RETURNING STUDENTS ONLY

»Online Registration for Pre-Registered Kindergarten Students Begins June 21st

In an effort to make registration a smoother and simpler process, Woodridge School District 68 will be conducting online registration for the 2013-2014 school year. Simply click the Skyward Family Access button at left to begin the online registration process.   An Online Registration User Guide is available for download (click here for English /haga clic aquí para español ). Please make sure that you have chosen your student's correct school at the top of the Family Access before beginning Online Registration.   Walk-in and mail-in registration will still be made available, though we are strongly encouraging all families to utilize the online option. New & returning families can get detailed registration information on the new & improved registration website.   The new registration website has information on the following: ·   Important Dates ·   Returning Students ·   New Students ·   Kindergarten ·   Preschool ·   Health Requirements ·   Residency Information ·   Online Registration Tutorials   Reminder: Illinois School Code requires students to submit a report of physical examination and the dates that certain immunizations were received in order to attend school.

Jill Raci, a teacher at Goodrich School, has been selected as an NEH Summer Scholar from a national applicant pool to attend one of twenty-one NEH Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshops.  The National Endowment for the Humanities is a federal agency that each year supports summer study opportunities so that teachers can work with experts in humanities disciplines.

Mrs. Raci will participate in a workshop entitled "USS Constitution & the War of 1812." The one-week program will be held at the USS Constitution Museum in Boston, Massachusetts and is directed by Sarah Watkins, Director of Collections and Learning and Rebecca Crawford, Manager of Academic & Family Programs.

"I have always loved teaching history, and am excited for the opportunity to examine historical artifacts firsthand and create memorable lessons for my students at Goodrich," said Raci.

The eighty teachers selected to participate in the program each receive a $1,200 stipend to help cover their travel, study,and living expenses. The approximately 1,680 teachers who participate in these studies will teach more than 210,000 American students the following year.

The USS Constitution Museum is located in the historic Charlestown Navy Yard, across from USS Constitution and on the Freedom Trail. The USS Constitution Museum is a nonprofit, educational institution whose mission is to serve as the memory and educational voice of USS Constitution, by collecting, preserving, and interpreting the stories of Old Ironsides and the people associated with her.  The Museum is part of Boston's Trails to Freedom - A Proud Partner of Boston National Historical Park and is honored to be rated a prestigious 4 stars on Charity Navigator, a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate, and a recent recipient of the Parent's Choice Award. www.ussconstitutionmuseum.org

To ensure our students are ready for the 21st century, Woodridge School District 68 is undergoing an Academic Transformation Plan that will focus on individual student growth and preparing students to be college and career ready .

Through our district focus, our teachers and staff will:

• F orm strong caring relationships with and between students
• O perate with high expectations and clear targets in place
• C reate engagement through meaningful experiences
• U tilize data to inform instructional planning
• S upply specific and timely feedback to ensure each child achieves his/her personal best

Click on the following links for more information:

• Mid-Year Update (02/04/13)
  • School Climate & Learning Environment
  • Standards, Assessment, Curriculum, & Instruction
  • Leadership, Coaching, & Supervision
  • Professional Development
  • Communication & Reporting
• Infrastructure Changes (12/05/12)
  • Instructional Support System
  • Jefferson Junior High
  • After-School Programming
• Introduction (03/16/12)
  • Common Core Standards
  • College & Career Readiness
  • 21st Century Learning Skills

Beginning next school year (Fall 2013) all students entering, advancing, or transferring into 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grades will be required to show proof of receipt of one dose of Tdap vaccine (combined tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis) vaccine regardless of the interval since the last DTaP, DT or Td dose.

This requirement is important because pertussis (whooping cough) disease continues to occur throughout many Illinois communities, and vaccination of children and adolescents reduces illness and absenteeism among school-age students.  In addition, pertussis infections in infants can be fatal, and reducing the spread of pertussis through vaccination of community members helps to protect infants, especially those who are too young to be fully vaccinated.

