News and information from our district and schools
Scroll to view District updates and news from Meyer, Middleton, and McCracken!
OCTOBER 4, 2024
Scan the QR code or text YES to 67587 to receive mobile messages from Skokie73.5
DISTRICT UPDATES
STUDENT FLU CLINIC
The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile will be at MEYER and McCRACKEN on Thursday, November 14 and at MIDDLETON on Friday, November 15 to administer seasonal flu vaccines for students during the school day. Registration and parent consent is required. Please complete this Google Form ONCE PER CHILD before 3:00 p.m. on Friday, November 1. More information is available HERE.
PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES
Teachers will be available for your choice of in-person OR video conferences on the following dates and times:
- Thursday, October 10 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m
- Friday, October 11 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Online registration for October conferences opened on Tuesday, October 1 at 7:00 a.m. and closes on Tuesday, October 8 at 3:00 p.m. Check the PowerPTC Parent/Guardian Guide and visit our Parent-Teacher Conferences page at www.sd735.org/ptc for instructions and more information.
SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS
School board candidates can now begin petition circulation for the April 1, 2025, Consolidated Election. The first day petitions can be filed is Tuesday, November 12, 2024, and the last day to file is Monday, November 18, 2024.
Tap the calendar or check our Board of Education Announcements for links to the IASB news release, key dates, and more.
GET TO KNOW THE PTO!
The next PTO REGULAR MEETING is Monday, October 7, 2024, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. in person in the McCracken MPR and online at Google Meet.
The PTO invites us all to a Chicago Wolves hockey game on Sunday, November 17 at 3:00 p.m. vs. the Rockford IceHogs!
Find more information and buy tickets HERE.
Thank you to the PTO for arranging this fun event for families and friends!
Visit district735pto.org and get to know your PTO!
Questions about this calendar or events? Please email [email protected].
AROUND TOWN
Village of Skokie newsletter
Skokie Public Library newsletter
NTDSE Events in the Community newsletter
PUBLIC MEETINGS
DISTRICT DATES
The Meyer Parent Leaders (MPL), a committee of the PTO, is a group of Meyer parents and guardians dedicated to supporting the school and community, by providing opportunities for Meyer families to connect and socialize.
Please join this month's Zoom meeting. All parents/guardians are welcome to join us! We will discuss and finish planning this month’s MPL event, Socktoberfest.
Thursday, October 17, 2024
7:00 to 8:00 pm
The Zoom link will be sent to Meyer families through Seesaw the day before the meeting.
OCTOBER IS SOCK-TOBER
During the month of October, Meyer School is celebrating Socktober. We are collecting new socks to be donated to the Niles Township Clothing Closet. Students can bring in new socks of any size, which will be donated at the end of the month. Last year, we donated over 1,000 pairs of socks!
We want to show our Meyer Shining Stars that even the smallest acts of love, like donating a pair of socks, can make a big difference in the lives of our neighbors, who are in need. We began collecting socks on Tuesday, October 1.
Students can also show their support by celebrating Wacky Socks Wednesdays! Get your wacky socks ready to wear on every Wednesday in October!
SOCKTOBERFEST!
SAVE THE DATE FOR SOCKTOBERFEST on Thursday, October 24, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Meyer School to help us celebrate the end of Socktober. Thank you to the Meyer Parent Leaders for planning and hosting this event! Fun activities will include:
- Dance party
- Arts and crafts
- Games
- Face painting
- Food
The Meyer Parent Leaders will share more details in the coming weeks.
PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES
Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on Thursday, October 10 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. and Friday, October 11 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
An “October Parent-Teacher Conference” email was sent to all district families on Wednesday, September 25 with dates and a link to more information. Please check your inbox or our website for that email.
If you would like to meet with Meyer's specials teachers, please contact them through Seesaw or email:
- Physical Education teacher, Iida Borges, [email protected]
- Art/Music teacher, Carolyn Castellini, [email protected]
MEYER DATES
MEYER SUPERSTARS
Ms. Huynh's Kindergarten Superstars
Ms. Saibert's Preschool Superstars
AROUND TOWN
CHICAGO FREE MUSEUM DAYS! Take advantage of the wonderful museums we have in Chicago! Many museums have “free” days for Illinois residents. Check this list from NBC Chicago for more than a dozen museums and attractions that offer free admission for Illinois residents!
Students at Middleton are working to earn 1,000 Pride Paws as a building!
Students earn a Pride Paw shout out card for demonstrating Respectful, Responsible, and Ready Bulldog Behavior around school. When a student earns that Pride Paw, their homeroom teacher keeps a tally, and sends the card home with the student so they may share their positive contribution to our school community with you at home.
Our 5th graders voted, and we are working towards sitting anywhere at lunch for a day! Thanks, 5th grade!
5th GRADE RECESS
Thank you to the 5th grade students who have advocated for a safer version of the game “Woodchips” to be played at recess. Students are now able to play that game, and recess supervisors have copies of the expectations students drafted for reference. Great job, Bulldogs!
