News and information from our district and schools
MEYER. MIDDLETON. McCRACKEN. Games. Meal Menu.
SEPTEMBER 8, 2023
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DISTRICT NEWS
FAMILY CONNECTIONS PROGRAM
Skokie73.5 has launched our Family Connections program! This district-wide program brings together staff and families in an informal location like a coffee shop, park, or a family’s home to talk about a student’s hopes and dreams for the future. Through positive connection, community, and conversation the Family Connections program reaches toward the goals of trust, communication, collaboration, and families’ increased involvement with the school. This program supports two-way connections: staff might initiate a Family Connection, or families can reach out to staff. It is important to note that while we cannot accommodate all families each year, we will do our best to meet with as many families as possible. If you would like more information, please reach out to your child’s teachers or to Middleton Assistant Principal Stephanie Larenas.
STUDENT SERVICES
DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENINGS. If you are concerned about your preschool-aged child’s development (ages 3-5), please make an appointment to attend one of the following NTDSE Developmental Screening dates:
- September 11, 2023
- October 16, 2023
- November 13, 2023
- December 11, 2023
- January 22, 2024
- February 12, 2024
- March 11, 2024
- April 15, 2024
- May 6, 2024
Appointments are necessary. Please contact Melissa Hughes-Smith at 847-965-9040 ext. 841 to make an appointment. For questions regarding the screenings please contact Francesca Whitney at 847-965-9040 or by email at [email protected].
BILINGUAL PARENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE. Please mark your calendars and join us for our (BPAC) Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee Meetings on the following dates. Meeting time is 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, October 3, 2023
Elizabeth Meyer School - Thursday, November 9, 2023
John Middleton Elementary School - Thursday, February 8, 2024
Middleton Elementary School - Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Elizabeth Meyer School
WHAT IS BPAC? The Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee supports emergent bilingual families in our community. If you are the parent or guardian of an English Learner, you are invited to participate in the Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee. We will work together to support our students' learning and help them succeed not only in school, but also throughout life. Please also check out the Illinois Resource Center Family & BPAC Information Series.
HEALTH SERVICES REMINDER
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!
STUDENT/PARENT HANDBOOK
The 2023-2024 Student/Parent Handbook was sent home with students last week. Please snap the QR code printed on the inside back cover of the Handbook to submit the Student/Parent Handbook Acknowledgment form for all students in the household. Please view the Handbook cover letter for more information about new features added to the Student/Parent Handbook.
PTO NEWS
GRADE LEVEL MEETUPS @ MIDDLETON. Play in the park and connect with Skokie73.5 families! All families of 1st-5th grade students who attend school at Middleton or a satellite location are invited!
WHERE: McNally Park, 8325 Central Park Av. (adjacent to Middleton School)
WHEN: Saturday, September 9th
- 1st Grade at 10:00 a.m.
- 2nd Grade at 11:00 a.m.
- 3rd Grade at 1:00 p.m.
- 4th Grade at 2:00 p.m.
- 5th Grade at 3:00 p.m.
SPIRIT WEAR SALE! Save 30% through September 14th. Tap through to shop new designs for students, parents, and staff to show your school spirit!
AROUND TOWN
VILLAGE SEAL INITIATIVE & SURVEY. The Village of Skokie is conducting a Village Seal Community Survey to gather residents' input on the characteristics and attributes that represent Skokie’s past, present, and future. The survey will be open through September 15, 2023. Responses wil be shared with the artist(s) selected to design the new seal. Visit the Village Seal Initiative website for more information. PHOTO: skokie.org/seal
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...
MEYER FALL ENRICHMENT CLASSES for kindergartners will run from September 26th through December 7, 2023. The Enrich MEYER brochure is coming soon with more details about programs and registration.
Meyer will conduct SCHOOL BUS EVACUATION DRILLS on Thursday, September 14th and Friday, September 15th. Students will practice how to evacuate a school bus in case of an emergency using the emergency door at the back of the bus.
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Mark your calendars! Meyer’s SCHOOL PICTURE DAY is scheduled for Friday, September 22nd, during the school day. Flyers with more details were sent home in folders today.
The MEYER PARENT LEADERS (MPL) is a committee of the District 73.5 PTO. This inclusive group of Meyer parents and guardians are dedicated to supporting the Meyer School community. The MPL provides opportunities for Meyer families to connect and socialize by organizing volunteer, service, and fundraising events for the school. Past events include Socktoberfest, Movie Night, and the End-of-the-Year Bash. Please see the FLYER for more details.
We can continue to have these fun family events only with your help! If you would like to volunteer and be added to the MPL email list, please email [email protected].
MEYER MOMENTS
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PORTILLO'S FUNDRAISER. Last year, thanks to you, we were able to raise about one-third of the money needed to repair the greenhouse in the Middleton courtyard! We're resuming our fundraising efforts this year to continue to beautify and maintain our greenhouse and courtyard.
When you order from Portillo's in Skokie on September 20th between 11:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., 20% of your purchase will benefit Middleton's courtyard. Be sure to show the flyer when ordering or use the code PORTILLOS28 if ordering online.
HEY BULLDOGS! Do you care about people? Do you want to celebrate yourself and others? Do you like to explore and solve problems? If you said, “YES!” then you might want to join Middleton's SOCIAL JUSTICE CLUB.
