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The Weekly Masthead BINGO edit

News and information from our district and schools

MEYER. MIDDLETON. McCRACKEN. Games. Meal Menu.

 

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DISTRICT NEWS

e-LEARNING SURVEY

green and black "e-Learning" graphicATTENTION ALL FAMILIES! Please take a few minutes to complete the e-Learning Family Survey to help us learn more about your family's experiences during our January e-learning days. Your perspective will help us to better understand, plan for, and continually improve such experiences in the future. Responses are requested by Thursday, March 7th. We appreciate any feedback you choose to share with us through this survey: forms.gle/hk5ANkaqwYRLjCda9.

Skokie73.5 BINGO NIGHT!

SAVE THE DATE and spend your extra night with us!

Join the Skokie73.5 Equity Committee, the PTO, your friends, classmates, and staff for a fun night of BINGO!

  • WHEN: Thursday, February 29th from 6:15 to 7:45 p.m.
  • WHERE: The McCracken Middle School Gym
  • WHY: To play (or watch) some lively games of BINGO, enjoy snacks, and have some fun. There will also be an on-site survey to help the Committee discover equity topics of interest to the Skokie73.5 community.

RSVP is requested to help us plan for seating and snacks. All are welcome and BINGO play is not required. We hope to see you there!

COFFEE WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT

The next Coffee & Conversation will be co-hosted by Dr. Hightower and the Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC).

Please join us on Wednesday, March 6th from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Middleton Media Center for coffee and a potluck meal to celebrate and practice literacy skills in our native languages.

RSVP is requested. Click or tap the flyer and then the RSVP link to let us know you're coming.

STUDENT SERVICES

PARENT UNIVERSITY returns to Skokie73.5! The first meeting of this parent learning opportunity will cover Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) topics such as distinguishing between bullying and social conflict, dealing with big feelings, problem-solving, and making and keeping friends. Skokie73.5 educators will present information specific to the age and grade level they serve. Please mark your calendar:

  • EARLY CHILDHOOD
    Monday, March 18th from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the Elizabeth Meyer School Library
    Facilitators: Hannah Saibert, Rachel Douglas, and Ashtar Nahhas
     
  • ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL
    Wednesday, March 20th from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the Middleton Elementary School Library
    Facilitator: Jenny Walsh

The final BPAC meeting for the 2023-2024 school year is on Wednesday, March 6th from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Middleton Library. This very special potluck gathering will be co-hosted by BPAC and Superintendent Dr. Zipporah Hightower as an opportunity to celebrate and practice literacy skills in our native languages. Please scroll UP to Coffee with the Supertintendent for details and a link to the RSVP form.

CARING HEARTS CLASSROOM DONATION DRIVE

The CARING HEARTS CLASSROOM DONATION DRIVE is a program that helps support our incredible Skokie73.5 teachers. Parents and guardians are invited to show their appreciation by fulfilling staff "wish" lists for various classroom items such as markers, pens, books, games, gift cards, and more. Wish lists and more information are available on the SD735.org website and at each school. Donations can be returned by your student to their teacher or school office. The Classroom Donation Drive runs until Friday, March 15th.

multicolored heart banner

GET TO KNOW THE PTO!

The PTO is looking for a few more volunteers to help at the DISTRICT BINGO NIGHT on Thursday, February 29th. Click HERE to sign up.
The PTO invites us all to TASTE OF 73.5 on Sunday, April 14th from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at McCracken Middle School.
Click or tap the flyer for more information on the PTO website!
The Skokie73.5 community is invited to ► register for a booth to share their heritage, culinary expertise, and celebrate our diversity.
Email [email protected] if you would like to help plan the event. Meetings will be held on Zoom.

PTO logo

Visit district735pto.org and get to know your PTO!
Questions about this calendar or events? Please email [email protected].

AROUND TOWN

skokie imageCheck the SkokieNews for information and updates from the Village of Skokie.

Skokie Public Library logo
Scroll the Skokie Public Library Newsletter for information about library events and services for all ages and abilities.
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DISTRICT DATES

No School: Thursday, March 1st
New Year's Day (DISTRICT CLOSED)

Jan 1, 2025

All Day Event

Policy Committee Meeting

Jan 8, 2025 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Board of Education Closed Meeting

Jan 14, 2025 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Board of Education Regular Meeting

Jan 14, 2025 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM

Advocate Ronald McDonald Care Mobile Visit

Jan 17, 2025

All Day Event

McCracken MLK Jr. Day of Service Food Drive

Jan 20, 2025 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Finance Committee Meeting

Jan 22, 2025 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Coffee with the Superintendent

Feb 3, 2025 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

GLOBAL HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES

MEYER NEWS

Elizabeth Meyer Early Childhood Education schoolhouse logoPRESCHOOL PROGRAM 2024-2025. Preschool registration for the 2024-2025 school year opens on Monday, February 26th for Skokie73.5 residents and on Thursday, February 29th for non-residents.

