3/10/23
Another Friday is in the books! We are rolling along here at Woodlawn and our students were working very hard on their IAR testing and doing a great job. So proud of the students and their hard work.
Early Release
This Tuesday, March 14th, is an early release day. Students will be dismissed at 1:30 p.m.
Congratulations to Jessica Groncki!
On Tuesday evening at our D96 School Board meeting, we were told that Jessica Groncki is moving to the district level, as the new Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning. It didn’t take long for people around the district to recognize how truly talented and amazing she is at bringing people together, inspiring them, and making meaningful changes in an organization. Jessica has been a positive influence on the staff and this old guy in the principal’s office. Jessica told me that this was going to happen on a Saturday and on the following Monday she asked me how I was doing. I responded with, “I slept like a baby. I woke up every couple of hours and cried.” In all seriousness, Jessica Groncki is on her way to great things in education and we are blessed that Woodlawn was able to witness her rise.
Spring Ahead This Sunday at 2 a.m. -
The Spring Equinox marks the point in time when the sun sits directly over the Earth’s equator. Both hemispheres share the sun’s rays equally at the equinox, and night and day are roughly the same lengths. In other words, you lose an hour of sleep but gain an hour of sunlight. I plan on taking a nap on Sunday afternoon.
Early Release
This Tuesday, March 14th, is an early release day. Students will be dismissed at 1:30 p.m.
8th Grade Girls Volleyball Championship.
Congratulations to the 8th grade A volleyball team on not only winning the championship last week but for going undefeated all season! The girls finished the season 12-0! In the tournament, the girls got off to a slow start in the semifinal game against Aptakisic but they fought hard, were supportive of each other, and never gave up. The girls played their best day of volleyball last night as a TEAM. Every girl made contributions throughout the day whether it was in terms of serving, passing, hitting, or bringing positive energy to the court. Congratulations to Kelsey Krull, Natalie Owens, Mackenzie Posadas, Audri Linnane, Jasmine Lucero, Brooke Bush, Aanya Patel, Rory Smith, Katelyn Wojdelko, Evie Syrregelas, Leila Markicic on their outstanding season!
Approved Snack List
Parents, remember that any snack being brought to school in class has to be from our approved snack list. Additionally, students who bring food or a drink to school will need to consume them in the cafeteria before they go to their first-period class.
NEW *Proof of Dental Exam*
Dear Parents/Guardians of District 96 Kindergarteners, 2nd, and 6th Grade Students:
Please note that your child’s completed dental examination is now due, per Illinois school law. The deadline for the dental examination is due no later than May 15 of the current school year. Proof of this required dental examination must have been completed within eighteen months prior to the May 15 deadline.
If you haven’t already done so, please make an appointment with your child’s dentist for a dental examination, have him and/or her complete the required form, and return it to your child’s school nurse. This examination can be as old as November 15, 2021.
State of Illinois Proof of Dental Examination Form
In the event that you are unable to fulfill this requirement, the state of Illinois does permit a waiver of the examination.
State of Illinois Dental Waiver Form
Dental examination forms, as well as dental waiver forms, can be downloaded from the District’s website.
Thank you for your prompt cooperation.
Student-Led Conferences
Student-Led Spring Conferences will be held on Thursday, March 23rd from 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm and Friday, March 24th from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm.
Conferences will be 20 minutes in length for students in grades 1 - 8. Students in kindergarten and early childhood will have 15-minute conferences, and students in Guided, Structured, and ILC classrooms will have 30-minute conferences.
During the conferences, students will be guiding their parents/guardians through a reflective presentation regarding the progress they have made this year as well as areas of strength and growth. After the presentation has concluded students will be able to provide a tour of other learning spaces in the school.
The Meet-the-Teacher sign-up will be open to parents at 5:00 pm on Monday, March 6th, and it will close on Sunday, March 19th at 11:55 pm. After that, you will need to call the school office to schedule a conference.
Please Note: All student-led conferences will be held in person. There will be no remote option for Student-Led Spring Conferences. If you are unable to attend in person, students will be able to share their presentations at home.
Because conferences are student-led, there will be no conferences scheduled or provided between the parent and teacher only.
Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR)
Students in grades 3 - 8 take the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) each spring. This year the district will be administering the IAR to students from Tuesday, March 7th through Monday, March 13th.
Woodlawn Testing Schedule:
March 10th and 13th- 7:45 AM - 10:15 AM
Make-Ups will take place starting on March 14th.