Social Justice Club is open to any student at Middleton Elementary School. Called SOAR last year, Social Justice Club is a safe and friendly space for kids to share and learn together. The club meets during lunch and recess once or twice a month.
Parents/guardians, please fill out the Social Justice Club Permission Form by Friday, September 22nd if your child is interested in participating in Middleton's Social Justice Club during the 2023-2024 school year.
MR. PRATT'S STEAM CHALLENGE! Last week, P.E. teacher Ms. McWherter came to Middleton's STEAM team with an idea for students to design an "Impossible Shot" keychain. STEAM teacher Mr. Pratt challenged students to design one on their own time using Tinkercad. The challenge began on September 1st and students have 2 weeks to work on their designs. After the students submit their work, the P.E. teachers will pick one to print! Check out @PrattSTEAMSD735 to see how it goes!
"The Impossible Shot" challenges students (and staff!) to toss a tennis ball into a narrow tube from several feet away. Photo below: amazon.com
Middleton students have been working hard to build STRONG CLASSROOM COMMUNITIES. These pictures highlight some teamwork activities in Drama class over the past 2 weeks.
GARDEN NEWSLETTER
Introducing Middleton's GARDEN NEWSLETTER! Take a virtual walk through the Pollinator and Gilbert Gardens and learn more about these special spaces.
MIDDLETON DATES
McCracken's CURRICULUM INFORMATION PRESENTATIONS were shared with families on Thursday, September 7th. Families received grade level presentations which included videos from advisory and content area teachers. Some of the topics reviewed included team practices, contact information, curriculum guidelines, grading practices, and academic support available for students at McCracken. Teachers and staff are looking forward to working closely with students on their academic and social goals as well as forming positive partnerships with families to support their child’s learning and growth during the 2023-2024 school year. On small screens, presentations are best viewed in the Google Slides app, which is available in the App Store for your device.
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 clubs or activities here at McCracken! Review the MC Extracurricular Activities 2023-2024 Slideshow (with videos and important links) and our Brochure for information and links to registration and payment (for a small number of activities).
McCRACKEN ORCHESTRA PROGRAM. For students interested in participating in Orchestra this year, we’ll be holding special Orchestra information pizza lunches by grade level on Wednesday, September 13th during our student lunch periods. Pizza will be provided for any students with serious interest in joining the orchestra program. Jennifer Page, who is the orchestra director from Niles North, will be here to demonstrate a variety of instruments. Students are invited to sign up using the QR code on the morning announcement slides or posters displayed around the school. More orchestra information for students and families is included HERE. The 2023-2024 Orchestra Registration Night is at Niles North High School on September 20th.
NILES NORTH FEEDER BASKETBALL PROGRAM is launching their open gyms on September 10th for interested student-athletes. These open gym sessions will run from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. every Sunday evening. Participants should enter through Door 12 and inform security that they are there for open gym basketball. See this flyer for more information.
ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL SAFETY REMINDERS
- Parents and guardians who drive their student(s) to or from school must use the Circle Drive off of East Prairie Road.
- Parents and guardians must enter the Circle Drive near the south entrance on East Prairie Road staying on the right side of the drive for pick up or drop off (leave the outside lane open to exiting cars at all times). Do NOT drop off or pick up your student in the left lane.
- The Drive-Thru is for right lane drop off and pick up only. Do not park in the Drive-Thru lane. Please help to keep our students and staff safe at all times!
- Drivers should NOT enter the Circle Drive coming north off East Prairie. Please enter the drop off or pick up line driving south on East Prairie.
- Students may NOT walk through the back parking lot for any reason due to traffic.
- Students must exit school property immediately following dismissal and may not stay to congregate with peers outdoors unless involved in an extracurricular activity.
- Crossing guards are available to assist students crossing Oakton Street and Crawford Avenue and also on East Prairie Road and Warren Street.
- Students may NOT cross the street at East Prairie Road and Oakton Street unless accompanied by a parent/guardian. There is no crosswalk or crossing guards and there is a high volume of traffic.
ATHLETIC GAME SPECTATOR GUIDELINES
We are excited to be able to host and participate in sporting events in the Little 9 Conference! We do have behavioral expectations for attending games at McCracken for both students and families/visitors:
- Spectators can enter the building and gymnasium only when the supervisor allows. This generally comes after the opposing team has arrived. All spectators will be required to sign in with our supervisors.
- Students are expected to follow all supervisor directions in a respectful manner.
- Students must stay in the student section and be seated throughout the game. Students cannot hang out in the lobby, make repeated trips to the restroom, or leave and re-enter the building during a game.
- There is no negative cheering permitted against the other team, nor cheering at times to purposely disrupt the other team (for example, during serves in volleyball or free throws in basketball).
- Students cannot be on their cell phones during games. If they need to make a call, they can step out briefly into the lobby.
- Food and drinks are not allowed in the McCracken gymnasium.
- Any student spectator from another school must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and that student must stay with that parent or guardian throughout the game.
Failure to follow any of these behaviors could result in students and/or spectators being asked to leave the game and, possibly, miss additional games as well. Good sportsmanship and kindness lead to positive outcomes for all of our student athletes and spectators!
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!
McCRACKEN DATES
Halal meals available on request: Meatball and Rice Bowl, Cheese Sandwich. Kosher meals available upon request: All Beef Hot Dog, Cheese Sandwich
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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