News and information from our district and schools
Scroll to view District updates and news from Meyer, Middleton, McCracken, the PTO, and around town!
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November 21, 2025
The Weekly will take a fall break on Friday, November 28th and return on Friday, December 5th.
DISTRICT & SCHOOL OFFICE HOLIDAY HOURS
District and school offices will follow a shortened on-site schedule on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Thanksgiving week. Offices will be open and staff available from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
All district and school offices will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, November 27th and Friday, November 28th.
We wish our students, staff, families, and neighbors a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving break.
BUILDING 73.5 SURVEY
Our community continues to play an important role in shaping the future of our school buildings through the Building 73.5 planning process.
THERE'S STILL TIME TO SHARE YOUR VOICE!
Our Public Opinion Survey remains open through Sunday, November 23rd. We invite all families and community members to participate. Your input helps shape the future of our district. Thank you to everyone who has already responded!
TAKE THE SURVEY NOW! ► schooldistrictsurvey.com
WINTER WEATHER INFO
If the local forecast calls for severe weather that could significantly disrupt safe travel, our administrative team is prepared to implement school safety and attendance plans. Please watch for information and updates as they are announced:
YOUR MOBILE PHONE. A text message will be sent to the parent/guardian's mobile phone number(s) on file in PowerSchool. The text message will be delivered ONLY if the phone number accepts text messages from Skokie 73.5. If you haven’t already done so, please opt in to receive text messages by following these instructions (also available in Arabic, Spanish, Tagalog, Urdu, and Vietnamese).
YOUR EMAIL INBOX. An email will be sent to the parent/guardian email at the address(es) on file in PowerSchool. The email will be delivered ONLY if the mailbox accepts emails from Skokie 73.5.
OUR WEBSITES. News and banner announcements will be posted prominently on our District and school websites.
LOCAL MEDIA. Our Emergency School Closing Information web page lists several media outlets where school closing information is shared.
SOCIAL MEDIA. Find us at facebook.com/Skokie735 and instagram.com/Skokie735.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Regular PTO Meeting on Google Meet: Monday, December 1st from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Here's the link - https://meet.google.com/bnt-kveh-yzs
DINE OUT AT DENGEOS on Thursday, December 18th. When ordering, mention you are dining to support District 73.5 PTO, and Dengeos will donate 20% to the PTO to fund future school events, special projects, and more for the District. We appreciate your support!
Content posted on the PTO website is managed by the PTO
Visit district735pto.org and get to know your PTO!
Questions about this calendar or events? Please email [email protected].
NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
ELL CENTER PROGRAMS
PARENTS IN SCHOOL PROGRAM
ELL CENTER CLASSES
DISTRICT DATES
AROUND TOWN
The Meyer Gratitude Tree is filled with all the many wonderful things in the lives of our students, families, and staff. We are so thankful at Meyer for everyone in our school community. You are what makes Meyer a special place! THANK YOU! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Break!
VISION & HEARING SCREENINGS
The Meyer school nurse, Mrs. Katie Orleans, has begun conducting hearing and vision screenings for all Meyer students, to be completed over the next month. Parents will be notified only if results require a follow-up by an outside healthcare professional. If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Orleans at [email protected].
DRESSING FOR OUTDOOR RECESS
Cold weather is here! Please send your child to school with appropriate outerwear. For winter weather, students will need a warm coat, hat, gloves, winter boots, and snow pants.
In general, we go outside for recess as long as it “feels” like 15 degrees or above, and it is not raining or snowing. See the Child Care Weather Watch chart that we use to guide our decisions.
MEYER'S COINS FOR KINDNESS
Meyer will be collecting Coins for Kindness from December 1st-9th to benefit Meyer families who need extra kindness and support this holiday season. Our Meyer Shining Stars may bring loose change or coins to school for our collection.
We will use the money collected to purchase gifts for our selected Meyer Mart families, based on their wishlists. Kindergarten classes will “shop” for gifts for our families at the Meyer Mart on December 16th to learn about “needs” and “wants,” and our preschool classes will wrap the presents and create the cards for families.
We hope our students will also learn that small acts of kindness can add up to a whole lot when we work together!
KINDERGARTEN WRITING: Going on a Sign Hunt
PBIS FAMILY CONNECTION: Hands & Feet to Self
When we return from Thanksgiving break, we will be working on “hands and feet to self” at school. Keeping our hands and feet to ourselves helps us to have a calm body and to keep everyone safe. If we have safe hands and feet, we can use our words to tell someone if we’re mad, sad, or excited instead of hitting, pushing, or kicking.
At home, when a conflict arises with a sibling, friend, or family member, encourage your child to use their words. You can model a simple sentence. “I feel ______ because ______. Can we ______?” This helps them express their feelings and ask for what they need. If your child wants to get someone’s attention to play, remind them to use safe hands. They can try a fist bump, high five, or a gentle hug to connect in a safe way.
You can also watch this video together: Safe Hands, Kind Hands.
