News and information from our district and schools
Scroll to view District updates and news from Meyer, Middleton, and McCracken!
SEPTEMBER 6, 2024
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DISTRICT UPDATES
SUPERINTENDENT'S MESSAGE
This week was challenging for our community, staff, and administration team. As a parent and grandparent, I understand the disruption our families and students experienced from the initial message we sent within minutes of arrival time.
Our team assessed the situation through a lens of safety, similar to how we did the week before when we enacted a soft lockdown. We deeply regret any inconvenience you experienced, and I am pleased that our students were out of harm's way.
We may never know why we lost power, but what I do know is our teachers, paraprofessionals, lunch staff, Building & Grounds team, and administration demonstrated their dedication to our district by pivoting quickly to remote learning, which is no easy feat. I appreciate each and every one of them.
Please consider joining us in person or via livestream for the Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, September 10 at 7:00 p.m.
Dr. Zipporah Hightower
SUMMARY & INFORMATION: THE POWER OUTAGE
Thank you for your patience during the electrical outage at McCracken Middle School this week. On September 3, we discovered McCracken was without power, which led to an immediate switch to remote learning for all schools to ensure safety. McCracken serves as our district’s technology hub and its network and security systems were directly impacted. This prompted the closure of all buildings as a precaution.
Despite our best efforts, the power restoration took longer than expected, requiring us to continue remote learning through September 4 for all buildings. Unfortunately, the source of the outage is still undetermined. However, we are pleased that power and systems at McCracken have been fully restored, and school resumed its regular schedule on Friday, September 6.
A complete facilities assessment by FGMA Architects is underway, and a summary of the progress will be presented at the Board meeting on Tuesday, September 10. If you cannot join us, the full report will be available after the meeting on BoardDocs.
Thank you for your continued understanding as we returned smoothly to in-person learning.
Samantha Peterson
Chief School Business Official
ARTS IN EDUCATION WEEK
National Arts in Education Week is September 9-13, 2024. Please join us in celebrating the Skokie73.5 staff who bring the arts to life for our students through art, culture, literature, music, and theater.
STUDENT/FAMILY HANDBOOK
The 2024-2025 Student/Family Handbook was sent home with students this week. Please snap the QR code printed on the inside back cover of the Handbook to submit the Student/Family Handbook Acknowledgment form for all students in the household.
STUDENT SERVICES
Niles Township District for Special Education offers developmental screenings for children ages 3-5 who live in the following school districts: 67, 68, 69, 70, 72, 73, 73.5, and 74. Screenings are offered once a month during the 2024-2025 school year. Check THIS FLYER for dates and details.
NTDSE also offers a schedule of events for parents and families. Check their ONLINE CALENDAR for details and registration information or view this family friendly FLYER.
Our neighbors to the east at Skokie Public Library offer helpful resources for students, multilingual families, and lifetime learners. These are just two:
- Homework Help
- Resources for ESL Learners
GET TO KNOW THE PTO!
The PTO REGULAR MEETING on Monday, September 9, 2024, will meet ONLINE only from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Google Meet. Log in to the meeting at meet.google.com/npi-iqye-qjt
Visit district735pto.org and get to know your PTO!
Questions about this calendar or events? Please email [email protected].
PUBLIC MEETINGS
View the agenda and tune in to the livestream on BoardDocs
DISTRICT DATES
AROUND TOWN
Village of Skokie newsletter
Skokie Public Library newsletter
The Meyer Back-to-School Night will take place on Thursday, September 12 at Meyer School. Your child's classroom teacher will hold a teacher session with important information about the classroom. The principal, Dr. Helen Wei, will share information about Meyer School in the all-school principal’s session. This is an adults-only event.
We will provide childcare for a limited number of children, age 1 year and older, during the event. Reservations for childcare are required. Please call the Meyer office at 847-673-1223 or email [email protected] by Friday, September 6 to reserve a spot for your child. Due to staffing limitations, we are not able to provide childcare during the event for children without a reservation.
