News and information from our district and schools
MEYER. MIDDLETON. McCRACKEN. Games. Meal Menu.
NOVEMBER 10, 2023
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DISTRICT NEWS
DOGS IN PUBLIC AREAS
WE LOVE DOGS (and cats, too)! Please help us keep our school grounds safe for students and staff.
Village of Skokie municipal ordinance requires dogs to be on a leash no longer than 8 feet when in public spaces. The ordinance includes parks under a half-acre in size, McNally Park (and others) during school hours when children are present, and paths or sidewalks that extend through or within any school premises. Please visit Sec. 18-37 of the Village of Skokie ordinance for details about animals in public areas and the Skokie Park District Dog Conduct Ordinance for more information.
DISTRICT OFFICE HOLIDAY ACCESS
The Skokie73.5 District Office team will be out of the office and working remotely from Monday, November 20th through Wednesday, November 22nd. Please call 847-676-8317 or send an email to [email protected] as needed for assistance on these days.
The District Office will be closed for the Thankgiving holiday on Thursday, November 23rd and Friday, November 24th.
STUDENT SERVICES
Bring the family and join Illinois STAR NET for some seriously fun events! Check their newsletter for information about upcoming Musical Games for Families, Learning through Art and Music, and many more webinars and workshops. There's something for everyone!
PTO NEWS
Mark your calendars and save the date for the PTO PARENT NIGHT OUT on Thursday, November 16th at Sketchbook Brewing Company in Skokie. Check the PTO Events website for details: district735pto.org/pto-events.
The complete PTO Calendar is now available in The Weekly! Scroll the calendar to see what's on the schedule, and click an event for more information or to copy the event to your own calendar.
Visit district735pto.org and get to know your PTO!
Questions about this calendar or events? Please email [email protected].
DISTRICT DATES
AROUND TOWN
Check the SkokieNews for information and updates from the Village of Skokie.
Niles Township Food Pantry Thanksgiving Distribution
November 20th-22nd
Visit the Food Pantry website for guidelines and distribution times.
FRIENDLY REMINDERS to keep our Shining Stars safe...
SAFETY: Please do not to leave children unattended in your car during drop-off and pick-up. We recognize this can be challenging if you have multiple children; however, children need to be supervised at all times for their own safety. Kindergarten families are encouraged to use the Drive-Thru if this is a challenge.
CAR SEATS: By Illinois law, children aged 3-6 years old should still be in forward-facing car seats or booster seats. Children also must ride in the back seat of the car at least through age 12. Please help keep our Shining Stars safe by having them buckle up in a car or booster seat, in the back seat, when riding in a vehicle.
Click or tap the age-specific Car Seat Recommendations for Children chart for important information about choosing the proper car seat for your child.
The Skokie Health Department offers a short-term car seat loaner program for Skokie residents. The "TOTS" (Travel seats Offer Travel Safety) program loans seats at no cost. A $10 deposit is required and will be returned less a $5 cleaning fee when the seat is brought back in good condition. Borrowers are instructed on the proper installation and usage of the seats. Seats can be reserved by calling the Health Department at 847-933-8252.
Help us celebrate our gratitude this month by filling the MEYER GRATITUDE TREE! We sent home a leaf-shaped paper with your child for them to write or draw what your family is thankful for. Send the leaf back to your child’s teacher as soon as possible so that we can include yours on our tree! If you need another leaf, please contact your child’s teacher.
DRESSING FOR OUTDOOR RECESS. Colder temperatures have arrived! Please send your child to school with appropriate outerwear such as a warm coat, hat, gloves, scarf, winter boots, and snow pants. In general, if it "feels" like 15 degrees or above and it is not raining/snowing, we will go outside for recess. Please see the Child Care Weather Watch chart that we use to guide our decisions.
If there is snow on the ground, students must wear snow boots and snowpants in order to play in the snow. Otherwise, students will need to stay on the paved areas during recess.
The Meyer school nurse, Mrs. Katie Orleans, will conduct HEARING AND VISION SCREENINGS for all students at Meyer during the month of November. Parents will be notified only if results require a follow up with an outside healthcare professional.