5Essentials Survey for Parents/Guardians
This is the most exciting news I have had to share about the 5Essentials Parent Survey. We are at 19% participation among parents and will actually have our results counted for the first time…ever! I hope that you are the person who puts us over the top this weekend. I know that you are losing an hour, but try to carve out the 7 to 10 minutes it will take to fill out the survey. Just imagine, you can be the parent group that becomes the envy of every previous parent group. Wear it like a badge of honor.
Beginning January 24 through April 2nd, District 96 invites you to share your thoughts on the inner workings of your child’s school. On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago.
As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness in a survey about your child’s school. Your participation will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide our improvement. Parent identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.
Please visit http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/ to begin the parent survey. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact UChicago Impact Client Services at 1-866-440-1874 or [email protected].
Spirit Week
- Monday, 3/13 - Wear soccer gear or Chicago Fire or Chicago Red Star colors (red, white and blue) OR Basketball gear or Bulls (black & red) or Chicago Sky (light blue & white)
- Tuesday, 3/14 - Baseball gear or Cubs color (blue & red) or White Sox (black & white)
- Wednesday, 3/15 - Woodlawn spirit wear OR your favorite sports jersey
- Thursday, 3/16 - Football gear or Chicago Bears colors (blue & orange)
- Friday, 3/17 - St. Patrick's Day and the wearin' 'o the green
PTO Please visit the PTO Monthly Blog!
Click here for the Woodlawn Daily Announcements
Finally, I heard on the news that a man was injured taking a selfie with a bear in the National Forest. Just sit there and let that sink in for a minute. Nope, you are not ready to move on yet. Picture in your mind, a human with actual brain activity, saying to themselves that they are going to get close enough to a wild bear so that they could look like they were friends. As you are looking at the camera and the giant paw of the bear goes out of the screen because it is about to level you, at which point do you realize that this was a catastrophically bad idea? So, for everyone out there, consider the following to be a public service announcement for all of us. I did some research (at home, on my own time) so that we are prepared for potential wild animal attacks.
Bear - If you do run into a bear who is stationary, slowly move away sideways so that you can keep an eye on it. I always thought you played dead, but that isn’t the case. Make yourself as big as possible and slink away. If it starts charging toward you, well, continue to be big. Not sure that will help but at least you will feel big.
Moose - Although solitary creatures, they weigh up to 1800 pounds and are six feet wide. If a moose moves toward you, run away and try to put an obstacle, like a boulder between you. If it jumps the boulder, duck and run around to the other side of the boulder. This could go on for hours. Most likely you will be in Canada so a Royal Mountie will eventually be on their way.
Cougar - The National Park Service recommends standing up tall, looking the cat right in the eye and backing away slowly. Don’t run, it could trigger the instinct to chase its prey. If it charges at you, the only chance you have is if you are a male and younger than the said cougar.
Bison - Did you know that a bison could reach 40 miles per hour? If on foot, do not startle them, call out to them and signal your presence, then walk away slowly. I would be walking a fine line between the signaling and startling of the bison. I am confident that I would mess that one up.
Elk - Although they appear docile, they will attack if threatened. It is recommended that you stay close to others, avoid eye contact, and walk away slowly. If it starts to chase you, take cover behind a rock or tree, and definitely not behind a baby elk. You could also trip one of the other people you are with to gain an advantage. This could happen if you visit the elk at the forest preserve in Elk Grove Village.
Shark - Experts say you can escape an attack by remaining calm and swimming away slowly and methodically but only if the shark does not seem aggressive. (I am sure that you will be able to stay calm enough to swim away methodically) If the shark does start to attack, maintain eye contact, make yourself as big as possible, and hit them on sensitive spots like the nose or gills. So…good luck with that. Swimming methodically to going on a shark punching bag rampage.
Alligator - If you make eye contact with an alligator on land, don’t waste any time: Run away as fast as you can. If you’re unlucky enough to be bitten by an alligator in the water, go straight for the animal’s most sensitive spots: the eyes or the snout. I was always told to run in a zig, zag pattern away from the said alligator. I think that my brothers were messing with me as I could not find that information. They were making me the easy catch.
Skunk - If you run into a skunk in the open, the first thing you should do is stop moving. Skunks have poor eyesight, and sudden movements may startle them. If possible, avoid letting the skunk see you at all. Next, figure out where the skunk is headed so you can get out of its way. Move slowly and steadily out of the path of the skunk. Once you’re out of the way, simply keep walking away at the same slow pace. If none of that works, just call it names like smelly or stinky. They have poor self-esteem to start.
In conclusion, you may feel a lot of pressure to remember what to do the moment you encounter one of these wild animals. Just remember, mock a Bison, swim zig-zag away from a shark, act like a big shot to an alligator, punch a skunk on the nose, and take a selfie with a bear.