Since our return from winter break in January, kindergartners have been reading books in the library that were nominated for the MONARCH AWARD, a state picture book award whose winner is determined by votes from K-3rd grade students in Illinois. This week, kindergartners each voted for the book they want to win, and received monarch butterfly-themed "I Voted Today" stickers.

Meyer Spring Enrichment classes for kindergartners will run from APRIL 14th to MAY 21, 2026 (6 week session). Enrich MEYER brochures were sent home in backpacks on THURSDAY, MARCH 12th. An electronic version of the Enrichment brochure is also available on the Meyer website. 

Registration is now open!

Registration closes: FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2026
Confirmation: If a student is registered for a class and not added to the waitlist, their registration is automatically confirmed. 
Waitlist notice: You will receive email notification directly if a spot opens for the course for your child. 

If you have any questions, please contact our Enrich MEYER Coordinators, Rachel Douglas at [email protected] and Bethany Mullins at [email protected]. 

We have many items in the MEYER LOST AND FOUND! If you see any items that belong to you, please contact the Meyer Office at 847-673-1223 or [email protected], and we will send the item home with your child. Any remaining items will be donated to Goodwill over Spring Break.

An informance is a way to inform parents of what a typical music class is like. It is similar to a performance in that there is an audience, but instead of rehearsing set pieces, the students demonstrate what they do during music class. The setting is smaller and more intimate than a larger performance. Parents/guardians see first-hand how their child experiences music at Meyer School! Each student may invite up to 2 guests to attend, as seating is limited.

GETTING A POSITIVE START TO THE DAY: ON TIME ATTENDANCE. We know that mornings can be busy, and we truly appreciate your efforts to help your child arrive at school each day ready to learn. Regular attendance and arriving on time set students up for success and help them build strong, responsible habits.

The school day begins promptly, and arriving on time allows students to start their day calmly and participate fully in classroom activities. If your child arrives after 8:30 a.m., please remember to check them in at the main office with a parent or guardian.

Thank you for partnering with us to support your child’s learning and growth—we appreciate all that you do!

As we continue to work together to focus on being respectful, responsible, and ready as a Bulldog community, we want to bring attention to a practice we sometimes hear students talk about: "roasting." While students may see roasting—making jokes at the expense of another person—as harmless fun, it’s important for students to understand the harmful impact these jokes have on others. Even if peers are laughing out loud, they may be upset or hurt by the language without showing it. Other students overhearing "roasts" may also feel offended by the language, especially when it targets the identity of others.

We talk a lot at Middleton about the difference between intent and impact. A student may not mean to hurt someone’s feelings (intent), but their words can still cause harm to that person or others (impact). There are lots of ways to be funny, and jokes that make fun of others are not funny or okay at Middleton School. We are especially mindful that language targeting someone’s identity—such as race, culture, language, gender, abilities, or appearance—is never acceptable at school. We are committed to creating a safe, respectful environment for all students and appreciate your partnership in reinforcing these values at home.

CAMP MacLEAN SAVE THE DATE! Our 7th grade students and 7th grade teacher chaperons will be making their annual trip to Camp MacLean in Burlington, Wisconsin from MAY 13th-15th this spring! The purpose of the Camp MacLean trip is to provide our students with an outdoor educational experience that promotes both team-building and independence. It is our goal that all 7th grade students attend this important trip! Registration is officially open! If your student is planning on attending, please complete the registration form linked HERE that includes parent/guardian contact information, medical forms, and payment information for the $236 fee. All registration and payments are due by APRIL 17, 2026. If you have any questions regarding financial assistance, please contact Gay Kanda at [email protected] or 847-676-8459.

