News and information from our district and schools
MEYER. MIDDLETON. McCRACKEN. Games. Meal Menu.
DECEMBER 15, 2023
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The LOST AND FOUND collections at each school are filled with lost items that we hope will be found before winter break! Please check your school's Weekly news for photos to see if anything looks familiar.
DISTRICT NEWS
REPORT CARD DELIVERY INFORMATION
Trimester 1 report card notifications were emailed to parents/guardians on Wednesday, December 13th at 3:00 p.m. Please check your inbox or our website for an email from your child's school with more information, including instructions for How to View Report Cards Online.
If you need translating or interpreting support with your child's report card, please contact Lyla Nissan at 847-676-8210 or by email at [email protected].
COMMUNITY DIGEST
Watch your home mailbox for the Fall 2023 issue of the Community Digest.
The Community Digest is published three times a year. A print version is sent to the entire Skokie73.5 community by postal mail and an electronic version is archived on our website for easy access from wherever you are, on any device.
STUDENT SERVICES
MEDICAID RENEWAL. If you or your family receive Medicaid benefits, watch your mail for the annual Medicaid renewal letter and follow the instructions to make sure you stay covered. Visit the Illinois Medicaid Frequently Asked Questions page for more information. Skokie73.5 DCFS Liaison Angela DeMay is also available to answer your questions by email at [email protected].
TEXT-TO-SPEECH ACCOMMODATION FOR EL STUDENTS. If your child is currently served in the EL Program, received a score of 3.5 or below on their Literacy ACCESS score in 2023, and they are in grades 2-8, they will recieve the text-to-speech accommodation during their NWEA MAP Reading assessment. Please contact Lyla Nissan at 847-676-8210 or by email at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Winter weather is on the way! Skokie73.5 follows the Child Care Weather Watch chart to determine whether the temperature and wind chill are safe for outdoor recess. If the temperature with wind chill feels like 15 degrees or warmer, students will go outside.
All students should come to school with appropriate winter outerwear such as a zippered coat, hat, gloves or mittens, scarf, and snow boots. Snow pants are optional, but recommended for warmth and required for younger students when there is snow on the ground. Students should also pack extra clothing layers and socks in case either get wet during outdoor play. Families in need of outerwear for their child can contact the school office for assistance.
Additionally…
- At MEYER, recess will be outdoors if it is not raining or snowing. Students must wear snow boots AND snow pants if they wish to play in the snow. Students who are not dressed for snow must stay on the paved areas of the playground.
- At MIDDLETON, students must wear snow boots to play in the field. Snow pants are recommended for warmth. See also: Bulldog Winter/Snow Guidelines.
Thank you for helping our students stay warm and dry during outdoor play!
GET TO KNOW THE PTO!
Visit district735pto.org and get to know your PTO!
Questions about this calendar or events? Please email [email protected].
DISTRICT DATES
AROUND TOWN
Check the SkokieNews for information and updates from the Village of Skokie.
Meyer's LOST AND FOUND is bursting with water bottles and cold-weather gear! Please check the photos to see if anything looks familiar and email [email protected] to claim your lost item(s). If you don't see something in these photos, feel free to contact the Meyer Office at 847-673-1223 or by email to ask about what's lost.
Thank you to all the families who donated to MEYER'S COINS FOR KINDNESS campaign! All proceeds will be used to purchase gifts for Meyer families who need extra kindness and support this holiday season. We raised $719.05 from coins brought in by Meyer students, families, and staff. We also received a very generous donation of $1,500 from community members Jot Bilkhu and Mike Madalinski in honor of their recent wedding. Congratulations to the happy couple!
As a result of everyone's generosity, we're thrilled that we will be able to help 15 families this year. Meyer Parent Leaders will use the money collected to purchase gifts for our "adopted" families based on their wishlists. Kindergarten classes will "shop" for gifts for our families at the Meyer Mart on December 19th to learn about "needs" and "wants," and our preschool classes will wrap the presents and create the cards for families. We hope our students will also learn that small acts of kindness can add up to a whole lot when we work together. Thank you to everyone for their generosity!
KINDER CLASS ACTIVITY
Math activity in Ms. Huynh's classroom
Writing activity with Ms. Shahid
MEYER SUPERSTARS
Ms. Sanfilippo's Preschool Superstars
Lunchtime Superstars
Ms. Huynh's Kindergarten Superstars
WINTER WEATHER
Please see Dressing for Winter Weather to help all students be warm and dry for outdoor play. Thank you!
MEYER DATES
MR. PRATT'S STEAM CHALLENGE!
Last month, Middleton STEAM educator Mr. Pratt challenged families to build their best-ever catapult. The rules were simple:
- Choose what you want to launch.