If you would like more information about our preschool program, Meyer School is hosting a Preschool Open House for new and prospective families on Sunday, February 25th. Feel free to stop by at Meyer between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Teacher presentations about our preschool program will be given in the classrooms on the half-hour at 10:00 a.m, 10:30 a.m, 11:00 a.m, and 11:30 a.m. If you have neighbors and friends who have children turning 3 or 4 years old on or before September 1, 2024, please help us spread the word!

Picture of red and pink hearts inside a red heart outlineThe parent-run CARING HEARTS CLASSROOM DONATION DRIVE is back to help the incredible Skokie73.5 teachers. Show your appreciation and support by fulfilling our teachers’ wish lists for various classroom items such as markers, glue sticks, pens, books, games, gift cards, and more. The drive runs through Friday, March 15th. Please see Meyer’s wish lists HERE. Thank you for your support!

SAVE THE DAY IN MAY for KINDERGARTEN MUSIC "INFORMANCES."

What is an Informance? An informance is a way to inform parents of what a typical music class is like. It is similar to a performance in that there is an audience, but instead of rehearsing set pieces, the students demonstrate what they do during music class. The setting is smaller and more intimate than a larger performance. Parents see first-hand how their child experiences music at Meyer School!

Picture of a multicolor music staff with notesWHEN:

  • Ms. Huynh’s class: Monday, May 13th at 11:00 a.m.
  • Ms. Solomon’s class: Monday, May 13th at 12:00 p.m.
  • Ms. Mpistolarides and Ms. Zaccone’s class: Monday May 13th at 1:00 p.m.
     
  • Ms. Lancioni’s class: Tuesday, May 14th at 9:30 a.m.
  • Ms. LaBarbera’s class: Tuesday, May 14th at 10:30 a.m.

Each Informance will last approximately 25 minutes. Seating is limited so we ask that each child invites a maximum of 2 adults. We hope to see you there!

Please see this FLYER for information. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Castellini at [email protected].

MEYER SUPERSTARS

Ms. Huynh's Kindergarten Superstars
Mrs. Nahhas's Preschool Superstars

MS. CHEN'S VALENTINE'S DAY PHOTO BOOTH

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MEYER DATES

Winter Break (NO SCHOOL)

Start: Dec 23, 2024 End: Dec 27, 2024

Multi-Day Event

Winter Break (NO SCHOOL)

Start: Dec 30, 2024 End: Jan 3, 2025

Multi-Day Event

School Resumes

Jan 6, 2025

All Day Event

Meyer Family Fun Night

Jan 16, 2025 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Advocate Ronald McDonald Care Mobile Visit

Jan 17, 2025

All Day Event

Coffee with the Superintendent

Feb 3, 2025 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Meyer Movie Night

Feb 6, 2025 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

MIDDLETON NEWS

EnrichMD Winter 2024 brochure coverAS A REMINDER, most EnrichMD classes will start on Monday, February 26th. ASL runs from April 1st to May 20th. There are also a few spaces left in the Emily Oaks Afterschool Nature Club that will run on Mondays from 3:00 to 5:15 p.m. from April 1st to May 20th. Please contact the Skokie Park District if you are interested in signing up your child for the Emily Oaks program.

CALLING ALL 1st AND 2nd GRADERS to join RUNNING CLUB! Running Club will meet on Mondays from 3:00 to 3:50 p.m. starting on Monday, April 1st and will go until Monday, May 6th. Our final event will be a MINI 5K at McCracken on Saturday, May 11th at 9:00 a.m. If you are interested in signing up your child, please click HERE to complete the sign-up form. NOTE: Payment is NOT due yet. A payment link will be sent after your child is signed up. Please reach out to the coaches with any questions: Sarah Hampton, Diane McWherter, and Katie Chalmers.

Please join us in celebrating second grade teacher, Ms. Wendy Maa! She is a finalist for the prestigious Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching in Illinois! Only 30 teachers are acknowledged as finalists. Her dedication to students and constant support of our school community are felt and seen each day. We are thrilled to honor her! Read more about the finalists on the Goldan Apple website at www.goldenapple.org/golden-apple-awards-finalists-2024.

Middleton Principal Nikki Tammaru stopped by Mrs. Kasten's 3rd grade classroom for a very special read aloud of Calvin by JR and Vanessa Ford. Check this photo of happy students who loved Mrs. Tammaru's read aloud!

YEARBOOK ORDERS

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. Click or tap the flyer for more information!

