The Weekly - February 24, 2023

Skokie School District 73.5 celebrates literacy throughout the month of February. Stay tuned to the SD735.org website, Twitter, and Facebook pages to see how you can participate. Please share your enthusiasm and experiences by using the hashtag #LiteracyMonthSD735 on your social media posts!

Even though our all-District Literacy Month celebrations are coming to a close, there is still so much to join in next week! First, participate in our different theme days:

Monday: Kindness Day and Book Drive Kickoff. Throughout the day, we will highlight books that promote kindness.
Tuesday: Been Caught Reading Day. Make sure you bring a good book as we are rewarding spontaneous reading throughout the day!
Wednesday: Guest Reader Day. Who will read to your class?
Thursday: Dress as your Favorite Book Character Day
Friday: Surprise Day! All students will receive a special book to commemorate our first-ever Literacy Month.

Throughout the week, bring in gently used books to your school’s library to benefit our community Little Free Libraries. All books will be added to Little Free Libraries throughout the community all summer long during our Summer Free Library Project.

Voting begins at Middleton for the Caudill Award. The Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award is an annual award given to the author of the book voted most outstanding by children in grades 4 through 8 in participating Illinois schools. Fifth graders who have read at least three books from this list are eligible to vote for this Illinois Statewide Award. After the vote, students will celebrate their reading success and attend a literacy party. For more information about the Rebecca Caudill Award, please visit: aisled.org/claudill.

Middleton will also host a Pajama Party Family Reading Night on February 28th. Families are invited to listen to stories and share snacks in their PJs from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.. There will also be an exciting raffle with book giveaways.

Watch our website, Twitter, and Facebook pages see which books come out on top for our McCracken All School Read voting. These books will battle it out to be the summer all-school read for rising 6th, 7th, and 8th graders!

The McCracken Book Fair closed last week, but you can still order online and support our students! Scholastic will give back 25% in rewards to McCracken when you shop online through February 26th. Tap here and then scroll to the bottom of the page to start shopping!

Teachers, families, and students across Illinois have an opportunity to participate in the annual statewide Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of our schools. To take the survey please visit survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois and click the "Parent Survey" to begin. There are 21 questions and the survey should take approximately 10 minutes. If you have children in multiple buildings please complete one for each school.

Your participation in the parent survey will help us better understand our schools and guide improvement. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child. The state of Illinois now uses the results of the survey to determine our official school designation at Middleton and McCracken, which is reported on the yearly Illinois School Report Card. If at least 20 percent of families complete this survey, a supplemental report will be generated for each school and will be publicly available. This will allow us to access your valuable feedback.

PLEASE NOTE: Since last week's Parent-Teacher conferences shifted quickly to all-remote, Meyer and Middleton families did not have an opportunity to stop by the Caring Hearts Donation Boards. The boards are still up, and you can still grab a wish slip or two from the teacher pockets on your next visit to school.

At Middleton, look for the Caring Hearts Donation Boards if you join us for Pajama Party Family Reading Night on February 28th.
At Meyer, look for the boards when you check in for Meyer Parent Leaders Bingo Night on March 2nd.

Skokie School District 73.5 waives school fees for eligible families. A "waiver" means that students will not be charged registration fees, school activity/club fees, or field trip fees. A fee waiver application must be completed to receive a waiver, and only one application is required per year. If you have any questions concerning fee waiver eligibility or the application process please contact Karen Hayes in the Business Office at [email protected] or by phone at 847-676-8317.

THE PTO NEEDS YOUR HELP! Volunteer at the Middleton Pajama Party Family Reading Night Snack Bar on February 28th. Volunteer sign up

TASTE OF 73.5 IS COMING IN MAY! As part of the event we want to put together a Taste of Skokie 73.5 Cookbook. Families are welcome to submit multiple recipes either electronically or via a paper submission form. Paper submission forms will be sent home soon. Both the electronic and paper forms will be available on the PTO website.

Click or tap the image above to visit the PTO website

7th Grade History Fair

Our 7th graders participated in the History Fair at McCracken Middle School on February 23rd! Niles North High School students were present to judge students’ projects from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. with students only, followed by a parent/guardian viewing session from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Special thanks to Ms. Bethany Fagan and Ms. Cindy Grossman, in addition to families and Niles North staff and students, for their assistance with planning and preparation. Thank you to families and friends for attending this special event at McCracken!

