Dear WJHS Families,
The past few days back to school have been both fun and challenging as we have returned to our early morning routines, met new friends in classes, and have begun to learn new and interesting things that will engage us throughout the year.
As you settle back into your routines, we have quite a few parent planning notes for you to check out below. Please be sure to read through things carefully, and, as always feel free to reach out at anytime to one of us if you have questions.
Have a great weekend!
Kelly, Doug, and Eric
Parent Planning Notes:
PICTURE DAY is Friday, September 9. Cady Kids is our new photographer and we will be taking our school pictures outside. Please view the link HERE to learn more. Please be aware there is NO picture form to turn in this year ahead of time.
BOARD OF EDUCATION: The monthly Board of Education meeting is Monday, August 29th at 7:00 PM at the MEC. Below are a couple of topics that may be of interest. If you can't make the meeting, you can view it live or later, either on the District website or on Channel 6. Highlights of the meeting will be emailed and posted online within a day or two.
The public hearing on the budget takes place at first, before the regular board meeting.
-Student Growth Model update
-Technology and 1:1 Learning update
-Enrollment update
iPADS: Students with rental iPads will be receiving those next week Monday-Thursday, along with the annual iPad orientation. Students who Bring their Own iPads, or who Rent to Own, should plan to bring their **FULLY CHARGED** iPads to school next week on their scheduled orientation day. Each student will be working with technology staff to migrate their iPads to a system that will help us get APPs to all of the iPads more quickly, and will limit our students' ability to download unapproved APPs as it is managed through the central office. While this is a longer process than we had initially anticipated, the devices will be safer, and our students will be able to use them more efficiently. PLEASE NOTE for BYOD and Rent to Own students, the iPads will be wiped, so if there are personal items on their iPads, they should back them up over the weekend.
TRAFFIC: Please remember to obey the traffic patterns for drop-off and pick-up at WJHS. It is outlined on the map linked HERE. Help us as we keep your children safe in their arrival and dismissal from school! Make sure you refrain from using your cell phone as school zones are a cell phone free area
WJHS ATHLETICS: There are many athletic opportunities for WJHS students this fall! Check out the WJHS Athletics page HERE for information about sports, tryouts, and practices.
NEW SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER: We are excited to have Officer Raimond Pavely as our new School Resource Officer in D39. Many of you have probably seen him at morning drop off and at lunch/recess during these first few days.
Officer Pavely has been in the Wilmette Police Department for 14 years, and has a BS in Kinesiology and K-12 Education. He is a Certified Juvenile Officer, a Certified School Resource Officer, and a Certified Firearms Instructor.
The roles and responsibilities of an SRO include being:
-A visible, active law enforcement figure on campus dealing with any law-related issues.
-A classroom resource for instruction in law-related education and other areas of expertise.
-A member of the faculty and administrative team working hand in hand to solve problems in the school community.
-Someone who builds relationships and rapport with students.
-A resource to teachers, parents, and students for law-related concerns and questions.
7th GRADE CURRICULUM NIGHT: September 6, 2016, 6:30 PM
8th GRADE CURRICULUM NIGHT: September 13, 2016, 6:30 PM
Highlights
PTO ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
Join the PTO for $25 and gain access to the AtoZ WJHS directory
Welcome back to school! You received an email from [email protected] on Aug. 16 (check your spam folder if you can’t locate it). If you haven’t already done so, verify your information by following the directions in the email to sign in and follow through the tabs. You will be directed to the AtoZ storefront, where you can pay for PTO membership and donate to the IGNITE student enrichment fund. Please be aware that you can only access the online AtoZ directory and app by following the directions in the email using a desktop or laptop computer. After you are set up, you can download the app and easily access the directory at any time on your mobile device. You will be given the option to purchase a paper directory, which will be delivered in late fall, for an additional $5. Questions? Email [email protected].
Complete items on your back-to-school checklist
Thank you to the many parents who joined us at the PTO Coffee last Friday. If you still need to complete some items, visit the PTO website at www.wjhspto.com to view the back-to-school checklist. We’ve compiled all the information you need into one list, so you can learn how to complete your PTO membership, donate to IGNITE, purchase gym uniforms (now available at school), volunteer as a room parent, volunteer in the cafeteria and Outdoor Garden, order a yearbook and purchase Spiritwear. Some links were down temporarily and are now back up. Questions? Email [email protected].
Order Spiritwear by Sept. 16
Support your school with WJHS- and Wilmette-themed merchandise for a limited time only at http://www.headsupapparel.com/collections/Wilmette-Junior-High-2016. Proceeds benefit the WJHS PTO and its enrichment efforts. The sale closes Sept. 16. Items will be delivered to homerooms in October. Questions? Email Julie Radtke at [email protected] or Kathy Freedman at [email protected].
Washington trip deadline is Sept. 5
Attention 8th-grade parents: The deadline to register for the trip to Washington, D.C., is Sept. 5. If you register after that date, there will be a late fee, and your child will be waitlisted until airfare registrations can be confirmed. The trip is Nov. 19-22, the first weekend of Thanksgiving break. More information is available at www.wjhspto.com.
Questions? Email Chris Korinek at [email protected].
IN THE COMMUNITY
Family Action Network (FAN) presentation Monday:
Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) and Andrew Aydin
3 p.m., Loyola University Chicago School of Law’s Corboy Center, Ceremonial Courtroom, 10th Floor, 25 E. Pearson St., Chicago.
7 p.m., Evanston Township High School Auditorium, 1600 Dodge Ave., Evanston.
RSVP for 3 p.m. presentation only at www.bit.ly/FANLewis. Both are free and open to the pubic. More information is available at www.familyactionnetwork.net.
John Lewis is the U.S. representative for Georgia’s 5th district and an American icon known for his role in the early civil-rights movement alongside Martin Luther King Jr. As the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Lewis was an architect of, and the youngest featured speaker at, the historic 1963 March on Washington, and he led the “Bloody Sunday” March in Selma, Ala.
Youth Connection's DEN and Homework Club, plus spring musical
These free after-school drop-in programs take place at WJHS, beginning Aug. 29 and Sept. 6. They are available to all Wilmette 7th- and 8th-graders, funded by community grants and individual donations. To attend, each student must have a registration form on file. If you think your child might use the DEN or Homework Club even once during the 2016-17 school year, fill out a form online on the Youth Connection website at www.youthconnectionwilmette.org. There is no deadline for signing up and no penalty for not attending. Forms can be filled out the day a student wants to attend. Youth Connection's popular, low-cost Art Club ($100/semester) will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning Oct. 4. Also, students will be asked to vote on the spring musical during lunch Aug. 26. Go to the website for results and more information.
LINK UP
Wilmette Junior High PTO
Wilmette Junior High School
Submit Highlights
Email Jeff Agrest by noon Wednesday to submit announcements for the Highlights, released Friday.