News and information from our district and schools
Scroll to view District updates and news from Meyer, Middleton, and McCracken!
DECEMBER 13, 2024
Scan the QR code or text YES to 67587 to receive mobile messages from Skokie73.5
DISTRICT UPDATES
TRIMESTER 1 REPORT CARD INFORMATION
Trimester 1 report card notifications were emailed to families on Wednesday, December 11 at 3:00 p.m. Please check your inbox or our website for an email from your child's school with more information, including instructions for How to View Report Cards Online.
If you need translating or interpreting support with your child's report card, please contact Lyla Nissan at 847-676-8210 or by email at [email protected].
RONALD McDONALD CARE MOBILE IS BACK!
The Advocate Children’s Hospital Ronald McDonald Care Mobile will make a return visit to Skokie School District 73.5 on Friday, January 17, 2025.
Health services include school physicals, sports physicals, and immunizations for children ages 4-18 years old who do not have health insurance or who have Medicaid.
Appointments are very limited! Please see the attached flyer for appointment information.
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].
AROUND TOWN
DISTRICT DATES
Thank you to all the families who donated to Meyer’s Coins for Kindness campaign. We collected $747.56 in our 7-day campaign! We greatly appreciate everyone’s generosity to help Meyer families this holiday season.
Meyer Parent Leaders are purchasing gifts for our “adopted” families based on their wishlists. Kindergarten classes will “shop” for gifts for our families at the Meyer Mart on 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!
AUTHOR'S VISIT: JACOB GRANT
Local author and illustrator Jacob Grant came to visit Meyer School last week and read his picture book, Umami, to our preschool and kindergarten Shining Stars. Jacob Grant also led a directed drawing activity! Thank you to our librarian, Mrs. Kelley, for coordinating a fantastic author’s visit!
Next week, we will be working on “walking feet” at school. We use our walking feet to be safe at school. We use walking feet in the classroom and hallway. We explain that we use walking feet in the classroom so we don’t trip or bump into anyone or anything.
At home, you can talk about where there are safe places to run vs. walk. You can talk about and practice walking feet with family in parking lots, in stores, and at the library. You can talk about and practice running when you are at the park or in your yard.
To help your child learn about using “walking feet,” you can watch this video together! In this video, Grover learns the word “walk.”
MEYER SUPERSTARS
Ms. LaBarbera's Kindergarten Superstars
Ms. Moshi's Morning Preschool Superstars
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!
Local author Karla Arenas Valenti came to visit Middleton School last week. Karla taught our 2nd-5th graders how to illustrate in her style. Thank you to our librarian, Mrs. Beth Glaser, for coordinating a wonderful author’s visit!
THE MIDDLETON LOST & FOUND
Your coats and sweatshirts miss you!
Please take a look through this Lost & Found Photo Slideshow and send your child to pick up lost items. All Lost and Found items left on December 20 will be donated to a local clothing facility over winter break.
PBIS FAMILY CONNECTIONS
Supporting responsible decision making...
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!
Please save the date! Middleton’s Literacy Night is scheduled for Thursday, January 23 from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. We hope you can join us!
McCracken Student Council members spent time before school on Wednesday morning placing positive Post-it messages on student lockers throughout the school. Student Council was excited to decorate the school with growth mindset messaging for students getting ready to do their best on winter benchmark assessments. Our Hornets are so thoughtful! Special thanks to Hannah Mosher for sponsoring this extracurricular club for our students.
FUTURES UNLIMITED STEM CONFERENCE
Oakton College is once again hosting a STEM career exploration conference for interested 8th grade students who identify as female on Tuesday, December 17 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This day-long program introduces students to the world of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) — inspiring them to explore new interests and pursue their passions. McCracken students have been attending this field trip for years and we are thrilled to continue the tradition this year. Special thanks to Cathy Gormley and Annie Monak for planning the trip and to Joy Di Zillo and Nina Slefo for helping to serve as chaperones.
WINTER BREAK COUNTDOWN
McCracken is counting down the days leading up to winter break, which begins on December 21, 2024. We have planned both student and staff spirit days during the last two weeks to support our school community in maintaining a positive, safe, and supportive environment. This week we planned a variety of special days and events for staff and also asked students to join in on the spirit days. See the dates and themes below. Please encourage your child to participate and also to display respectful, responsible, and ready behaviors. We have a special Hornet Hive PBIS Assembly to recognize our students’ accomplishments and efforts during the first trimester. Students who are following schoolwide expectations will fully participate and will be entered into raffles for amazing prizes. We can’t wait to celebrate our Hornets on Friday, December 20!
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.
LOST & FOUND REMINDERS
Please encourage your student to check the lost and found for any misplaced items by Friday, December 20. We will be donating all lost and found items to a local clothing facility over winter break.
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
BOYS BASKETBALL OPEN GYM & TRYOUTS
For students interested in trying out for McCracken's boys 6th, JV, and Varsity basketball teams, there will be an open gym session on Thursday, December 19 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. The open gym is an opportunity to meet McCracken’s boys basketball coaches before tryouts, to show off your skills, and to have fun! Interested student-athletes should pick up a permission slip from one of the coaches or the front office, get it signed by an adult, return it to the front office or one of the coaches. Tryouts will be held once we return from winter break break. All students planning to try out must have a current physical on file. Tryout dates and times are below:
Boys Varsity Basketball
Wednesday, January 8
Thursday, January 9
3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
(both days)
Boys JV Basketball
Wednesday, January 8
Thursday, January 9
4:30 to 6:00 p.m.
(both days)
Boys 6th Grade Basketball
Friday, January 10
4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, January 14
4:00 to 5:30 p.m.
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.
This site provides information using PDF, visit this link to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software.