December 16, 2011

My job is so cool.  Although stressful and challenging, I get to work with your children and see them progress as students and citizens.  Occasionally, there are moments when the student body makes me exceptionally proud.  One of those moments happened this week when we had Emmy winning composer Kevin Briody in our building.  Mr. Briody shared his experiences as a composer, while the singing group Encore and our own Woodlawn Chorus performed.  We all had the privilege of seeing The Laura Bauer Foundation presented with a check, providing a valuable lesson on how to turn tragedy into triumph. I received compliments from all of our visitors regarding our students and how amazing they were during the assembly.  This was a very proud moment for Woodlawn.

Attention 8^th grade parents: Freshmen Parent Orientation evenings at Stevenson High School have set.

Wednesday, January 18^th

Thursday, January 19^th

Tuesday, January 24^th

Parents and students can attend any of the three evenings from 7-9 p.m.  It is recommended that you pick up your packet in front of the Performing Arts Center around 6p.m. Student Ambassadors will give building tours from 6:15-7p.m. SHS Principal Dr. John Carter and academic division directors will discuss course offerings and academic summer school.  Administrators will also be available for questions from 8-9p.m.  This is a good introduction to the high school for parents and a way to introduce your student to the high school.  (You can go on the Woodlawn website to view the letter for Stevenson Parent Orientation)

Stevenson placement tests will be on Wednesday, January 11th & Thursday, January 12^th for the subject areas of Math & Reading L/A.  Spanish placement tests will be January 18^th & 19^th.  

Please visit the PTO link at the top of this page. 

I hope that everyone has a safe and happy Winter break. 

Greg 

Happy Holidays!

Before we all head off in different directions for a well-earned break, I wanted to share a couple of things going on around Woodlawn...

Here's a group of 8th graders channeling their inner hip-hop in Music class as they covered the (ahem...) classic tune, Ice Ice Baby, by Vanilla Ice.  They filmed their version of the video in the Green Room in the Tech Lab, then used Apple's iMovie software to superimpose themselves into the original.  In my opinion, our 8g version is a marked improvement!

On Friday, 12/16, BritBeat, a local Beatles tribute band will be performing for our students to celebrate our progress so far throughout the year and to bring life to many of the Beatles references that have been made throughout the music curriculum.  Mr. Tim is definitely getting into the spirit...

Have a terrific winter break, everyone!

6th grade parents/Options video

Dear parents of 6th graders,

It has been brought to my attention that there is an e-mail out there that has our Woodlawn parents concerned about a video shown in our 6th grade Options classes.  As part of our Options curriculum, Resource Officer Stacy Kupsak comes into our building and talks about appropriate computer usage.  She shows the students how easy it is for ANYONE to access their Facebook accounts and the dangers to which our students  are exposed.  One of the parts to the internet awareness program, is a video where a man poses as a teenage girl on-line and meets a young man in the parking lot of the school after hours.  The students tries to get away and they wrestle, before the student calls 911.  It is designed to show the students the dangers of having contact with people on the internet that they do not know.  We have shown this video for a number of years and have never had this type of community reaction.

Personally, I talk to my children about the dangers of the computer all of the time.  We have a saying in the Grana family that goes, "Digital is FOREVER!".  Having been in a middle school for most of my career, I have seen numerous situations where students say things, post things (including pictures) and use a computer in inappropriate ways.  I encourage everyone to ask their student about the video and have the conversation surrounding the dangers that exist.

Thank you to everyone who brought this to my attention and those who have called.   Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions.

Greg Grana

December 9, 2011

One week until winter break!  It always amazes me how fast the school year goes.  Leading into the break, we have an assembly this Tuesday celebrating our chorus, the musical group Encore and Emmy winning composer Kevin Briody.  Woodlawn will host this ceremony where The Laurie Bauer Foundation For Sudden Loss will receive a $20,000 check because the Encore singing group won a nation wide competition.  I cannot think of a better way to celebrate the many different cultures that Woodlawn represents as we head into the holiday seasons.  As I mentioned last week, it also shows our students that a positive impact can be made from a tragic loss.  I hope that all parents, grandparents and family members can come and celebrate with us on Tuesday morning at 8:30a.m. for our concert.  Please bring your drivers license to enter building. Unfortunately, we cannot allow you to enter the building without running it through our security system.   

