BUILDING 73.5
SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH
News and information from our district and schools
Scroll to view District updates and news from Meyer, Middleton, and McCracken!
APRIL 11, 2025
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SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH
Representatives from Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates (HYA) will present the Superintendent Search Leadership Profile and survey results to the Board of Education in open session on Tuesday, April 15 at 7:00 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room at McCracken Middle School. The public is invited to attend. The meeting will also be livestreamed from the video link posted in the April 15, 2025, meeting agenda on the BoardDocs website.
Building 73.5
Help us plan for the future of our schools!
Building 73.5 is a community-led public engagement program that brings families, staff, and community members together to address key facility challenges. We’re seeking your input to help us plan for the future and address challenges facing our schools such as:
- Safety and security updates
- Aging and deteriorating buildings
- Outdated classrooms
- Changing learning needs of today’s students
Join us at one of our spring Community Engagement Sessions, where you can learn more, participate in interactive activities with fellow community members, and help set priorities to move our schools forward.
SPRING Session 1: April 21
Our School Buildings’ Strengths, Challenges, and Needs
John Middleton Elementary
8300 St. Louis Avenue, Skokie, IL 60076
7-9 p.m.
SPRING Session 2: May 20
Understanding Educational Needs: Priorities for Our School Facilities
Oliver McCracken Middle School
8000 East Prairie Road, Skokie, IL 60076
7-9 p.m.
Learn more and RSVP today at SD735.org/Building735.
STUDENT SERVICES
For children residing in school districts 67, 68, 69, 70, 72, 73, 73.5 & 74....
Parents who are concerned about their preschool-aged (ages 3-5) child’s development can make an appointment to attend a developmental screening on Monday, April 14 OR Monday, May 5, 2025.
To make an appointment, please contact Connie Gusek at NTDSE: 847-965-9040 ext 841.
CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION & ASSESSMENT
K-5 LITERACY PROGRAMMING. Last year, our teams took an important step in strengthening our students’ literacy learning by successfully implementing a foundational phonics program, From Phonics to Reading, in all kindergarten through 2nd grade general education classrooms. This year, we seek to further expand our students’ literacy learning by including other comprehensive literacy skill domains in addition to phonics, including other elements of reading (phonological awareness, word recognition, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension), oral language, writing, speaking, and listening, as well as knowledge building, in all kindergarten through 5th grade general education classrooms.
As part of this effort, between April 2 and May 9, we are excited to pilot two literacy programs in our kindergarten through 5th grade classrooms: Collaborative Literacy (from Collaborative Classroom) and ARC Core (from American Reading Company). In each grade level, approximately half of the classrooms will pilot Collaborative Literacy while the other half of the classrooms will pilot ARC Core.
These programs were selected for pilot by our district’s Literacy Leadership Committee, which is composed of 29 representative educators and administrators from all three of our buildings. The Literacy Leadership Committee worked diligently to identify possible comprehensive, research-based, culturally responsive, and well-vetted programs, to evaluate their alignment to our students’ needs, and to envision a positive, engaging, and meaningful pilot experience for our students. The aim of the pilot is to gather experiential data from both students and teachers that the Literacy Leadership Committee can use to make a decision about a possible program adoption for the 2025-2026 school year.
During the pilot of these two programs, you can expect that your child’s experience with English Language Arts will remain consistent, coherent, rigorous, and responsive. Your child’s teacher has been fully trained on the use of each program and is fully prepared to ensure that your child experiences the same high impact learning they have all year. Because we are piloting unique programs, your child will be interacting with some new resources in the classroom and may bring some of them home from time to time. We encourage you to ask them about their experiences along the way!
We look forward to sharing more about these pilots in the coming weeks! If you have any questions about your child’s individual learning, as always, please contact your child’s teacher. If you have any questions about literacy programming at your child’s school, please contact your child’s building administration.
ILLINOIS SCIENCE ASSESSMENT (ISA). Beginning April 14, students in 5th and 8th grade will participate in the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA). The ISA is aligned to the Illinois Learning Standards for Science (which include the Next Generation Science Standards). It is designed to provide teachers and families with information about student progress in their learning of science concepts and skills.
Additional information about ISA testing is available on the Illinois State Board of Education website.
To provide flexibility, each school will develop its own testing schedule. Our test coordinators are working diligently in preparation, and we anticipate a smooth testing experience. Please keep an eye on the Middleton and McCracken sections of The Weekly over the coming weeks for school-specific information.
PTO NEWS
The next PTO REGULAR MEETING is Monday, April 14, 2025, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. online only at Google Meet:
meet.google.com/amz-krzz-ube.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s TASTE of 73.5, and special shout-out to Odessa Molina, Margaret Page, and Sally Alvarado for organizing!