MEYER MOMENTS
MEYER DATES
Meyer Shining Stars will have a FALL CELEBRATION in their classrooms during the week of November 13th. Your child’s classroom teacher will provide more information about their plans for this celebration as the date approaches.
MEYER SUPERSTARS
Picture retake day is Wednesday, November 15th. If your child is participating, please send the original pictures to school with your student on this day so they can be returned to the photography company.
The MIDDLETON RUNNING CLUB completed their 5K on Saturday, November 4th at McCracken Middle School. Check these photos of the runners and their fans during and after the laps!
MR. PRATT'S STEAM CHALLENGE!
Middleton families are invited to build their best-ever catapult.
- Choose what you want to launch.
- Brainstorm and sketch out ideas together as a family.
- Build the catapult using supplies from around the house.
Check the flyer for more information and inspiration. Participants who send photos or videos of their project to Mr. Pratt by Friday, December 15th might be featured in The Weekly!
GARDEN NEWSLETTER
Learn about Middleton's Pollinator and Gilbert Gardens in the GARDEN NEWSLETTER!
MIDDLETON DATES
Save the dates and get ready for Middleton's 2023-2024 SPIRIT DAY events!
The cast and crew of INTO THE WOODS, JR. are all set to put on a fantastic musical this weekend! Special thanks to all of our amazing cast and crew and our Musical Director, Ms. Amy Keipert, for her planning and organization. We would also like to recognize Musical Producer Ms. Kate Magnuson and Musical Manager Ms. Sally Alvarado. We are looking forward to final performances scheduled to take place on Friday, November 10th and Saturday, November 11th! Special thanks to families who supported and assisted with the musical performance and production.
► Can't make it to the show in person? Meet us on the McCracken website for a livestream of the 7:00 p.m. Saturday performance!
McCracken students and staff got in on the fun during SPIRIT WEEK and rocked a different theme each day. Even the District Office got the memo and jumped in on Tuesday's Twin Day!
- Monday: Anything but a Backpack Day
- Tuesday: Twin Day
- Wednesday: Students Dress Like Staff and Staff Dress Like Students
- Thursday: Sports Day
- Friday: Purple Out
McCracken students will have the opportunity to attend our FALL HORNET HANGOUT event on Wednesday, November 15th to enjoy music, games, snacks, and activities. Hornet Hangout will take place from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. in the gymnasium and lobby areas. Students must have a parent permission slip and $2 entrance fee to attend and must remain inside the school building for the entire time. Parents should plan on picking up students at McCracken promptly at 7:00 pm. Permission slips were shared with students in advisory this week!
PICTURE RETAKES. Students received their Lifetouch pre-ordered fall picture packages last week at school. McCracken’s picture retakes are scheduled for Thursday, November 16th. If you would like for your child to retake their school picture, please send their Lifetouch picture packet back to school with them on November 16th. If your child was absent they make take their picture that day. If you have any questions, please contact the McCracken Office at 847-673-1220.
OUTDOOR RECESS WEATHER REMINDERS. Students participate in outdoor recess throughout the school year unless there is a significant weather-related or other external factor that necessitates an indoor program. Here at McCracken, we use the Child Care Weather Watch system to determine students' participation in outdoor recess. This guide uses a combination of temperature and wind speed to calculate year-round weather safety for our students. Thank you, in advance, for helping to ensure that your child is prepared with appropriate outerwear for recess so that they are comfortable during our outdoor programming! Families in need of outerwear for their child should contact administration for additional resources.
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.
ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL
Please help us keep our students, staff, families, and visitors safe by following our arrival and dismissal safety reminders.
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 DATES
Whole Grain Muffin, Fresh Fruit & Milk
Bagel & Cream Cheese, Fresh Fruit & Milk
Breakfast Bar, Fresh Fruit & Milk
Yogurt & Graham Crackers, Fresh Fruit & Milk
Cereal Bowl, Fresh Fruit & Milk
Whole Grain Muffin, Fresh Fruit & Milk
Bagel & Cream Cheese, Fresh Fruit & Milk
Halal meals available on request: Meatball and Rice Bowl, Chicken Sandwich, Cheese Sandwich. Kosher meals available on request: All Beef Hot Dog, Cheese Sandwich.
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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