Most students may have already received the vaccine and simply need to provide the school with verifying documentation from the family health care provider. Documentation accepted as complying with the requirement for students entering 6th through 12th grades for the 2013-14 school year includes the following information:

• Note or letter, signed by health care provider and identifying the vaccine (Tdap) and date (month, day, and year) administered.
• Print-out from provider's electronic medical record system that identifies Tdap vaccination(s) and date administered for student in question.
• Current Certificate of Child Health Examination (see link below), specifying Tdap and date (month, day, year) administered. http://www.idph.state.il.us/health/vaccine/child_hlth_forms/Child_Hlth_Exam_Cert.pdf

In addition to health care providers, many local health departments, and pharmacies offer the vaccine. The Illinois Department of Public Health recommends that parents get their adolescents immunized now to avoid a last-minute rush during the summer. Students without adequate proof of vaccination will be subject to exclusion as described in the School Code of Illinois http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/010500050K27-8.1.htm .

LaMar Hasbrouck, MD, MPH, Director

Illinois Department of Public Health

Nuevo Requerimiento de la Vacuna Tdap

Comenzando el Nuevo año escolar  (Otoño 2013) todos los estudiantes entrando, avanzando, o siendo transferidos al 6to, 7mo, 8vo, 9no, 10mo, 11avo, o 12avo grados tendrán que mostrar prueba de haber recibido una dosis de la vacuna Tdap (combinación tétano, difteria, pertusis a celular) sin importar el  intervalo desde la última dosis de la DTaP, DT o TD.

Este requerimiento es importante porque la pertusis  (tos ferina) continúa apareciendo a través de  muchas de nuestras comunidades aquí en el estado de Illinois.  Además, las infecciones de pertusis en infantes pueden ser fatales, y reduciendo el contagio de pertusis a través de la vacunación en los miembros de la comunidad ayuda a proteger a los infantes, especialmente aquellos que son demasiado pequeños para estar completamente vacunados.

Los estudiantes que hayan recibido esta vacuna, simplemente necesitan entregar un documento de su médico verificando esta información. Este documento, para los estudiantes entrando del 6to al 12avo año para el año escolar 2013-14, para ser aceptado,  deberá contener la siguiente información:

• Nota o carta, firmada por el médico identificando la vacuna (Tdap) y la fecha de administración (día, mes, año).
• Un documento imprimido del sistema de mantenimiento de archivos de la oficina del médico que identifique la vacuna Tdap y muestre la fecha de administración de la misma.
• Certificado de examen médico (vea el enlace abajo) especificando Tdap y fecha de administración (día, mes, año). http://www.idph.state.il.us/health/vaccine/child_hlth_forms/Child_Hlth_Exam_Cert.pdf

Además de su doctor de cabecera, muchos de los departamentos de salud y farmacias ofrecen esta vacuna. El Departamento de Salud Pública del Estado de Illinois, recomienda que los padres vacunen a sus hijos(as) adolecentes ahora para evitar el apuro de hacerlo durante el verano. Los estudiantes que no tengan prueba adecuada de haber recibido esta vacuna serán excluidos de la escuela de acuerdo al Código de Escuelas de Illinois.

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/010500050K27-8.1.htm .

LaMar Hasbrouck, MD, MPH, Director

Departamento de Salud Pública

Woodridge School District 68 is pleased to announce that William F. Murphy School and Edgewood School have once again been recognized for their continued academic excellence.  The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and Northern Illinois University (NIU) announced today the Illinois Honor Roll, the state's annual recognition program based on the previous spring's state standardized tests and demographic information.

William F. Murphy School is one of just 15 schools in the state to receive both the Academic Excellence Award and Spotlight School Award.  The Academic Excellence Award recognizes schools that have sustained high performance over at least three years, and the Spotlight School Award recognizes high-poverty, high-performing schools that are beating the odds by overcoming the achievement gap. " Murphy staff members are very pleased to receive the Academic Excellence Award and the Spotlight School Award again this year.  Receiving both of these awards for two consecutive years is an honor.  Murphy School is dedicated to student achievement in academics , supported each day by staff and parents ," said Murphy School Principal Susan Futterer .

