District December 2024 Newsletter

December 3, 2024

Dear District 31 Families,

It may be cold outside, but Field and Winkelman are filled with energy and warmth! The sense of thankfulness that surrounded us in November has carried into December, and our District 31 students, staff, and families remind us daily that gratitude and community support are timeless.

As we reflect on this season of giving, here are a few highlights showcasing the generosity and care within our community:

• We are deeply thankful for the incredible participation in the recent Student Council food drives at Winkelman and Field, as well as the Family Shopping Night at Sunset Foods through the Hunger Free Resource Network.
• Together, our giving and caring Northbrook community donated 145 Thanksgiving grocery bags to local families in need. Not only was the goal surpassed, but we also made meaningful new connections in the process.
• We are fortunate to have the ongoing support of our PTO and Hunger Free Northbrook, who provide monthly assistance for these vital initiatives.

If your family is in need of winter gear, please reach out to your school or the district office. If you require food or personal care items, please review the Caring Corner information below.

We also want to remind everyone about Care Solace, a resource available 24/7 to provide social-emotional support for students and families — even during winter break. Details for accessing this support are provided below.

As we approach the end of the calendar year, the next few weeks will fly by. On behalf of District 31, we wish you and your family a happy, safe, and restful winter break.

Warm regards,

Dr. Erin Murphy
District 31 Superintendent 

News
Winter Break Reminders and Upcoming School Closures
Winter Break is right around the corner! Below are a few reminders.

• Winkelman Winter Room Parties take place on Friday, December 20.
• Winter Break takes place Monday, December 23, through Friday, January 3. 
• Students return to school from Winter Break Monday, January 6
• There is no school on Friday, January 17, for a teacher institute day and Monday, January 20, in recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

November Board of Education Recap
Board Meeting Highlights: 

• Presentations and Discussion Items:
  • The Board of Education was honored in recognition of Board Member Appreciation Day!  We appreciate their dedication to the District 31 mission and vision!  
  • Dr. Erin Murphy recognized community partner Elyssa’s Mission. District 31 has partnered with Elyssa’s Mission for the annual SOS Signs of Suicide campaign for over a decade. The campaign teaches students how to identify signs of depression and suicide in themselves and their peers while training school professionals, parents, and community members to recognize at-risk students and take appropriate action. Thank you to Elyssa’s Mission for their invaluable contributions to our community and for making our children’s mental health a top priority. 
  • Director of Finance and Operations Nicole Schramm presented the tentative levy for 2024.  There will be a public hearing during the December 19, 2024, Board of Education to allow for public comments and feedback.
  • Director of Finance and Operations Nicole Schramm reviewed the October Financial Reports.  In addition, she reviewed the Resolution Authorizing a 2024 Supplemental Tax Levy to Pay the Principal & Interest on Outstanding Limited Bonds of the District.
  • The Board of Education reviewed the Superintendent Report.  
  • The Board of Education reviewed the draft 2025-2026 school calendar. The calendar is scheduled to be approved at the December 2024 Board of Education meeting.
• The Board of Education made the following approvals:
  • Approved a resolution regarding estimate amounts necessary to be levied for the year 2024
  • Approved setting Thursday, December 29, 2024, 7:00 PM, as the Public Hearing Date for the Tax Levy (Included in Legal Notice - Notice of Proposed Property Tax Increase)
  • Approved a full year leave of absence for the 2025-2026 school years for teachers Dani Macino and Jen Perryman.

The Board of Education meets monthly, usually on the last Thursday of the month, at 7 p.m. in the Field Middle School Learning Center. However, in December, due to the winter break, the Board of Education will be meeting on Thursday, December 19, at 7 p.m.  We welcome any member of our community to attend in person or virtually via our live stream. Agendas, minutes, and the link to the live stream can be found here. The District 31 Board of Education is composed of seven elected representatives from the District 31 attendance area. Each is elected for a four year term. Meet the members of the District 31 Board of Education here.

