News and information from our district and schools
Scroll to view District updates and news from Meyer, Middleton, and McCracken!
DECEMBER 6, 2024
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DISTRICT UPDATES
COFFEE WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT
Mark your calendar, save the date, and join Dr. Hightower for coffee!
The next Coffee & Conversation with the Superintendent is Wednesday, December 11 from 8:45 to 9:45 a.m. in the Meyer Conference Room. RSVP is requested. Please complete this short form to let us know if you will attend.
Click the flyer to open the image, then right-click on the image to translate.
RSVPs for additional coffee meetups will open individually in advance of each date. We look forward to seeing you!
A MESSAGE FROM OUR SCHOOL NURSES
What is considered an "excused" absence?
Skokie73.5 follows the Illinois School Code definition of "valid cause" to determine whether a student's absence from school will be marked as Excused. Section 26-2a of the Illinois School Code includes the following in the definition of "valid cause" for absence:
- Illness, including the mental or behavioral health of the student, attendance at a verified medical or therapeutic appointment, or appointment with a victim services provider
- Observance of a religious holiday
- Death in the immediate family or a family emergency
- Attendance at a civic event
- Other situations beyond the control of the student
- Such other circumstances that cause reasonable concern to the parent for the mental, emotional, or physical health or safety of the student
STUDENT SERVICES NEWS & INFORMATION
Tap the flyer to view and translate information about the NTDSE Early Childhood Parent Event. Tap HERE to register.
TRIMESTER 1 REPORT CARD INFORMATION
Trimester 1 report cards will be released electronically through the PowerSchool Parent Portal website on Wednesday, December 11 by 3:00 p.m. At that time, parents and guardians will receive an email with instructions for how to view, print, and save their student's report card.
In the meantime, please log into the PowerSchool Parent Portal website at sd735.powerschool.com to make sure your username and password are working. If you need assistance with your account access, please contact the Skokie73.5 Data Office at 847-676-8326.
GET TO KNOW THE PTO!
Get your Meyer, Middleton, and McCracken gear! Enjoy a limited-time savings of 25% during the holiday sale – there’s something for the entire family! A portion of sales go to the PTO to help fund events, equipment, and wish-list items for our schools. Click below for each school....
Visit district735pto.org and get to know your PTO!
Questions about this calendar or events? Please email [email protected].
DISTRICT DATES
AROUND TOWN
Village of Skokie newsletter
Skokie Public Library newsletter
NTDSE Events in the Community newsletter
PBIS FAMILY CONNECTION: Personal Space Bubble.
Next week, we will continue working on “personal space bubble” at school. Our personal space bubble is the imaginary space around our body that makes us feel comfortable when we are close to others. When you are in someone’s personal space it can make you or the other person feel worried, scared, or uncomfortable. We teach that if you want to give a friend or teacher a hug, you should always ask the person if that is okay first. We also teach students that if a friend or teacher says, “No, thank you” that is okay. If a friend lets us know we are too close or in their personal space, we teach students to move back and give more space.
At home, you can talk about personal space. For example, when the family is sitting on the couch, it is okay to let others know: ldquo;You are too close, I need more space.”
To help your child learn about this, you can watch this Samsung Kids Personal Space Song together!
MEYER SUPERSTARS
Ms. Lancioni's Kindergarten Superstars
Ms. Nahhas's Preschool Superstars
PLAYGROUND REMINDERS
This is a friendly reminder that the Meyer Playground is closed during school hours. Please remember that preschool classes do not have early dismissal on Tuesdays, and that we are using our playground until their 2:30 dismissal. We welcome everyone to come play during after school hours! Thank you for your help in keeping all of our students safe!
MEYER'S COINS FOR KINDNESS
The last day for Meyer’s Coins for Kindness campaign is Tuesday, December 10. Coins for Kindness will benefit District 73.5 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. Please see the FLYER for details.
