Day 3 of the palindrome date run is today, 12-3-21. Too cool. Yesterday was the day to end all days. December 2nd, 2021. Forwards, backwards and in the correct font, upside down. What?!?
I know, the rest of the blog is going to be a complete let down.
NWEA MAP -WINTER
All students in grades K-8 will be participating in NWEA MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) assessment. The MAP assessment is a normed referenced, computerized adaptive test that helps teachers, parents, and administrators improve learning for all students and make informed decisions to promote a child's academic growth. Like in previous years, all students will be taking the MAP test in reading and math during the school day. Testing will take place on Monday, December 6th and Tuesday, December 7th.
Students who are quarantined during those testing days will take the MAP assessment after they return to school.
Due to the proximity of the MAP testing window to Winter Break, families will receive NWEA MAP scores on Monday, January 10th. This allows building administration enough time to complete make-up testing and for each family to receive scores at the same time.
Student Council
Congratulations to our Woodlawn students and staff as we raised $200 to make 100 meals for The Night Ministry! Outstanding!
Current Patriot Consortium Mathematics Placement Process- Repeat from 11/22/21 District Communication
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 description below):
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 moves on to the next course in the sequence providing that there are no 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.
Resequence of courses for the 2022-23 school year
In working with other area school districts and with Stevenson, it has been decided to align the sequence of all mathematics curriculum pathways to follow the learning progression of Algebra 1, then Geometry, then Algebra 2. Below are mathematics course pathways for our students beginning the 2022-23 school year. For more information on the resequencing of courses, please see the notification you received via School Messenger on November 22.
PORTRAIT OF A MATHEMATICALLY PROFICIENT STUDENT
Procedural Skills & Fluency
How well you can correctly use mathematics.
(skill in carrying out procedures flexibly, accurately, efficiently, and appropriately)
-I can identify and use the most efficient method for the problem. (MP7)
-I can use mathematical computations, terms, symbols, formulas, and language appropriately. (MP5, 6)
-I can recognize the algebraic structure in problems and use rules or procedures to solve or simplify. (MP7)
-I can solve problems with accuracy. (MP6)
Conceptual Understanding
How well you utilize mathematical ideas, transfer your knowledge into new situations, and apply it to new contexts.
(comprehension of mathematical concepts, operations, and relations)
-I can use diagrams, pictures, and symbols to justify my work. (MP4)
-I can understand and justify the “why” of the procedure. (MP3)
-I can justify solutions algebraically, graphically, and numerically. (MP3)
-I can explain my solution with sound mathematical reasoning using precise mathematics vocabulary and terminology. (MP3, 8)
-I can determine the reasonableness of my answer. (MP2)
Problem Solving with Adaptive Reasoning and Strategic Competence
How well you can apply strategies and sound reasoning.
(capacity for logical thought, reflection, explanation, and justification and ability to formulate, represent, and solve mathematical problems)
-I can select and use all the pertinent information to solve the problem. (MP2)
-I can determine a solving strategy by forming logical relationships among concepts and situations. (MP7, 8)
-I can represent a situation mathematically using modeling. (MP4)
-I can retain and apply information and skills from previous units to solve problems alongside new concepts. (MP7,8)
-I can make connections between multiple mathematical concepts to solve problems in unfamiliar situations. (MP7,8)
-I can persevere when encountering new and difficult concepts.(MP1)
PCR Tests -
This was funny or infuriating, depending on how you look at it. We made an announcement toward the end of the first period saying bring down your PCR test if you forgot. Well, we had 50 student looking to do their PCR test in the hallway outside of the nurses office. I saw the humor, Nurse Kaufmann did not. Please have your student do their PCR test at home and bring it back. She was right. Thanks.
Spanish Placement Tests- 8th Graders
Dear Families -
In the month of December, 8th grade students will participate in the AAPPL (The ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages) assessment to assess their communicative competency with the Spanish language. The purpose of this assessment is three-fold:
D96 will collect valuable data that will inform our instruction to continue to enhance our Spanish curriculum and instruction.
Stevenson High School will use this proficiency data to make initial recommendations for Spanish coursework when your student is in high school.
Students will have the opportunity to have experience with an assessment that can lead them to earning the Seal of Biliteracy on their High School diploma when they are in high school.
Tell me more about the assessment.
Your child’s Spanish Teacher will share the specific assessment schedule. The tasks included in this assessment are similar to tasks we use during our regular instruction and assessment cycle in Spanish classes. The students are asked to engage in interpretive listening and reading tasks. This includes listening or reading authentic Spanish pieces and answering questions, in English, about those pieces based on language the students already know or context given. Additionally, the students will respond to a writing prompt in Spanish utilizing learned language skills. The final piece of the assessment is an interpersonal speaking opportunity in which your child will perform for the classroom teacher and will be scored based on a rubric co-constructed with all Spanish teachers across the consortium (D96, D102, D103, and D125) for consistency of expectations.
When will the test be administered?
Listening and Reading- December 9th from 1:06-2:30
Writing- December 10th from 1:06-2:30
What do students need?
