News and information from our district and schools
MEYER. MIDDLETON. McCRACKEN. Meal Menu.
AUGUST 25, 2023
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DISTRICT NEWS
SUPERINTENDENT'S WELCOME
Dear District 73.5 Families,
The start of a new school year is very exciting! Our teachers and staff have been preparing for this day for several weeks.
We are equally excited about partnering with our families this year. Please consider making time to join me for Coffee with the Superintendent. I will host several sessions in the morning and evening over the year. The dates will be shared soon.
We invite you to attend our outstanding concerts, musicals, performances, and sporting events to celebrate and cheer for our talented students and dedicated staff.
As a reminder, our District Board of Education meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month. Join us in person or watch the meeting online.
We look forward to seeing you!
Dr. Zipporah Hightower
BEHAVIOR RESPONSE PROTOCOL
In early August Dr. Hightower shared the District Behavior Protocol that our three schools follow in the instance of any unexpected behavior. You can view the protocol and Dr. Hightower's letter on our website at sd735.org/behavior.
HEALTH SERVICES
The State of Illinois and the Illinois School Code require all students to have health forms on file at school.
Tap the chart to download the forms required for each grade level. Visit our website at sd735.org/health-services to meet our school nurses and to contact them with any questions!
CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION & ASSESSMENT
Welcome Back! The 2023-2024 school year is already off to a wonderful start! With smiles, excitement, and open arms, educators across the district welcomed students into our schools. Both building relationships and launching academics are a major focus for us during these opening days of the school year–critically important elements of building welcoming spaces in our schools where all students know and feel like they belong. We encourage you to ask your student about both kinds of activities over the coming days!
Benchmark Assessments. Over the next month, we will begin administering certain formal benchmark assessments in some of our classrooms at Meyer, Middleton, and McCracken. These assessments capture a clearer picture of our students' skills growth–namely in reading and math. We use the results of these assessments to identify students’ needs, modify our instruction to best meet students’ needs, and connect students with additional supports when needed. Each school will provide more specific information about the assessments used in their classrooms. If you are curious about the different assessments we use in Skokie73.5, why we use them, and what we do with the results, visit our informational site to learn more: sd735.org/cia/assessments.
STUDENT SERVICES
Will's Place is a new restaurant in the heart of Downtown Skokie. Will’s Place is a non-profit cafe with the goal of creating meaningful employment and vocational training for adults with disabilities. Stop by for a meal or a snack! Check the Will's Place website for job opportunities, a calendar of events, and to place an order online for pickup. Photos courtesy of Will's Place
AROUND TOWN & MORE
Tap a flyer for details...
Google Career Certificates
Parents in Schools Program
Safety Seat Guidelines
Cub Scout Pack 85 Information
DISTRICT DATES
View meeting agenda and livestream on BoardDocs:https://go.boarddocs.com/il/sd735/Board...
The Advocate Children’s Hospital Ronald McDonald Care Mobile will make a return visit t...
McCracken will hold a food drive to benefit the Niles Township Food Pantry. Donations o...
STRONG START TO THE SCHOOL YEAR
Party on the Playground was a great opportunity for Meyer families to come together and meet our staff on Thursday, August 17th. We saw a high turnout, and we enjoyed starting off the school year on a fun note! We also had a great day with Student Classroom Visits on Wednesday, August 23rd, when our Shining Stars came to visit their classrooms and drop off school supplies. Thank you to all the families who were able to attend these events!
Welcome, Kindergartners! We had a wonderful first day of school with our kindergartners on Thursday, August 24th. All Meyer staff were on hand to provide extra support for all of our kindergarten classrooms. We look forward to our first day with our preschool students on Monday, August 28th!
The Meyer Curriculum Night will take place on Wednesday, August 30th at Meyer School. Your child's classroom teacher will hold a teacher session to share important information about the classroom. The principal, Dr. Helen Wei, will share information about Meyer School in the all-school principal’s session. This is an adults-only event.
We will provide childcare for a limited number of children, age 1 year and older, during the event. Reservations for childcare are required. Please call the office at 847-673-1223 or email [email protected] by 1:00 p.m. on August 29th to reserve a spot for your child. Due to staffing limitations, we are not able to provide childcare at the event for children without a reservation.
Please follow the schedule below:
6:00 to 7:00 p.m. — Preschool parents/guardians
- 6:00 to 6:30 Preschool Teacher Sessions (classrooms)
- 6:30 to 7:00 Principal’s Session (Gym)
6:30 to 7:30 p.m. — Kindergarten parents/guardians
- 6:30 to 7:00 Principal's Session (Gym)
- 7:00 to 7:30 Kindergarten Teacher Sessions (classrooms)
We look forward to seeing you there!
FALL ASSESSMENTS. Every year in the fall, we use formal assessments to understand students’ early reading and math skills. This information helps teachers plan lessons, to identify students who need extra help, and to monitor student growth. These assessments are conducted one-on-one with a teacher. We will be assessing our PreK 4 and Kindergarten students in early literacy and math skills, for teaching and learning purposes, from August 30th to September 13th.