Congratulations to Linda Rosen for being this years recipient of the District 96 Foundations President's Award.  On Friday, January 20, 2012 the awards ceremony will take place at the Arboretum in Buffalo Grove.  Stay tuned for further details and congratulations to Mrs. Rosen.  

Fantastic job by the orchestra this week!  Our students did an outstanding job and sounded great!  

Stevenson placement tests are going to be given to our 8th grade students when we come back from break.  I will give parents those details in my first blog of the new year.

Visit the PTO Newsletter link at the top of this page.  Go ahead...Try it out!  

December 5, 2011 Food drive results!

The food drive was a huge success again this year.  We collected more food this year and the most in Woodlawn history!

On Friday, we collected 879 pounds of food!  6th grade collected 109 pounds, 7th grade collected 212 pounds and 8th grade collected a whopping 558 pounds!

The top homerooms were: Mrs. Shannon, Mrs. Maggiore and Mr. Polidoro.

This year our collection totaled 2,451 pounds of food which beat last years total by 97 pounds!  Thank you to EVERYONE who donated and helped with this very worthy cause.

December 2, 2011

Welcome back to the blog.  I hope that everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving and was able to connect with family and friends.

Last night, our middle school chorus had an outstanding performance at their winter concert.  Students from all three grade levels did a great job and were joined by their parents for a rousing finale.  Congratulations to Mrs. Rosen and all of our chorus members!

I would like to personally invite all parents, grandparents and family to visit Woodlawn on Tuesday, December 13th at 8:30a.m. to see our chorus, local singing ensemble The Encore Singers and award winning composer Kevin Briody, as the Lori Bauer Foundation For Sudden Loss gets presented with a check for $20,000.  The Encore Singers won a national singing competition and I am proud to host this event, showing our students how something remarkable can come from a terrible loss.  (Anyone entering Woodlawn must show us a valid drivers license)

Heading into next week, we will be at mid term for second quarter.  I am hopeful that everyone is able to access their grades on PowerSchool, using their passcode to check the progress of their student.  If you do not know your PowerSchool code, please call the main office here at Woodlawn and ask Pam Kupsco to assist you.

Don't forget to click the link for the PTO newsletter at the top of this page!!!

Have a great week!

11/18/11

It is not too late to sign up for your parent-teacher conference.  Please call the Woodlawn office at 847-353-8500 and secure your spot today.  Communication between the school and parents is critical for the success of your student.  Conferences are Monday, November 21st from 5-7p.m. and Tuesday, November 22nd from 2-7p.m.

This week we had an assembly for our students regarding bullying.  The acting company Boom Troupe gave our students an inside look onto bullying and the specific roles each student plays in a bullying situation. I believe that this assembly has already paid dividends within our school community.

We are collecting Box Tops for education and need your support.  Please send box top coupons from numerous food items with your child to school.  We are having a contest by homeroom and hope to collect as many box tops as possible.

On Wednesday night, our band gave an outstanding performance in the Woodlawn gym.  The 6th grade band, 7/8 grade band and the jazz band put on a memorable performance. I was so impressed with each group and their amazing performance.  Congratulations to Mr. Craw and every band member.

Have a safe and healthy Thanksgiving.

Pack PAWS in Action

Pack PAWS are earned by students for meeting our classroom, hallway, cafeteria, and assembly expectations.  Students are allowed to trade them in for positive rewards, such as sitting in a comfy chair during an assembly or being able to listen to their iPod during Academic Extension

Here are few teachers helping to sort out one week's worth of Pack PAWS that have been traded for various rewards.

These lucky 6th graders won a raffle for Chipotle burritos by submitting Pack PAWS as entry tickets.  Other prizes included iTunes gift cards and 

Link to PTO

Last Friday I wanted to put our PTO newsletter link in my  SchoolMessenger notice.  Instead, you received the link to my blog twice.

