News and information from our district and schools
MEYER. MIDDLETON. McCRACKEN. Games. Meal Menu.
OCTOBER 6, 2023
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DISTRICT NEWS
COFFEE & CONVERSATION WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT
Mark your calendars and save the dates for Dr. Hightower's 2023-2024 series of Coffee & Conversation with the Superintendent.
Tap the flyer to view all dates, then click the yellow RSVP if you can join Dr. Hightower for Coffee & Conversastion on October 16th.
RSVPs for additional dates will open individually in advance of each date. We look forward to seeing you!
HEALTH SERVICES
Skokie School District 73.5 will offer a seasonal flu vaccine clinic for students in partnership with Advocate Children's Hospital and the Skokie Health Department. More information and a sign-up form will be sent to all Skokie73.5 families on October 16th. Watch your inbox!
For information about free flu shots for Skokie residents, check the Village of Skokie website at skokie.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=818.
CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION & ASSESSMENT
As Parent-Teacher Conferences come to a close, we hope you have enjoyed having conversations with your child’s teachers about their learning and growth since the start of the school year! While we hope many of your questions and curiosities were answered during conferences, we invite you to maintain partnerships with your child’s teachers. Always feel free to reach out. Like you, we are invested in your child’s learning and growth!
STUDENT SERVICES
October is Learning Disabilities and Dyslexia Awareness Month! It’s always a good time to celebrate the neurodiverse individuals in our lives.
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has a published a comprehensive handbook to support parents, educators, and students to better understand reading disabilities. Check out the their Dyslexia Handbook!
PTO NEWS
Bring the family and join the PTO for food, games, and more at FALL FEST on Sunday, October 15th from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. at Middleton. Want to help with Fall Fest? Sign up for volunteer shifts before, during, and after the event.
The PTO will host a TRUNK OR TREAT fundraiser on Saturday, October 28th from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Visit the PTO website for more information and to register your vehicle for this first-ever, kid-friendly event!
AROUND TOWN
Check the SkokieNews online for the latest news from the Village of Skokie.
CHICAGO FREE MUSEUM DAYS. Take advantage of the wonderful museums we have in Chicago! Many of our museums have "free" admission days for Illinois residents. Check the Choose Chicago website for more information about free museum days at the Adler Planetarium, Art Institute, Museum of Science and Industry, the Shedd Aquarium, and more!
DISTRICT DATES
SCHOOLS & THE DISTRICT OFFICE ARE CLOSED ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 9th in observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10th IS EARLY RELEASE. Students are dismissed at 2:00 p.m.
Visit the PTO website for information about events, meetings, and how the PTO supports Skokie73.5 schools.
Thank you for your partnership in supporting our Meyer Shining Stars, and for attending Parent-Teacher Conferences this past week. If you were unable to meet with your child’s teacher, please contact them to set up a time to connect. Communication is key, and we want to work together to create a positive learning experience for your child!
OCTOBER is SOCK-tober! During the month of October, Meyer School will celebrate Socktober. 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 in need.
Students can also show their support by celebrating Wacky Socks Wednesdays and wearing wacky socks every Wednesday in October.
Join the Meyer Parent Leaders for Socktoberfest on Thursday, October 26th from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Meyer School to help us celebrate the end of Socktober. Fun activities will include:
- Dance party
- Arts and crafts
- Games
- Face painting
- Food
Please enter through Doors #6 and #7 by the parking lot. Bring a refillable water bottle, and have cash or Zelle on hand to purchase tickets for games and food! See the FLYER for details.
We also need your help as parent volunteers during Socktoberfest to help make the event a success! Please sign up for a shift and visit the PTO website for more information.
Thank you to the Meyer Parent Leaders committee of the PTO for hosting this event!
MEYER MOMENTS
MEYER DATES
Picture Day is Wednesday, October 11th. Be sure your children look their best. Paper order forms were sent home with students. Pictures can be purchased online or with the order forms. If using the paper forms, please fill out the form completely and enclose the EXACT payment.
EnrichMD (enrichment programming) begins next Wednesday, October 11th. Communication was sent to all families that completed the registration form.
The Middleton Book Fair was last week and students enjoyed selecting books for their own reading. A huge thank you to Ms. Beth Glaser for coordinating this annual event around conference time.
