SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH
News and information from our district and schools
Scroll to view District updates and news from Meyer, Middleton, and McCracken!
MARCH 21, 2025
The Weekly will take a spring break on Friday, March 28. We'll be back on Friday, April 4.
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SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH
Our search continues for the next Superintendent. Senior Associates from Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates (HYA) hosted several focus groups with parents/guardians, teachers, support staff, and administrative teams over the past two weeks to gather insights, perspectives, and expectations. We appreciate your time and feedback!
The Superintendent Search Survey remains open to all community members and stakeholders until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 4, 2025. As of this week, there have been only 109 survey responses received from parents. We need your voice and your input! Please complete the survey by April 4.
REPORT CARDS
Trimester 2 report cards were released through the PowerSchool Parent Portal website on Thursday, March 20.
Parents/guardians, please check your inbox for an email from your school's principal announcing the availability of report cards. The email includes a guide to view, print, and save your student's report card online and how to request a print copy of the report card if necessary.
5Essentials PARENT SURVEY
The 5Essentials Parent Survey is open through March 28. The current response rate for parents is only 12 percent. Your feedback is important! If you haven't already done so, please complete the survey by March 28. Visit the 5Essentials website and click on Parent Survey to begin.
FACILITIES & INFRASTRUCTURE COORDINATION MEETING
Skokie73.5 parents/guardians, neighbors, and staff are invited to join our upcoming coordination meetings to help spread the word about our school improvement planning engagement sessions. These meetings are an opportunity to collaborate with fellow community members, assist with outreach efforts, and ensure robust participation in the engagement process.
The next meeting is on Monday, March 31 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Middleton Elementary School Media Center. RSVP is requested: Please complete this short Google Form
These coordination meetings are also a chance to learn more about the Facilitating Team—a group of community members helping to shape and guide the next steps of our school improvement planning. Attending a coordination meeting does not commit you to joining the team, but we welcome your involvement.
We hope you can join us in building strong community engagement for this important initiative!
e-LEARNING DAY
All Skokie73.5 schools will have an e-Learning Day on Tuesday, April 1. Please watch your inbox for emails from our schools and teachers about classroom schedules, expected work, and additional information.
BINGO NIGHT
Bring the family and meet up with friends, neighbors, classmates, and staff for the 2nd Annual Skokie73.5 Equity Committee + PTO Bingo Night on Wednesday, April 2 from 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. in the McCracken Middle School Gym.
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!
ASSESSMENTS
From April 2 through April 7, students in 3rd through 8th grade will participate in the ILLINOIS ASSESSMENT OF READINESS (IAR).
The IAR is aligned to the Illinois Learning Standards (which include the Common Core Standards). It is designed to provide teachers and families with information about student progress in Mathematics and English Language Arts. Additional information about IAR testing is available on the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) IAR website.
To provide flexibility, each school will develop its own testing schedule. Our test coordinators are working diligently in preparation, and we anticipate a smooth testing experience. Please keep an eye on the Middleton and McCracken sections of The Weekly over the coming weeks for school-specific information.
Beginning April 14, students in 5th and 8th grade will participate in the ILLINOIS SCIENCE ASSESSMENT (ISA).
The ISA is aligned to the Illinois Learning Standards for Science (which include the Next Generation Science Standards). It is designed to provide teachers and families with information about student progress in their learning of science concepts and skills. Additional information about IAR testing is available on the ISBE IAR website.
To provide flexibility, each school will develop its own testing schedule. Our test coordinators are working diligently in preparation, and we anticipate a smooth testing experience. Please keep an eye on the Middleton and McCracken sections of The Weekly over the coming weeks for school-specific information.
PTO NEWS
The PTO welcomes the community to TASTE OF 73.5 on Sunday, April 6 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at McCracken Middle School. Cultural groups are invited to fill out this Google Form to register for a booth to showcase displays and/or food samples that represent their cultural backgrounds. Registration ends Wednesday, April 2. Email [email protected] if you would like to help plan the event. Meetings will be held on Zoom.
Content posted on the PTO website is managed by the PTO
Visit district735pto.org and get to know your PTO!
Questions about this calendar or events? Please email [email protected].
Goose and student at Emily Oaks Nature Center. Photo courtesy of Dr. Perry Finch.
DISTRICT DATES
AROUND TOWN
Skokie Public Library newsletter
NTDSE Family Events and Community Events
Oakton College Youth STEAM Program for ages 8 to 14
2025 SUMMER REGISTRATION
Mark your calendars and save the date for Meyer Story Night and Pajama Day!
Join Meyer staff members for Meyer’s Story Night on Thursday, April 10 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Meyer School. Bring the whole family and stay for a cozy story hour featuring stories that are "Out of This World."
April 10 is also Pajama Day, so students are encouraged to wear pajamas to school and then to Story Night. We hope to see all Meyer families there!
MEYER SPRING ENRICHMENT
The spring session of Enrich MEYER for kindergartners will run from April 8 through May 15, 2025. The Enrich MEYER brochure with program and class details were sent home in backpacks this week.
Registration forms are due by Thursday, April 3, and confirmations will be sent by Friday, April 4.
If you have any questions, please contact our Enrich MEYER Coordinator, Mrs. Rachel Douglas, at [email protected].
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION FOR NEW STUDENTS
Kindergarten registration for the 2025-2026 school year is now open for students NEW to Meyer. Current preschool students RETURNING for kindergarten next year will NOT need to complete any forms. Please watch for an email from Gay Kanda that was sent on March 11 with next steps. If you have questions, please contact Ms. Kanda at [email protected].
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 firsthand how their child experiences music at Meyer School.
