Washington Wildcat Chat

Dear Washington Families:

October is National Bullying Prevention Month and provides an opportunity to reflect on our school-wide culture and climate. It is a time when we examine our practices and integrate resources to create an environment that fosters inclusion and respect.

The SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) Team met to create a series of learning activities to support students in learning more about bullying awareness and prevention and supporting acts of kindness at Washington. Throughout October, students will engage in weekly lessons, watch videos and listen to read-alouds that address bullying prevention and how students can support each other through acts of kindness.

Our Positive Behavior Incentive System (PBIS) will promote Acts of Kindness throughout the month of October. Students will receive special PAWS for demonstrating all the ROARS expectations in our public areas. We will also be giving out Kindness Paws when we see students exhibiting kindness toward peers in class, in the hallways, at lunch, and at recess. Each of these special kindness PAWS will be worth 10 regular PAWS!

Please join us in reinforcing these topics and skills at home through discussions with your child. As always, we appreciate your partnership and support.

Warm Regards,

Angie Brito

You are invited to the first-ever Washington Dance.A.Thon on Friday, October 7! While the Walkathon has been a long tradition here at Washington, with the track under construction we decided to throw a dance party instead. The Dance.A.Thon will be the main PTO fundraiser this year, with funds supporting student, teacher, and family activities throughout the school year.

Families are invited to cheer on their Wildcat dancers on the North basketball court next Friday, October 7, as long as the weather allows for an outdoor event. Here is the schedule for the day:

Time/Grades

9:00-10:00 a.m. - 3rd Grade and Kindergarten

10:00-11:00 a.m. - 2nd and 5th Grades

1:00-2:00 p.m. - 1st Grade

2:00-3:00 p.m. - 4th Grade

Students

See below for the Dance.A.Thon Pledge sheet to track pledges as either a flat amount or $ per dance pledge. At the Dance.A.Thon, our Wildcats will track the number of songs they dance to (anticipated to be 15-20). Students can share a link/QR Code with their supporters who will contribute through the Washington PTO website through Friday, November 4th. Students should keep their pledge sheet at home - no need to turn it in. Students are encouraged to wear Washington Spirit Wear on the day of the Dance.A.Thon!

Pledge Sheet

Parents

Volunteers needed! Join us for an hour or all day to cheer on our dancers as you count their songs or serve as our photographer, first aid, or mascot, Roary. Use the link below to sign up for a slot:

Dance.A.Thon Volunteer Sign-up

Sponsors

Local businesses looking to have their name put in front of our 500+ families can still support the event. Please keep in mind your contribution is considered a tax-deductible contribution as the Washington PTO is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. If your business would like to participate, please use this link:

Dance.A.Thon Sponsor Link

Help us pull off a successful inaugural Dance.A.Thon next week!

-The 2022 Washington Dance.A.Thon Committee

Please Click Here for information on how you sign up! We look forward to meeting with you soon!

The Channels of Challenge evaluation process occurs every year in 3rd through 7th grade for reading and 3rd through 6th for math. The first data point that we look for is a winter or spring MAP score at the qualifying percentile.

• Reading - 92nd percentile

• Math - 94th percentile

If a student has a qualifying winter or spring MAP score, families will be notified in the spring to set up CogAT testing. Note that we do not use fall MAP scores.

One of the great things about Channels of Challenge in District 64 - and one that sets us apart from many other districts - is that students’ scores are reviewed each year and eligible students from every grade level successfully join the Channels of Challenge Program each year in both reading and math.

If you have any questions, please reach out to our D64 Channels of Challenge Coordinaors:

Kendra Hutchinson - khutchinson@d64.org & Helen Pasley - hpasley@d64.org

A friendly reminder that all student health forms are due by October 15th, 2022! The following documents should be shared with our nursing office:

• Physical Exam/vaccine records are due for students in kindergarten, sixth grade, and all new students.
• Eye exam records are due for students in kindergarten and for any student new to Illinois schools

Please direct any of your health-related questions to wa-nurse@d64.org.

Congratulations to the following students for being our weekly PAWS winners for the month of September!

Spirit Week, October 3rd - 7th

Dance-a-Thon, October 7th

PTO Meeting, October 12th

Camp Duncan (5th Grade), October 13th

PTO Trunk or Treat, October 14th

Parent Teacher Conferences, October 11th, 18th, and 27th, 4:00-8:00

Book Fair, October 18th - 20th

Board of Education Meeting, October 20th

Inspire all students to discover their strengths, embrace learning, achieve personal excellence, and demonstrate care. Students thrive in a rich, rigorous, and innovative curriculum delivered by highly qualified teachers. Each student learns and grows in a safe, nurturing environment. In collaboration with student, parents, teachers and the community, District 64 provides opportunities for each learner to investigate, be successful, be resilient, and become inspired and empowered as they contribute to our global society.