MEYER DATES
KINDER SUPERSTARS
PRESCHOOL SUPERSTARS
Students are doing a great job earning Pride Paws across Middleton School. We have started announcing some of our incredible Bulldogs over the morning announcements. Students are showing how they are respectful, responsible, and ready across their days, and we enjoy celebrating each other together as a school each morning. Ask your child about these daily celebrations!
We are working towards a Buddy Classroom Day once we earn 1,500 Pride Paws as a school. As of today, we have earned 877 Pride Paws!
NILES TOWNSHIP FOOD PANTRY DRIVE
Our Food Drive has come to an end, and we are so proud of our Bulldog Community for coming together to support the Niles Township Food Pantry. Thank you to Margaret Page, Katherine Hall, Grace Frantilla-Khora, Kim Ky, and Katherine Van Der Vliet for their efforts to support this opportunity!
Stay tuned next week for the classroom winner of the PTO raffle of $100 for a classroom!
ENRICHMENT
The current EnrichMD session ends on Thursday, December 11, 2025. We loo forward to the next session in the new year!
WINTER BENCHMARK TESTING
Middleton students will participate in benchmark testing in the two weeks after Thanksgiving Break. NWEA MAP testing will take place Wednesday and Thursday, December 3rd and 4th, with makeups the following week. FastBridge testing will follow. We know our Bulldogs will put forth their best effort to show all they have learned so far this year!
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING CONNECTIONS
Our Middleton Bulldogs have spent trimester one reviewing what it means to be respectful, responsible, and ready across spaces at Middleton. As we roll into trimester two, look for this Social Emotional Learning section of Middleton Weekly, updated regularly with skills elementary students are learning and strategies they can use at school and at home.
One way students can practice being READY for learning is to use breathing strategies when they are having a yellow or red zone feeling.
Check out some of these BREATHING STRATEGIES students use at Middleton, and consider trying them at home. A tricky math problem, a chore you don’t want to do, or a disagreement with a sibling or friend can all cause challenging emotions. Breathing strategies can help regulate feelings so we can work on being resilient and working through something tricky.
McCracken students will start participating in our PURPLE PRIDE winter benchmark assessment the week following Thanksgiving break. Your student(s) will have the opportunity to show us what they know by doing their best on a variety of assessments.
They will complete the MAP test for Reading on Thursday, December 4th. Some of our 6th, 7th, and 8th graders will be taking the CBMreading assessment throughout the day on Friday, December 5th. CBMmath assessments will be taking place in math classrooms during the week of December 1st-5th. The MAP Math test will be completed on Monday, December 8th.
Thank you for encouraging and supporting your student(s) by making sure they get a good night’s rest, eat a healthy breakfast, and arrive at McCracken on time during winter benchmark testing with a charged Chromebook. Thank you, as always, for your support of Purple Pride Week! Students who are absent on testing days will participate in make-up testing sessions. If you have any questions about assessments, feel free to connect with Mr. Marty Behm, Assistant Principal, at 847-676-8234. If you would like to access more information about MAP Growth assessments, you can also explore the information on our website.
NILES NORTH CHOIR FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
On Wednesday, November 19th, 45 of our McCracken 8th grade choir students traveled to Niles North High School for the annual Choir Festival. They spent the day with the choir students from Niles North and the other feeder schools. Most of the day was spent rehearsing songs together (including "Defying Gravity" from Wicked!), but they also played games, ate pizza, and learned more about how to get involved in music in high school. In the evening, they returned to Niles North to perform in a fantastic concert. It was inspiring to see so many McCracken choir alumni in Niles North groups, like Take One (vocal jazz) and Chorale (curricular choir)!
WINTER WONDERLAND HORNET HANGOUT
Student Council is sponsoring our upcoming Hornet Hangout student event on Friday, December 5th from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Students were able to vote for their preferred theme, which is WINTER WONDERLAND. Students will be able to play games, listen to music, and hang out with friends during this supervised event. There will be snacks, drinks, and pizza for sale. Admission is $2.00 and students must have a signed permission slip to turn in upon their arrival. Students must be picked up promptly at 8:00 p.m. and cannot walk home. Please review the permission slip for more information!
CRAFTERNOON FOR A CAUSE
Students had the opportunity to spread positivity and joy by creating holiday cards and handwritten notes for local seniors. Ms. Gammeri hosted students in the library during recess periods on Friday. Holiday cards and notes will be distributed to senior centers and nursing homes in the community to spread encouragement and holiday cheer!
ISBE SUMMATIVE DESIGNATION
We are excited to announce that McCracken received a summative designation of EXEMPLARY for the 2025 school year by the Illinois State Board of Education. To earn the "Exemplary" designation, a school must achieve a score that places it in the TOP 10% STATEWIDE and also ensure that all its student demographic groups meet the performance standards. A school’s annual summative designation describes how well an individual school is meeting the needs of all its students. The designations recognize schools with strong overall performance across a range of academic and student success indicators. You can find more information about those success indicators on the 2025 Illinois Report Card Multiple Indicators of Student Success document. This designation can also be viewed on the Illinois State Report Card, including data visualizations showing school and student group performance data overall and at the indicator score level. We are proud of the collective effort of our students, staff, and school community and look forward to continuing to support all students in reaching their highest potential both academically and socially and emotionally at McCracken.