Click here for the PTO newsletter, or go up to the top of this page.

Sorry for the mix up!

11/11/11

The date 11/11/11 is just cool.  

Sign up for parent/teacher conferences now.  Please call the Woodlawn office and set up a time to meet with the team member of your choice.  Our administrative assistant extraordinaire, Pam Kupsco can assist you when you call 847-353-8500.

Woodlawn would like to formally congratulate the Prairie parents for their victory at the District 96 Foundation sponsored 6^th Trivia Night last Friday.  It was a close race, but Woodlawn just missed taking home the victory.  We will give it another shot next year. 

Speaking of the Foundation... The Foundation has established several committees for which they are seeking volunteers.  These committees are:

Scholarship (first meeting December 8, 2011)

Capital Campaign

Golf Outing (August 6, 2012)

Recognition Dinner (January 20, 2012)

If anyone is interested in serving on any of these committees , (parents, faculty and staff) please contact myself ggrana@kcsd96.org or Wright Chase, Foundation President at  wwc11@aol.com or 847-537-9477.

Our food drive is in full swing and the results from our first weigh in are as follows:

6^th Grade raised 178 lbs.

7^th Grade raised 161 lbs.

8^th Grade raised 106 lbs. 

We have raised 445 lbs. on our way to the goal of 2,400 lbs. 

Artsonia is up and running.  If your student had Art class 1^st quarter and you have not heard from Mrs. Kile, feel free to contact the school. Artsonia is an on line art gallery where you can view or purchase the personal creations from your student. 

Lastly, we would like to welcome parents to attend an upcoming PTO Cultural Arts event...  Boom Troupe will present "Change It! Standing Up to Bullying" on November 15 to the students during the school day.  Boom Troupe will help bring to life some of the challenging concepts of bullying. Grades 6 & 7 will have their assembly from 12:15-1:00p.m., while 8^th grade will meet from 1:15-2:00p.m. 

November 4, 2011

Last Friday our Fall Party was a huge success!  We had 203 students attend our event and they had a blast.  The committee that set everything up did an amazing job and the students of Woodlawn benefited greatly.  If anyone has a way to get more of our 7^th & 8^th graders to attend, let me know.  I am sure they would have had a good time. 

Report cards went home today.  Make sure your Woodlawn student hands you their 1^st quarter results.  I am sure that your student will be excited to hand over a report card full of A’s, just like I handed over to my Mom & Dad…on second thought, that wasn’t me. 

Sign up for conferences beginning on Wednesday, November 9^th.  Please call the Woodlawn office and talk to one of our kind and helpful ladies in the office.  Sign up quickly because the good spots go fast. 

We had a couple of teachers from Australia in our school today checking out how we run things.  With that in mind, I will conclude this week with a G’Day Mate!  

Check out our P.T.O. newsletter link on the top of this page.  There is a ton of great information!

Greg Grana

Happy Halloween!

The Encore Team

Mr. Grana and Fellow Sumo Wrestler

Ms. Dupree, Ms. Shanks, Ms. Keehnast, and Ms. Hain

Weekly Message

Hey, Gang,

It's pretty hard to believe, but we're just days away from November and the start of Quarter 2 here at Woodlawn.  It's been a great start to the year so far, and we're proud of all of our students for how much they've all grown academically, socially, and emotionally.

This past week, "Fireman Tony" Rodkey, from the Countryside Fire Protection District, stopped by our Family & Consumer Sciences classes to talk about fire safety.  Here he is demonstrating what to do during a kitchen fire...

Superintendent Julie Schmidt joined Mrs. Erin Cooper's 6g English/Language Arts class as she has and will continue to do throughout the year.  Mrs. Schmidt randomly selected Mrs. Cooper's class as a part of her Adopt-A-Classroom program.  The students are thrilled to have her around just as much as we know she loves being here working with the kids.

The Fall Party is tonight, and we hope to see your students here at 6pm.  The party ends at 8pm, so parents, please be here to pick them up at that time.  If students did not already buy a ticket, they can purchase one at the door for $8.  The price includes admission, a raffle ticket, a beverage, slice of pizza, and a dessert.

