The Item Newsletter, Issue #15, March 15, 2015
Each day during Teacher Appreciation Week, the Hubbard Woods PTO will let our teachers know how wonderful they are by offering treats and notes. You and your children will also be encouraged to write notes to the teachers (information about that should have come from your Room Parent already). In addition, the PTO will treat our teachers to a massage. To wrap up the week, the teachers will enjoy a catered lunch and have an opportunity to win prizes at the Teacher Raffle on Friday

 

The PTO needs your help to make the Teacher Raffle a success! 
Please consider making a contribution to the grade-level gift baskets - just put your item(s) in the collection boxes in the front lobby. If you have any questions about the raffle, please contact Nicole Rivera at: [email protected]
For gift basket themes by class, please log on to hubbardwoods36pto.org

Also, be on the lookout for opportunities to buy raffle tickets on behalf of any teacher(s) of your choosing.  Tickets will be on sale throughout the week of
March 23 - 27
.  Again, thank you very much for your support in honor of the wonderful teachers and staff of Hubbard Woods!
This Week and Next
Thursday March 19, 2 PM
Parent Meeting with Superintendent Trish Kocanda
HW Auditorium
Monday, March 23 - Friday, March 27
Teacher Appreciation Week!!!!
Monday, March 30 - Friday, April 3
No School,
Spring Break
News and Notes
AND THE WINNER IS................
LIZ KUNKLE!!!!!

Congratulations to Liz, the lucky winner of the website treasure hunt and a $30 gift certificate to The Book Stall. And thank you to all of you who logged onto hubbardwoods36pto.org this week! We've seen great traffic on the website and had a good number participate in the treasure hunt. We hope that you will use this resource on a regular basis moving forward! 

THE PTO WELCOMES TRISH KOCANDA
THIS THURSDAY  
Last fall Superintendent Trish Kocanda conducted over 65 meetings with staff, students, parents, administration, Board members, and community officials to prepare her mid-year Entry Plan Report (click here to read the Entry Plan Report).
 
Please join us this Thursday, March 19 at 2 PM in the HW Auditorium as Ms. Kocanda shares those findings and looks for further input from parents in an effort to create a shared vision for the future of our schools. 

2015-2016 HUBBARD WOODS PTO EXECUTIVE BOARD SLATE

The election of officers will take place in the auditorium on Thursday, March 19 prior to Superintendent Trish Kocanda's Entry Plan Meeting. All PTO members are invited to attend.  

Nominating Season Continues!
Here's the slate for The Central PTO
for 2015-2016

President - Heather Smith

VP Communications - Lynn Wellehan

Treasurer - Amy Polachek

Secretary - Sara Ridder 

TREX PLASTIC BAG CHALLENGE UPDATE
Thanks to everyone for bringing all your plastic bags and wrap in to HWS for the Trex Plastic Bag Challenge. The collection bin in the front hall has been consistently full - it's great!  There's also one in the lunchroom that students use during lunch.

PLEASE NOTE:
--The Trex Plastic Bag Challenge ends on April 15.
--DO NOT BRING PLASTICS TO HWS AFTER APRIL 15 AS THE BIN WILL BE REMOVED. 
--The Grand, Mariano's, Jewel, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's are just some of the retailers that have plastic bag collection bins. Please continue to take all the plastics you would bring to HWS (or the Community House or the Library) to your preferred retailer when you go there.

Regional winners of the Trex Plastic Bag Challenge will be announced the week of Earth Day. HWS is definitely in the running (but that is not why we do it!), so stay tuned!

Please note: all plastics must be clean, dry and free of food residue. Click here for a list of plastics we're collecting.
WORLD TRAVELERS HEAD TO EGYPT
Our third and last journey of the school year will take us all the way to Africa where we'll visit one of the seven wonders of the ancient world - the Great Pyramid of Giza. We will travel through the Sahara desert, cruise on the river Nile, and learn more about Egypt's ancient civilization and history as well as everyday life for a child just like yours!

Save the date for our travelogue on April 15 and the tasty Egyptian lunch on April 17. Look for fliers to come home in your child's backpack on Friday, March 26. They will be due after spring break on Thursday, April 9.
THE SKOKIE SCHOOL ORIENTATION
The Skokie School will host an orientation meeting for current fourth grade students and their parents, Wednesday, April 8th from 6:30 - 8:10 PM. Families will receive an email invitation with more details. Skokie students identified last year's orientation meeting as one of the most helpful components of their orientation activities. Students enjoyed the opportunity to tour the school, meet the staff, and have a conversation with current Skokie students. Please mark your calendars.
A ZEN LIBRARIAN - By Todd Burleson
WGST GOES TO ICE CONFERENCE!
Read about the fantastic experience had by four of our fourth grade students. Click here.
Kudos
The PTO would like to honor Neilly Hallerman for her outstanding work as the organizer of Family Math Night for the past 10 years. This year's event, like the 9 events before it, was an enormous success. We are so grateful to Neilly for her leadership, flawless organization and her commitment to this enriching program for the last decade. Bravo Neilly!!!

The PTO also owes a debt of gratitude to Dee Macey for her work on our new PTO website. Dee built the site, added the content, figured out how to incorporate PayPal, created the treasure hunt and more. What a labor of love. Thank you Dee!
Looking Ahead
Wednesday, April 8
Skokie School Orientation

Wednesday, April 15
End of Trex Plastic Bag Challenge

Monday, April 20 - Friday, April 24 - Earth Week!
Wednesday, April 29
Spring Sing,
7PM, Skokie School
MAYFEST IS SUNDAY, MAY 17 from 12 - 4 PM at Hubbard Woods School
Want to get involved? Please contact Kate Kligora at [email protected].
Lunch Box

Lunch ordering is NOW OPEN for all dates through year end. Place your order by logging onto www.kiddoscatering.com
The next Pizza Fun Lunch will be served on Friday, March 27.
Remember to send your child to school with a beverage, especially on Pizza Fun Lunch days.
Directory Spot Update
Can't Find Your Directory?
No problem! Now you can download a pdf of the contact information from Directory Spot online. Please note, the pdf will contain family names, addresses and phone numbers only. It will not contain class lists or any of the other information offered in the paper directory. To download a pdf please log onto  www.directoryspot.net and click on the Family Search Screen.
Community Events




 
"Disconnected: Youth, New Media, and the Ethics Gap "
Carrie James, Ph.D., Research Director and Principal Investigator, Project Zero, Monday, March 16 at 7 PM at Central School Auditorium. Click here for more information.

"Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption"
Bryan Stevenson, Founder and Executive Director, Equal Justice Initiative, Professor, NYU School of Law, Monday, March 23 at 7 PM at Evanston Township High School Auditorium. Click here for more information.


"Navigating Diversity and Inclusion with Our Children"
Join Elisabeth Lindsay-Ryan, lauded diversity facilitator, as she leads the second part of a two-part interactive workshop on Wednesday, March 18 from 7-8:30PM at Baker Demonstration School. Click here and see page 13 for more information.

"Strategies For Using Technology At Home" Series
Part 2: In-Person Workshop, March 18, 1-2:30 PM, Register here 
Up Next
The deadline to submit content for the next issue of The Item is Friday, March 27. Submissions should be sent to [email protected].