Mrs. Erin Gregg hosted parents, students, and community members to support work in the Middleton courtyard gardens last week. It was a fun day of pulling weeds and planting new life.
We held our first Buddy Classroom exchange at Middleton last week! Students met with their buddies, read the story, I Am Enough by Grace Byers, and each created an “I Am…” notecard that included something unique about them. Our older students loved the chance to be leaders and our younger students loved getting to know an older student mentor.
GARDEN NEWSLETTER
Learn about Middleton's Pollinator and Gilbert Gardens in the GARDEN NEWSLETTER!
MIDDLETON DATES
October is recognized as bullying prevention month. Monday, October 2nd was also the World Day of Bullying Prevention. We encouraged students and staff to wear blue that day to help us to "Stomp out bullying" at McCracken. In addition, we provided students with an opportunity to create and submit bullying prevention posters during all of our recess periods. Families can also access bullying resources online through our district website. Bullying behavior is aggressive and includes an imbalance of power and is repeated. According to stopbullying.gov, bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose. Some students at this age experience peer conflict that does not rise to the level of bullying, but does require adult intervention and restorative measures to support positive interactions.
Bullying and harassment can happen in person and online. 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. We look forward to partnering with you to keep our students safe at school!
McCRACKEN PJAMMIN FUNDRAISER. Students and staff are encouraged to rock their pajamas on October 13th to support childhood cancer in memory of former graduate, Griffin Maks. Ms. Bethany Fagan is organizing this fundraiser with the help of McCracken students. Check this FLYER for more information about how families can support our fundraiser and donate to the American Childhood Cancer Organization.
Skokie73.5 hosted PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES in person or virtually on Thursday, October 5th from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. and Friday, October 6th from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. McCracken students were encouraged to participate in these conferences as a means for self-reflection, progress monitoring, and goal setting. Thank you to families for joining us during fall conferences. PowerSchool is available to families and students to monitor academic progress throughout each trimester. We encourage parents and guardians to reach out to individual teachers throughout the year to communicate any updates and/or ask questions they may have about academic progress. We are so thankful to parents and guardians for their continued partnership!
ATTENDANCE REMINDERS. Did you know that missing two days of school a month, over the course of a school year, can affect a student's academic success? Please help us make school attendance a priority! If you know that your child will be absent for the day, please call our school nurse, Ms. Warda, at 847-676-8235 by 8:00 a.m. on the day of the absence. Please review the McCracken Attendance Reminders for more information about the importance of consistent school attendance and keeping your child engaged in school.
The McCracken Middle School Symphonic Band performed at Middleton on September 26th to inspire the younger students' interest in the Beginner Band program. Peek the photos here and then check the gallery for more!
GIRLS WHO CODE. Oakton College will offer a Girls Who Code meeting on Zoom from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. from September 19th through December 5th. Students who identify as female will be able to engage in fun and basic online coding, build community through interactive activities, and learn about inspiring role models. Students will also work in teams to design and build a Girls Who Code Project that solves real-world problems. Please view this FLYER for more information and a link to the sign-up form.
NILES NORTH FEEDER GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM. Niles North is very excited to announce that they will have Jr. Viking Girls Basketball team(s) this winter! All girls in grades 5-8 interested in playing on the feeder team should scan the QR code on the flyer available in the McCracken office, on the daily announcements slide, or complete this form. The cost is $100-150 for registration. Students, parents, and guardians can reach out to Coach Leah Czuhajewski at [email protected] with any questions.
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 28th (specific times will be communicated 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.
- Students with IEP/504 testing accommodations will start at 8:00 a.m. (end times will vary and will be communicated by Niles North)
- Students without accommodations will start at 12:00 p.m. and end at 3:30 p.m.
- 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! Please check email and mailings from NNHS.
ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL
Please help us keep our students, staff, families, and visitors safe by following our arrival and dismissal safety reminders.
SPECTATOR GUIDELINES
We are excited to host and participate in Little 9 Conference sporting events! Please review behavior expectations for students, families, and visitors.
McCRACKEN DATES
Halal meals available on request: Meatball and Rice Bowl, Chicken Sandwich, Cheese Sandwich. Kosher meals available on 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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