Next week on Thursday, November 3, the 8g students will travel to Stevenson High School to watch the Fine Arts Division's fall production of the musical, Sweeney Todd.  It should definitely be a scream.  The musical is open to the public from November 4-6.  Click here for more information.

Today was the last day of Quarter 1, and Report Cards will be going home with students next Friday, November 4.  We encourage you to continue contacting your students' teachers with any questions, concerns or celebrations that you'd like to share at any time.  Structured Parent-Teacher Conferences are set for Monday, November 21, from 5-7pm, and on Tuesday, November 22, from 2-7pm.   Call the Woodlawn office to schedule an appointment beginning November 9.

Lastly, we would like to welcome parents to attend an upcoming PTO Cultural Arts event...  Boom Troupe will present "Change It! Standing Up to Bullying" on November 15 to the students during the school day.  Boom Troupe will help bring to life some of the challenging concepts of bullying.  Click here for more information about Boom Troupe.  More details to follow...

That's all for now... Have a great and safe Halloween weekend!

Talk soon-

Chris Murphy

Don't forget to check out the PTO's Weekly Newsletter... the link is posted at the top of this page.

Box Tops For Education

We will be having our yearly Box Tops For Education contest beginning Monday, October 31st.  The contest will run until Friday, November 11th.  Start saving your box tops and help Woodlawn!  I am going to have to wrestle the box tops away from my 9 year old at home.  She is always cutting them off of products so that her school will benefit.  Keep collecting them and send them in to your homeroom teacher starting next Monday!

October 21, 2011

Earlier this week, selected Woodlawn teachers and I participated in the second session of our Common Core Standards discussion across the middle school consortium.  We made outstanding progress toward a common understanding of what English/LA will look like for all students entering SHS.  Former Woodlawn Assistant Principal Jeanne Spiller was the moderator for this event which provided guidance to over 120 educators.  I will have more information in future blog entries regarding The Common Core Standards and something that I am a huge advocate of, Standards Based Report Cards. 

Our Halloween Party is going to be totally wicked! Next week, students will be able to purchase tickets to the Halloween Party during all lunch periods.  Students can also purchase tickets on the night of the event.  This is a great event and I hope our turnout is better than ever! Check out the link to the PTO newsletter at the top of this page! Everyone and anyone can donate a gently used coat to our coat drive. The final evening to donate is at the Halloween Party. 

Students can wear their Halloween costumes to school on Monday, October 31^st.

All costumes must follow these guidelines:                 

• Appropriate for school (No blood & guts)

• No weapons

• Adheres to our school dress code

District 96 Trivia Night has a whole new look this year!  The winning team will receive 5 iPads that they can donate to the school of their choice.  Get the word out to your friends and put a table together.  This is a really fun event and now the reward will benefit our students!  

Mike Byster Wows 6g Students and Parents Alike

 This morning, Mike Byster wowed both 6g students and parents with his enthusiasm and math magic.  You can learn more from his company's website, Brainetics, by clicking here. 

October 14, 2011

Traffic has been terrible and now it is having a negative impact on our buses and their arrival times at school.  After contacting First Student Bus Company and looking at our options, I feel confident that they are on top of this situation and doing everything they can to deal with these frustrating circumstances.  First Student is having their drivers report earlier so that they are at the first stop on time.  They are staying in contact with IDOT to anticipate any changes in traffic routing and communicating with our office regarding buses that are caught up in traffic.  At this point, I do not want to have students report to their bus stops any earlier in the morning. Team leader and I will soon be meeting to come up with a plan for our first period students who are missing class time.  I will keep monitoring this situation, which could be an issue well into November. 

Our Halloween extravaganza is Friday, October 28^th from 6-8p.m.  Tickets can be purchased the week of October 24-28^th during lunch periods or the evening of the party.  This is a fun event and I recommend parents come into the building to see Mr. Murphy and me; our costumes are going to rock! 

Money can be earned for Woodlawn if you sign up for EScript.  Just go to the website and register your Dominick’s card to start the donation process.  Remember to check the PTO Newsletter each week.  We have put the link at the top of this page to access the newsletter.