December Board of Education Meeting 
The next regular Board of Education meeting is Thursday, December 19, 2024 in the Field Learning Center at 7 p.m. The meeting will begin with a Public Hearing regarding the 2023 Levy. The agenda is posted two days prior to the meeting here. The Policy Committee Meeting will take place prior to the Board of Education Meeting at 6 p.m. 

Humanex Survey EXTENDED UNTIL DECEMBER 6: Help Provide Feedback to Impact our Schools!
Understanding and growing climate and culture is a priority in District 31. In our continual efforts to be a leader in the field of education, our school district strives to ensure parents of our students know their opinions are valued and feel welcome in our schools. We partner with Humanex Ventures to help us gather climate, culture, and engagement data from our families, students, and staff. This information will assist the district in further strengthening existing plans, developing new initiatives, and providing longitudinal data over time to help us monitor progress and set further goals. 

Please take 5 minutes to share your thoughts.

• Winkelman Elementary Survey
• Field School Survey

The survey has been extended until December 6. Please plan to complete the survey in one sitting, as the page will time out if left inactive, requiring you to start over. If you have a child or children at both schools, please complete the survey twice, one time for each school. We are grateful for your communication and partnership!

Winkelman Hour of Code for 3rd - 5th Grade Students
December 12 from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Winkelman Commons

All students must be accompanied by an adult.

To celebrate Hour of Code, a global event to introduce kids to the basics of computer science, Winkelman invites grade 3-5 students to come explore coding in a fun, game-like environment. Best of all? These activities can be done at home! Students should bring their charged Chromebook. Family members can also bring a laptop so that everyone can join in the fun!

Attending?
Please Register Here

Winter Benchmark Assessments
On December 3 - 6, Winkelman Elementary School students in grades 1 - 5 will take the NWEA MAP Growth test for reading and mathematics. Field Middle School students in grades 6 - 7 will take the NWEA MAP Growth test on December 4 and 5. 

The NWEA MAP Growth test is an adaptive test, which means questions adjust to your child’s responses to measure your child’s skill level. Students take this assessment on their iPads or Chromebooks. If your child answers a question correctly, the next question is more challenging. If they answer incorrectly, the next one is easier. These results will provide a more complete picture of what your child knows and is ready to learn, as well as provide norm-referenced information on whether these skills are on, above, or below their expected grade level.

Since MAP Growth tests provide immediate and accurate information about your child’s learning, it is easy for teachers to identify students with similar scores who are generally ready for instruction in similar skills and topics and then plan instruction accordingly. In addition, this data is also one component used for our Advanced Learning Program identification criteria as well as one component used to identify students needing academic support through our MTSS process.

Individual student data will be shared with families the week of January 7, 2025. For more information on the NWEA MAP Growth test, please see the NWEA Family Toolkit. As a reminder, you can find the D31 Assessment Calendar At-A-Glance on the district website.

Family Engagement Committee 
The Family Engagement Committee held its last meeting on October 28. This year, the Committee will be overseeing the Family Engagement Strategic Plan and working on implementation of the plan for the 2024-2025 school year. 

The Committee meets once a month on Mondays at 7:15 p.m. If you are interested in joining the Parent Engagement Committee, please reach out to Hayley Garard at hgarard@district31.net. 

Upcoming Family Engagement Committee Meeting Dates

• Monday. January 27 at 7:15 p.m.
• Monday, February 24 at 7:15 p.m.
• Monday, April 28 at 7:15 p.m.

District 31 Emergency Closing Information
During the school year, there may be times when one or both schools may be closed. The Northfield Township Superintendents have developed guidelines pertaining to these closures. Learn more about Emergency closing information here. 

PTO News
View the December PTO Newsletter, which includes information on important upcoming PTO events and programs.

National Special Education Day
National Special Education Day is December 2nd, the anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), a landmark civil rights law that ensures states and school districts provide a free appropriate public education to all children with disabilities.