McCracken Author Visit

District 73.5's Literacy Month continued this week at McCracken! Students in all grades enjoyed an assembly with acclaimed author Torrey Maldonado. Mr. Maldonado was born and raised in Brooklyn, growing up in the Red Hook housing projects. He has been a teacher for New York City public schools for nearly 25 years and his fast-paced, compelling stories are inspired by his and his students’ experiences. His popular novels for young readers include What Lane?, which garnered many starred reviews and was cited by Oprah and the New York Times for being an essential book to discuss racism and allyship; Tight, which won the Christopher Award, was an ALA Notable Book, and an NPR and Washington Post Best Book of the Year; and his very first novel, Secret Saturdays which has been in print for over 10 years.

7th Grade Camp MacLean Information

Camp MacLean will be here before you know it! The 7th grade team is gearing up for our return to Camp MacLean in Burlington, Wisconsin on May 17th-19th. The purpose of the Camp MacLean trip is to provide our students with an outdoor education experience that promotes both team building and independence. Ms. Fagan handed out hard copies of the interest form through her social studies classes this week and we also sent home an electronic version via email that included the survey and a payment link ($211). Our first parent information night was via Zoom on February 9th. Talk with your student about attending this great trip and complete the survey by April 7th! Reach out to 7th grade teachers or Marty Behm with any questions.

8th Grade Graduation Pictures
Retakes on March 16th

Our 8th grade students participated in graduation pictures taken on Wednesday, February 1st at McCracken. One photo was taken in a purple graduation gown (provided by Lifetouch) and the other in their chosen dress clothes. When the photos are processed, Lifetouch will then send the proofs to the school to be distributed to students and families. Parents/guardians will have an opportunity to review the pictures and order any preferred photos from the delivered proof package. Payment will be due to Lifetouch when families select their preferred photos online. Picture retakes are scheduled to take place on March 16th only for students who missed picture day or are not satisfied with their original picture. Please see this flyer from Lifetouch for more information.

8th Grade End of the Year Event
Saturday, May 20th

McCracken PTO, in collaboration with parents and staff, will host an 8th grade end of the year event at McCracken Middle School on Saturday, May 20th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Please complete this form if you are interested in helping to plan this fun celebratory event with other 8th grade parents and guardians. We need assistance with decorations, food, games, supervision, fundraising, and more. Thank you in advance for helping to make sure our graduates receive the sendoff they deserve!

Outdoor Recess Weather Reminder

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. Here at McCracken, we use the Child Care Weather Watch system to determine students’ participation in outdoor recess. This guide uses a combination of temperature and wind speed to calculate year-round weather safety for our students. Thank you, in advance, for helping to ensure that your child is prepared with appropriate outerwear for recess so that they are comfortable during our outdoor programming! Families in need of outerwear for their child should contact administration for additional resources.

Student Arrival and Dismissal Reminders

Please drive slowly and carefully when picking up or dropping off students.
6th Grade parents dropping off by Door 12 should pull all the way over to the curb on the right and quickly and safely allow their child to exit the vehicle so other cars can continue to Circle Drive. Please use your hazards to alert cars behind you.
Please do not make U-turns on East Prairie. Use the McCracken Circle Drive to turn around.
Students cannot cross the Circle Drive in front of cars to get into a vehicle parked on the street. Drivers must pull into the Circle Drive to maintain safety and drop off in the right lane only.
Students must cross the intersection of Crawford and Oakton assisted by our crossing guards for their safety. Students are not allowed to cross East Prairie and Oakton without an adult before or after school.
Please be sure to communicate with your child about their after-school plans before school. Are they walking home, taking the bus, or staying after school for sports or a club?

EXTRACURRICULAR PROGRAMMING

Here at McCracken, we are proud to offer a variety of student athletic and enrichment programs. These programs allow students to exercise their strengths, tackle areas of growth, and socialize with peers. Be sure to sign up your student for one of our great extracurricular activities clubs or activities! Review the 2022 Extracurricular Slideshow (with videos and important links) and Brochure for information, registration links, and the payment link (for a small number of activities).