Finally, with the Cubs on the verge of signing Theo Epstein, I recommend all of my baseball loving dads go see the movie Moneyball. It gives you an idea how the cyber-metric approach to baseball to which Theo subscribes works. I made my wife go see  it after I had to sit through the movie One Day.

October 7, 2011

Having been a runner in a former life, I was really impressed with the way the D96 Dash was organized and organized.  Kudos to the District 96 foundation members who put this outstanding event together.

I know that Mr. Murphy put up a picture from the D96 Dash earlier this week, but I came across this picture and I thought it was cool.  This is a picture of two of our Woodlawn custodians, Tim Kowols and Lou Narantic.  They embody the positive team and community feeling we have created at Woodlawn.  Along with the rest of our custodians, these men do a great job keeping Woodlawn looking great.


Our book fair concluded this week and I am thrilled with the results.  Thank you to all of our volunteers for their time and effort.

As I look ahead this month, Picture Retake Day is October 17th.  If your student needs their picture retaken, please send them to school with their original school picture from this year.

Our Halloween party will be on Friday, October 28th in our gymnasium.  I will be following up with details about the evening and its activities in future blogs.  We have had a large number of students attend this event in past years.  On Monday, October 31st, students will be able to wear (school appropriate) costumes to school if they would like to celebrate Halloween with their friends.

Our coat drive began this week and will continue through the night of Halloween party.  Dig deeply into your closets and pull out those gently used coats for those in need!

As always check out our PTO Newsletter and be a part of your child's middle school experience!

Have a great week.

Mr. Grana

Woodlawn Staff Runs the District 96 Dash

Here are a few of the many Woodlawn staff members (and families) that took part in the District 96 Dash on Sunday, October 2, in Buffalo Grove.  From left to right, The Cooper Family, Mrs. Rosen, Ms. Keehnast, Mr. Frishman (who graciously allowed the District to hold this event on his birthday), Ms. Bergsten, and Ms. O'Shea.

Now, That's Enthusiasm!!!

Congrats on raising over $500 in just one week, Woodlawn!  

Just look how excited Mr. Grana and I were that we were able to wear each other's favorite team's jerseys...

September 30, 2011

Welcome back to the principals’ blog!

On October 6th we will be mailing out student results from ISAT and MAP testing. We
are currently formatting the MAP information in a way that will make it easy for parents to read and understand. If you have any questions about the results, please feel free to contact the school.

As many of you have heard, our Book Fair kickoff challenge to raise funds was a
tremendous success! Because of the students’ generosity, Mr. Murphy had to sport a
Packer’s jersey and I had to wear the colors of my least favorite team. Although wearing a Bears’ jersey was tough, the end result is that Woodlawn & Central Middle School in Zion are each receiving $539 worth of books for their libraries. I will take that deal every year. Personally, I noticed that Mr. Murphy had a content, happy smile on his face all day long. Please check out the PTO Newsletter to see how happy Mr. Murphy looks.

Attention 6th grade parents: On October 18th, Mike Byster (numbers guru) will be putting on an assembly in our learning center and you are invited. It will be in the morning and I will pass along further details when they are available. Mark your calendars; this is a very interesting assembly!

And finally, it is sad when the most interesting part of a Chicago baseball season is when October rolls around and you see who is getting fired.

Mr. Grana

Cross Country: Hawthorn Invitational, 9/14

The Woodlawn Cross Country team had an excellent showing at the Hawthorne Invitational with each race consisting of over 100 runners. Students are working hard to prepare to the upcoming Conference meet where they have had exceptional success in the past. Go Wolves!

Here you can see members of our team looking to dominate the Patriot Conference as they begin a 2-mile race.

Attention 6th graders/parents Fall Halloween Party

The rumor mill is running wild...

The Fall/Halloween Party on Friday, October 28th is NOT a "date" dance.  The 6th graders are in full middle school panic mode and running with the idea that everyone needs a date to attend this event.

