12/6/24
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Break! As a reminder, I, Mr. Bays, am taking over Mr. Grana’s blog during his medical absence. I’m happy to report Mr. Grana’s surgery was successful! He’s completing his rehab, and I thought you should all know his wife is keeping him busy with a honey-do list while he is home. Outside Mr. Grana’s absence, things at Woodlawn are going well! A few things that happened the week were boys’ basketball games, MAP testing, and staff welcoming students back from Thanksgiving Break. With Thanksgiving being so late, the countdown to Winter Break is on….10 school days!
Upcoming Dates
12/10 - Early Release - Students dismissed at 1:30 PM
12/21 - 1/5 - No School - Winter Break
1/6 - Classes Resume
1/10 - Ski Trip Alpine Valley
1/14 - Early Release - Students dismissed at 1:30 PM
1/20 - No School
Quicklinks
Click here for the Woodlawn PTO December Blog
District Virtual Backpack: https://www.kcsd96.org/about/virtual-backpack
Woodlawn Virtual Backpack: https://www.kcsd96.org/w/virtual-backpack
Click here for the Woodlawn Daily Announcements
Congratulations to the December Wolves of the Month!
Woodlawn is excited to announce the following students have been nominated as the Wolves of the Month by the respective team shown. These students have exemplified behaviors that go above and beyond! Congratulations, and we are proud to have you in our Wolf Pack!
6-1: Madeleine Fournier
6-2: Sanskruti Pradeep
7-1: Vlad Kolodnyi
7-2: Anadya Jain
8-1: Jack Handal
8-2: Will Norvell
Exploratory: Julia Kapinos
Spanish: Maya Nordlund
Wellness: George Alimissis
Congratulations to the Woodlawn Math Team!
Congratulations to the Woodlawn Math team for placing 4th overall in this year's Math Madness Competition! Beginning as a joint initiative between American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) and AreteLabs, and entering its 12th season, Math Madness is a team-based math competition event held yearly in the United States. In 2023-24, approximately 1000 teams and 15,000 students from across the country competed in various online competitions. The Math Madness event is divided into 1 practice round, 4 league/scrimmage rounds, and 6 bracket tournament rounds. Way to go Woodlawn!
If your child is interested in participating in other math competitions, it’s not too late! Math Club meets every Wednesday from 2:30-3:15 in room 712. Please reach out to Mrs Carpenter or Mr Dunn if you have any questions!
Woodlawn Lunchroom Behavior Expectations
As some of you may have heard, I had a conversation with each grade level during lunch periods on Wednesday regarding expectations in the cafeteria. For clarity, large amounts of students were leaving garbage on and around tables, leaving the cafeteria without permission, sharing food, and not being honest with staff members. That said, since the conversation, the students have been much better. If you are able to chat with your child this weekend, it would be greatly appreciated if you could reinforce the following expectations.
- Clean up after yourself
- Do not share food
- Ask for permission when leaving the cafeteria
- Be respectful to staff members
Thanks for your partnership!
Ski Club Trip to Alpine Valley
Interested in hitting the slopes on skis or a snowboard? Join Ski Club! Our first trip is coming up January 10th. Click here for Ski Club information! Reach out to Ms. Gordon for questions at [email protected].
Safeway Communication
As you may know, Safeway is KSD96's transportation partner for student busing. In the case that you need to speak with someone about a transportation-related issue during non-business hours (for example, when your school front offices are closed early in the morning or late in the evening), please contact the Safeway Transportation main line at 224-434-2399.
Winter Weather Gear
As we wrap up our first few days of December, you can feel that temperatures start to dip. Please ensure that you are sending your child/ren to school with appropriate outerwear, including winter coats, snow pants, boots, hats, and gloves. If you need assistance with outerwear, please contact the front office.
Current Patriot Consortium Mathematics Placement Process- 8th-Grade Parents
The consortium has created criteria that define the four strands of mathematical proficiency to highlight the attributes of a proficient mathematical thinker. The criteria are grouped into three categories.
- 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 to the mathematics course at Stevenson High School that matches their content knowledge as well as their 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.
Course Sequence for Core 8 Students
-Algebra 1 with Mentor Math or Algebra 1 with Math Guided Study will be recommended if students need to reinforce and refresh targets in Units 1-4
-Algebra 1 will be recommended if students have mastered targets in Units 1-4
Course Sequence for Algebra 1 Students
-Geometry will be recommended if students need to reinforce and refresh targets in Units 1-4
-Geometry AB/BC will be recommended if students have mastered targets in Units 1-4
Course Sequence for Geometry Students
-Algebra 2 will be recommended if students need to reinforce and refresh targets in Units 1-3
-Algebra 2 AB/BC will be recommended if students have mastered targets in Units 1-3
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 problem-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)
Language Placement Tests for Stevenson
If students want to take placement tests for French, German, or Mandarin - go to the SHS website to sign up by 12/11!
Mr. Grana giving me the opportunity to write the blog during his absence is so surreal! It serves as the first task I get to complete which I will be responsible for next year. In addition, it is the first time I have attempted to reflect upon my thoughts since being Board of Education approved in November. In short, serving as the future principal of Woodlawn is a dream come true!
The highlight of the week was participating in Newcomer Night for new families to District 96. Personal note, it was the first time I introduced myself as Assistant Principal and incoming Woodlawn Principal for 25-26….so crazy! That said, the meeting provides new families the opportunities to ask questions, hear from current families and staff of D96, and share what they are looking for by moving to D96. This last aspect is what I was left being most excited about as the incoming principal for Woodlawn. When attendees were asked what is the most important thing to you as a new parent to D96, their answers were as follows:
- Safety
- Communication
- Education
- Extra-curricular activities
- Inclusion/Diverse learning opportunities
- To raise good people/reach their potential
- A school that feels like a “second home”
What makes me so excited to hear these qualities from the new families is that I can confidently say Woodlawn exemplifies every one of them! I’d like to highlight each and every one but I believe it would end up being the length of a full novel. As a result, I’ll keep it shorter with the novella version. Woodlawn continually strives to improve, have high expectations for all students, create complex 21 century learners, extend learning beyond the school day, and be an environment where students feel at home. As Mr. Grana commonly says, “Woodlawn is a special place.” I can confidently say he is 100% correct, and that I am honored to be here and look forward to our future together!