News and information from our district and schools
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DISTRICT NEWS
Skokie73.5 TRAFFIC STUDY
- Cameras will be set up in the street right-of-way at Middleton and McCracken on Tuesday, May 21st
- The studies will be conducted on Wednesday, May 22nd
- Cameras will be removed on Thursday, May 23rd
The purpose of the traffic study is to determine ways to improve arrival and dismissal procedures, parking needs, and to support future expansion. There is no action required by the public, students, or staff other than to be aware of the cameras and workers in the right-of-way.
For more information about the study and purpose, please see the Master Planning section of the May 2024 Financial Updates that was presented at the May 14th Board of Education meeting.
SCHOOLKIDZ SUPPLY KITS FOR 2024-2025
The Caring Hearts Classroom Grants Committee invites all Skokie73.5 families to pre-order school supplies for the 2024-2025 school year. All proceeds from purchases of SchoolKidz supply kits will be returned back to the Caring Hearts Classroom Grants Committee to support classroom projects, equipment, class trips, and other specialty educational items.
Orders are open for students entering Preschool through 5th grade until Friday, June 14, 2024. Ordering is open for students entering 6th, 7th, and 8th grade through Friday, June 7, 2024. Late orders cannot be accepted. Click or tap a button below to view the lists and more information.
The school supply kit you order for your student(s) will be individually packaged and waiting for your child in their classroom on the first day of school
SUMMER SCHOOL REGISTRATION is open for families of recommended students currently in grades K-7. Registration emails were sent to those families last week. This year's summer school program meets at Middleton on Monday through Thursday beginning June 4th until Thursday, June 27th. There are separate registrations for ELA (8:00 to 10:00 a.m.daily) and math (10:00 a.m to 12:00 noon daily). Please reach out to Marty Behm at [email protected] or Stephanie Larenas at [email protected]. Registration for summer school closes on Friday, May 24th.
GET TO KNOW THE PTO!
The FINAL Regular PTO MEETING of the school year is Monday, June 3rd from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. in person in the McCracken MPR and online at Google Meet.
Elections for PTO Board members will be held at this meeting. Please contact the PTO at [email protected] if you are interested in being a Board member for the 2024-2025 school year.
Join the online meeting: meet.google.com/rhn-boip-vym
View the Agenda: district735pto.org/meetings
ICYMI: PTO Staff Appreciation Week THANK YOU!
In Case You Missed It, click HERE for photos from Staff Appreciation Week. Thank you to everyone for your contributions!
Visit district735pto.org and get to know your PTO!
Questions about this calendar or events? Please email [email protected].
PUBLIC MEETINGS
DISTRICT DATES
AROUND TOWN
Check the SkokieNews for information and updates from the Village of Skokie.
Scroll the Skokie Public Library May/June Newsletter for information about library events and services for all ages and abilities.
STAFF APPRECIATION THANK YOU!
CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!
The Meyer Parent Leaders are hosting the MEYER END-OF-THE-YEAR BASH on Friday, May 24th and they need volunteers to help make the bash a success. Please sign up HERE or scan the QR code.
WHERE: the field by the Meyer parking lot
There will be fun activities, food, music, and crafts. See the FLYER for details.
ON TO KINDERGARTEN
Incoming kindergarten parents and guardians are invited to attend ON TO KINDERGARTEN on Thursday, May 23rd from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Meyer School.
On to Kindergarten will provide parents/guardians the opportunity to hear more about our kindergarten program, meet other incoming kindergarten parents/guardians and staff, see a classroom, and tell us more about your child. It is an opportunity for parents/guardians to have a preview of our school and to get to know one another. On to Kindergarten is an adults-only meeting. We will have opportunities in August for our incoming kindergartners to meet their teachers and see their classrooms before starting the school year.
Please see the FLYER for details.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR 2024-2025
- Thursday, August 15th: Party on the Playground from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, August 21st: Meyer student classroom visit day
- Thursday, August 22nd: First day of school for kindergarten students
- Monday, August 26th: First day of school for preschool students
MEYER SUPERSTARS
Kindergarten Superstars
Preschool Superstars
MEYER DATES
5th GRADE FAREWELL
SAVE THE DATE! Help us celebrate the accomplishments of our 5th grade students!