In reality, no one brings a date.  Students come with their friends and have a lot of fun listening to our
 D.J.(usually very loud), playing games, dancing to DDR (dance, dance revolution) and eating a ton of sweets.  Good times.  We will make this announcement to the 6th grade homeroom classes on Tuesday.

One last FYI...this happens every year.

Mr. G-

September 23, 2011

Welcome back to the Woodlawn principals’ blog! 

I had an amazing educational experience this week!  In a ground-breaking experiment, we brought the grades 9-10 English/LA teachers from Stevenson High School, along with representatives from each of the middle school feeder districts (grades 6-8), together to align the learning standards and targets for the Common Core.   In a nutshell, here is what that means…every student (grades 6-8) going into SHS, will have the same set of learning targets regardless of the middle school they attend.  As a consortium we worked together to clearly define the new E/LA learning targets and agreed upon which ones were the most important.  In the future, we will continue this work for the good of all students attending SHS.  

Join in the D96 Dash at Twin Groves Middle School on Sunday, October 2^nd.  The proceeds for this event will go to towards funding technology in our schools. 

In conjunction with our book fair, our Woodlawn students are raising money to send a donation to an underprivileged school in Zion.  The book company is sweetening the pot by giving both the school in Zion and our own Woodlawn library up to $500 in free books. Stay tuned to see if we met our goal. 

I hope that everyone is able to access our new Homework Hotline on the Woodlawn website.  Please make it a bookmark so that you can be up to date with the assignments. 

We have put the PTO newsletter link at the top of this blog.  Check it out!

Have a great week and let’s hope for a good Packers vs. Bears game.  

6th-Grade Reading Strategies

Learning targets are essential in helping our students meet district and state standards.  Inferencing is one of our learning targets for 6g English & Language Arts curriculum.  Enjoy this video clip of students practicing using their observation skills and background knowledge in order to formulate an inference about a fellow classmate.

Staff Email, Webpages & Homework

Oops, there appears to be an error with the link posted in an earlier blog post.

Click/bookmark this link to access staff email and webpages.  Teachers are regularly posting homework assignments on their webpages.  We are no longer using "Homework Hotline."

http://www.kcsd96.org/W/2009_newsite/staff_email.html

Mid-Term Grade/Comment Reports

The 24-hour accessibility to student progress using the parent portal of PowerSchool, coupled with the resource-saving concept of "going green," has led Woodlawn to make a change in how we provide mid-term student progress reports.  Woodlawn will not be sending home printed mid-term reports to parents this year.  We've been weaning ourselves off of this practice for some time, and now is the time to move on to our new system of reporting mid-term grades and comments.

On Tuesday, September 20, all Woodlawn teachers will personally begin contacting parents of students who are earning letter grades less than a C, or who have shown a pattern of behaviors that has caused a concern in the learning environment.  In order to provide parents a clear snapshot of student progress, all student grades will be updated in PowerSchool on Wednesday, September 28. 

The Quarter 1 reporting period ends on Friday, October 28, so we believe that providing an update on our struggling students during this upcoming week will afford students ample time to seek ways in which to improve upon their achievement- and for parents and teachers to increase their communication about students.  Teachers may contact parents via email or phone, depending upon your preference.  However, understanding that most everyone has quite a busy schedule, we request that parents confirm that they have received a voicemail or email, with a reply.  It is important to all of us at Woodlawn that our message is clear and productive.  

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact either Greg or me at ggrana@kcsd96.org or cmurphy@kcsd96.org or at 847.353.8500.

September 16, 2011

Woodlawn families,

This is a very important announcement regarding HOMEWORK HOTLINE.  With the change in our network system, we have decided to use teacher web pages for students and parents to access the homework hotline. Here is the link to access your teachers' web page from the Woodlawn site.  I recommend that you bookmark this link to have easy access to the homework hotline.   

   http://www.kcsd96.org/W/2009_newsite/staff_email.html

Earlier this week, as I walked past our Learning Center, there was a meeting going on with P.T.O. Book Fair committee members and our Learning Center Director, Jessica Woods.  Showing tremendously poor judgment, I decided to stop in and offer my support.  Before I knew it, I was part of a plan to raise money as a part of the book fair, compromising my very strong NFL allegiance.  So here it is…If the students can raise $500.00 by donating loose change during their lunch hours, beginning this Monday, September 19^th, I will wear the dreaded colors of my arch enemy, the Chicago Bears.  That’s right, I will wear a Bears jersey.  Ugh!  In a shameless act of pulling rank on another person, I have volunteered Mr. Murphy to go against his better judgement and wear the beautiful colors of green & gold if the students meet the donation dollar amount.  Packer fans, send in your coins, it almost makes it worth it to see our resident Bear fanatic in the colors of the Superbowl champs!

