 provides a comprehensive health curriculum that addresses an individual’s physical, mental, and social-emotional well-being. Within these broad categories, health teachers cover the topics of body systems, fitness and nutrition, illness prevention, first aid, personal safety, consumer health, bullying prevention, and decision-making.
Illinois state law also requires all school districts with a comprehensive health curriculum to provide instruction on specific health topics including cancer education, AIDS education and prevention, human growth and development, sexual abstinence until marriage, contraception, dating violence, sexual abuse prevention, Erin’s Law, and the Abandoned Newborn Protection Act. In compliance with these state mandates, your child’s health teachers will address these specific topics by the end of eighth grade. The health curriculum is designed to introduce topics at the most age appropriate time. Please visit http://www.kcsd96.org/curriculum/pacing-guides-middle-school for information on both general and specific health topics by grade level.
District 96 recognizes that parents hold the primary responsibility for their child’s education. As parents, you may elect to excuse your child from instruction on any health topic. If you choose this option, please submit a request, in writing, to the building principal, asking that your child be excused from class during the specific period of instruction.
Please note that parents may also arrange to preview instructional materials by contacting their school office. If you have any questions, you may contact Andrea Penepacker, Health teacher at Woodlawn Middle School, at (847) 353-8500; or Ben Leven, Health teacher at Twin Groves Middle School at (847) 821-8946.
We hope you will find this information helpful as we begin a new school year.
Sincerely,
Julie A. Schmidt
Superintendent of Schools
Social Emotional Learning
It was great to talk SEL with everyone at Curriculum Night this week. Here is the information that was presented and where you can find it.
The Grade 6 SEL One-Pager link is HERE.
The Grade 7 SEL One-Pager link is HERE.
The Grade 8 SEL One-Pager is HERE.
To locate this info on the website:
1. Go to the "Curriculum & Instruction" link found underneath the large photo in the Quick Links 2-column list on your school homepage.
2. In Curriculum & Instruction, select "What Students Learn" (found in the light green Quick Links list on the right-hand side of the webpage).
3. In What Students Learn, Select "Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)" (found in the white portion of the Quick Links list on the right-hand side of the webpage) and see grade levels listed.
Click here to see the PTO Monthly Blog
Special Thanks to our PTO
Our 6th graders enjoyed a welcome to Woodlawn lunch on Thursday, sponored by our PTO. Thank you to the many 6th grade parents who volunteered for this awesome event. 7th graders will receive a lunch at the halfway point of the school year and 8th graders will get an end of the year lunch. Good times.
Thought Exchange Partnership - Parent Opportunity
Now seeking parents to fill open positions on our district Thought Exchange Partnership. If you are looking for a way to get involved, be a voice for Woodlawn, and learn about the wonderful things happening in District 96, please consider joining. If you are interested in this opportunity, email me ([email protected]) to express interest by September 28th! Please know this will be a lottery for open spots. I will contact everyone to let you know if you have been selected! The first meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 11th in the evening.
Purpose:
*To share with parents information regarding district goals and initiatives, curricular and instructional innovations, programs and other informational topics. (i.e. District Goals, MAP & PARCC Results)
*To review school board or school code required topics (i.e. Parent/Student Handbook, Discipline Policy, Grants, Calendar)
*To understand parent perceptions and solicit feedback on school district topics to assist the district in communication and planning.
Members serve a two-year term on a rotation basis. Once any two-year term is served, new members will be identified. Unless a parent has children at Woodlawn for both years of their term, they will serve as a representative for their elementary school for the final year if they are able. If all parent review positions are not filled, members may serve additional terms to fill parent review roster In this manner, each committee member can receive information about a greater number of topics and share feedback over the two-year period and committee composition is more stable than reforming the entire committee annually.
Committee Composition Includes:
● Two to four parent members-at-large for each school and any PTO member.
● One special education district representative.
● One ELL district representative.
● One Bilingual district representative.
● One Board of Education representative and alternate.
● One representative appointed by the Board of Education.
● Teacher Representative(s) – to be invited based on agenda topic.
● Administrative Representative(s) – to be invited based on agenda topic.
