McCracken Weekly

May 16-20, 2016

Everyone, Everyday is Respectful, Responsible & Ready!

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8th Grade Car Wash

Special thanks to the many students and parents who helped make our 8th grade car wash a sudsy success! Our volunteers raised $631 to use toward their graduation dance. We are looking forward to celebrating with them on Saturday, May 21 at 7:00 p.m.!

Illinois Science Assessment

On Thursday, May 19, our 8th grade students will complete the Illinois Science Assessment. This assessment is 40 minutes and 23 questions in length. It is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and will provide students, families, and the school with information about how much our students know and understand in relation to NGSS. If you have any questions about this assessment, please contact Mrs. Courtney Goodman, assistant principal, at 847.676.8265. 

Medication Pick-Up/Disposal

All medication must be picked up from the nurse’s office by the end of the school day Friday, June 3. This includes inhalers, EpiPens, daily medication, and over the counter medication.

• Inhalers and EpiPens will be sent home with students on the final day of school.
• Over the counter medication will be sent home with students upon written parental permission. You may send a note or email permission to McCracken nurse Mary Madigan.
• Daily medication must be picked up by a parent.

All medication remaining in the nurse’s office will be disposed of at the end of the school day Friday, June 3. If you have any questions, please call the nurse at 847.676.8235.

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2016-17 School Year Registration Information

Please complete and return the Affidavit of Residency form and Agreement to Participate in Extracurricular Activities & Athletic Academic Eligibility form that was sent home with your student. Only one Affidavit of Residency form is required per family, but all children enrolled in District schools must be listed on that form.

Online registration for the 2016-2017 school year opens on July 1, 2016. Residency Verification Days are scheduled for Wednesday, July 27 from 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m. and Friday, August 5 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Oliver McCracken Middle School.

Additional information about 2016-2017 online registration and procedures will be sent home with report cards and posted on our website.

Please Note: In preparation for online registration, please confirm your PowerSchool Parent Sign In page username and password. If you do not remember your username or password, click the “Forgot Username or Password” link on the Parent Sign In page and follow the prompts. Please call the the McCracken school office at 847.673.1220 for assistance as needed.

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Schoolkidz School Supply Orders

The District 73.5 PTA is pleased to once again offer the opportunity to pre-order school supplies for the 2016-2017 school year. We have contracted with SchoolKidz School Supplies, who will provide and package the supplies for us, and return a portion of all proceeds back to the PTA. The school supply kit you order for your McCracken student(s) will be individually packaged and can be picked up on Schedule Pickup Day on August 18, 2016 at McCracken. Flyers for the promotion, including a list of the supplies and grade-level pricing were sent home the week of May.

Camp MacLean

Our 7th graders will attend Camp MacLean May 18 through May 20. Camp MacLean is an outdoor education trip to Burlington, Wisconsin. The purpose of the Camp MacLean trip is to provide our students with an outdoor education experience that promotes team building and independence, aligned with content standards. McCracken staff will facilitate a variety of classes, evening events, and serve as chaperones. Students who are registered to attend will receive additional information regarding luggage drop off and what to bring. If you have any questions, please contact your student’s advisor or Mrs. Courtney Goodman, Assistant Principal.

All School Read

Special thanks to all of the students, parents, and staff who voted for the 2016 All School Read at McCracken. We are happy to announce the winner: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate! This is a Newbery Award winning book about a captive gorilla and his friends, and is based on a true story. We are very proud of our dedicated student committee for working hard on the selection process this year! Copies are now available for purchase in the school office for $6.00.

Maker Mondays At McCracken

It’s a new year with new opportunities for students! Starting Monday, January 11, during all lunch periods, students can join Ms. Gammeri and Mrs. Monak for Maker Mondays. These sessions will be a chance for students to explore STEM topics by tinkering, building, and collaborating in a flexible environment. This program hopes to transform our community into “makers” who are agents of change and creation!

Lost Eyeglasses

There is a growing collection of eyeglasses in the nurse’s office. If your child has misplaced his/her glasses, please ask him/her to check with the nurse. Glasses will be donated to a charitable organization at the end of the school year.

The Center For Gifted Summer Program

The Center for Gifted will once again be offering its Worlds of Wisdom and Wonder summer program at McCracken School. Click here for more information, class offerings, and to apply. Use code HOSTSKOS16 for a 10% tuition discount.

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District 73.5 2016 Summer School

District 73.5 will offer Summer School for:

• Students entering grades 1-8 who are in need of academic support
• Students who fail a class (attendance is mandatory)

Summer School will be in session from Monday, June 13th through Friday, July 8th (no class on Monday, July 4th) at Oliver McCracken Middle School, 8000 East Prairie Road. The program runs from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (times vary according to selected classes). Teachers communicated summer school recommendations to parents and guardians during February conferences.  Summer School Second Notice registration letters were mailed home the week of May 12th and were due by Wednesday, May 18th. Invoices and Confirmation Letters will be mailed home the week of May 23rd and will include fees owed (if any), specific class times, your child’s summer school teacher, and classroom numbers. 

Summer School fees are due by Friday, May 27, 2016. Please make payment in full to Skokie School District 73½. Payments may be dropped off, paid online at the Skokie School District 73½ homepage, or mailed to Skokie School District 73½, Attn: Laura Brogan, Summer School Payments, 8000 East Prairie Road., Skokie, IL 60076.

2016 Summer School Fees

There will be no fee for summer school for incoming 2nd through 6th grade students. The Title I grant will be funding these fees for summer school 2016.