Please make sure your student has headphones.
How will this information be used to make course recommendations?
Your student’s level of proficiency (interpretive listening and reading as well as writing) as indicated by this assessment combined with an analysis of their interpersonal speaking skills and teacher input will be used to make an initial course recommendation that is optimal for your student. You will receive this information in the mail late January/early February prior to needing to select courses at Stevenson. You can find the specific course sequence in this course book. In general, recommendations will be made for the following courses based on this assessment:
Spanish 2
Spanish 2-3 Accelerated
Spanish 3-4 Accelerated
As this is a recommendation, your family will have the opportunity to provide input as you make the final selection for a course should your child choose to continue studying the Spanish language.
What is the Seal of Biliteracy?
The Seal of Biliteracy is intended to recognize students for multilingual skills and is indicated on a student’s high school diploma. Additionally, Illinois universities are obligated to offer college credit to students that have earned the Seal of Biliteracy through meeting the requirements.
For more information about this opportunity, use this link and click on the Seal of Biliteracy Tab.
What if my child would like to participate in a benchmark or placement assessment for a language other than Spanish?
Students who have prior coursework or experience in Chinese, French, German, Hebrew or Latin, and are interested in potential placement in one of these language programs beyond the introductory level, may also sign up for the corresponding language benchmark exam.
\The date this will be held is:
Saturday, January 8th.
You can register for testing through the World Languages Division by contacting Sylvia Lima at [email protected] or 847-415-4700.
NEW *Covid Metrics*
To stay up-to-date this school year on local metrics, please visit the COVID DASHBOARD for District 96. Our priority remains to keep our students safe and follow guidance from the CDC. If your student is identified as a "close contact", you will be notified individually through the contact tracing process.
Click here for the Woodlawn Daily Announcements
PageBreak Literacy Festival from SHS
Please see below for information about the PageBreak Literacy Festival.
PageBreak is a literary festival and contest for middle school
writers. Come to participate in creative writing workshops, receive feedback
on your writing, listen to a guest speaker, and win awesome prizes!
Revisiting Expectations
Woodlawn is a public school that is focused on giving students the opportunity to experience middle school in a safe and caring environment. This year has been challenging for a variety of reasons. Each grade level has experienced behavior challenges that cross lines of general tomfoolery, to disrespect, to offensive talk about an individual's race, religion or sexual orientation. Since my first day as an administrator, I have set out to build a place where everyone flourishes and learns to accept and embrace each other's differences. Being a high achieving school is something that I am proud of, but I also want to build citizenship. Maybe I am a fool for thinking that we can all coexist but until the day I leave here, valuing each other, our differences and showing respect to each other will remain my school signature.
Visit the PTO Monthly Blog
Finally, the nightmare continues. I am not sure if I have written about my Bozo experience when I was 5 years old, but that clown continues to haunt me. For people around my age, Bozo’s Circus was the show everyone wanted to see and even further, be the contestant in the Grand Prize Game. If you could not go to the show, you filled out a card with your name on it and sent it in to go in this giant drum. If your card was pulled, you received all of the prizes won by the person playing the Grand Prize Game. Now, my world was blessed with all female cousins so when my dad and his brothers came together, my dad had a lot of pride in his sons. At the last minute, one of my cousins couldn’t make it to Bozo’s Circus and I was the replacement. Cool. Everything was all fun and games until I was picked (by the magic arrows), to play the Grand Prize Game. I picked my at home partner, some kid who waited YEARS to have his name chosen, and away we went. Anyone who watched Bozo’s Circus could probably tell that it was a pretty small studio. The Grand Prize Game was played a couple of feet from where the Big Top Band performed. Being that I was 5 years old, I went first at the Grand Prize Game. The object was to make a ping pong ball into each of the six buckets, one at a time, and you got a prize after each shot that was made. This is where the at home partner was really excited, finally getting his chance. Bucket number one... IN! The band plays, “Ta Dah!!!!!!” That blast of music caught me off guard, but I was alright. Bozo then brings out a prize and hands it to you. This is where things went way wrong. Bozo, all 6 feet 6 inches, with giant feet and unbelievable orange hair, scared the living daylights out of me. I am rattled. Bucket number two. I lined it up and...CLANK. It hit the rim and bounced out. Immediately, the band plays WAH, WAH, WAH WAAAAAAAH. I was branded a loser at 5 years old. Somewhere, my at home partner, who most likely went home for lunch because back in the day, that was a thing, spit out his Spaghetti O’s and cursed at the TV. I am not going to lie, I live in fear that my at home partner has been searching for me, just begging to even the score. My dad and all of his brothers were around a TV watching me blow my chance at stardom. Instead, my dad had to admit that I was his child. And Bozo, on the side, I saw him collecting money from the tuba player, having a good old laugh.
Each Thanksgiving, WGN plays clips from Bozo and Garfield Goose. Now they are coming out with a new show and my nightmare is revived. Bozo in the 1970’s. You have got to be kidding me. I just knew this clip is going to show up in my life again. Like I always say to the students, digital is forever. That is my Bozo nightmare...continued.