Special education teachers, related service staff members,  paraprofessionals, administrators, and our TrueNorth partners go above and beyond to ensure students are learning and growing every day. They are a great support to our District 31 community. In addition, our team continues to support inclusive practices on a daily basis and truly embraces the meaning of providing a free and appropriate education for all students. 

We celebrate  National Special Education Day in recognition of the landmark law, IDEA,  that ensures the rights of individuals with disabilities.

Events
GPS Parent Series: Autonomy/Balanced Parenting: Reduce Parent Burnout and Raise Competent Kids
Wednesday, December 4, at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. via Zoom
More Information

Parent Workshop: Unlocking Learning, Teaching Children Through Play
Wednesday, December 4, at 7 p.m. via Zoom
More Information

GNCY Fall Parent Series: Teens and Screens
Thursday, December 5 at 12 p.m. via Zoom
More Information

PTO Feed My Starving Children Event
Saturday, December 7, from 2-4 p.m.
Register Here with code 0PN504

GPS Parent Series: A Blueprint: Essential Skills For Better Grades, Less Stress and More Free Time
Tuesday, December 10 at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. via Zoom
More Information

Glenbrook High School 2029 Special Education Parent Night
Tuesday, December 10 at 6 p.m. at Glenbrook South High School
More Information

PTO Meeting
Tuesday, December 10 at 7 p.m.

PTO Fleece Blankets and Toys for Shelters
Tuesday, December 10 after PTO Meeting

Hour of Code (3rd -5th Grade)
Thursday, December 12, from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. in the Winkelman Commons

Protected Tomorrows 2024 Parent University™ Class 12 "Learning How to Deal with The Gap"
Thursday, December 12, from 12 - 1 p.m. via Zoom
More Information

The Importance of Developing Leisure Skills for All
Thursday, December 12, from 1 - 2 p.m. via Zoom
More Information

GPS Parent Series: Strengthening T(w)een Socialization Skills for Better Interpersonal Relationships
Tuesday, December 17 at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. via Zoom
More Information

GPS Parent Series: IN PERSON B-PAC: Estrategias para ayudar a familias y adolescentes sanos a prosperar / Strategies to Help Healthy Families and Teens Thrive
Thursday, December 19, from 6-8 p.m. at Glenbard North High School
More Information

Policy Committee Meeting
Thursday, December 19 at 6 p.m. at Field Middle School 

Regular Board of Education Meeting
Thursday, December 19 at 7 p.m. at Field Middle School

Classroom Winter Parties
Friday, December 20

Winter Break
Monday, December 23- Friday, January 3

GPS Parent Series: Bright Kids Who Couldn't Care Less: Tools for Tackling Motivation
Thursday, January 9, at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. via Zoom
More Information

Resources
Have fun and learn together over winter break!
Winter break is the perfect opportunity for families to connect, create, and explore together! 

Here are a few ideas to make your time together both fun and enriching:

• Try a STEM Challenge: Build a marble run, design a popsicle-stick bridge, or create your own snowstorm in a jar. Projects like these inspire creativity and problem-solving. Check out PBS Kids Design Squad for some fun STEM project ideas!
• Cook Together: Experiment with recipes and measure ingredients to practice math and teamwork. Try cooking a dish from your culture or another culture to explore new flavors!
• Read and Discuss: Choose a book or story to read as a family, then talk about your favorite parts or how the characters solved problems or if it reminds you of another story you have read. Want more ideas for supporting literacy at home? Check out some more ideas from Leslie Redmond, our Literacy Coordinator & Coach, here!
• Outdoor Adventures: Bundle up for a nature walk or snow day! Observe winter wildlife, look for animal tracks, or even build a snow sculpture (if there is snow on the ground).
• Game Night: Play board games, trivia, or puzzles that encourage strategy and collaboration. Games can often support literacy and math learning in a fun way as well!