FOR STUDENTS

YOUTH CONNECTION - Battle of the Bands takes place at 7:30pm at Wilmette Junior High School this Friday, February 3rd!  Everyone is welcome to come hear the fabulous WJHS local talent at this great event.  The event features the KISS-FM DJ, Brotha Fred and purchase of a ticket will include the chance to win a four-person pass to the popular Fantabuloso concert in May.

Tickets are $10 each and will be sold this week in the WJHS cafeteria during lunch on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  Tickets will also be sold at the door on the night of the performance.

8th Graders: Interested in the fine sport of rowing at New Trier?  The NT coaches are offering an 8th grade rowing clinic, Saturday, March 3rd at the Dammrich Rowing Center in Skokie. The clinic is open to boys, girls and coxswains. Information and forms available at www.newtrierrowing.com 

FOR PARENTS

Next PTO Meeting is February 9th at 7 p.m. at the Junior High.  Resiliency -- what is it?  Some researchers say it is the most important quality you can instill in your child.  Please plan to join us when our guest speaker, Peggy Kubert, M.A., LCSW, presents "Empowering Parents: The Skill Set to Raise a Resilient Child."  This will be the second of two joint JH-HMS PTO meetings of this year.  Welcome Highcrest PTO!  

Your PTO dollars at work:  The students of WJHS thank you for your continued support of the PTO!

• In January, the 7th graders traveled to the Field Museum to view the "Evolving Planet" exhibit.  They learned about aspects of the changing earth that involve both geology and biology.  This theme will be highlighted for the rest of the year in the 7th grade science curriculum.

• Last Friday, January 27th, the 7th and 8th graders participated in a Brain Fitness Day.  Ask your student about the interactive presentation he or she attended that discussed the many forms of intelligence we possess.  Students also participated in hands-on games that highlight different areas of the brains' functions.  Thank you to our Enrichment Chairs, Julie Johnson and Ami Campbell, for all their work organizing this fun morning!

8th GRADE PARENTS:      

• 8th Grade Graduation Party - Interested in being involved with 8th Grade Graduation Party? Graduation is scheduled for June 7th and we are looking for a few more people who want to help with raffle prizes and decoration planning! Please contact Toni Stapel attstapel@comcast.netto find out more about ways you can help with 8th grade graduation now!

• New Trier Parents Association has begun to solicit volunteers for the incoming freshman class board.  To research volunteer opportunities, please visit the NT website (www.newtrier.k12.il.us) and click on the "parents" button, then "parents association" button.  Under "incoming freshman" an online volunteer form is available for easy submittal. For additional information, please contact current junior class co-chairs Betsy Helmer (bfhelmer@aol.com) and Ronna Gordon (Ronna1010@aol.com). 

New Recording Studio at WJHS:  Open House on Friday, February 3rd

Just in time to host our Battle of the Bands musicians, WJHS is opening a state-of-the-art recording studio to anchor the school's performing arts wing.  The D39 Educational Foundation installed the studio in memory of WJHS parent, Paul Tilley, and hopes it will serve as a creative incubator at the school for many years.

All parents and students are invited to an open house to dedicate the recording studio on Battle of the Bands night.  The open house will be held 6:15-7:15pm on Friday, February 3rd.  Please stop by to see this wonderful resource before taking your seats for Battle of the Bands!

FAN LECTURE: Educating the Whole Student: Integrating Academic, Social and Emotional Learning. Wednesday, February 8, 2012, 7:00 PM - New Trier High School, Winnetka Campus, Gaffney Auditorium

Dr. Roger Weissberg will discuss the importance of social and emotional competence and why it is essential to authentic success in adulthood. He will address how social and emotional learning (SEL) can be taught in schools, and what sort of academic benefits derive from SEL skills. For more information: CLICK HERE.

Family Awareness Network (FAN) Lectures:fan-ntts.ntnow.org