Meyer Parent Leaders will use the money collected to purchase gifts for our “adopted” families based on their wishlists. Kindergarten classes will “shop” for gifts for our families at the Meyer Mart on Tuesday, December 17 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!
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.
WINTER BENCHMARK ASSESSMENTS
Every winter, we use formal assessments to gauge student progress in early reading and math skills. This information helps teachers plan lessons and monitor student growth. Assessments are given one-on-one with a teacher. We have begun assessing our Kindergarten students and will continue through next week. For more information on assessments we use in the district for each grade level, please go to www.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
Please save the date! Meyer’s Family Fun Night is scheduled for Thursday, January 16 from 6:00 to 7:15 pm. We hope you can join us!
It’s that time of year when the Lost and Found at Middleton begins to grow… your child’s belongings miss them!
Please take a look through this Lost & Found Photo Slideshow and send your child to pick up lost items. All Lost and Found items will be donated before Winter Break in December.
BAND CONCERTS
Congratulations to the Middleton 5th Grade Band students on a wonderful Intermediate and Concert Band Early Winter Concert! You all should be very proud of yourselves and your hard work! Good luck this weekend!
PBIS FAMILY CONNECTIONS
Another area in which we focus on supporting students is responsible decision making. Students are making decisions all day long as they move throughout the building, play with friends, complete work, etc. Controlling impulses, thinking about what will happen as a result of actions, and making decisions are all a part of the learning students do. Check out this 4 minute video from PBS on responsible decision making!
WINTER CLASSROOM CELEBRATION
As a part of our Winter Classroom Celebration, Middleton Bulldogs will be having a Winter Gear Donation Drive during the month of December, and a Winter Hot Chocolate celebration. Students will also be making cards for local seniors in the community on this day. Thank you to those who are donating your time and supplies to this event!
All McCracken students will have an opportunity to join Social Justice Club for a monthly activism book club exploring the power of activism from December through May. Students must reserve a spot to join in November and books will be distributed in early December. The book club will meet once per month according to pre-selected dates and students will be expected to read assigned pages. Students were given a form to complete in advisory if interested.
WINTER BENCHMARK ASSESSMENTS
It's Purple Pride Week next week at McCracken as students will participate in winter NWEA MAP testing on Wednesday, December 11 and Thursday, December 12. On Friday, December 13, all students will take the CBMmath Automaticity assessment in their advisories, while all 6th graders and some 7th and 8th graders will be tested for CBMreading throughout the day. Advisors will share special testing schedule information and testing locations with students for all of these days. Students are encouraged to get a good night's rest the nights before testing, have a healthy breakfast, and arrive at McCracken on time with a charged chromebook on test days.
OUTDOOR RECESS REMINDERS
Students participate in outdoor recess throughout the school year, unless there is a significant weather-related or other external factor that necessitates an indoor program. Please send your child to school with appropriate outerwear. For winter weather, students will need a warm coat, hat, gloves, and winter snow boots when necessary. Families in need of outerwear for their child should contact school administration for additional resources.
In general, students 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.
STUDENT DEBATE CLUB
The first meeting of the McCracken Student Debate Club will take place on Monday, December 9 at 3:00 p.m. in Ms. Kerbyson’s classroom.
Students should consider joining the debate club if they like…
- Exploring and analyzing complex issues
- Persuading others of ideas using facts and logic
- Gain confidence with public speaking and persuasion skills
- Discussing interesting topics with peers
CHEERLEADING CLINIC & TRYOUTS
There will be an informational meeting for students interested in trying out for the McCracken cheerleading team on Monday, December 16 at 3:00 p.m. in Ms. Magnuson’s room! Tryouts are open to ALL students in 7th and 8th grade.
Students must have a current physical form on file with the nurse in order to attend clinic and tryouts. Students should wear comfortable clothes and gym shoes.
Cheerleading Clinic (must attend one)
Monday, January 6 and Wednesday, January 8
3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
in the MPR
Cheerleading Tryouts
Friday, January 10
3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
in the MPR
8th GRADE INFORMATION
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.
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