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Calendar

* Every Friday is Spirit Wear Day. Be sure to wear your favorite Walker swag and show your pride!

​NOTE: Dates above are for reference only. Check with each event's organizer for further details and to confirm dates and times. 

CLICK HERE to view the D181 calendar.

SCHOOL HOURS:
  • AM Kindergarten: 8:40 AM - 11:25 AM
  • PM Kindergarten: 12:15 PM - 3:05 PM
  • 1st through 5th: 8:40 AM - 3:05 PM
Note: student arrival will begin at 8:30 AM. Please do NOT drop your child(ren) off before this time as there will be no adults available to supervise them.
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LUNCH AND RECESS SCHEDULE:
  • 1st through 5th: 11:25 AM - 12:15 PM
Note: student arrival will begin at 12:15 PM for PM Kindergarten and students returning from at home lunch.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO ALWAYS CHECK THE DISTRICT WEBSITE AND PRINCIPAL COMMUNICATIONS FOR THE MOST RECENT SCHEDULING INFORMATION

2024-2025 Non-Attendance Day

2024​​
  • - 9/2 Labor Day
  •  -10/14 Columbus & Indigenous Peoples Day
  •  -11/4 Institute Day
  •  -11/5 Election Day
  •  -11/25 and 11/26 Parent Teacher Conferences
  •  -11/27-11/29 Thanksgiving Break 
  • - 12/23-1/3 - Winter Break

2025
  •  -1/20 MLK Birthday
  •  -2/17 President's Day
  •  -2/28 Institute Day
  •  -3/31-4/4 Spring Break
  •  -5/26 Memorial Day
  •  -5/30 Last Day of School
 
  • *Please remember to always check the district website for the most recent calendar schedule
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2024-2025 Before/After Care

The Community House is pleased to offer Before and After the Bell childcare options right at Walker School for the 2022-2023 school year! Click here for more details, and here to register. 

*Due to a staffing shortage, After the Bell has moved to The Community House until further notice. Students are picked up from Walker and transported to The Community House in The Community House van. 

The Community House also offers a kindergarten enrichment program, but parents must provide transportation. Click here to learn more.
 
If you have any questions regarding either of these programs,  please contact Karen Kaspar at 630-323-7500 x248 or via e-mail at [email protected]. 

Announcements

Click the button below to view this week's Walker Wednesday News, as well as archived newsletters. 
If you have news or announcements to include in the WWN, contact Jan Martin no later than Monday at noon to be included in that week's newsletter. To share information on this website, email us at [email protected].​

  • New Social Media Sites​
  • ​​PTO Fees Reminder/Student Directory
  • ​Volunteer Opportunities
  • ​Board of Education Meetings
  • ​Teacher Websites
  • Parent List
  • ​Community Interest
NEW SOCIAL MEDIA SITES
Walker PTO has gone social! Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the most up to date information regarding 

PTO FEES/STUDENT DIRECTORY
Please remember to visit Membership Toolkit to pay your PTO fees. PTO fees are used to fund a number of initiatives throughout the school year, designed to enhance the learning and community experience for students, teachers and parents.  Once your dues are paid, you'll also be featured in the student directory which can also be found in Membership Toolkit.  Please note that your child's class list can be found in the directory.  We are going green this year and will not be printing a paper copy of the directory.  If you aren't sure whether you have paid your dues, please contact Kristin Wiklund.  

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Getting involved with the PTO is a great way to get to know other parents in the community, as well as the teachers and staff that work with your children every day. Our success as a PTO relies heavily on parent support, and we encourage you to check out to the list of volunteer opportunities here - there's something to fit into every schedule! Please note that we are in the process of reviewing these committees to determine how each should operate given current restrictions. 

​BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS
As a reminder, one of the best places to learn about critical issues facing our children's educational path is through participation in D181 and D86 Board of Education meetings.  We would encourage you to listen to the Board meetings to understand what is new and changing in terms of curriculum and other important topics.  The Board of Education websites and meeting schedules can be found for D181 here and for D86 here. 

TEACHER WEBSITES
As a reminder, you can find each teacher's contact information and when available, website on the Walker area of the D181 web page. We would encourage you to review any websites available to learn more about what's happening in your students' classrooms!

PARENT LIST
Does your child need support for a learning, emotional, behavioral or developmental challenge? Check out the Parent List, an anonymous platform containing reviews on health care providers including doctors, therapists, support groups, etc. Note: In no way does Hinsdale Central PTO, Walker School PTO, D86 or D181 and staff endorse or recommend any specific providers reviewed. D86, D181, Hinsdale Central PTO and Walker PTO disclaim all liability for any damages, injuries, losses, expenses or claims of any kind arising out of the provision of services by anyone or any agency appearing on the list.
COMMUNITY INTEREST
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Community Backpack - Additional information on local events can be found on the district's community website. Please click here to access.