Enjoy this video highlight reel from the festivities!
Thank you to all who made it out for the 2nd Annual Family BINGO Night on April 2! We had many winners and a lot of fun!
STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK IS COMING!
Staff Appreciation Events: May 4-9
Chalk the Walks on Sunday, May 4 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Leave a message or drawing thanking staff on the sidewalks around the schools! The PTO will provide chalk at school entrances.
Building Snack Bars - Dates TBD
Donate to PTO for staff appreciation and other events using Zelle [email protected]. If you want to donate with cash or check, contact Margaret Page at [email protected].
Complete this form to give a social shout out to staff during Appreciation Week (see example).
Content posted on the PTO website is managed by the PTO
Visit district735pto.org and get to know your PTO!
Questions about this calendar or events? Please email [email protected].
Please join this month's MEYER PARENT LEADERS ZOOM MEETING. The group will begin planning the Meyer End-of-the-Year Bash.
Thursday, April 17, 2025
7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
The Zoom link will be sent to Meyer families the day before the meeting through Seesaw.
All parents/guardians are welcome!
CHILDREN'S BOOK DRIVE
Are you spring cleaning and decluttering your house? Meyer School will be collecting new and gently used children’s books, ages birth through 6th grade, from April 7-18 for Bernie’s Book Bank.
Bernie’s Book Bank collects high-quality, new and gently used children’s books and then delivers them directly to children in school districts and early childhood programs in the Chicagoland area. In 2024, local children attending over 950 Title 1 schools and early childhood programs received 2,409,599 free, age-appropriate, high-interest, and culturally relevant books.
Please have your child bring in any books you’d like to donate to Bernie’s Books. Children’s picture books, board books, recent non-fiction, graphic novels, and chapter books are all appreciated. Please note: Bernie’s Book Bank cannot use activity books, coloring books, dictionaries, textbooks, religious books, over-loved, or foreign language books other than Spanish. This YouTube video explains what is accepted.
For more information about Bernie’s Book Bank, please visit berniesbookbank.org.
KINDERGARTEN MUSIC "INFORMANCES"
What is an Informance? An informance is a way to inform parents of what a typical music class is like. It is similar to a performance in that there is an audience, but instead of rehearsing set pieces, the students demonstrate what they do during music class. The setting is smaller and more intimate than a larger performance. Parents see firsthand how their child experiences music at Meyer School.
Informances are scheduled for Wednesday, May 14. Each Informance will last approximately 25 minutes. Seating is limited so we ask that each child invites a maximum of 2 adults. View the Informances flyer for classroom performance times. We hope to see you there!
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Castellini at [email protected].
FAMILY CONNECTION
At Meyer, we learn about the SIZE OF THE PROBLEM. A problem can be something that we might need to fix or something that bothers us. Being able to identify the size of the problem will help us determine the size of our reaction.
- A small problem is something I can fix all by myself. Small problems can be fixed quickly and easily.
- A medium problem is something I need some help to fix. Medium problems might take a little bit longer to solve.
- A big problem is when I need a grown up’s help right away. Big problems might take a long time to solve or could be an emergency.
When you have a problem, our reaction (the way we act) should match the size of the problem.
- Small problems should have small reactions. When I have a small problem, I can talk to the friend, walk away, get a drink of water, or take deep breaths.
- Medium problems should have medium reactions. When I have a medium problem, I can keep trying to do it on my own, get help from a grown up or friend, or take a break in the calm down corner.
- Big problems can have big reactions. When I have a big problem, I can walk away quickly, quietly listen to a grown up’s directions, or tell a grown up.
At home, you can help your child identify the size of the problem when something comes up, and talk about what reaction matches the size of the problem and how to ask for help if they need it.
KINDERGARTEN LITERACY CENTERS
MEYER DATES
MEYER SUPERSTARS
Ms. LaBarbera's Kindergarten Superstars
Ms. Moshi's PM Preschool Superstars
Are you spring cleaning and decluttering your house? Middleton Elementary School will be collecting new and gently used children’s books, ages birth through 6th grade, from April 7-22 for Bernie’s Book Bank.
Bernie’s Book Bank collects high-quality, new and gently used children’s books and then delivers them directly to children in school districts and early childhood programs in the Chicagoland area. In 2024, local children attending over 950 Title 1 schools and early childhood programs received 2,409,599 free, age-appropriate, high-interest, and culturally relevant books.
Please have your child bring in any books you’d like to donate to Bernie’s Books. Children’s picture books, board books, recent non-fiction, graphic novels, and chapter books are all appreciated. Please note: Bernie’s Book Bank cannot use activity books, coloring books, dictionaries, textbooks, religious books, over-loved, or foreign language books other than Spanish. This YouTube video explains what is accepted. For more information about Bernie’s Book Bank, please visit berniesbookbank.org.
