News and information from our district and schools
Scroll to view District updates and news from Meyer, Middleton, and McCracken!
NOVEMBER 15, 2024
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DISTRICT UPDATES
NATIONAL SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY WEEK
The National Association of School Psychologists dedicates the week of November 11-15, 2024, as National School Psychology Week.
Skokie73.5 school psychologists bring expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior to help students succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. They work closely with students to explore new ideas, celebrate student strengths, help them persevere when things get tough, and support the student’s ability to learn.
Please join us in recognizing our school psychologists for their dedication to helping students thrive in school, at home, and in life.
COFFEE WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT
Thank you to everyone who joined Dr. Hightower for coffee and conversation in October!
The next Coffee & Conversation with the Superintendent is Wednesday, November 20 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Middleton Media Center. RSVP is requested. Please complete this short form to let us know if you will attend.
Click the flyer to open the image, then right-click on the image to translate.
RSVPs for additional coffee meetups will open individually in advance of each date. We look forward to seeing you!
TURKEY DISTRIBUTION
Northwest Compass will distribute turkeys on Friday, November 22 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Call Northwest Compass at 847-392-2344 to add your name to the distribution list. Information is also available on the Northwest Compass Facebook page.
Northwest Compass is located at 1300 W. Northwest Highway in Mount Prospect, Illinois.
#ThankABoardMember
November 15 of each year is designated as School Board Members Day in Illinois. Thank you to the Skokie73.5 Board of Education members for their board policy and local governance work on behalf of our students, families, and the community. Learn more about the Skokie73.5 Board of Education and meet the members on our website!
SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS
School board candidates can begin petition circulation for the April 1, 2025, Consolidated Election. The first day petitions can be filed is Tuesday, November 12, 2024, and the last day to file is Monday, November 18, 2024.
Tap the calendar or check our Board of Education Announcements for links to the IASB news release, key dates, and more.
FACILITIES PLANNING
Skokie School District 73.5 is addressing significant challenges posed by aging facilities that no longer meet our goals and needs. In response, we are developing a long-term facility improvement plan. Please visit the the Facilities & Infrastructure Plan section of our website for more information, background documents, and updates as they are published.
GET TO KNOW THE PTO!
Get your Meyer, Middleton, and McCracken gear! Enjoy a limited-time savings of 25% during the holiday sale – there’s something for the entire family! A portion of sales go to the PTO to help fund events, equipment, and wish-list items for our schools. Click below for each school....
Last chance to buy your tickets for the Skokie73.5 Family Day with the Chicago Wolves on Sunday, November 17 at 3:00 p.m. Buy tickets HERE by 12:00 noon on November 15!
A BIG thank you to volunteers who generously donated their time, skills, and games for this year’s Fall Fest event! We appreciate your support to make these District community events possible: Karen Hayes, Odessa Molina and family, Kathy Vaselopulos, Portia Bamgbose and family, Amy Furrow, Noel Spain, Mindy Perry, Katie Hollenberg, Tim Peng, Annie Widlicka, Brennan Carlson - thank you all so much! Click HERE for photos from the event.
Visit district735pto.org and get to know your PTO!
Questions about this calendar or events? Please email [email protected].
AROUND TOWN
Village of Skokie newsletter
Skokie Public Library newsletter
NTDSE Events in the Community newsletter
DISTRICT DATES
The MEYER PARENT LEADERS (MPL), a committee of the Skokie73.5 PTO, is an inclusive group of Meyer parents/guardians who are dedicated to providing opportunities for Meyer families to connect and gather as a school community.
The next MPL meeting is next week, on Thursday, November 21 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. over Zoom. All parents/guardians are welcome to join the meeting.
Thursday, November 21, 2024
7:00 to 8:00 pm
The Zoom link will be sent to Meyer families through Seesaw the day before the meeting.
Questions? Please email the Meyer Parent Leaders at [email protected].
AUTHOR VISIT WITH JACOB GRANT
Local author and illustrator Jacob Grant will visit Meyer School on Thursday, December 5. Families may order signed copies of Jacob's books at www.bookedevanston.com/umami or by scanning the QR code on the FLYER. Place your order by Tuesday, December 3 to make sure Jacob can personalize book dedications.
Please contact Meyer Librarian Amy Kelley if you have any questions.
GRATITUDE TREE
Help us celebrate our gratitude this month by filling the Meyer Gratitude Tree!