5th grade parents, thank you for your patience while we work with your children to both follow school rules and recess supervisor expectations, and to practice advocacy for causes that matter to them.
PICTURE DAY!
Fall Picture Day at Middleton is scheduled for Wednesday, October 9, 2024. Lifetouch picture day order forms were sent home with all students last week. Families may pre-purchase picture packages online at mylifetouch.com and enter the Picture Day ID code EVT7B6SC7. Students may also bring the provided form with payment on Picture Day. Picture retakes will take place on Wednesday November 13.
WHITE PINES REGISTRATION & PAYMENT
Registration and payment for the 5th Grade White Pines trip are due Monday, October 7. Please click HERE to register online. Payment can be submitted as follows:
- Check made payable to Skokie District 73.5
OR - Online using this LINK - CORRECTED LINK 10/7/2024
OR - Cash in a sealed envelope with the student’s name and given to the child’s teacher or the main office
Please contact Mrs. Parker for questions regarding payment.
NILES NORTH HIGH SCHOOL TUTORING
Attention 3rd-6th grade students and families! Niles North High School is extending their tutoring program to include 3rd-6th grade feeder schools.
Niles North students will provide tutoring services to students in reading, writing, math, science, and more on Mondays from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. beginning October 7.
Click or tap the flyer to learn more and complete the one-time registration.
Thank you to Niles North High School for including our students in this great program!
We are thrilled to share that McCracken 6th and 7th grade Spanish teacher Melissa Arkin has been selected to receive a prestigious NEA Global Learning Fellowship. The NEA Foundation is a national nonprofit and philanthropic organization based in Washington, DC. Their mission is to work in partnership with others to promote the absolute best in public education. Over the course of a year educators from around the country learn and develop knowledge and skills to integrate global competency into their daily instructional practices. Teachers deepen their appreciation and knowledge of cultural differences and gain firsthand experiences reinforcing the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in meeting the needs of their students. You can learn more about this program on the NEA website. Congratulations to Sra. Arkin on her accomplishment!
ACDA HONOR CHOIR
Congratulations to the eight McCracken students who were selected for the American Choral Directors Association Illinois Jr. Honor Choir! Students were selected through a rigorous audition process. They learned three songs and then traveled to Illinois State University on Saturday, September 28 to rehearse and perform with 103 amazing middle school students from throughout the state. The students sang under the direction of ISU choral professor Dr. Tim Fredstrom and were recognized for their preparation and musicianship. We are very proud of our students and our choir program at McCracken Middle School directed by Ms. Amy Keipert.
McCRACKEN AUTHOR VISIT
McCracken is excited to be hosting award-winning author Ellen Oh later this month! Ellen has published many popular books in a variety of genres. She is also the editor of several collections of short stories and a founding member of We Need Diverse Books. All students will have the opportunity to hear Ellen talk about the power of storytelling and her career as a bestselling writer when she visits us on October 23rd.
Students can CLICK HERE to order an autographed copy of Ellen Oh's new book.
GIRLS BASKETBALL TRYOUTS
Students interested in trying out for the McCracken girls basketball teams will need to attend the posted tryout dates below. Students MUST have a physical on file to try out. There are NO exceptions to this Illinois mandate. Please be sure to check in with our school nurse if you have questions about the required paperwork.
6th Grade
Friday, October 18
4:30-5:30 p.m.
~
Monday, October 21
5:30-6:30 p.m.
7th Grade
Wednesday, October 16
3:00-4:15 p.m.
~
Thursday, October 17
3:00-4:15 p.m.
8th Grade
Wednesday, October 16
4:30-5:30 p.m.
~
Thursday, October 17
4:30-5:30 p.m.
ALL SCHOOL READ ASSEMBLY
On Friday, September 27, McCracken celebrated our All School Read during an end-of-the-day, in-person assembly. The celebration and assembly activities were built around the novel, Holes by Louis Sachar. The students engaged in a virtual breakout room, requiring them to use their problem-solving and team-building skills, followed by additional literacy activities in the gymnasium. Special thanks to the members of our All School Read student and staff committees!
PICTURE RETAKES
All McCracken students who were not able to take pictures on October 3 can participate in retakes on Thursday, November 14. Please complete the form and bring it to school or pre-order using the information below. Families may pre-purchase picture packages online at mylifetouch.com and enter the Picture Day ID code EVTNQ3SBZ. Students may also bring the provided form with payment on the day of Picture Day. Please click HERE for the RETAKE DAY flyer and QR code.
8th GRADE INFORMATION
Please click HERE for information about the 8th grade PSAT Assessment taking place at Niles North High School on Saturday, October 26, 2024.
SAVE THE DATES! 8th Grade Class of 2025 Events
- PSAT Assessment: Saturday, October 26
- Graduation Pictures: Thursday, January 30, 2025
- 8th Grade End of Year Celebration: Friday, May 16, 2025
- 8th Grade Graduation: Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Families will receive more specific communication about graduation events in December
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.
This site provides information using PDF, visit this link to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software.