FAMILY CONNECTION: ZONES OF REGULATION
At Middleton, we continue the ZONES OF REGULATION learning students are introduced to at Meyer. Zones of Regulation is a program designed to help children identify and self-regulate their emotions. We learn about four different zones: blue, green, yellow, and red:
- When you are in the blue zone, you may feel sad, bored, tired, or sick.
- When you are in the green zone you feel calm and happy. When you’re in the green zone, you do your best learning.
- When you are in the yellow zone you might feel scared, silly, worried, excited, or frustrated.
- When you are in the red zone, you might feel mad or out of control.
ASSYRIAN CLUB AKITU TABLE
This year, the Assyrian Club proudly created and unveiled a unique and meaningful Akitu Table, blending ancient traditions with modern creativity.
Students found innovative ways to honor cultural roots—like crafting a symbolic bonfire using arts and crafts materials, representing the eternal light that shines within our community. Their dedication and imagination brought a fresh perspective to a timeless tradition dating back 6775 years, reminding us all of the strength and resilience of Assyrian heritage.
SAVE THE DATES
Mark your calendar and save the dates for THREE upcoming events at Middleton Elementary:
- ALL SCHOOL MUSICAL PREVIEW: Friday, May 1
The Middleton Musical is quickly approaching, and it is a Middleton tradition to take a walking field trip together to McCracken to preview the first part of the musical together after tech week before weekend performances. Watch for a field trip permission slip to come home soon!
- ON TO 1st GRADE: Wednesday, May 7
This evening event is for parents only. Meet the 1st Grade Team, see a few 1st Grade classrooms, and learn about some of the exciting things our Middleton Bulldogs do each day! Child care is available on request. Please fill out this form.
- MIDDLETON FITNESS NIGHT: Thursday, May 15
Middleton will host our annual Fitness Night on Thursday, May 15 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. We look forward to spending the evening together; watch for an informational flyer to come home soon!
MIDDLETON DATES
McCracken Middle School is hosting a children’s book drive to benefit BERNIE'S BOOK BANK. They urgently need books to meet their goal of distributing books to 25,000 more children this year. Please consider donating new and gently used children’s books (birth-6th grade reading level) during our book drive. Children’s picture books, board books, recent non-fiction, graphic novels, and chapter books are all appreciated. Please note: Bernie’s Book Bank cannot use activity books, coloring books, dictionaries, textbooks, religious books, over loved, or foreign language books other than Spanish. This YouTube video explains what is accepted.
Please help achieve the goal by donating gently used children’s books. Books can be placed in the collection bins located in the McCracken office until the drive ends on April 18. Families who donate books during McCracken's upcoming April Show-ers event will have the opportunity to be entered in a raffle!
APRIL SHOW-ERS OPEN HOUSE
Save the date to attend our new and improved McCracken Middle School April Show-ers family event on Thursday, April 17 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. The purpose of April Show-ers is to share our students’ learning and connect with our school community members. April Show-ers promotes community engagement and pride! Our teams have developed updated student-centered creative sessions. Families will be given a “Passport” with a menu of available activity sessions to attend with their student and collect stamps along the way. Both adult and student partners must be present to earn a stamp! At the end of the night, head to the gym to enjoy a performance by Hornet Harmony and turn in your passport to be entered into raffles for fun prizes! The performance will begin promptly at 7:15 p.m.
8th GRADE UPDATES
8th GRADE GRADUATION AND STAFFING UPDATES were shared with 8th grade families last week. The links to those documents are below. Please read through the graduation letter carefully as there are deadlines for the submission of graduation ticket orders, permission forms, and optional graduation t-shirt orders. Please reach out to the McCracken office or administration with any questions at 847-673-1220.
CAMP MacLEAN
We’re getting excited for Camp MacLean! The Camp Teaching Team has begun planning for the May 14-16 trip to Burlington, Wisconsin. Seventh grade families, remember to complete the Participation/Medication Form and submit the $195 fee via RevTrak by Monday, April 21. Families in need of financial assistance or fee waiver information should contact Karen Hayes at 847-676-8317 or [email protected].
ILLINOIS SCIENCE ASSESSMENT
McCracken will administer the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) to our 8th graders from April 21-23. The ISA is a federally mandated assessment for students in grades 5 and 8 who attend public school. The 8th grade ISA is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and measures student growth and learning of science concepts learned during 6th-8th grade. Students will take the assessment in their science classes and will follow a normal schedule on these testing days. We are urging students to bring a fully charged Chromebook to school everyday to help reduce distractions during testing.
The McCracken Garden needs your expertise! Learn how you can help our 6th graders create a NEW International Garden. If you are interested in being a community expert, please complete this form.
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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