8th Grade PSAT Assessment Information

• The PSAT 8 assessment for our 8th grade students will be administered at Niles North High School on Saturday, October 1, 2022, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (approximate end time)
• All 8th graders planning to enroll at Niles North High School are expected to take the PSAT 8, the first high school level exam in the SAT Suite of Assessments. The PSAT 8 establishes a baseline measurement for college and career readiness as a student enters high school. The exams in the SAT Suite of Assessments measure a student's strength in reading, writing/language, and mathematics. Monitoring these same skills at different grade levels allows students, parents, and educators to monitor a student's progress.
• This assessment is free of charge and given to junior high (middle school) students in the fall of the year prior to high school registration. Results from this test, along with other metrics, will be used for proper 9th grade course placement.
• Please access the Niles North High School PSAT 8/9 - 8th Grade website for additional information.
• If you have any questions, please contact Niles North testing coordinator Marija Markovic at 847-626-2177 or by email at [email protected]. A letter was mailed to families from Niles North High School on August 22, 2022.
• PSAT 8 FAQ Sheet

6th Grade Niles North High School Tutoring

Attention 6th grade students and families! Niles North High School is extending their tutoring program to include 6th grade feeder schools this year. 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. starting on October 3rd. Please access this Niles North High School flyer to learn more and complete the one-time registration. Thank you to Niles North High School for including our 6th graders in this great program!

Social Media Awareness Reminders

Many of our middle school students are using technology in multiple ways to communicate with peers outside of school. They may be using smartphones and social media apps to communicate with friends. Social media applications have parental controls for monitoring and safety. At times, students at this age may experience peer conflict that may turn into negative interactions online with friends or acquaintances. Negative interactions or cyberbullying that impacts the school environment may result in school-issued consequences. Please monitor your child’s online presence and help to reinforce online safety and kindness in communication. Please see this social media parent letter that was shared with families on September 26th for more information. We look forward to partnering with you to keep our students safe at school!

Hispanic Heritage Month

Our Cultural Diversity Club sponsored by Ms. Lynn Catanus is helping to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at McCracken Middle School. They are sharing facts and resources with our students and staff this month. Did you know that Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15th to October 15th because September is the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Chile? Special thanks to our McCracken Cultural Diversity Club for their efforts in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month!

September Spotlight on Success

McCracken students are eligible to earn a wide variety of acknowledgement for their success in school whether remote or in-person! This includes Spotlight on Success, which recognizes students’ academic growth and achievement. Each month, teachers celebrate the many students who have demonstrated academic success in each grade level to honor them for making progress toward learning standards, meeting or extending learning standards, demonstrating great interest in a particular subject area, and/or demonstrating a growth mindset. Students are featured in our morning announcements, receive a certificate in person and by mail, and are delivered a fun incentive by our Ollie Trolley! Congratulations to our September Spotlight on Success recipients!

Parent-Teacher Conferences

District 73.5 will host Parent-Teacher Conferences in person or virtually on Thursday, October 6th from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. and Friday, October 7th from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. McCracken students are encouraged to participate in these conferences as a means for self-reflection, progress monitoring, and goal setting. An email with the subject "Parent-Teacher Conference Information" was sent to all families on September 21st and September 26th. Information is also available on our website. Registration opened on Monday, September 26th at 7:00 a.m. and closes on Monday, October 3rd at 3:00 p.m. We encourage parents who are unable to secure conferences to reach out to individual teachers to coordinate another time to connect. PowerSchool is available to families and students to monitor academic progress throughout each trimester. We are so thankful to parents and guardians for their continued partnership! Conference times are available on a first come, first served basis and have been scheduled to allow as many families as possible to meet with their child’s teacher(s) during the conference window. If a teacher’s conference schedule is full, parents can contact the school by phone or email to request a meeting with individual staff members throughout the school year.

October is SOCK-tober!

During the month of October, we will celebrate SOCK-tober. We will be 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. 

Students can also show their support by celebrating Wacky Socks Wednesdays! Wear your wacky socks every Wednesday in October. 

Then join us for SOCK-toberfest on October 27th from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., hosted by the Meyer Parent Leaders. More details will be sent home in October.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on Thursday, October 6th from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. and Friday, October 7th from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. You should have received an email with a link to sign up for a conference time with your child’s teacher. You will have the choice of attending in-person or via Zoom. Please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher if you have any questions.

If you would like to meet with our Physical Education teacher, Mrs. Borges, and/or our Art/Music teacher, Mrs. Castellini, they will be available to meet with parents/guardians on the morning of Friday, October 7th. Please contact them through Seesaw or by email: Mrs. Borges at [email protected]; Mrs. Castellini at [email protected]. 

Meyer Parent Leader Family Meet-Up

Thank you to the families that joined our first family meet-up of the year! It was great meeting new families and connecting with current families.

MPL is looking for volunteers to help plan events and activities. Please sign up using this link. 

Check out the MPL's Facebook page or website!

Car and Booster Seats

Did you know that children aged 3-6 years old should still be in forward-facing car seats or booster seats, by law? Please help keep our Shining Stars safe by having them buckle up in a car or booster seat, when riding in a vehicle. Please see the age-specific recommendations.

The Skokie Health Department offers a short-term car seat loaner program for Skokie residents. The "TOTS" (Travel Seats Offer Travel Safety) program loans seats at no cost. A $10 deposit is required and will be returned less a $5 cleaning fee when the seat is brought back in good condition. Borrowers are instructed on the proper installation and usage of the seats. Seats can be reserved by calling the Health Department at 847-933-8252.