We sent home a leaf-shaped paper with your child. As a family, write or draw what you are thankful for on the leaf and send it back to school with your child by Monday, November 18 so that we can include this on our tree!
If you need another leaf, please contact your child’s teacher.
PBIS FAMILY CONNECTIONS
Next week we will continue working on “body is calm” at school. When our bodies are calm, we keep our hands and feet to ourselves, our body is still, and our voice is quiet. When our bodies are calm, we are in the green zone and ready to learn!
At home, discuss what times it is expected to have a calm body; perhaps at the dinner table, reading a book before bedtime, while coloring a picture, or at the grocery store, library, or restaurant. Practice having a calm body during one of those activities. It’s okay to start small with 1-2 minutes and then try for longer amounts of time. Put on your own calming music to help your child practice having a calm body!
FALL CLASSROOM CELEBRATIONS
Meyer Shining Stars will have a fall celebration in their classrooms on Friday, November 22. Your child’s classroom teacher will provide more information about their plans for this celebration, and feel free to contact them with any questions. If you plan on attending your child’s classroom celebration, please be sure to bring your state-issued ID card or Driver’s License to check into the Meyer office.
MEYER'S COINS FOR KINDNESS
Meyer will be collecting Coins for Kindness from December 2-10 to benefit District 73.5 families who need extra kindness and support this holiday season. Our Meyer Shining Stars may bring loose change or coins to school for our collection. Please see the FLYER for details.
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 Tuesday, December 17 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!
DRESSING FOR OUTDOOR RECESS
As we head into colder temperatures, please send students to school in a jacket and appropriate outerwear for outdoor recess.
You may also want to start to gather appropriate outerwear for the winter, such as a warm coat, hat, gloves, scarf, winter boots, and snow pants.
As long as it is not raining, we will go outside for recess. In general, if it “feels” like 15 degrees or above and it is not raining/snowing, we will go outside. Please see the Child Care Weather Watch chart that we use to guide our decisions.
KINDERGARTEN WRITING
PRESCHOOL COMMUNITY HELPERS
MEYER DATES
MEYER SUPERSTARS
Ms. Huynh's & Ms. Silberman's Kindergarten Superstars
Ms. Moshi's Afternoon Preschool Superstars
DROP OFF & PICK UP REMINDER: Middleton families, please be mindful that you are exercising patience and treating one another and all Middleton staff members with kindness and respect at drop off and pick up. We have very specific procedures for these times of day to keep everyone safe. A few particulars:
- The bus lane is a no parking or drop off zone during drop off and pick up. Cars may not stop here, even if a bus is not present at the time
- If you are picking up students in a car, you may not park in any area where cars or buses are lining up. Please use the pick up line, or park in a regular street parking spot and walk up to the pick up zone for your grade level
We are receiving and exiting hundreds of students in and out of Middleton in a short period of time, and we can do that safely and efficiently if we work together. Our children are watching and listening to how we adults interact with one another. Let’s continue to work together to set a positive example. Thank you for your partnership.
MIDDLETON TEACHERS LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER
One way Middleton teachers learn and grow is by observing one another. Many teachers spent time observing in one anothers’ classrooms this week on our first “Pineapple Day” of the year. Pineapples are symbols of hospitality, and on Pineapple Day, teachers open up their classrooms to one another for learning visits. Check out some of ways Middleton teachers add to our math curriculum through group work and hands-on tasks!
PBIS FAMILY CONNECTIONS: RECOGNIZING FEELINGS
At Middleton, one area of teaching we are focusing on is called self-management. We are working on self-management across the day, and especially in the hallways and at recess.
In younger grades, we focus on impulse control: being the boss of our brains and bodies by keeping our hands and feet to ourselves when we have big feelings.
In older grades, we build on this to teach students to express feelings in a socially acceptable manner, like talking to resolve conflict.
One strategy for helping students with self-management is to get better at naming feelings. When kids have more words for naming big feelings, they are less likely to act impulsively. At Middleton, we use the Zones of Regulation to help students identify their feelings. Using a feelings wheel, like this free printable from the Raising an Extraordinary Person website, can help students get better at naming their feelings.
4th & 5th GRADE MUSICAL PARENT MEETING
The Middleton parent meeting for the 4th and 5th Grade Musical is NEXT WEEK, Wednesday November 20 from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. Please note the location change to Multipurpose Room (MPR). We hope to see you there! Please see this flyer for more information!