Roles of the Members:
1. Active participant sharing opinions, questions, suggestions and feedback in positive ways
2. Act as district ambassadors to promote the district in the community
3. Direct other parents to the appropriate district personnel and resources as needed
4. Invite other parents to attend district sponsored meetings and events including identified Parent
Review meetings
Administrative Chairperson:
Mrs. Jeanne Spiller, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning
Community Parent Liaison:
Lubna Andrabi
Examples of Potential Discussion Topics:
Topics Aligned with current District goals Discipline Procedures/Student Handbook/Bully Plan
Communication Norms Transition to Middle School and High School
PARCC/School Report Card Data District Committee Reports
MAP Testing/Growth Data/Goal Setting District Communication with Stakeholders
Health/Wellness/Social Emotional D96 Learning Targets
Collaboration between Stevenson and D96 Common Core Standards and Assessments
Transition to Middle School and High School
Parent Review Committee meets at Ivy Hall in the MAT Room from 7:00 to 8:30 PM on:
9/26/19, 10/24/19, 12/05/19, 01/30/20, 2/13/20, 4/23/20
MAP Scores -
We made the decision this year to turn off the ability for students to see their RIT score immediately upon submitting their test. In past years, this feature has been turned on. Instead, students will receive their scores through an individual discussion with their teacher at some point following the MAP testing window. In addition, MAP score reports will be emailed to parents on Friday, September 6th beginning at 3pm.
We believe it is best for students that their results are shared personally. Teachers can help put student results into context and discuss areas for further growth and areas of strength. A RIT score in isolation does not communicate this level of detail and simply becomes a number to compare themselves to others.
Some of our students have demonstrated a high level of anxiety with the level of sharing that occurs when the RIT scores are shown upon test submission. This change will allow students to simply take the assessment and not be concerned about the immediacy of the feedback.
Expanding Your Horizons STEM Event
This event for young women is supported by our outstanding Science Coach, Nicole McRee!
Ray Zhao Update
For those of you unaware of this situation, former Woodlawn student Ray Zhao suffered a severe spinal cord injury during high jump training last year. We took up a collection and here is a letter from Qiaoqiao Ruan, Ray’s mom:
Dear Mr. Grana,
We have received the donation from Woodlawn Middle School. We are deeply touched. It is heartwarming to know there are so many people caring about Ray and praying for him. Ray is doing much better now. He can drive a power chair, move his arms, use a computer, etc. He returned home two weeks ago and is continuing with physical therapy, four times a week, 5 hours each time. At the same time, he is taking three classes at Stevenson. He is a fighter. He wants to come back to Woodlawn and coach high jump someday.
Please send my gratitude to all Woodlawn families.
Best Regards,
Qiaoqiao Ruan
Click here for the Woodlawn Daily Announcements.
Click here for the Band & Orchestra Blog.
Finally, it was this weekend, 29 glorious years ago that my wife struck gold. (For those of you who know me, that may be my most tongue in cheek comment ever!) I am often amazed at how well she tolerates my crazy. Just for fun, I put together my TOP 5, foolproof ways that I drive her absolutely nutty.
#5 When I get a headache, I complain about it until she asks the question, “Have you taken anything for it?”. My answer is always, No. Then I get the look.
#4 One the rare, and I mean rare occasion that I am sent to Costco by myself, I come home with many, many items that aren’t on the list, including absurd things like an outdoor carpet or organic pancakes. I get the look.
#3 You may be able to relate to this one...When we host a family party, I clean and prepare like crazy. 20 minutes before everyone arrives, I ask what the menu is going to be. I then try to talk her into changing the menu or adjust it in some silly way. 3 minutes before people arrive, I get into the shower. Every single time! For this one, she shakes her head and then I get the look.
#2 On the rare occasion that she is watching a movie, I will enter the room, usually with 15 minutes left in the movie and start asking question...after question...after question. She calmly hits pause, answers a multitude of questions, asks if I am finished and starts the movie again. Because I am oblivious, I ask one more inane question. She hits pause and gives me the look.
#1 My very most favorite way of driving her crazy, (completely unintentionally) is this...I don’t care what parking lot it is, I will drive around until I find an amazing parking space. It may be one lap around, it could be 3 laps around the parking lot. At some point, I feel her frustration level mounting and wind up settling on a spot that is worse than the first spot she pointed out. I know it is coming and I fully deserve the look.
Just as a side note, each and every time, I love getting that look.
Enjoy your 3 day weekend.