News and information from our district and schools
McCRACKEN. MIDDLETON. MEYER. Dates to Know. Meal Menu.
MARCH 3, 2023
Updated January 26, 2023
DISTRICT NEWS
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.
Department of Student Services
Are you are interested in attending parent learning opportunities through the Niles Township District for Special Education (NTDSE)? Check their Professional Learning Opportunities brochure.
Caring Hearts Classroom Drive
The 2023 Caring Hearts Classroom Donation Drive continues through March 17th. Click a link below to see the wish lists from teachers and staff at each school. The lists include items that can be donated to the classroom such as markers, glue sticks, pens, books, games, gift cards, and more.
Teachers continue adding to their lists, so please check back often to see new wishes!
See the Caring Hearts Parent & Guardian Flyer for more information about this year's Drive.
McCracken Band Fundraiser
Get hungry! The McCracken Middle School Bands invite us all to dine with Dengeos on Thursday, March 9th. Show the attached flyer or mention McCracken Middle School Bands during payment and Dengeos will donate 20% of the cost of your meal to our district band program.
If you'll be at Dengeos for dinner, stop by McCracken Middle School afterward for the Middleton Beginner Band concerts at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. in the gym. Scroll down and check the Middleton section of The Weekly for details!
Taste of 73.5
TASTE OF 73.5 IS COMING IN MAY! The PTO invites families to help write the Taste of Skokie 73.5 Cookbook. Families are invited 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.
Fee Waivers
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.
SD73.5 Priorities
Welcoming Environment. All students, staff, parents, and community members will feel welcome in our District.
Hiring and Retention. Our community's diversity will be represented in our staff and we will create systems to ensure we retain our staff.
Instruction. We will accelerate learning for all students through a strengths-based approach to grow each student from where they are.
Get the (TEXT) Message!
PARENTS, GUARDIANS & STAFF! Snap the QR code or text Y or YES to 67587 to authorize SMS text messages from SD73.5 to your mobile device!
PTO News
MARCH PTO MEETING
Monday, March 6th
6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
McCracken MPR
Around Town
Yearbooks on Sale
The 2022-2023 McCracken yearbook is now on sale. The yearbook staff is hard at work making a fun and creative book for our students. The cost of the yearbook is $20. Students will receive an order form from their advisor. Orders can be placed through the order form or directly online.
To order a yearbook online go to:
- ybpay.lifetouch.com
- use the Yearbook ID Code: 13556323
- orders are due by: April 3, 2023
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 UPCOMING IMPORTANT EVENTS
Graduation Letter for Parents and Guardians
Please see this letter from the McCracken Administrative Team for important information and dates to know about 8th Grade graduation. Click or tap below for translations.
عربي . Arabic • ગુજરાતી . Gujarati • Español . Spanish • Tagalog • اردو . Urdu • Tiếng Việt . Vietnamese
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!
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).
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?
More from McCracken
THE 5Essentials SURVEY
Help us better understand our schools and guide improvement!
STOCK THE STAFF LOUNGE!
Drop off bagged snacks, drinks, K-Cups, tea, hot chocolate packets, candy, mints, and more to the school office throughout the year so we can show staff our support.
Dates to Remember
March 2nd
BuzzBot Robotics Competition
4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Niles West High School
March 3rd
End of Trimester 2
Student Attendance Day
March 9th
All School Read Parent Night
6:00 p.m.
and
Beginner & Symphonic Band Concert
7:00 p.m.
March 16th
8th Grade Graduation Picture Retakes
March 27th-31st
Spring Break
Please check our public calendar on the district website for athletic game times and locations.
Outdoor Garden Cleanup
This Saturday, March 4th, please consider coming to Middleton to help clean up our outdoor garden! We will be working in the garden from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Many hands make light work!
Congratulations to Our Middleton Artists!
In honor of Youth Arts Month, the Skokie Fine Arts Commission is sponsoring the SOAR (Student Outstanding Artist Recognition) annual student art show at Oakton Community College. The exhibition is open to the public until April 3, 2023. Hours are Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Oakton Community College is located at 7701 Lincoln Avenue in Skokie (enter through Door 21).
Kids Heart Challenge
During the month of March, Middleton Physical Education is teaming up with the American Heart Association to take on the Kids Heart Challenge! This challenge will be held during students' scheduled P.E. times and ALL students will participate. Students will be introduced to various health and wellness topics while participating in activities to learn more about them. Meet the Heart Heroes below and the importance they have!