McCracken Student Council invites all students to the Spring Hornet Hangout! Students will be transported to Paris with our Springtime in Paris theme. The hangout will take place on FRIDAY, MARCH 20th from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. in the McCracken Gym. Students present in school for at least half of the school day may attend the Hangout. Please remember that students are expected to adhere to all school rules and policies when attending any school-sponsored functions. Students are allowed to bring cell phones, but they may only be used for photos during the Hangout. Videos or social media posts are not allowed during the hangout. In order to enter the hangout, students must arrive at 5:30 p.m. and leave promptly at 7:00 p.m. There will be snacks, drinks, and pizza for sale! Everything will be $1 or $2. Admission is $3 at the door (everything is cash only). Students must have a plan for how they will get home, which includes a ride home with a parent/guardian, family member, or another known adult. For safety reasons, students are not permitted to walk home from this evening event. All students must submit a SIGNED PERMISSION SLIP upon entry to the event.

ILLINOIS ASSESSMENT OF READINESS (IAR) testing for math and English language arts will take place at McCracken on the mornings of APRIL 8th-13th.

The IAR is the state assessment and accountability measure for Illinois students enrolled in a public school district. IAR assesses the Illinois Learning Standards incorporating the Common Core and will be administered in English language arts and mathematics to all students in grades 3-8. The IAR helps our middle school students to show what they have learned and identify areas where they can continue to grow as well as showing us, as a school, what curriculum, pacing, and instructional decisions are working and where we need more attention. Students will learn more about their daily schedules and testing locations from their teachers and we will follow modified schedules on all testing days.

Students are encouraged to get a good night’s rest on the nights before testing, eat a healthy breakfast on the mornings of testing, and, very importantly, bring a charged Chromebook to school each day. Teachers will be recognizing and nominating IAR All-Star students who put forth their best effort in being prepared to show us all they have learned!

Spring Break is ONE WEEK away, and we are supporting all of our McCracken Middle School students in consistently following school-wide academic and behavior expectations. Students who do not receive behavior referrals between MARCH 10th and MARCH 27th will be entered into a raffle to win fun prizes, which will be distributed at our Hornet Hive PBIS Student Assembly on FRIDAY, MARCH 27th! Thank you for reinforcing the importance of students displaying respectful, responsible, and ready behaviors at school and during school-sponsored events.

In an effort to support the SEL needs of our students, we have continued our partnership with an outside organization named PAWS FOR PATRICK. This organization provides the opportunity for students to spend time with a therapy dog during their recess period during the school day. If you are not familiar, a therapy dog is trained to provide affection, comfort and support to people in various settings such as hospitals, retirement homes, schools, libraries, disaster areas, etc. PAWS FOR PATRICK is a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting young people with emotional support animals and therapy dogs in order to support students with their mental health. Students who expressed interest and completed the form participated in these special visits on Monday, March 16th. Thank you to our Student Support Team for coordinating this opportunity at McCracken!

The SD73.5 PTO and 8th Grade Parent Committee will be hosting an 8th Grade End of the Year Celebration on FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at McCracken.

To make the end-of-year festivities memorable for every student, we’re inviting our parent community to partner with the SD73.5 PTO and 8th Grade Parent Committee in one (or more!) meaningful ways. See this letter from the PTO for more details!

The McCracken 8th grade Class of 2026 families recently received communication regarding graduation activities and events. We hope families and students were able to attend the Niles North Curriculum Night event. Please watch for further communication from both McCracken Middle School and Niles North High School throughout the school year. Below you will see a link to a copy of the letter we sent home and some important dates and events.

REMINDER: Please submit the required information and orders for your child's graduation this year. If you have already completed the registration, you may disregard. This information was due by FEBRUARY 26, 2026. (Click here to submit).

► 8th GRADE GRADUATION PARENT/GUARDIAN LETTER JANUARY 2026

Upcoming 8th Grade Important Dates

• PTO Panera 8th Grade Fundraiser ~ THURSDAY, APRIL 16th
• 8th Grade End of the Year Celebration ~ FRIDAY, MAY 22nd from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
• McCracken 8th Grade Graduation Ceremony ~ THURSDAY, MAY 28th from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Niles North High School. We expect the ceremony to start promptly at 6:00 p.m. and last approximately 1–1 1/2 hours.