Please follow the schedules below:
- Preschool parents/guardians attend from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
- 6:00-6:30 Preschool Teacher Sessions (classrooms)
- 6:30-7:00 Principal’s Session (gym)
- Kindergarten parents/guardians attend from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- 6:30-7:00 Principal’s Session (gym)
- 7:00-7:30 Kindergarten Teacher Sessions (classrooms)
See this FLYER for details. We look forward to seeing you there!
SCHOOL PICTURE DAY
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Mark your calendars! Meyer’s Picture Day is scheduled for Friday, September 20 during the school day. Flyers with more details will be sent home as we get closer to the date.
FALL ASSESSMENTS
Every year in the fall, we use formal assessments to understand students’ early reading and math skills. This information helps teachers plan lessons, to identify students who need extra help, and to monitor student growth. These assessments are conducted one-on-one with a teacher. We will be assessing our Kindergarten students in early literacy and math skills, for teaching and learning purposes, September 3-11. For more information on assessments we use in the district for each grade level, please visit sd735.org/cia/assessments. If you have questions about these assessments, please contact your child’s teacher or our school psychologist, Dr. Kristen McCann, at [email protected]. Thank you for your continued support and partnership.
MEYER DATES
AROUND TOWN
Click the flyer to learn more about Cub Scouts. Now welcoming Kindergarteners!
Middleton's in-person Curriculum Night originally scheduled for Wednesday September 4 was moved online due to this week's unexpected power outage.
Thank you for your understanding as we had to pivot and share Curriculum Night information electronically rather than in person. Links to building administration, grade level, and service provider presentations were shared in an email to Middleton families on Friday, September 6 at 9:00 a.m. Please check your inbox!
SAVE THE DATE for a newly added Back to School Night at Middleton!
Middleton parents and guardians are invited to join us in person on Wednesday, September 18 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. We look forward to meeting you and welcoming you into the building at that time. More details to follow.
WHITE PINES INFORMATION NIGHT
The White Pines Information Night originally scheduled for for Wednesday, September 4 at 6:00 p.m. was postponed due to this week's unexpected power outage.
Please join Middleton Assistant Principal Elizabeth Parker for a rescheduled White Pines information session on Monday, September 9 from 9:00 to 9:30 a.m. on Zoom. Link and login details were emailed to 5th Grade families on Friday, September 6 at 9:00 a.m. The link and login details are also available on our calendar.
On Wednesday, September 8 Middleton staff will host an in-person meeting from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. to answer questions and follow up on information provided on the Zoom call.
AFTER-SCHOOL ENRICHMENT
The Fall Enrich MD brochure was due to be sent home this week, but is delayed due to the unexpected power outage. The fall session is scheduled to run from September 30 to December 13. Watch for information coming soon!
MIDDLETON DATES
AROUND TOWN
Click the flyer to learn more about Cub Scouts!
McCracken's in-person Curriculum Night originally scheduled for Thursday, September 5 was moved online due to this week's unexpected power outage.
We were hopeful to invite McCracken families to a newly developed Curriculum Night program at McCracken this year, but the unexpected power outage caused us to schedule several remote learning days this week and move the Curriculum Night presentations online. There will be many more opportunities this year for families to visit McCracken for various band and choir concerts, our school musical, parent teacher conferences, athletic games, and more!
Our teachers have created grade-level presentations to provide families with important information related to classroom practices and curriculum. Some of the topics reviewed include team practices, contact information, curriculum guidelines, grading practices, and academic support available for students at McCracken. Teachers and staff are looking forward to working closely with your students on their academic and behavioral goals, as well as forming positive partnerships with families to support their child’s learning and growth during the 2024-2025 school year.
ATHLETIC GAME RESCHEDULING
Thank you to all of the players, families, and coaches for their flexibility as we had to cancel several athletic games due to the power outage. Please note that these games will be rescheduled and posted on the public calendar once the new dates have been confirmed. Coaches will also be informed of the new dates to communicate with players and families. We're excited to get the athletic seasons started for our McCracken Hornets!
McCRACKEN ORCHESTRA REGISTRATION
Registration for the McCracken Orchestra opens on Tuesday, September 10 from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Niles North High School. Drop in to meet the Orchestra Director, try out the instruments, and start your rental. Check the video and scan the QR code for details! (Video provided by Niles North High School)
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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