For more information about assessments we use in each grade level at Skokie73.5, please visit sd735.org/cia/assessments. If you have questions about these assessments, please contact your child’s teacher or our school psychologist, Dr. Kristen McCann, at [email protected]. Thank you for your continued support and partnership.
MEYER DATES
VERY SPECIAL MESSAGE!
(Click to play!)
ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL CLARIFICATION
1st Grade students and families: Please drive south down Kimball Avenue and turn right onto Madison Avenue when dropping off and picking up 1st Grade students. St. Louis Avenue is not a drop-off location during regular arrival/dismissal.
Thank you for your patience in our arrival and dismissal lines. To ensure safety for students and as a courtesy to other community members, please do not drive around cars or drop students off at undesignated areas.
As a reminder, Skokie signage indicates that there are no turns from Central Avenue heading east down Madison Avenue during arrival and dismissal hours. There is also no left-turn when heading west down Main Street into Drake Alley during arrival and dismissal. This will ensure students are safe and not crossing the street against the flow of traffic.
ASSESSMENT WINDOW. Middleton's two-week assessment windows allow our staff to gather crucial data to support instructional decision-making. Our fall benchmark assessment window will run from Monday, August 28th through Friday, September 8th. Students take various assessments that help teachers determine next steps for learning:
- MAP (grades 2-5)
- FastBridge MathAuto (Grades 1-5)
- Fountas & Pinnell BAS (Grades 1-5)
- CBMreading Fluency (Grades 1-5)
If you have any questions, please connect with your child’s teacher.
MEET SOME MIDDLETON STAFF!
LOOK UP: Student Services providers — LOOK DOWN: 5th Grade Homeroom teachers
GREETINGS & WELCOME!
A heartfelt welcome to all of our students and families to a brand new 2023-2024 school year at McCracken Middle School! We are fortunate to continue serving the students, staff, and families in our wonderfully diverse Skokie73.5 community! All of our students were able to enjoy a brand new learning environment at McCracken with our updated flexible furniture. We have had a tremendous start to the school year and are looking forward to a successful year ahead. Go, Hornets!
During our first week of school, students participated in:
- a welcome assembly that highlighted the importance of creating a welcoming and safe school environment with equitable learning experiences to maximize growth and achievement.
- advisory programming that included orientation to our new school year, advisory team building activities, and a review of our student handbook.
- a comprehensive review of social and emotional support services and resources available to students at McCracken.
- PBIS learning stations to practice the "Buzz Behavior" expectations we have throughout our building allowing students to be successful this year!
Purple Pride Week. McCracken students will participate in benchmark assessments three times per year (fall, winter, and spring). Next week is Purple Pride Week at McCracken! Your student(s) will have the opportunity to show us what they know by doing their best on a variety of assessments.
Students will complete the MAP test for Reading and Math on Wednesday and Thursday. They will also take the R-CBMmath assessment in an extended advisory on Friday. In addition, some students will take the CBMreading assessment.
Thank you for encouraging and supporting your student(s) by making sure they get a good night’s rest, eat a healthy breakfast, and arrive at McCracken on time with a charged Chromebook during Purple Pride Week. Thanks, as always, for your support of Purple Pride Week! Students who are absent on testing days will participate in make-up testing sessions the following week. If you have any questions about assessments, feel free to connect with Mr. Marty Behm, Assistant Principal, at 847-676-8234.
CURRICULUM INFORMATION EVENT. Our Curriculum Information program is scheduled for Thursday, September 9th. Families will receive video presentations from advisory and content area teachers. Some of the topics reviewed will include team practices, contact information, curriculum guidelines, grading practices, and academic support available for students at McCracken. Teachers and staff are looking forward to sharing important information with families and forming positive partnerships to support their child’s academic and social and emotional learning and growth.
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 for growth, and socialize with peers. Be sure to sign up your student for one of our great extracurricular clubs or activities here at McCracken! Review the McCracken Extracurricular Activities 2023-2024 Slideshow (with videos and important links) and our McCracken Middle School After School Programs Brochure for information and links to registration and payment (for a small number of activities).
McCRACKEN ORCHESTRA PROGRAM. Are you interested in signing up your student to play violin, viola, cello, or bass with the McCracken Orchestra? Jennifer Page will present a demonstration at McCracken during a special grade-level lunch on Wednesday, September 13th.
The 2023-2024 Orchestra Registration Night is at Niles North High School on September 20th. The registration form with more information is available HERE.
8th GRADE PSAT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION. The PSAT 8 assessment for our eighth grade students will be administered at Niles North High School on Saturday, October 28th (specific times will be shared by Niles North in the near future).
- 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. Assessing 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.
- The College Board website has several resources about the PSAT 8. Should you have any questions or would like additional information, please do not hesitate to reach out to Christine Gonzales, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction, at [email protected] or 847-626-3870.
- More information will follow in the near future!
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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