Information on this and all P.T.O. activities can be accessed via the P.T.O. Newsletter.  Make sure you check it out! PTO Newsletter Link

The inaugural District 96 Dash is coming up on October 2^nd  beginning at 8 a.m. Everyone can participate in this 5k walk/run that will be very fun for the whole family. The starting point and finish line is at Twin Groves Middle School.  Registration information is available online at D96 Dash. Register now and the cost is $15/per person through Monday, Sept. 26th. You can  also register on the day of the walk/run at a cost of $20/per person.

Thank you and have a great weekend.  

...3...2...1...LAUNCH!!!

This week, Mr. Polidoro's 8th grade science classes are modeling the scientific process by designing paper rockets, launching them by using compressed air, and modifying their designs based upon flight path and length of air time... Oh, and for future reference, it's not wise to stand downwind of the launch site!

September 9, 2011

The big news this week is that MAP testing is going very well and the information gained by the staff will lead to better, more individualized instruction for your student.  By early next week we will have all of our students tested and begin breaking down the data.

Construction began this week and it has caused a few of our buses to be delayed at the start of the day.  Fortunately, the delays have been minor and students have been in class for the start of our school day.

Thank you to our P.T.O. volunteers for the work they did with dessert day!  The Woodlawn students were able to enjoy a special treat at lunch and kick off the weekend in style.  More information regarding the P.T.O. and Woodlawn can be found by clicking on the NEWSLETTER LINK.  I recommend that you click on this link weekly to stay on top of everything related to students and the school.  http://www.kcsd96.org/W/PTO_NEWS-2011-12/current.pdf

Have a great weekend!

Homework Hotline Issues!

We have been having some issues with our Homework Hotline.  Since we have not been able to solve our server issue, it looks like we will be doing the program on another site.  As of right now, we will be shooting for a beginning date of Tuesday, September 13th.  In the meantime, please talk to your student about the importance of writing down all of their homework assignments in their assignment notebook.

Thank you for your patience.

Teacher Institute Day, 9/2

While all District teachers and staff were engaged in various forms of staff development, the middle school English & Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Spanish, ELL, SpEd, and Learning Center Directors all enjoyed a highly informative workshop on Literacy in the Content Areas.  The workshop seen in this image was facilitated by teachers, Mrs. Martin and Mrs. Flaskamp, and was geared towards increasing our understanding of effective instructional strategies to use across all content areas.

We all hope that you and yours enjoy a safe and relaxing Labor Day weekend!

Make sure you read below for Mr. Grana's earlier post...

September Begins!

Writing a blog has been a very enlightening experience for me.  It seems easier than writing a newsletter because I can post things when I choose and they can be timely.  Last week when this blog went out, I had a single (1) follower.  Currently, the number stands at 13.  Talk about a celebration.  Mr. Murphy who also has access to post on the blog, is trying to take credit for the enormous leap in followers.  I don't want to break his spirit, but let's be honest, I'm the big deal around here.  Join the blog to help me prove to this young whipper-snapper that I am still the king.

Now onto the important stuff...It amazes me how fast the students get into the routines here at Woodlawn.  In only our second abbreviated week, students were confident walking through the hallways, doing their combinations and getting a feel for their classes.  I am excited about the prospects of this school year and the direction we are headed.

Two big things begin next week.  The first one is academic, as our fall MAP testing begins for all students.  The students are assessed on the computer in the areas of Math & Language Arts, and the immediate data results are used for student goal setting, interventions and gaining a deeper understanding of conceptual awareness.   The second big thing this week is that our PTO sponsored magazine sale begins.  This is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year, which allows us to purchase items for the students of Woodlawn.