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MIDDLETON DATES

Winter Break (NO SCHOOL)

Start: Dec 23, 2024 End: Dec 27, 2024

Multi-Day Event

Winter Break (NO SCHOOL)

Start: Dec 30, 2024 End: Jan 3, 2025

Multi-Day Event

School Resumes

Jan 6, 2025

All Day Event

Advocate Ronald McDonald Care Mobile Visit

Jan 17, 2025

All Day Event

Middleton Literacy Night

Jan 23, 2025 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Middleton Musical Rehearsal

Jan 25, 2025 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

McCRACKEN NEWS

Our 7th GRADERS participated in the HISTORY FAIR at McCracken Middle School on Thursday, February 22nd! Niles North High School students supported this event by judging student projects from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., which was followed by a parent/guardian viewing session from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Special thanks to Ms. Bethany Fagan, Ms. Cindy Grossman, and Ms. Melissa Brander, families, and Niles North students for their assistance with planning and preparation. Photos courtesy of Mr. Kevin Poduska

MULTILINGUAL MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARY PROJECT
  • Do you love to read?
  • Do you speak a language other than English at home?
  • Do you wish you could read more books in your home language?

If you answered YES to any of the above questions, then join us on our mission to create a multilingual book section in the McCracken Library! Check the attached flyer for information about how you can learn more about the project on Monday, February 26th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Skokie Public Library. You can also visit the project website at sites.google.com/sd735.org/multilingual-books.

Students should see Ms. Alvarado or Mrs. Gammeri with any questions.

FEBRUARY ATTENDANCE INCENTIVE PROGRAM. McCracken students will have the opportunity to be entered into a monthly attendance raffle recognizing students who are on time to school and those who miss no more than one day per month. Each student who achieves 95% attendance will be entered into this raffle and those who have 100% attendance will be entered twice. There will be three prizes distributed to students in each grade level. We are excited to welcome students to school each day for a full day of learning! PLEASE NOTE that religious holidays will not count toward any absences.

Picture of hornet mascot in front day/night sceneCAMP MacLEAN SAVE THE DATE! McCracken 7th graders will take our annual 3-day trip to Camp MacLean in Burlington, Wisconsin from Wednesday, May 15th through Friday, May 17th. The purpose of the Camp MacLean trip is to provide our students with an outdoor education experience that promotes both team building and independence. It is our goal that all 7th grade students attend this important trip.

Parents and guardians should complete this digital form by Friday, April 5th to indicate their student's interest in attending Camp MacLean OR complete and return the print form passed out in Bethany Fagan’s social studies class for students to bring home. If you have already made the decision for your student to attend, you can make payment online HERE!

We will share additional information with families about this trip soon. Ms. Fagan and Mr. Behm will host an informational night on Wednesday, April 3rd. Get excited for Camp MacLean 2024!

SPOTLIGHT ON SUCCESS. McCracken students are eligible to earn a wide variety of acknowledgements for their accomplishments in school! This includes Spotlight on Success, which recognizes students’ academic growth and achievement. Each month, teachers celebrate the many students who have demonstrated academic success in each grade level to honor them for making progress toward learning standards, meeting or extending learning standards, demonstrating great interest in a particular subject area, and/or demonstrating a growth mindset. Students are featured in our morning announcements, receive a certificate in person and by mail, and are delivered a fun incentive by staff, administration, and our school mascot with the Ollie Trolley! Congratulations to our January Spotlight on Success recipients!

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 tassel 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.

A MESSAGE FROM THE 8th GRADE PARENT COMMITTEE: Help our 8th graders celebrate their year-end in style! Please consider making a donation to fund food, decorations, and a DJ for the 8th grade end-of-year celebration. Use this link to donate online and give our students a great sendoff!

Absences add up!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.

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Arrival & Dismissal

Please help us keep our students, staff, families, and visitors safe by following our arrival and dismissal safety reminders.

McCRACKEN DATES

Winter Break (NO SCHOOL)

Start: Dec 23, 2024 End: Dec 27, 2024

Multi-Day Event

Winter Break (NO SCHOOL)

Start: Dec 30, 2024 End: Jan 3, 2025

Multi-Day Event

School Resumes

Jan 6, 2025

All Day Event

McCracken Boys Basketball Tryouts

Jan 8, 2025 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM

McCracken Boys Basketball Tryouts

Jan 9, 2025 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM

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 GAMES

Meal Menu

Halal meals available on request: Meatball and Rice Bowl, Cheese Sandwich. Kosher meals available on request: All Beef Hot Dog, Cheese Sandwich. Due to supply chain delays, Halal chicken sandwich is temporarily unavailable. Monthly meal menu at-a-glance is available HERE.

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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