Informances are scheduled for Wednesday, May 14. Each Informance will last approximately 25 minutes. Seating is limited so we ask that each child invites a maximum of 2 adults. View the Informances flyer for classroom performance times. We hope to see you there!
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Castellini at [email protected].
FAMILY CONNECTION
At Meyer, we learn about the ZONES OF REGULATION, a program designed to help children identify and self-regulate their emotions. We learn about four different zones: blue, green, yellow, and red:
- When you are in the blue zone, you may feel sad, bored, tired, or sick.
- When you are in the green zone you feel calm and happy. When you’re in the green zone, you do your best learning.
- When you are in the yellow zone you might feel scared, silly, worried, excited, or frustrated.
- When you are in the red zone, you might feel mad or out of control.
We also teach students to pick a calm down strategy to help them get back to the green zone, so that they are calm and ready to learn.
It is important to note that everyone experiences all of the zones and that the blue, red, and yellow zones are not “bad” zones. All of the zones are expected at one time or another.
At home, you can help your child gain awareness of his or her zones and feelings by pointing out when you see them experiencing feelings at home. “It looks like you are feeling sad and in the blue zone because you are frowning.” You can also have your child choose a strategy that they can use at home to return to the green zone, if they are ever in the blue, yellow, or red zone.
KINDERGARTEN MATH
MEYER SUPERSTARS
Ms. Lancioni's Kindergarten Superstars
Ms. Nahhas' Preschool Superstars
MEYER DATES
The 2024-2025 Middleton Yearbook pre-order will close on Sunday, March 30. Pre-ordering the yearbook now guarantees that a copy is reserved for your family. Additional copies of the yearbook will be very limited after the pre-order closes.
Place your orders online through the Lifetouch website. The Middleton Yearbook ID Code is 13556525.
Don't miss out! Pre-order your yearbook by March 30.
RUNNING CLUB
WALL OF FAME
HEY BULLDOGS! Do you want to be on the Middleton P.E. Wall of Fame? It's easy! Just bring in a printed photo of YOU being active and doing something awesome–whether it's rollerblading, biking, swimming, crushing it on a sports team, dancing, showing off your martial arts moves, or anything else that gets you moving! Bring a printed photo to one of your P.E. teachers and we will post it for everyone to admire!
DATES TO KNOW
We're thrilled by the incredible dedication shown by all Robotics teams this year! Our BuzzBot Robotics Team competed against 8 other schools with a total of 38 teams at Niles North High School for the final Little 9 Robotics Tournament. With 7 teams competing from McCracken, it was quite a battle. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to BuzzBots for their exceptional preparation and performance, and gratitude to Lisa Repp and Anastasia Barrow for their coaching efforts this season. Special recognition goes to McCracken Team 3 for securing the Bronze Medal (in third place) in overall points, and McCracken Team 1 for their fourth most improved score. Thank you so much to all of the families and students who came to support our teams. Across the board, the teams represented McCracken admirably, engaging in insightful discussions about strategy, making modifications, and fostering collaboration. We are so proud of our engineers!
McCRACKEN 2024-2025 YEARBOOK
The 2024-2025 McCracken yearbook is on sale NOW! The yearbook staff has been working hard to create a fun and unique yearbook for our students and families. The cost of the yearbook is $20 and orders can be placed online using Yearbook ID Code 13556325. Orders are due by March 21, 2025. Get your copy today!
CAMP MacLEAN
We’re getting excited for Camp MacLean! The Camp Teaching Team has begun planning for the May 14-16 trip to Burlington, Wisconsin. Seventh grade families, remember to complete the Participation/Medication Form and submit the $195 fee via RevTrak by Monday, April 21. Families in need of financial assistance or fee waiver information should contact Karen Hayes at 847-676-8317 or [email protected].
McCRACKEN e-LEARNING
All Skokie73.5 schools will have an e-Learning Day on Tuesday, April 1. McCracken students and families will receive grade level emails that include attendance, classroom schedules, teacher links, and expected work guidelines. Emails will be sent to families and students on March 31 at 7:00 p.m. and April 1 at 7:00 a.m. McCracken students are expected to attend advisory at 8:00 a.m. where advisors will take attendance and review the schedule and expectations for the day. Students will use Google Classroom to access classroom assignments.
IAR ASSESSMENT
The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) for math and English language arts will take place at McCracken from April 2–April 7. IAR is the state assessment and accountability measure for Illinois students enrolled in a public school district. Students will learn more about their daily schedules and testing locations from their teachers and we will follow modified schedules on all of the testing days. Most students will test in their advisory classrooms. Students are encouraged to get a good night’s rest on the nights before testing, eat a healthy breakfast on the mornings of testing, and, very importantly, bring a charged chromebook to school each day. We are excited for our students to show what they’ve learned!
8th GRADE END OF YEAR CELEBRATION
McCracken 8th grade students had the opportunity to vote on their preferred theme for the end of the year celebration! Students selected from a variety of student-popular themes such as Neon Night, Hollywood Glamour, Enchanted Forest, Under the Sea, Tropical Paradise, and Name That Decade. It was very close, but the theme that beat out Hollywood Glamour by one vote was…Tropical Paradise receiving 30.4% of the overall votes! This theme will help the parent group with planning and decorations for this special event taking place on Friday, May 16 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. A permission slip for this event will be included in the updated graduation information which will be shared with our 8th grade families right after spring break.
McCRACKEN GARDEN
Attention families and community members! The NEW McCracken Garden needs your expertise! Learn how you can help our 6th graders create a new International Garden. If you are interested in being a community expert, please complete this form.
McCRACKEN DATES
McCRACKEN GAMES
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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