McCRACKEN STUDENT COMMUNICATION EXPECTATIONS & SUPPORTS
We believe that every student deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued at school. Creating an inclusive and welcoming environment is essential and includes maintaining learning spaces free from hate speech and bullying. When students feel safe, they are better able to focus on learning, build positive relationships, and thrive academically and socially. Preventive programming is in place at McCracken to support positive peer relationships at school. We have listed a few of these programs below and ask for your partnership in reinforcing the importance of kindness, respect, and acceptance at home, helping us to ensure that our school remains a place where all students can feel safe and reach their full potential. We have also provided our district-wide Behavior Procedures used when investigating reports of concerning incidents. Students may earn consequences as a result of any behaviors outside of school that violate district policies when there is evidence that the incident had a negative impact on the school environment.
All McCracken Middle School students engage in the following:
- PBIS learning stations to practice the “Buzz Behavior” expectations that we have throughout our building, allowing students to be successful! This includes a rotation facilitated by administration and focused on student behavior, anti-bullying and anti-hate speech, outlining the importance of respect, tolerance, and inclusion, as well as providing a clear understanding of the consequences of engaging in this behavior.
- McCracken students engage in community building as well as cover social and emotional and digital citizenship learning standards during extended advisory classes each Friday. Second Step is our SEL curriculum which covers a range of lessons aligned to the Illinois Social and Emotional Learning Standards. A scope and sequence of the bullying units and lessons across each grade level can be found HERE. Our digital citizenship lessons are adopted from the Common Sense Digital Citizenship Curriculum which also includes cyberbullying, digital drama, and the use of hate speech.
- Students at McCracken participate in Unite Against Racism activities through a variety of advisory activities. We partner with the YWCA’s Equity Institute, which is dedicated to promoting racial equity at all levels. We join the Skokie community and surrounding schools to learn more about how racial inequities negatively impact the community and explore different ways students can actively unite against racism.
- McCracken is registered as a No Place For Hate school. No Place for Hate (NPFH) is the Anti-Defamation League's nationwide program designed to support schools that are committed to inclusivity, respect, and equity.
EXTRACURRICULAR PROGRAMMING
Here at McCracken, we are proud to offer a variety of student athletic and enrichment programs. These programs allow students to exercise their strengths, tackle areas of growth, and socialize with peers. Be sure to sign your student up for one of our great extracurricular clubs or activities here at McCracken! Please access the McCracken Extracurricular Brochure HERE.
EXTRACURRICULAR SPECTATOR GUIDELINES
We appreciate all the support our families provide to our McCracken student-athletes, coaching staff, and referees throughout the school year. Participation in a variety of extracurricular programming fosters improved academic and social skills such as time management, leadership, and teamwork. In order to run a productive, positive, and safe athletic program, our families must follow the Little 9 Township parent/guardian expectations. VIEW THE McCRACKEN EXTRACURRICULAR SPECTATOR GUIDELINES...
ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL SAFETY
Please help us to keep our students, staff, families, and visitors safe by following our arrival and dismissal procedures. Parents and guardians who drive their student(s) to or from school must use the Circle Drive off of East Prairie Road. VIEW THE McCRACKEN ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL SAFETY REMINDERS...
McCRACKEN ACTIVITY BUS
McCracken offers an activity bus for our students who participate in our after-school activities. VIEW THE McCRACKEN ACTIVITY BUS INFORMATION for some important notes....
McCRACKEN DATES
McCRACKEN GAMES
District Priorities
WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT. We will welcome and engage staff, students, families and community members in our schools.
HIRING & RETENTION. We will recruit, hire, and retain a diverse workforce and improve our human resource processes, procedures, and materials.
INFRASTRUCTURE & FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. All financial decisions and investments will meet the needs of our diverse learners and staff and promote academic and social growth. We will provide a safe, inclusive, flexible, and innovative space for teaching, learning, and growing.
TEACHING & LEARNING. All students will engage in learning experiences that are cohesive and articulated across PreK-8, flexibly designed to engage all learners and leading to rigorous outcomes for all. We will be a future-focused, real-world learning environment that is responsive, accessible, and meaningful for all. We will become a model district on the use of data for making instructional, curriculum, and programmatic decisions.
Equity Mission Statement
WE BELIEVE that inclusivity and belonging is the foundation for equity.
ALL CHILDREN CAN LEARN, at high achievement levels, when equity is infused into every aspect of education.
WE ACKNOWLEDGE the systemic inequities present in school systems and recognize the impact they continue to have on marginalized communities.
WE COMMIT to teaching, learning, and growing in order to identify and dismantle inequitable systems and to create a community where barriers are removed so that everyone can reach their full potential.
WE BELIEVE that students succeed when they can see themselves represented in our staff, curriculum, opportunities, and our shared environment. We accomplish this through professional development, curriculum revision, community engagement, and systems evaluations.
WE RECOGNIZE the need to teach our students to identify the origins of unjust systems and empower them to use their critical thinking skills and agency to responsibly disrupt the policies and practices that perpetuate inequalities.
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