News and information from our district and schools
Scroll to view District updates and news from Meyer, Middleton, and McCracken!
JANUARY 24, 2025
Scan the QR code or text YES to 67587 to receive mobile messages from Skokie73.5
DISTRICT UPDATES
FACILITY & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMUNITY MEETING
Are you passionate about improving our schools and shaping the future of our district? Here’s your chance to make a difference!
Skokie73.5 parents/guardians, neighbors, and staff are invited to attend a Community Meeting to explore our school improvement planning process. Learn firsthand about the current state of our facilities and infrastructure and the exciting steps ahead.
WHEN: Tuesday, January 28 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
WHERE: Middleton Elementary School Multipurpose Room
RSVP is requested: Please complete this short Google Form
We’ll also introduce information about a Facilitating Team of community members who will play a key role in guiding our next steps. Attending the community meeting doesn’t commit you to joining the Facilitating Team, but we hope you’ll attend the Community Meeting and be inspired to join the Facilitating Team.
Let’s work together to create lasting change for our students and our community. We hope you can join us on January 28!
COFFEE WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT
Mark your calendar, save the date, and join Dr. Hightower for coffee!
The next Coffee & Conversation with the Superintendent is Monday, February 3 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the McCracken Board 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!
PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES
Teachers will be available for your choice of in-person OR video conferences on the following dates and times:
- Thursday, February 13 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m
- Friday, February 14 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Online registration for February conferences opens on Tuesday, February 4 at 7:00 a.m. and closes on Tuesday, February 11 at 3:00 p.m.
Registration begins on the PowerSchool Parent Portal website and then links you to PowerPTC for scheduling.
Be prepared! Sign in to your PowerSchool Parent Portal account now to make sure you can connect to PowerPTC before registration opens. Check the PowerPTC Parent/Guardian Guide and visit our Parent-Teacher Conferences page at www.sd735.org/ptc for instructions and more information.
STUDENT SERVICES
NEW! The Student Services Department has a new web page with information related to potential mass deportation information. Check it out HERE.
MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS & FAMILIES
The Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) serves as a liaison between Skokie73.5, parents, and the community. All parents of students enrolled in our Bilingual Education Program are invited to become members. The BPAC meets four times a year. The next meeting is on Wednesday, February 5 from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Middleton Elementary School. The meeting topic is Assyrian Literacy.
GET TO KNOW THE PTO!
The PTO still needs VOLUNTEERS for two upcoming Middleton events!
- January 31: 4th/5th Grade Dance Party! Decorations, snack sales, clean-up between 5:00 and 8:30 p.m. Sign up HERE! View the Dance Party details HERE.
- February 7, 13, 14, 17: Middleton Book Fair! Setup, sales, teardown. Sign up HERE!
Help the PTO fund future events and projects for our schools! Dine out at Portillo’s at 9400 Skokie Blvd in Skokie on Thursday, February 13 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Mention "District 73.5 PTO" or show our flyer and Portillo’s will donate 20% to the PTO. We appreciate your support!
Visit district735pto.org and get to know your PTO!
Questions about this calendar or events? Please email [email protected].
AROUND TOWN
DISTRICT DATES
WARMING CENTERS
SKOKIE WARMING CENTERS
Visit the Village of Skokie website for hours, addresses, phone numbers, and a map.
Thank you to all the families who attended the Meyer Family Fun Night! We really enjoyed coming together as a school community and doing fun family learning activities with you! Please follow the links for some of the materials that were shared that night:
- Literacy/math information
- Letter sound movements
- Family Project information
- Take-home Family Project
We are grateful to our Meyer staff members who made the event possible: Candice Amelio, Nicole Axon, Skylar Baker, Debbie Chen, Rachel Douglas, Iida Borges, Mary Hallerduff, Derek Hasenstab, Kristen McCann, Alexandra Moshi, Bethany Mullins, Katie Orleans, Hannah Saibert, Aasia Shahid, Heena Shaikh, and Sharon Sanfilippo.
MPL MOVIE NIGHT
Mark your calendars for the MPL Movie Night. The Meyer Parent Leaders will host a Movie Night on Thursday, February 6 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the Meyer Gym. More details will follow soon.
PRESCHOOL VISION+HEARING SCREENINGS
Meyer’s school nurse, Katie Orleans, will be conducting hearing and vision screenings for all preschool students over the next few weeks. Parents will be notified only if results require a follow up with an outside healthcare professional.
PBIS FAMILY CONNECTION: BEING KIND
This week we are working on “Being Kind - Using kind words, greeting others, and saying ‘hello.’” We use kind words to make others feel happy, loved, and welcomed. At school we practice giving compliments and encouragement. Compliments are nice words to others about things they’re doing (building, drawing, following MAC rules, etc.) or how they look (“I like your shirt,” “Your hair looks nice today.”) Words of encouragement include, “You tried your best” or “You can do it.” If a friend is sad, using kind words can help that friend feel better. Saying “please” and “thank you,” as well as greeting one another and saying “hello,” are all kind ways to help people feel welcomed.
At home, encourage your child to say “please” and “thank you.” Practice giving each other compliments: “You cooked a great dinner tonight” or “Thanks for cleaning up your room” or “You shared your toy with your sister. That was so kind.” To help your child learn about being kind, you can watch these videos together: It's Great to Be Kind and/or Try a Little Kindness.
MEYER SUPERSTARS
Ms. Lancioni's Kindergarten Superstars
Ms. Nahhas' Preschool Superstars
MEYER DATES
Thank you to the families who came out on Thursday for our Cozy Family Reading Night! We hope you enjoyed the literacy focused activities and book swap! Special shout out to the PTO for providing the popcorn, and to all of the staff who made the event possible and spent the evening together!