​D86 News - Sign up for email alerts and district news here.

​Community Speaker Series - D181 offers many educational events on current parenting topics. Daytime and evening speaker times are scheduled. Please see the Family Education Events page for details. 


Amazon Smile

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Amazon Smile is a quick and easy way to support Walker. CLICK HERE every time you shop Amazon and 0.5% of all sales will be donated to our school. You can add items to your cart on your phone and use the link above for checkout.  

Dinner Bell

2023-2024 Walker Wildcat Dinner Bells!

Our next "Dinner" Bell will be on Friday, May 26 with a Home Run Inn Take N' Bake pizza. What better way to end your fun Field Day with a pizza to take home? Stay tuned for details on how to order. 
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Your participation in Dinner Bells helps us raise funds to support key Walker initiatives, as well as many local small businesses! We will list the dinner bells we have currently scheduled below, with more details to come!​

2024-2025
​Enrichment Classes

Walker has a long history of partnering with local organizations to provide onsite extracurricular opportunities for students. All programs are for grades K-5. See below for details:
 
Chess Club
K-5 (Fridays), Starts 10/4
The game of Kings and Queens with Illinois Chess Teachers! No experience needed - beginners and new members are welcome! Join to:
  • Play games with other chess club members
  • Learn new winning strategies with interactive lessons in small groups led by chess masters
  • Solve puzzles and chess tactics 
Register online here (use coupon code Walker) or try your first class of the session free.
 
LeeHan Martial Arts
K-5, (Mondays), Begins 9/16
- In this world class level program, your child will prepare for their first and/or higher degree of TaeKwonDo black belt test and it will provide the Kukkiwon Degree certificate. Some of the key benefits of learning TaeKwonDo include self discipline, respect, self-control, self-defense and leadership among others. For more details and to register, click here.

Spanish Club, hosted by Language Labs
K-5 (Tuesdays), Begins 10/1 (Spanish)
K-5 (Wednesdays), Begins 10/24 (French)
- Boost your student's interest in learning a new language by learning from the Language Lab's energetic, creative, experienced and native team of teachers! Classes will offer students fun and educational lessons with interactive games, music, songs, and engaging activities. This is a 30-week program.  You can register online here!

BAMtheatre
K-5 (Thursdays),  Begins 9/12
- BAMtheatre offers programming for beginners & more experienced actors interested in the performing arts! Students will study the foundations of musical theatre (singing, acting, dancing) with their classmates. Fall programming features songs from Encanto and around the world, with a final showcase for parents and friends on the last day. Click here to register.

Sticky Fingers
K-5 (Tuesdays), Begins 9/24
K-5 (Wednesdays), Begins 9/25.
- Let your child release their master chef! Your little chef will explore exciting pairings, master culinary skills and nourish their bodies and minds. Classes incorporate S.T.E.A.M., culture, language, geography, history & more. Click here for more info.

Maureen Claffy Art (Paint and Draw for Life)
K-5 (Wednesdays), Begins 9/18
- Awaken the joy of art in your child! Every week is a new adventure. Original thought and artistic process is taught by a professional artist. Class includes an art kit to keep, art history weekly, professional quality materials and the confidence from creation. Click here for more details. 

Elementary Golf
K-5 (Fridays), Begins 9/20
- This program introduces the lifelong sport of golf with a fun and enriching experience that is affordable and convenient. The curriculum was created by PGA professionals and teaching experts to include lesson plans that are fun, safe and educational. All levels welcome! Click here for more info.

Crayola Imagine Arts Academy-K-5
K-5 (Fridays), Starts 10/4
Crayola® Imagine Arts Academy™ of the Chicago Western and Southwestern Suburbs is an art enrichment provider that teaches foundational art techniques with a focus on creative problem-solving and real-world topics. Our ultimate goal is to make a positive impact on the next generation. To foster empathy and creativity in the youth of today, so that they can make the world a better place tomorrow. We aim to deliver Art with Purpose.


​*note: the programs listed above are for informational purposes only. These summaries do not include all activities offered by these organizations, nor does Walker PTO specifically endorse or recommend any of them.

2024-2025 Executive Board
Co-Presidents:            Sarah Fenstermacher & Kate Manger                  Co-Vice Presidents:      Nika Feeney & Amanda Osacky  
Co-Treasurers:            Kristin Wiklund & Meghan Boland                        Secretary:                       Rochene McLinn
Communications:      Shivani Chadha & Marsha Ma                                 WalkerFest Chairs:       Krista Grasso & Jenny Swanton                                   
Going Green:               Jenny Pace
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Thanks for all the parent support.
Without a strong parent community, the PTO-funded programs would not be possible.

We welcome your feedback. Please email us with any suggestions or questions about the Walker PTO.