February 23rd

Author Visit

and

7th Grade History Fair

February 24th

8th Grade Graduation Proof Packages Distributed to Students

February 25th

IGSMA Solo Ensemble Contest

March 1st

Choir Concert

7:00 p.m.

McCracken

March 3rd

End of Trimester 2

Student Attendance Day

and

BuzzBot Robotics Competition

4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Niles West High School

March 16th

8th Grade Graduation Picture Retakes

March 27th-31st

Spring Break

No School

Please check our public calendar on the district website for athletic game times and locations.

Therapy Dogs are Coming to Middleton!

This spring, our students have the opportunity to spend time with a therapy dog during their recess period and/or an instructional period. A therapy dog is a dog that is trained to provide affection, comfort, and support to people in settings such as hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, libraries, hospices, or disaster areas. John Middleton Elementary School is partnering with Paws for Patrick, a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting young people with emotional support animals (ESAs) and therapy dogs to support students with their mental health. If your child has any significant allergy to dogs, please contact the school nurse in advance of this visit.

The first visits will take place on March 3rd and 16th, April 13th and 27th, and May 11th and 25th. The therapy dog will be accompanied by a licensed trainer from Paws for Patrick, and we will review behavior expectations with all students. In addition to the trainer, Middleton staff members will also be present during the visit. If your student will be a part of this opportunity you will receive a permission slip from our school psychologist or social worker.

Visit the Paws for Patrick website at pawsforpatrick.org.

Read Across America Week
February 27th — March 3rd

Please join us for a week-long celebration of the joy of reading! On Monday, February 27th, we will kick off our district-wide book drive. Students can drop off gently used books at school all week long. On Thursday, March 2nd, students are invited to dress up as their favorite book character. Please see the calendar below for a full list of events.

Read Across America Week — Monday: Kind Books Day, Tuesday: Caught Reading Day, Wednesday: Guest Reader Day, Thursday: DressUp Day, Friday: Surprise Day!

Meyer Bingo Night

The Meyer Parent Leaders invite all Meyer families to the Meyer Bingo Night. Bring the whole family for a fun night of BINGO and a chance to win prizes!

Thursday, March 2, 2023

6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Meyer Multipurpose Room

(Enter thru Door 12E on Tripp Avenue, just south of the main entrance)

$5 meals for sale (pizza, chips, and a cookie).
Proceeds will benefit Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week!
Bring your own water bottle.

RSVP FOR THE EVENT BY SCANNING THE QR CODE.

If you are interested in volunteering for this event, please email the Meyer Parent Leaders at [email protected].

Little Free Library Used Book Drive

Please consider donating gently used books for distribution in Meyer’s Little Free Library! We especially need books that our student readers might enjoy. Meyer families can drop off books to the black bin inside the front school lobby during regular school hours, or send books in their child's backpack. If you send books in a child's backpack, please clearly label them as donations for the book drive. Check this flyer for more information. Thank you!

Preschool Open House for New and Prospective Families

Meyer School will host a Preschool Open House for new and prospective families interested in the 2023-2024 school year on Sunday, March 5th. Feel free to stop by at Meyer between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Teacher presentations about our preschool program will be given at 10:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 11:30 a.m.

We’re happy to share that we will be adding two more preschool classrooms to our program for the 2023-2024 school year. One of these new classrooms will have two half-day sections, and the other will offer a full-day program.

The Skokie Park District will continue to offer the S.P.A.C.E. Extended Preschool program for half-day students who need a full day of care, as well as the late S.P.A.C.E. section from 2:30 to 6:00 p.m.

Preschool registration for District 73.5 residents opens on Monday, March 6th, and for non-residents on Friday, March 10th.

If you have neighbors and friends who have children turning 3 or 4 years old on or before September 1, 2023, please help us spread the word!

News and information from our district and schools

McCRACKEN. MIDDLETON. MEYER. Dates to Know. Meal Menu.

DISTRICT NEWS

5Essentials Parent Survey 2023

Caring Hearts Classroom Drive

Fee Waivers

SD73.5 Priorities

Get the (TEXT) Message!

PTO Meeting

Around Town