MEYER WINTER ENRICHMENT CLASSES for kindergartners will run from Tuesday, January 30th through Thursday, March 21, 2024. The Enrich MEYER brochure was sent home in backpacks on December 8th. Registration forms are due by the morning of Tuesday, January 16th (revised date) and confirmations will be sent by Thursday, January 18th. If you have any questions, please contact our Enrich MEYER Coordinator, Rachel Douglas, at [email protected].

Meyer Parent Leaders invite all Meyer families to the MEYER MOVIE NIGHT on Friday, January 19th from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the Meyer Gym. Bring the whole family, and kick off the weekend with a fun family movie night! Students are currently voting on the movie choice, and a new flyer will be sent home with students on Wednesday.

• Bring a sleeping bag or blankets and wear your best PJs!
• Popcorn will be served
• Bring a water bottle
• Students must be accompanied by an adult
• Please use Door #6 (by the parking lot) to enter the event

We hope to see you there!

Meyer Parent Leaders (MPL), a committee of the PTO, is a group of Meyer parents and guardians dedicated to supporting the school and community, by providing opportunities for Meyer families to connect and socialize. 

Please join this month's Zoom meeting. MPL will discuss the Meyer Movie Night.

Thursday, January 18, 2024
7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
The Zoom link will be sent through Seesaw to Meyer families the day before the meeting.

All parents/guardians are welcome to join the meeting!

Multilingual learners will participate in ACCESS TESTING in the next month so that we can learn more about their skills in English language listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students will be assessed one-on-one. Please feel free to contact our EL teacher, Ms. Una Ikanovic, at [email protected] with any questions.

WINTER BENCHMARK ASSESSMENTS. Every winter, we use formal assessments to gauge student progress in early reading and math skills. This information helps teachers plan lessons and monitor student growth. Assessments are given one-on-one with a teacher. We will continue with our FastBridge assessments for both PreK-4 and Kindergarten students next week. For more information about assessments we use in the district for each grade level, 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. 

Ms. Clark's 2nd grade students learned about penguins the week before winter break! They had to follow step-by-step directions and be careful readers to complete their penguin craft correctly. Take a look!

In the last week since we have been back from winter break, many students have been uncomfortable after recess due to wet clothing. Please send an extra change of socks, underwear, pants, and a shirt to school with your student. If something happens at receiss, they won't have to spend the afternoon wet or dirty.

If you have any gently used children's pants you'd like to donate, the Nurse's office would love to accept them!

The 4th and 5th GRADE GLOW DANCE PARTY is Friday, January 26th. Students, mark your calendars now and plan to join us then for snacks, drinks, glow sticks, and fun!

See the Glow Dance Party flyer for details and more information.

The attached permission slip must be completed and is required for entry to the dance.

Next Friday, January 19th is Middleton's COZY ART DAY! Students and staff are invited to wear cozy clothes (or pajamas) to school. 

Our 8th graders have upcoming important events to prepare for their transition to high school in the 2024-2025 school year. Save the dates for these important events and reach out to McCracken or Niles North High School administration with any questions.

CURRICULUM & ACTIVITIES NIGHT: Thursday, January 18th

Eighth grade parents and families are invited to attend Niles North High School Curriculum & Activities Night on Thursday, January 18th at 6:00 p.m. Students and families 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 to access on the College Board website. Please reach out to Niles North with any questions related to PSAT scores, counselor appointments, and course recommendations. Please see this parent/guardian letter from Niles North with more information.

8th GRADE GRADUATION PICTURES: Wednesday, January 31st

Our 8th grade students will have their graduation pictures taken on Wednesday, January 31st at McCracken. One photo will be taken in a purple graduation gown (provided by Lifetouch) and the other in their chosen dress clothes. When the photos have been processed, Lifetouch will 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. There is no money due on Picture Day. Payment will be due to Lifetouch when families select their preferred photos online. Please see this flyer from Lifetouch for more information.

STUDENT REGISTRATION APPOINTMENTS WITH NILES NORTH COUNSELORS: Friday, February 9th

Eighth grade students and at least one parent/guardian will be expected to participate in counselor appointments on Friday, February 9th at Niles North High School. Families will receive their individual counselor appointment times from Niles North High School. Niles North counselors will meet with students and parents/guardians this year to review class placement for the upcoming school year. Placement is based on PSAT scores and teacher recommendations. 

• Counselor appointments are in person at Niles North High School.
• Students are expected to attend school at McCracken on the day of counselor appointments before and/or after their appointments at Niles North.
• Parents/guardians will sign out their child at McCracken when picking them up to attend their scheduled counselor appointments.
• Niles North High School will share appointment times with parents and guardians and with McCracken teachers and administration.
• Student information packets will be distributed to families at Curriculum & Activities Night at Niles North on January 18th. Anyone who was not able to attend that event will receive the packet by mail.
• Please email Niles North High School registration questions to Denise French at [email protected].
   

8th GRADE PARENT/GUARDIAN GRADUATION CEREMONY/EVENTS COMMUNICATION

We currently have our 8th grade graduation date reserved with Niles North High School on Tuesday, May 28th from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Students are expected to maintain academic and behavior expectations in order to fully participate in all graduation events. There will be more information regarding graduation events in the upcoming months which will include the process for securing tickets to the ceremony. We are currently collecting diploma names and graduation gown and tassle orders from families. Please review the linked parent/guardian letter below to complete required forms and place online orders. We will continue to communicate information to families through email and in The Weekly Newsletter.

• Graduation Parent/Guardian Letter January 2024
  Submit Diploma Card Names and Gown and Tassel Orders by Monday, February 5th 

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.