• Current Kindergarten (incoming 1st grade) fees are as follows:
  • Language Arts (2 hours): $245
  • Math (1 hour): $135
• Current 6th-8th grade (Incoming 7th and 8th grade) fees are as follows:
  • ELA (1½ hours): $190
  • Math (1½ hours): $190

Bus transportation is available to and from summer school at no additional cost. Parents must identify bus pick-up and drop-off locations on the invoice statements mailed home the week of May 23rd. The park district offers a section of Camp Iwannago to align with Summer School. It is the afternoon session 220532-05. The district bus can pick up and drop off at Oakton Community Center. Contact Mrs. Nancy Ariola at 847.676.8234 or by email to find out more information. Please contact your child’s teacher with specific academic questions.

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Northlight Summer Camp

McCracken families, we are excited to announce that Will Quam, who has been teaching the Northlight on Campus after-school drama club at McCracken the past few years, will be Northlight's Senior Camp Director for the summer! A new two-week option focuses on theatre skills in voice and movement, while giving campers the exciting opportunity to devise their own new work! This shorter commitment is a perfect way for families planning summer travel to have a camp experience without filling your summer schedule, for new students to test out camp offerings, or to combine with the four-week program for a full summer of theatre! See the flyer and register online at northlight.org/camp or by phone at 847.324.1607.

McCracken Learning Center Is Going Green!

All students will now receive notices regarding fines, overdue books, and holds directly to their school email account. There will also be a weekly morning announcement that reminds students to check their email for this communication. We hope this will enable our students to be more responsible and independent.

Middle School Parents Still Make The Difference 

Visit our website to access a monthly parent Newsletter titled, “Middle School Parents Still Make a Difference!” This resource provides tips for helping your student succeed in school, and suggestions for communicating with your young adolescent. Each edition also includes a monthly calendar of ideas for you and your middle school student. Enjoy!

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PTA News & Information

The PTA is live on SD735.org! Look up in the bookmark bar for the PTA link and then click it to get to know your PTA, find out how you can get involved, learn about events, download/print PTA flyers, and more. Check out this week's PTA flyer and mark your calendar for these upcoming events...

• Volunteer for Tomorrow's Fun Fair (McCracken)
  Saturday, May 14
  11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
  Sign up to volunteer at the Fun Fair
   
• 8th Grade Dance (McCracken)
  Saturday, May 21
  7:00 p.m.
   
• PTA Meeting (Middleton)
  Tuesday, May 24
  7:00 p.m.

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Community Pages

Visit the Community section of our website for links to Community Pages, an archive of "frequent flyer" handouts shared by our community partners for students to take home in their backpacks and folders. There's a little bit of everything for everyone: park district and public library news, scouts, athletics, community events and services, and more.

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Visitor Reminders:  All visitors must check in at the main office during regular school hours for the continued safety and security of all district students and staff. Valid identification (driver’s license or state I.D.) should be available to present to office staff prior to entry approval. Once you receive your visitor’s pass, please restrict your movement in the building to your pre-arranged purpose. Visitors entering the building after hours must be escorted by a district staff member to and from their meeting location. Also important to remember, is that students have been directed never to open exterior doors for any visitors, known or unknown, during regular or after school hours. This policy is to limit the risk of any individual entering our building without checking in to receive proper approval. We continue to welcome visitors at each of our district buildings, but ask that you respect our safety procedures and policies.

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Outstanding Fees

If a student has any outstanding fees, such as instructional, bus, lunch, library, etc., which are over $6.00, the student will not be allowed to participate in the Athletics/Enrichment/After-School Activities/Swing Choir and any other student paid activities, until these fees are paid. This policy went into effect on Monday, November 30.

Camera Apps Parents Should Know About

Teens can use apps with names such as Private Ninja Cam and Best Secret Folder to ensure privacy and independence from parents who may be monitoring their online behavior. Visit Common Sense Media for information about these and other apps. 

Peanut and Nut-Free Classrooms

As part of our ongoing effort to ensure a safe learning environment for all students, classrooms and other learning spaces in our building are peanut and nut free. (Students travel to multiple classrooms each day, so it is not possible to designate only some classrooms as "peanut and nut-free zones.") Therefore, when selecting snacks or meals for your child to eat during activities or events meeting outside of our cafeteria, please send peanut and nut free options. Your child may continue to bring peanut and nut products for lunch in our cafeteria, as we have a peanut and nut free table in that location. Thank you for your support and cooperation!

Reminder: Arrival and Dismissal Safety Guidelines

Ensuring the safety of all students during arrival and dismissal is a collective effort. Please review the Skokie Police ordinances, McCracken Middle School regulations, and safety reminders outlined on the website and distributed to all students on Schedule Pick Up Day so that we may work together toward improved student safety. Please also remember not to block the driveways of homes on East Prairie to ensure that our neighbors may enter and exit safely. Thank you! 

Learning Center

The Learning Center will open for students at 7:30 a.m. every day before school, and remain open until 4:00 p.m. after school on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. (After 7:40 a.m. students must wait to enter the building until the bell rings at 7:50 a.m.) The Learning Center is closed after school on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Cafeteria

The cafeteria is open at 7:30 a.m. for students to purchase breakfast. (After 7:40 a.m. students must wait to enter the building until the bell rings at 7:50 a.m.)  The Learning Center is closed after school on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Early Dismissal

Every Tuesday students are dismissed at 2:00 p.m. so that teachers may participate in professional development and collaborative planning sessions.

Late Bus

We offer late bus service again this year. If your child is a current bus rider and has paid for service, there is no extra cost and he/she may use our regular bus pass to ride the late bus. If your child is not a current bus rider, you may pay a $70 fee in the McCracken office to secure a late bus pass. Students must show the driver their late bus pass to ride this bus. The late bus runs on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and leaves McCracken at 4:00 p.m.. If you have questions, please call the office.

Student/Parent Email Registration:

To receive alerts via email, please register your email address with the district via PowerSchool.