The program is free! We encourage students to register and take the Kids Heart Challenge! To do this please register on heart.org/KHC. Our goal is to have 75% of students register online! Need help registering, follow these steps.
In addition, there are some optional fundraising opportunities for students. Students who choose to raise money for the Kids Heart Challenge will be given thank you gifts from the American Heart Association. Fundraising can be done online by registering on heart.org/KHC.
For any questions please contact one of the P.E. teachers and they will be happy to help!
- Diane McWherter: [email protected]
- Katie Chalmers: [email protected]
- Tim Peng: [email protected]
Middleton Beginner Band Concerts
It is our pleasure to invite you and your guests to attend the Middleton Beginner Band Concerts on Thursday, March 9th in the McCracken Middle School Gymnasium. With two beginner bands this year, we will be dividing the evening into two separate performances:
- 6:30 p.m. - 4th Grade Beginner Band
- 7:30 p.m. - 5th Grade Beginner Band
We expect both concerts to last approximately 45 minutes. We continue to be very thrilled with the overall progress of both Beginner Bands!
Purchase Your Yearbooks!
It's time to pre-order your 2022-2023 yearbook! What better way to remember this unique school year? The Middleton yearbook costs $20. Orders may be placed online or via the paper order form sent home from school.
Place online orders through the Lifetouch website: ybpay.lifetouch.com.
- The Yearbook ID Code is 13556523.
- Yearbooks will be distributed in May.
Middleton Grandfriends
We are so thankful for our Middleton Grandfriends!
Here is Mr. Irwin Aloff, who visits with Mrs. Scurek’s class every Tuesday. He loves helping with science experiments and reading book club books with the students. On this day, it was his 88th birthday and the students made him cards!
More from Middleton
THE 5Essentials SURVEY
Help us better understand our schools and guide improvement!
CogAT ASSESSMENT
Next week, our 3rd and 5th grade students will take the CogAT assessment. The assessment shows students varying types of puzzles that include numbers, shapes, and patterns to see how they think. This assessment is also used as part of our district placement matrix to determine if students qualify for our Extended Learning Program (ELP).
Dates to Remember
March 3rd
End of Trimester 2
Student Attendance Day
March 14th
Board of Education Meeting
7:00 p.m.
March 23rd
Report Cards Sent Home
March 24th
Rainbow Celebration
- STAFF: Purple
- 5th: Blue
- 4th: Green
- 3rd: Yellow
- 2nd: Orange
- 1st: Red
March 27th-31st
Spring Break
Around Town
NILES TOWNSHIP DISTRICT FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION
Learning Events
March 2023
Preschool Program 2023-2024
Preschool registration for the 2023-2024 school year opens on Monday, March 6th for District 73.5 residents and on Friday, March 10th for non-residents.
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 SPACE Extended Preschool program for half-day students who need a full day of care, as well as the late SPACE section from 2:30 to 6:00 p.m.
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!
Kindergarten Registration for New Students
Save the date! Kindergarten registration for the 2023-2024 school year will begin for new students to Meyer on Monday, March 20th. Current preschool students going into kindergarten next year will not need to complete any forms. Please keep an eye out for an email from Joann Eisenstein with next steps.
Caring Hearts Donation Drive
The parent-run Caring Hearts Classroom Donation Drive is back to help the incredible District 73.5 teachers. Show your appreciation and support by fulfilling our teachers’ wish lists for various classroom items such as markers, glue sticks, pens, books, games, gift cards, and more. The drive runs through March 17th. Please see Meyer’s wish lists for possible donation options. Donations can be brought to school, dropped off to the main office, or shipped to the school or teacher. Thank you in advance for your support!
Meyer Moments
More from Meyer
THE 5Essentials SURVEY
Help us better understand our schools and guide improvement!
Dates to Remember
March 6th
Preschool Registration Opens
District 73.5 Residents
March 10th
Preschool Registration Opens
Non-Residents
March 12th
Daylight Saving Time Begins
Clocks spring forward 1 hour
March 14th
Board of Education Meeting
7:00 p.m.
McCracken MPR
March 16th
Last Day of Winter Enrichment Classes
March 20th
Kindergarten Registration Opens for New Students
March 23th
Meyer Parent Leaders Meeting
7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
March 27th-31st
Spring Break
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