Edgewood School received the Spotlight School Award. "Edgewood staff works collaboratively at all grades to ensure that students are positively motivated as learners.  We strive for a supportive balance by fostering a caring school community, as well as focusing on students' growth toward academic goals. 

We are very proud of our students' progress and are pleased to be recognized again on the Illinois State's Honor Roll as a Spotlight School!" said Tanya Hughes, Edgewood School Principal.

"Woodridge School District 68 is very proud of these accomplishments. Principals Sue Futterer and Tanya Hughes, as well as the teachers and staff at Murphy and Edgewood Schools are dedicated to student success, and that dedication was recognized by the state today," said Dr. Cathy Skinner, Superintendent of Schools, Woodridge School District 68.

"These Honor Roll schools once again show us that rigorous standards, great instruction and lots of hard work improve student performance," said State Board of Education Chairman Gery J. Chico. "Behind each school's success is an untold story of extraordinary passion and dedication on behalf of administrators, teachers, parents and students. We commend each school and hope local community members will also celebrate their local schools' success."

With the flu season upon us, we wanted to share with parents and our community some helpful guidelines.

A parent's decision to keep a child home from school when he/she is sick can sometimes be a difficult one. A child who is sick will not be able to perform well in school. You have to ask yourself "is my child well enough to actively learn"?

You should not send your child to school if he/she has:

§  Fever in the past 24 hours

§  Vomiting in the past 24 hours

§  Diarrhea in the past 24 hours

§  Chills

§  Body Aches

§  Strep Throat (must have been taking an antibiotic for at least 24 hours before returning to school)

§  Bad cold, with a very runny nose or bad cough, especially if it has kept the child awake at night

Parents should keep their sick children home from school until they have been without fever (temperature under 100 degrees) without fever reducing medication like Tylenol, for 24 hours. Consulting with a physician about your child if they have a persistent cough, or if your child has symptoms of the flu is advisable.

The single best way to protect against flu and its potential severe complications is for children (and adults) to get a seasonal influenza vaccine each year. Flu vaccination is recommended for children aged 6 months and older.

The best way to reduce the spread of any influenza-like illness is to practice good hygiene. We, therefore, continue to encourage you to teach/remind your children to wash their hands often; to keep their hands away from their face, eyes, nose and mouth; and to cover coughs and sneezes. Using tissues to cover the nose and mouth for sneezes and coughs and disposing of tissues can help prevent the spread of the flu.

Please keep us updated with your current phone numbers and emergency numbers. Someday it may be necessary to reach you and without this information it would be impossible.  

Thank you for your cooperation in helping our school community stay healthy.

Cindy Dore, RN, CSN

Woodridge 68 District Nurse

Click here for additional information from the DuPage County Health Department

An Academic Transformation Plan Update

Why examine the district in a 21st century context?

· Today's students are part of the first generation to grow up surrounded by digital media, which is different from the "digital immigrants" who learned to "do technology" later in life.

· The 21st century knowledge economy seeks knowledge workers and innovators.

· This generation of learners and the next will have grown up surrounded by digital media and will use these multi-literacies as their thinking tools .

How can we redesign our infrastructure to meet the needs of these digital natives?

· Determine the Optimal Instructional Support System

· Review Jefferson Junior High Structure

· Investigate After-School Programming Options

Click here for a pdf presentation about these infrastructure redesign proposals

Click here for a pdf sample upcoming Common Core Assessment (4^th grade)

For more infromation on Project Lead the Way, one of the proposed new exploratory course offerings at Jefferson, watch these videos:

The decision about whether to close school in inclement weather is based on the availability of buses, school building conditions, current temperature (actual & wind chill), road conditions, weather predictions, storm severity, and associated winds.This is done in consultation with the superintendents from Downers Grove Grade School District 58 and Community High School District 99.Information will be communicated as soon as an open/close decision has been made.

Please do not call the school for closing information.

Please be sure your phone and e-mail contact information is up to date in Skyport Family Access .

School closing information will be available through the following sources:

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