MADISON AVENUE DROP-OFF & PICKUP
Please remember that Madison Avenue is one way westbound between Saint Louis and Central Park from the hours of 7:45 to 8:45 a.m. and 1:45 to 3:15 p.m. on school days. Please continue to help us keep staff and students safe at drop off and pick up times by abiding by this traffic flow, which is posted on Village signs on the street. Thank you!
WHEN YOU STOP BY...
Just a reminder that when you ring the bell at the main entrance, Heather Rubio or Sarah Cardenas in our front office will greet you, ask you your name, and what you are here for. Please understand that this is a step to ensure safety, and we greatly appreciate your understanding and patience.
PBIS FAMILY CONNECTIONS: KIND WORDS
Words carry a lot of power, and one thing we are working on as a whole school is to be mindful of what we say, and how it impacts others. Books can be a powerful tool for developing understanding in this area, and for building empathy skills for those who are different that ourselves. Bonus points for the connection that can come from reading them together with your child and talking about them! Consider checking out some of these books from Skokie Public Library, with themes that touch on the power of our words:
FOR YOUNGER READERS
- Big by Vashti Harrison
- Enemy Pie by Derek Munson
- If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson
- Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry
FOR OLDER READERS
- Posted by John David Anderson
FOR ALL READERS
- Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson
- I Walk With Vanessa by Kerascoët
ATTENDANCE REMINDERS
Did you know that missing two days of school a month, over the course of a school year, can affect a student's academic success? Please help us make school attendance a priority! If you know that your child will be absent, please contact the school attendance line or enter the absence in Attendance Monitor by 8:00 a.m. on the day of the absence.
ACCESS TESTING
Multilingual learners will participate in ACCESS Testing beginning at the end of January so that we can learn more about their skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in the English language. Students will be assessed one-on-one. Please feel free to contact any of our multilingual team teachers if you have any questions.
MIDDLETON DATES
Congratulations to the McCracken BuzzBot Robotics Team, one of 34 teams at the Little 9 Robotics Competition hosted at Niles West. The BuzzBots finished in 2nd place, having lost 38-37 in the championship round.
Special thanks to our coaches Lisa Repp and Anastasia Barrow for preparing the students to compete. The team has two more competitions this winter. Way to go, BuzzBots!
SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL LEARNING CORNER
Students across grade levels will be covering a variety of Digital Citizenship topics over the next month. They include digital footprints, online identity, relationships and communication related to online social media presence, and safety. Our district uses the Common Sense Media Digital Citizenship curriculum. Families can access additional information and resources below and on their website.
- Digital Footprint & Identity — English | Spanish | More languages: Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Russian, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese
- Family Activities: Digital Footprint & Identity (Grades 6-8) — English | Spanish
- Relationships & Communication — English | Spanish | More languages: Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Russian, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese
- Family Activities: Relationships & Communication (Grades 6-8) — English | Spanish
McCRACKEN ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL SAFETY
Parents and guardians who drive their student(s) to or from school must use the Circle Drive off of East Prairie Road.
Parents and guardians must enter the Circle Drive near the south entrance on East Prairie Road staying on the right side of the drive for pick up or drop off (leave the outside lane open to exiting cars at all times). Do NOT drop off or pick up your student in the left lane.
The Drive-Thru is for right lane drop off and pick up only. Do not park in the Drive-Thru lane. Please help to keep our students and staff safe at all times!
Drivers should NOT enter the Circle Drive coming north off East Prairie. Please enter the drop off or pick up line driving south on East Prairie.
Drive SLOWLY and carefully, watching for both students and cars at ALL times!
Students may NOT walk through the back parking lot for any reason, due to traffic.
Students must exit school property immediately following dismissal and may not stay to congregate with peers outdoors unless involved in an extracurricular activity.
Crossing guards are available to assist students crossing Oakton Street and Crawford Avenue and also on East Prairie Road and Warren Street.
Students may NOT cross the street at East Prairie Road and Oakton Street unless accompanied by a parent/guardian. There is no crosswalk or crossing guards and there is a high volume of traffic.
ATTENDANCE REMINDERS
Did you know that missing two days of school a month, over the course of a school year, can affect a student's academic success? Please help us make school attendance a priority! This McCracken Attendance Reminders sheet provides information about the importance of consistent school attendance and keeping your child engaged in school. If you know that your child will be absent for the day, please call our school nurse, Ms. Warda, at 847-676-8235 by 8:00 a.m. on the day of the absence. Please review the McCracken Attendance Reminders for more information.
8th GRADE INFORMATION
UPDATED JANUARY 24, 2025
Please see the following updates to the important dates to remember for our 8th grade families:
- COMING SOON! Double Good Popcorn Fundraiser: Wednesday, January 29 through Sunday, February 2 -- 8th Grade parents/guardians, please see THIS LETTER for information about the fundraiser and how to set up your own Double Good Popcorn Pop-Up Store.
- 8th Grade Celebration Planning Committee: Parents, guardians, and families are invited to help bring the 8th grade end-of-year activities to life. If you’re interested, please email [email protected]. We need all hands on deck to make this celebration truly amazing!
- COMING SOON! 8th Grade Graduation Pictures: Thursday, January 30, 2025 (Graduation gowns for the photos will be provided for pictures by Lifetouch. Students take one photo in the graduation gown and one photo without the gown.) Check THIS FLYER for details.
- Student Counselor Appointments at Niles North High School: Thursday, February 6, 2025 (Parents and guardians will receive their appointment information from Niles North after winter break.)
- 8th Grade End of Year Celebration: Friday, May 16, 2025
- 8th Grade Graduation: Wednesday, May 28, 2025
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.
McCRACKEN DATES
McCRACKEN GAMES
SNAPSHOTS
MLK JR. DAY OF SERVICE & FOOD DRIVE
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.