Walker Wolverines PTA

Any student in D65 can receive warm clothing from Evanston School Children’s Clothing Association (ESCCA). The volunteer-run organization, now in its 94th year, provides new and gently used warm clothing, coats, shoes, boots, undergarments, and more to any D65 student at no cost.

To start the process, parents/caregivers and students are encouraged to talk to their school health office personnel or social worker. Families are then scheduled with an appointment to come select clothing in the ESCCA shop, which is located in the Joseph E. Hill Education Center. Each student goes home with a large selection of warm clothing.

Anyone can help ESCCA fulfill its mission! Please consider:

• donating new or good quality gently-used clothing to the ESCCA bin outside on the west side of the JEH building (1500 McDaniel Ave., Evanston) (see donation guidelines)
• making a contribution via the ESCCA website
• volunteering

From the District:

On Monday evening the School Board unanimously approved a four-year agreement with the District 65 Educators’ Council (DEC). A high quality school system is the direct result of a team of caring, talented educators. We are so grateful for the many who have chosen to make District 65 their professional home.

Since March, bargaining teams representing DEC and D65 have worked collaboratively, largely through Interest Based Bargaining, to reach a fair and equitable agreement. The teams reached a tentative agreement on November 18 which was later ratified by the DEC membership on December 12, with nearly an 80% vote of approval.

The contract honors the hard work and dedication of our educators and will continue to foster high quality teaching and learning while offering competitive compensation. The four-year contract will provide needed stability for both educators and the community.

More information and contract highlights are available on the District 65 website. Once the review process has been completed by both parties, a final contract will be posted.

From the District:

We are so grateful to the hundreds of staff members, parents/caregivers, and community members who shared their thoughts as we develop the district’s Structural Deficit Reduction Plan, both in person and virtually these last few weeks! It is so clear that our community cares deeply about the future of our children’s schools. See meeting summaries from the Listen & Learn sessions

At the January 13 Committee of the Whole meeting, several scenarios will be presented to the School Board for consideration as part of the district’s structural deficit reduction plan. As a reminder it will be necessary to reduce our budget by approximately $13.2 million before the start of next school year. We are committed to engaging with the community to gather feedback and know that we all have a shared goal to minimize the impact on students. Please save the date for these community forums:

• January 15, 6:30-7:45 p.m. at Haven Middle School – 2417 Prairie Ave., Evanston
• January 16, 6:30-7:45 p.m. at Nichols Middle School – 800 Greenleaf St., Evanston
• January 17, 9:30 a.m-10:45 a.m. at South End Community Center (Gym) – 430 Asbury Ave., Evanston
• D65 staff: Save the date for staff-specific meetings on January 15 and 16! Details will be sent after winter break.

Spanish interpretation will be provided and more details are forthcoming. We hope to see you there!

5th Grade Yearbooks have already been purchased by the PTA. Log in to create custom pages. Contact Customer Service if you need help! K-4 can purchase yearbooks and design custom pages too.

From D65: Our administration and school board has an unwavering commitment to improving the district’s financial health after several years of deficit budgets. Approximately $13.2 million of reductions must be made before the start of next school year. We cannot do this work, nor would we ever want to, without the input of our staff, parents and caregivers, students, and community members.

We want to hear directly from families! These sessions are a continued effort to engage the community in learning more about the district’s budget and financial outlook and to gather input. This helps ensure that the plan currently being developed remains aligned with our collective values and provides all children in our community with a high-quality education. More details

• December 12, 6:30-7:45 p.m. at Nichols Middle School (Cafeteria) – 800 Greenleaf St., Evanston
• December 16, 9:30-10:45 a.m. at Fleetwood-Jourdain Center – 1655 Foster St., Evanston

Unable to attend? Respond electronically

We’re excited to launch some new, modern merch leading up to the Holiday season via Bonfire. This merch can be shipped directly to your home and would make for wonderful holiday gifts: https://www.bonfire.com/store/walker-elementary-school-pta/

Registration for winter athletics is open now through January 3. Beginning this school year, District 65 and the City of Evanston are excited to partner together to provide increased access to youth athletics programming! Students in grades 4-5 at all District 65 elementary and magnet schools will have the opportunity to participate in basketball, cheerleading, and ultimate frisbee this winter.

More details about practice and game schedules are available on the District 65 website and on the registration page for each sport. Fee assistance will be provided both through the City and District 65 to ensure athletic programming remains at zero cost to families who qualify for free and reduced-price meals.

For more information and registration instructions, view the City of Evanston’s Winter Program Guide.

Walker still needs coaches, too. Coaching information can be found here. The only team we have filled is the 5th grade girls/nb basketball team.