Please join us in the Middleton gym on Wednesday, May 29th from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. for a reception featuring student poetry and art. Help us wish the 5th graders a fond farewell as they prepare to move on to 6th grade.
MIDDLETON FIELD DAY
MIDDLETON FIELD DAY (for students only) is the morning of Friday, May 31st. Students should wear gym shoes, dress appropriately for weather conditions, and apply sunscreen before they leave for school that morning. This is also the last day of school; students will be dismissed at 3:00pm.
FITNESS NIGHT: 3-2-1 TEAM!
END OF YEAR COUNTDOWN
Celebrate the end of the school year with our MIDDLETON COUNTDOWN!
| MAY 20 | M | Movement Day | Dance party at end of the day |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAY 21 | I | Identity Day | Wear clothes that represent your culture or identity |
| MAY 22 | D | Drawing Day | Draw a picture of your favorite memory from the school year |
| MAY 23 | D | Dress Up Day | Dress up as your favorite character |
| MAY 24 | L | LEGO/Let's Play Day | Extra free choice time |
| MAY 28 | E | Escape Room | Academic-based learning challenge/riddle |
| MAY 29 | T | Talent Day | Share your strengths with your classmates during morning meeting |
| MAY 30 | O | Opportunity Day | Student learning choice time |
| MAY 31 | N | New Starts Day |
LOST & FOUND
We have many LOST ITEMS from the winter, but not a lot of found ones. Please encourage your child to check the LOST & FOUND for any items that might be theirs.
Parents/guardians are also invited to stop by to look for something their child has been missing. All unclaimed items will be donated to charity in early June.
(Click or tap the photo to take a closer look.)
STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK: THANK YOU FAMILIES!
Thank you, McCracken families, for helping to celebrate our amazing staff last week! Our staff felt very appreciated with all of the thoughtful goodies and treats! Also, many thanks to the PTO for organizing all the thoughtful acts throughout the week. We are grateful for your partnership and support!
CONGRATULATIONS, GIRLS VARSITY SOCCER TEAM!
The McCRACKEN GIRLS VARSITY SOCCER TEAM achieved victory in their Little 9 Conference championship match against Golf School at Niles West High School on Wednesday evening. They ended the season undefeated and we are very proud of their effort and accomplishments. Special thanks to their soccer coach Anaje Silva for her dedication and leadership!
7th GRADE CAMP MacLEAN TRIP
8th GRADE PARENT/GUARDIAN GRADUATION COMMUNICATION
Final reminders for upcoming 8th GRADE GRADUATION events and activities:
- 8th Grade End of Year Celebration
- Friday, May 17th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
- Parents, please make arrangements to pick up your 8th grade student at 8:00 p.m. Students are not allowed to walk home.
- The last full day of school for 8th grade students is Friday, May 24th.
- All fees, textbooks, library books, and Chromebooks will be collected on Friday, May 24th.
- Graduation tickets, gowns, tassels (if ordered), t-shirts (if ordered), and yard signs (free to each student; provided by the district) will be given to students at school on Thursday, May 23rd.
- The 8th grade clap out is on Friday, May 24th at dismissal.
- Students are expected to attend a half-day of school on Tuesday, May 28th.
- 8th grade students are required to report to school at 7:50 a.m. on Tuesday, May 28th to board buses for graduation rehearsal at Niles North High School.
- Students will return to McCracken after rehearsal at approximately 11:00 a.m. Students will be dismissed immediately upon arrival and will need to walk home, be picked up by parents/guardians, or travel by bus (for current bus riders only - bus will run the late bus route)
- Graduation Rehearsal Bus Field Trip Form
- Graduation Ceremony: Students are expected to arrive at Niles North High School no later than 6:00 p.m. The ceremony starts promptly at 6:30 p.m.
- Graduation Parent/Guardian Letter
- 8th Grade Parent/Guardian Communication (April 12, 2024)
Arrival & Dismissal
Please help us keep our students, staff, families, and visitors safe by following our arrival and dismissal safety reminders.
AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES & LATE BUS
SEEDLING SALE UPDATE
McCRACKEN DATES
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR 2024-2025
First day of school
All School Summer Read: Holes by Louis Sachar (incoming 6th-8th grade)
ATTENDANCE REMINDER
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.
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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