MIDDLETON LOST & FOUND
It’s that time of year when the Lost and Found at Middleton begins to grow… your child’s belongings miss them! Please take a look through this Lost & Found Photo Slideshow and send your child to pick up lost items. All Lost and Found items will be donated before Winter Break in December.
DRESSING FOR THE WEATHER
As we enter November and December, the weather will continue to become colder. Please make sure your child is dressed for the weather, including a hat, gloves, and sufficiently warm coat when appropriate. In addition, having an extra pair of pants and socks at school can be helpful when it gets wet and muddy outside. Thank you!
NEW: NOVEMBER 2024
MIDDLETON DATES
SAVE THE DATE! WINTER CLASSROOM CELEBRATION
Middleton Bulldogs will have a winter celebration in their classrooms on Friday, December 13. Watch for more details in next week’s Weekly and in teacher newsletters!
Rehearsals and performances wrapped up this week for this year’s musical, Newsies, Jr.! Special thanks to our Musical Director, Ms. Amy Keipert, for her planning and organization. We also recognize Ms. Kate Magnuson as the Musical Producer, Ms. Sally Alvarado as the Musical Manager, and our parent volunteers. We are looking forward to the final performances scheduled to take place on Friday, November 15 and Saturday, November 16. Thank you to our student performers for their time and commitment to the musical and to families for supporting their efforts!
PAWS FOR PATRICK
In an effort to better support the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) needs of our students, we have continued our partnership with an outside organization named Paws for Patrick. This organization provides the opportunity for students to spend time with a therapy dog during their recess period at school. If you are not familiar, a therapy dog is trained to provide affection, comfort, and support to people in various settings such as hospitals, retirement homes, schools, libraries, disaster areas, etc. Paws for Patrick is a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting young people with emotional support animals and therapy dogs in order to support students with their mental health. Our first visit took place on Tuesday, November 12 and we hope to arrange for additional visits throughout the 2024-2025 school year. Thank you to our Student Service Team and Assistant Principal Trevor Dykes for coordinating this partnership at McCracken!
Attention community members! The NEW McCracken Garden needs your expertise! Please click 
VAPING INFORMATION & RESOURCES FOR McCRACKEN FAMILIES
In its work to address the vaping epidemic, the Skokie Health Department cites a U.S. Surgeon General alert about a drastic increase in vaping among high school students. Their website describes vaping as "the act of inhaling an aerosol produced by heating a liquid that contains nicotine, flavorings, heavy metals, and other harmful products." Nicotine is highly addictive and can cause permanent damage to a person’s lungs as well as harm brain development in adolescents. Middle school and high school students are at a higher risk for using these dangerous products. Kids may get access to these products from older relatives and friends and these devices may look like a small USB flash drive, pen, highlighter, or other item. Students caught vaping on school property or being in possession of vape products are subject to serious disciplinary consequences according to Board Policy. Talk to your child about the dangers of vaping and access the resources below for more information.
- Village of Skokie Vaping Website
- Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Smoking and Tobacco Use
- Vaping: What Parents Should Know from KidsHealth
E-cigarette use among U.S. youth
Current use of e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches among U.S. middle and high school students in 2024.
McCRACKEN SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL LEARNING CORNER
Students will be covering bullying topics in their extended advisory classes this month using our Second Step Social and Emotional Learning curriculum. Students learn how to recognize bullying and harrassment, stand up safely to bullying, and respond appropriately to harassment. Families can access the scope and sequence of the bullying and harassment unit HERE which includes the lesson themes, CASEL Core Competencies, title, and objectives. In addition, there is a family letter which provides grade level specific information about the upcoming bullying unit below.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
On November 4, the 11th annual Band Director Workshop convened at McCracken for day-long series of professional development sessions. A highlight of the workshop was a demonstration performance by the McCracken Symphonic Band under the direction of Mr. Chip De Stefano.
On November 8, which was National STEM/STEAM Day, students in Ms. Lisa Repp's STEAM class drove their remote-controlled robots for a lap up, around, and down the McCracken hallway to the cheers of their classmates. Enjoy this rough cut of the first heat!
8th GRADE INFORMATION
SAVE THE DATES! 8th Grade Class of 2025 Events
PSAT Assessment: Saturday, October 26- Graduation Pictures: Thursday, January 30, 2025
- 8th Grade End of Year Celebration: Friday, May 16, 2025
- 8th Grade Graduation: Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Families will receive more specific communication about graduation events in December
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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