- Brainstorm and sketch out ideas together as a family.
- Build the catapult using supplies from around the house.
The results are in and here they are! Thank you to all the families who participated and shared their work.
The Middleton Student Services Team has planned a Community Week and Clothing Drive leading into winter break. Check the flyers to see what's happening beginning Monday, December 18th through Friday, December 22nd.
You won't want to miss SLEEP FASHION DAY on Friday, December 22nd. Wear your finest and most fashionable pajamas or cozy clothes on the last day of school before winter break. We can't wait to see what you've got!
MIDDLETON HAS A VERY FULL LOST AND FOUND. All items not claimed by winter break will be donated to the Niles Township Community Clothing Closet during winter break. If you or your child are missing an item, please feel free to stop by the hallway near the front office and take a look!
Click or tap the photo to make it bigger and zoom in to see if you recognize anything that might belong to you or a friend.
IT'S TIME TO ORDER YOUR 2023-2024 MIDDLETON YEARBOOK! What better way to remember this unique school year? The yearbook costs $20 and is now available for pre-order. Orders may be placed online through the Lifetouch website at ybpay.lifetouch.com. The Yearbook ID Code is 13556524. Tap the flyer for more information!
CLASSROOM FUN & LEARNING
WINTER WEATHER
Please see Dressing for Winter Weather to help all students be warm and dry for outdoor play. Thank you!
See also: Middleton Bulldog Winter/Snow Guidelines.
GARDEN NEWSLETTER
Learn about Middleton's Pollinator and Gilbert Gardens in the GARDEN NEWSLETTER!
MIDDLETON DATES
The McCRACKEN MADE POP UP MARKET is a student-driven fundraising effort inspired by our reading of When Stars are Scattered. Students have created handmade items individually and with their extracurricular clubs. We will have everything from beaded jewelry to ceramic ornaments for sale and 100% of the proceeds will benefit Refugee Strong, a nonprofit organization that empowers refugees through education. Check the flyer for more information!
- What: Shop the McCracken Made Pop Up Market!
- When: December 19th from 7:15 to 8:45 p.m. (before and after McCracken's Winter Concert)
- Where: Niles North High School
8th GRADE BABY PHOTOS NEEDED! It is a tradition at McCracken to include 8th grade baby pictures in the yearbook. The McCracken yearbook committee is currently collecting those photos for the 2023-2024 yearbook. You can send a digital copy of the baby picture to Mrs. Monak at [email protected] or your child can bring a physical copy of the picture to their advisory teacher (the picture will be returned to you). We would love to have the pictures by Friday, December 22nd.
The McCracken LOST AND FOUND is full of student personal belongings (coats, hoodies, water bottles, etc.). All items not claimed by winter break will be donated to the Niles Township Community Clothing Closet. Please encourage your child to check the lost and found for any items they may have forgotten or misplaced. We ask students to check the lost and found area daily on their way to or from lunch and recess.
NILES NORTH CURRICULUM & ACTIVITIES NIGHT IS JANUARY 18, 2024. Parents and families of 8th grade students can learn more about academic and extracurricular programming available to incoming freshmen as they prepare to transition to high school next year. Individualized student packets will be distributed to students and families which will include 2024-2025 freshman course recommendations and PSAT score information. PSAT scores are also available on the College Board website. Please reach out to Niles North High School with any questions related to PSAT scores, counselor appointments, and course recommendations.
CHANGEMAKER SERIES HOSTED BY McCRACKEN SOCIAL JUSTICE CLUB. Chef Jessica Walks First is the Executive Chef and owner of Ketapanen Kitchen, Chicago’s first Native American Pop-Up Kitchen and catering company. She has been featured in numerous articles and news segments and was selected by the Chicago Bears as a Small Business All-Pro. Chef Walks First is an enrolled member of the Menominee Tribe. Her love of food and sharing her culture has led her to be an activist and educator. McCracken students will have the opportunity to hear her story on Thursday, December 21st after school. Thank you to Ms. Gammeri and our Social Justice Club for arranging this visit!
On Monday, January 15th, McCracken will hold the annual MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY OF SERVICE AND FOOD DRIVE. This is an opportunity for students to honor the legacy of Dr. King by volunteering their time to help our school and community. Participants will complete various service projects in the school and facilitate a food drive to benefit the Niles Township Food Pantry. Donations of non-perishable food items, toiletries, and cleaning products can be dropped off in the circle drive in front of McCracken on January 15th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Students who are volunteering need to complete a permission slip which they can pick up outside room 222. Bus transportation will not be provided for this event.
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.
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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