Click here to visit the P.T.O. website. Information on the magazine sale should be up on their site.  You can also access the P.T.O. newsletter here as well.

Have a great day and remember to become a subscriber to the Woodlawn Principals' Blog.

8g Students Composing Music Using iPads

This week in Music class, Mrs. Rosen's eighth grade students have been composing a new jingle for the Woodlawn Newscast using iPads.  The level of student engagement was truly impressive, and it was great to see how many students felt at ease with the technology.  Thanks go out to Mr. Frishman for helping to set up the iPads and to Mrs. Rosen for the innovative planning.  We can't wait to hear the finished tracks!

    

Picture Day

Tuesday, August 30th is picture day here at Woodlawn!  Make sure your student has their order form for pictures with them tomorrow.  Extra order forms will be available in the office.

Beginning of the year!

We are off to a great start here at Woodlawn!  I have been very impressed with the politeness of our new 6th graders.  Every time I have given a student some assistance, they have thanked me.  Outstanding!   On our half day this past Wednesday, there was an electricity in this building.  The students were very excited about the start of the school year and it showed.  I am thrilled that everyone is back and that we are back in business.

6th grade curriculum night went very well on Tuesday.  The parents did a great job of finding their way through the hallways.  Special thanks to the students and parents of those 6th graders who were affected by a scheduling issue on the Friday before school started.  You all handled it with the utmost class.

7th & 8th grade curriculum night is tonight, Thursday, August 25th.  Your participation is appreciated and essential for the success of your student.

I was thrilled with the turnout at locker set up day.  The students and parents really made that day work out well.  Make sure that you give a quick look to our Woodlawn website and focus on our PTO link to see the special lunch, dessert day and gym clothes forms.
http://www.kcsd96.org/W/PTO_news-2011-12/current.pdf

I will be talking about our new technology program in future blogs.

Finally, I have to comment on the state of baseball in Chicago.  My comment is bad.  Football anyone?

Getting back into the school groove...

As we all look forward to the start of another exciting school year, some of us could use a few tips on how to effectively get back into the swing of things.  Listed below are a few suggestions written by a colleague that you may find helpful as you and your family prepares for another great school year.

See you next week!

¨ Reestablish bed times for school nights.  Although this is difficult with the warm weather and late sunsets, it is essential for learning that children get enough sleep each night.

¨ Make a plan for after school activities.  Schedule adequate time for homework, play, sports, clubs, and practice.

¨ Scale Back TV and video game time.

¨ Establish a family reading time instead of watching TV.

¨ Keep a large calendar.  Mark each family member’s activities in a different color pen.  You can do this electronically, too.

¨ Collect important phone numbers.  Update doctor, work, cell phone, and other listings for the school office, after school programs, and a few neighbors.

¨ Create a car pool.  Compare schedules and determine which parents can drive when.

¨ Develop a backup plan.  Find another parent who will exchange school pickup favors in case you get sick or are delayed by work or traffic.

¨ Spruce up a study place.  Every child in the family should have his/her own special place to study and do homework.  Include pens, pencils, erasers, a dictionary, and other needed supplies.

¨ Set up a file for school papers for each child. Place all school notices in it so you don’t misplace them.  These days, you also might want to set up email folders for the emails that you will be receiving from school.



¨Establish important positive habits.  Get the children in the habit of getting ready for school the night before.  Set out clothes, pack lunches, and place backpacks loaded with completed homework by the back door.

Woodlawn 8/11/11

Welcome to the 2011-12 School year!  I am so excited about the opportunities that await every student, teacher and parent as we enter another school year.  Here is a quick look at the beginning of the year activities.  

Monday, August 22^th

4:00-7:00p.m.       Locker Set Up

Tuesday, August 23^rd

7-8:15p.m.            6^th Grade Curriculum Night

Wednesday, August 24^th

7:45-11:10a.m.     First Day of School

Thursday, August 25^th

7:00-8:15p.m.       7^th & 8^th Grade Curriculum Night